Getting close to a bedded coyote.

M

medic joe

Well-known member
Most land I hunt is open rolling large hills. Some of that land is low rolling hills. The land also is scattered with timber strips, or plots of timber or open land. Being a long time spot/stalker. Once I see a bedded down coyote from the road I'm on. I then triangulate its position on the rolling hills. I use horizon timber, buildings, fence line posts, shrubs, ect. I also count hills in all directions from where that coyote is from the horizon or where I'm parked as I observe it. Using 2-3 points of reference from those varied land structures/markers. I can then pinpoint with great accuracy during triangulation. Where exactly that coyote is bedded down. Then I make my stalk-in plan. Using the wind direction & any land features. That can hide me from that coyotes view or being scented or heard on the way in.

I take my time closing the gap between that coyote & myself. I stealth in slowly & methodical. Once I get within a 1/4 mile of that coyote. I walk very, very slowly. Trying not to cast the slightest of sound. This previous comment is often over looked by callers that have hunted with me. They had or have little to NO clue. Just how keen a coyote can hear the slightest of sounds. MOST all coyotes that hear continual sounds coming their way. Will go into "alert mode". Most coyotes are extremely aware of ambient sounds. They are very wary. Especially wary is an old alpha female.

In a perfect World for me when I spot/stalk a bedded coyote is. I have land permission on all of the terrain that surrounds that coyote. IF...I do. Then my preferred angle I sneak in on. Is either on a cross-wind. Or preferably, angled up & cross-wind. Angled-up & cross wind stalk. Puts me behind that coyotes view & also puts me crosswind from it scenting me. Then the only hurdle I have to over come. Is being quiet enough as I close the gap.
 
The only coyote I've ever spotted from the road made me as I opened the truck door and the only time I've ever been able to slip in close to one was by accident. But I must have done it right as I was very quiet and wind conscious. When I let out that first mouse squeak it popped up from behind a fallen tree about 50 or sixty yards from me. Had I not had the gun on sticks trained in the general direction I would have never made the shot.
 
RSG223 said:
The only coyote I've ever spotted from the road made me as I opened the truck door and the only time I've ever been able to slip in close to one was by accident. But I must have done it right as I was very quiet and wind conscious. When I let out that first mouse squeak it popped up from behind a fallen tree about 50 or sixty yards from me. Had I not had the gun on sticks trained in the general direction I would have never made the shot.
Click to expand...
You were very fortunate to have got that close. There are numerous barbed fences intersecting farms where I hunt. If possible I will go far out of my way. To find a gap between corner posts. Or a wide spread in the wires. Versus depress a barbed wire to climb over. Because depressing a wire, can will telegraph the slighted of noise way down stream on that wire. Alerting any coyote within earshot. I know that to be true. Because I've done it in my early yrs of stalking. Coyotes miss very little sounds in the area they are at. They take note to every slight sound, rarely dismissing a sound. Without going into alert mode.
 
I told this story that happened to me on this forum and one guy didn't believe me, but here it goes again.
I was deer hunting about 5 years ago it was unseasonably warm for nw Minnesota and it was drizzling with a light wind. I was sneaking through the woods, everything was wet enough that I wasn't making any noise and I had the wind in my face. I came up on a large downed cottonwood tree and on the other side of it was a mass of fur about 6-8' across. I'm looking at this and I can't figure out what I am looking at. I didn't even raise my rifle because because I had no clue what it was. I'm standing there about 10 seconds when all of a sudden it turns into 5-6 coyotes that just explode out of there. They were into the brush in less than 2 seconds, I never even raised my rifle. You can call me a liar if you want but it happened, and it's never happened to me before or since. I never saw a head or tail until they literally exploded into a run.
 
I night hunt with IR. Ride the ATV to the box stand before dark. Stand is 80 yds from feeder, and another 20 yds behind that is woods. Sun goes down and I see the yote sitting at the edge of the woods waiting (I guess) for dinner. Last month I did my normal (a different pasture, stand floor is broken) but parked the ATV next to the stand - right at dusk. Scan the field and see one laying (mousing?) about 150 yds away, facing me. So I didn't sneak up on them, didn't try to get closer but they didn't scare away. I did spook one when finishing up one night - it watched me for a while and then disappeared back in the woods. I have a call app on the iphone but don't think I've ever called one in - often get a howl from far away. Heard some close-by howls once and saw one back in the woods but no shot. Area is cattle pastures separated by hardwood and pine forests. Guess they are just 'un-trained'.
 
In my area just can't park a pickup where a sleeper can see it when they wakeup. Coyote often won't lift their head to look, just shift it slightly to check the downwind. A stalk consists of spotting one, figuring out a route to a prone shooting location and getting there without being seen, heard or smelled. And hope a pickup, road grader or so other loud vehicle doesn't stop. I use Steiner M/M binos (no focusing) if I'm not driving I can spot on the roll and get the vehicle far enough away to use spotting scope.
IMG_20230216_122133903~2.jpg
 
Last edited:
If this spot stalking tactic is your preferred type of hunting, you would never kill a coyote here in the northeast! If you did, it would be in the same category as winning the powerball lottery!

To see one bedded up in the daytime is incredibly rare!
 
medic joe said:
Most land I hunt is open rolling large hills. Some of that land is low rolling hills. The land also is scattered with timber strips, or plots of timber or open land. Being a long time spot/stalker. Once I see a bedded down coyote from the road I'm on. I then triangulate its position on the rolling hills. I use horizon timber, buildings, fence line posts, shrubs, ect. I also count hills in all directions from where that coyote is from the horizon or where I'm parked as I observe it. Using 2-3 points of reference from those varied land structures/markers. I can then pinpoint with great accuracy during triangulation. Where exactly that coyote is bedded down. Then I make my stalk-in plan. Using the wind direction & any land features. That can hide me from that coyotes view or being scented or heard on the way in.

I take my time closing the gap between that coyote & myself. I stealth in slowly & methodical. Once I get within a 1/4 mile of that coyote. I walk very, very slowly. Trying not to cast the slightest of sound. This previous comment is often over looked by callers that have hunted with me. They had or have little to NO clue. Just how keen a coyote can hear the slightest of sounds. MOST all coyotes that hear continual sounds coming their way. Will go into "alert mode". Most coyotes are extremely aware of ambient sounds. They are very wary. Especially wary is an old alpha female.

In a perfect World for me when I spot/stalk a bedded coyote is. I have land permission on all of the terrain that surrounds that coyote. IF...I do. Then my preferred angle I sneak in on. Is either on a cross-wind. Or preferably, angled up & cross-wind. Angled-up & cross wind stalk. Puts me behind that coyotes view & also puts me crosswind from it scenting me. Then the only hurdle I have to over come. Is being quiet enough as I close the gap.
Click to expand...
I have had good success stalking bedded coyotes in windy conditions. Although most were at night, but using the wind and terrain to your advantage, getting within 150 is quite achievable.
 
Yes, there is no stalking what can't be seen. At minimum you need to see them moving to bed and than sneak in, looking as you go. Occasionally I see one just before dark, still layed up. As long as I can see thru the scope I go.
 
spotstalkshoot said:
In my area just can't park a pickup where a sleeper can see it when they wakeup. Coyote often won't lift their head to look, just shift it slightly to check the downwind. A stalk consists of spotting one, figuring out a route to a prone shooting location and getting there without being seen, heard or smelled. And hope a pickup, road grader or so other loud vehicle doesn't stop. I use Steiner M/M binos (no focusing) if I'm not driving I can spot on the roll and get the vehicle far enough away to use spotting scope.View attachment 24568
Click to expand...
Yep. I've seen many already bedded down early am. The rest were either on the hunt. Or on their way elsewhere. I have seen a handful or so bed down. On snow cover they will spin a tight circle like red fox. Tamping the loose snow down before bedding down.
 
spotstalkshoot said:
In my area just can't park a pickup where a sleeper can see it when they wakeup. Coyote often won't lift their head to look, just shift it slightly to check the downwind. A stalk consists of spotting one, figuring out a route to a prone shooting location and getting there without being seen, heard or smelled. And hope a pickup, road grader or so other loud vehicle doesn't stop. I use Steiner M/M binos (no focusing) if I'm not driving I can spot on the roll and get the vehicle far enough away to use spotting scope.View attachment 24568
Click to expand...
Back when I killed coyotes. I used a 3/8" 10' long braided nylon cord. One end I made a bowline knot to go over my chest at an angle. The other end I made a slip knot to go over the coyotes neck. Hands free drag rope. A lot less tiresome. Versus tiring out one of my arms,
 
The land terrain I hunt mostly. Is large rolling open hill crop land. I have hunted adjacent to timber strips/patches & large tracks of timber w/ground brush/grasses. I wait for all of the leaves to fall & the crops are harvested. Ideally the snow hits the ground. Then wildlife is illuminated by the snow. As the wildlife is exposed & much easier to see. However, I prefer open rolling hills. To see bedded canines or the ones on the move.

One behavior that is different between a territorial coyote or a pair of territorial coyotes. Versus a nomadic/trespasser coyote is. Territorial coyotes have preferred primary & secondary bedding areas. "Specifically" when the wind is from a specific direction. The trespasser or nomadic coyote will bed down anywhere. Another behavior difference I noted between a bedded down trespasser coyote is. They often pan around 360 & are very alert & do NOT rest easy. Whereas, the territorial coyote when on it's own land & bedded down. Rarely looks to it's up wind area.

Here is a long range still shot from a video. Of a pair of territorial coyotes. When the wind was from the northwest. I would see them a little over 1/2 mile away. Laying near the same focal area time after time. I stalked them 3x over a handful of yrs. Eventually killing the male with a throat shot.

1765797438747.png
 
medic joe said:
The land terrain I hunt mostly. Is large rolling open hill crop land. I have hunted adjacent to timber strips/patches & large tracks of timber w/ground brush/grasses. I wait for all of the leaves to fall & the crops are harvested. Ideally the snow hits the ground. Then wildlife is illuminated by the snow. As the wildlife is exposed & much easier to see. However, I prefer open rolling hills. To see bedded canines or the ones on the move.

One behavior that is different between a territorial coyote or a pair of territorial coyotes. Versus a nomadic/trespasser coyote is. Territorial coyotes have preferred primary & secondary bedding areas. "Specifically" when the wind is from a specific direction. The trespasser or nomadic coyote will bed down anywhere. Another behavior difference I noted between a bedded down trespasser coyote is. They often pan around 360 & are very alert & do NOT rest easy. Whereas, the territorial coyote when on it's own land & bedded down. Rarely looks to it's up wind area.

Here is a long range still shot from a video. Of a pair of territorial coyotes. When the wind was from the northwest. I would see them a little over 1/2 mile away. Laying near the same focal area time after time. I stalked them 3x over a handful of yrs. Eventually killing the male with a throat shot.

View attachment 24587
Click to expand...
 
medic joe said:
The land terrain I hunt mostly. Is large rolling open hill crop land. I have hunted adjacent to timber strips/patches & large tracks of timber w/ground brush/grasses. I wait for all of the leaves to fall & the crops are harvested. Ideally the snow hits the ground. Then wildlife is illuminated by the snow. As the wildlife is exposed & much easier to see. However, I prefer open rolling hills. To see bedded canines or the ones on the move.

One behavior that is different between a territorial coyote or a pair of territorial coyotes. Versus a nomadic/trespasser coyote is. Territorial coyotes have preferred primary & secondary bedding areas. "Specifically" when the wind is from a specific direction. The trespasser or nomadic coyote will bed down anywhere. Another behavior difference I noted between a bedded down trespasser coyote is. They often pan around 360 & are very alert & do NOT rest easy. Whereas, the territorial coyote when on it's own land & bedded down. Rarely looks to it's up wind area.

Here is a long range still shot from a video. Of a pair of territorial coyotes. When the wind was from the northwest. I would see them a little over 1/2 mile away. Laying near the same focal area time after time. I stalked them 3x over a handful of yrs. Eventually killing the male with a throat shot.

View attachment 24587
Click to expand...
Of course they were bedded down. On the down wind slope of that hill. Wind at their backside.
 
Back
Top