Finding coyote bedding areas

Newpond0

Newpond0

Active member
I have an area near me that I can start hunting January 1 and I’m thinking to try find the coyote beds to learn something. It’s an elevated atv trail leading to a swamp, with hills going down to larger ponds on both sides. There’s a power line crossing it at the beginning lower elevation part as well. Lots of rabbits, coyote scats with rabbit fur, and a few mice tracks too. A few moose hunters go back there but zero coyote hunters. I’m guessing to wait until after snow and follow tracks to start, and mix in some locating calls. What do you guys do to find beds?

The main, easy access is the right side of the trail just out of the picture and coming in from that side the wind has almost always been in my facing walking in. The total length of the trail is around 2 miles from beginning until it ends at the swamp
 
Last edited:
When there is snow, any dry grass with wind protection and sun exposure. As long as there is no disturbance, people/dogs/snow machines. No disturbances and the dry grass is a non issue. Coyote beds are quite small. Even have seen where coyote have dug into a muskrat house(south side of house) in real cold windy weather. Same with round bales, dug right into the bale. And laying on top of bales, when sunny and no wind.
 
Thank you spotstalkshoot. In your opinion if I walk right up to these beds, will the coyotes get spooked and not bed there anymore? Or if I give it a few weeks or so before coming back there and let them get comfortable that I’m not coming back will they relax and go back?
 
Went in their looking for beds on the upper part of the hill downwind side medic Joe style. I followed the available main trails but didn't find any beds or figure out their access routes yet. It's pretty thick in there
IMG_20241127_125440.jpg
 
spotstalkshoot said:
When there is snow, any dry grass with wind protection and sun exposure. As long as there is no disturbance, people/dogs/snow machines. No disturbances and the dry grass is a non issue. Coyote beds are quite small. Even have seen where coyote have dug into a muskrat house(south side of house) in real cold windy weather. Same with round bales, dug right into the bale. And laying on top of bales, when sunny and no wind.
Click to expand...
I found a few little openings like this just off the trail, they were on the upper part of the hill side. When the .22 season starts I will do some sets based on the assumption they are in there and see how it goes
 
In that country, coyote will sleep where they can remain dry. Especially their underside. For the most part if I stubble on or track a coyote to a daytime bed, they don't return or use again for quite a while. Scouting is a balance, figure out as much as you can without actually disturbing them, especially if you plan to call the area soon.
 
Like Bob, I've never had any reason to look for coyote beds. I've seen them bedded a lot of times, but never went looking for them. And also like Bob, in the areas I hunt, they can be bedding just about anywhere at any time. I saw one two years ago bedded down in the middle of the road in the middle of the day.

- DAA
 
Thanks guys 👍. I forgot to mention the pond at the end of the trail in the first picture had a very well used trail going around it. There was rabbit craps but no moose footprints or poops. People rarely go down there either.

I walked around that pond following the trail scouting for other little paths going into the thick and found none, seems like only that 1 main trail going in.

There was a small hill off to the side which had a view of the access to the trail and would have had the wind that day blowing from behind it so a coyote could both view the trail, most of the pond and bog area, while also smelling what's behind. I will also call this once the pond freezes over
 
Y’all would probably end up in the hospital following trails down here or looking for a designated coyote bed down here. There are deer trails every 50yds and you need 200 traps to trap 200ac for every trail or crossing of a trail. Heck deer don’t bed in the same spot. Heck, I’ve watched them through a thermal at night and just lay down in the middle of a harrowed up field. I’ve had them show up at my stand and just bed down.
When it comes to coyotes, I don’t think they bed all day and roam all night. I think down here they’re in the cover more during the day and roam the open areas all night. Now during summer time they may bed up in the bottoms/drains/swamps a lot more during the day just because it’s cooler in those areas.
I’m not understanding this fascination of finding a specific spot a coyote beds down.
 
My reason I have made an effort to know where coyote in my area bed during the day, is to kill them. Some days in the winter visibility is limited due to blowing/falling snow, spotting coyote from the vehicle or tracking them is not possible. But sneaking in and seeing them bedded, using shotgun or rifle is a lot of fun and one way to be successful. Yes, here in row crop country it is possible to find coyote(bedded/sleeping) during the day(or at night)with binoculars/spotting scope/thermal. A completely different skill set from calling or hunting over bait.
 
My thinking behind finding the beds was I’ve heard of deer hunters who go out scouting for beds and then setup over them, like it’s the deers home that he always starts from and returns to each day. I was thinking coyotes may do the same, and that bears may do the same when in a food area for a certain time before moving on to a different food area.

If I could get a better feel for their bedding areas plus practice my stalking and moving in on these silently and out of sight while playing the wind, that this would be a good foundation for me to learn how to hunt. I could have an idea where the animals might be during daytime when looking at an area, feel the wind, and have an idea how to sneak in fairly close and start calling.

Last year was a lot of walking down the road wind in my face and calling just off the edge to stay legal, or seeing an opening off the side of the road and setting up wind in my face and calling. I got skunked over and over and over and I have zero confidence in playing that game any more. I can’t stomach that anymore and need to switch it up and this is my year 2 plan. I’m gonna give it an honest go and see what happens, even it just gets me out there and more experience it’s good enough
 
Last edited:
The pictures you've shared, that is some TOUGH calling right there. Just so easy for them to come in and leave and you never know they were there. But just knowing, or having a reasonable degree of optimism they are within ear shot is enough, as far as locating. You really don't need to know where they have bedded recently. You need to have a pretty good idea of "about" where they might be, right at the moment. Tracks, scat, hearing them howl can tell you that.

- DAA
 
DAA said:
The pictures you've shared, that is some TOUGH calling right there. Just so easy for them to come in and leave and you never know they were there. But just knowing, or having a reasonable degree of optimism they are within ear shot is enough, as far as locating. You really don't need to know where they have bedded recently. You need to have a pretty good idea of "about" where they might be, right at the moment. Tracks, scat, hearing them howl can tell you that.

- DAA
Click to expand...
Thank you Dave. I always find scats, but tracks without snow are tough to find as it’s either rocky, moss, or wet bog. This year I’m gonna incorporate some early AM/late PM howls to double check after scouting to see if I’m on the right track or if they’re in totally different places than I thought.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top