how far away can a yote smell your scent

S

steve garrett

Well-known member
first of all I don't believe in all the scent killers out there, IMO you aint gonna fool a yote, your gun smells, basically everything you have on the yote can smell, your butt, your sweat, your gun oil, your laundry detergent etc. so my question is how far away do you guys think a yote can smell you.

last weekend had a yote hang up about 250 yards out, he was directly down wind we had about a 5-10mph wind, I am not sure how much he smelled us.
 
I have had them hang up at 300 yards before in a flat hay field and a pretty good wind...15 mph or so. Biggest group I ever called in was 7 and they came to about 300 and started bugging out. My partner was able to get one of them that stopped for a few seconds. Who knows how many have smelled me that I have never seen and how far they were. I try to go when the wind isn't so bad and they usually get closer.
 
Ever watch a vehicle drive fast down a gravel road on a windy day. Watch how far the dust flys in the wind.

I read awhile back of a [test]dog's scenting ability in a purged air chamber. If I recall correctly...6ppt[6 parts per Trillion] was the lowest particle scented in pure air.

I believe a coyotes nose is just as good as any domestic dog.

Dependant upon ambiant air speed. A long ways.
 
I sure agree with you on the scent killers. Get quite a kick out of a friend whom sprays urine sents all around him. His wife won't let him in the door til he showers in the shop. It doesn't come off very well and he's slept out on the couch several times. What a guy will give up for coyote hunting.

I've been busted at better than 400 yards when the wind changed. I think they can smell you much further, but they can see as well as they smell. I've had them coming on a dead run and my calling buddy moved and seen the swap ends at better than 300 yards. Their pretty canny critters and I'm sure glad they can't shoot back. We'd be on the endangered species list.
 
One of those things that depends a great deal on conditions, obviously. But, I've got video of a coyote very clearly getting our breeze at a bit over 400 yards. By the same token, in other conditions, I've got video of coyotes 30 yards away downwind and apparently not catching our scent.

By the way... IDBob mentioned coyote eye sight. I know I'm in the minority with my opinion, but frankly, I'm just not that impressed with how well I think coyotes can see. My experience is, that I think they can pick up on movement extremely well. But I don't think they have great resolution. Not like an antelope, for instance. And actually, I don't think their resolution is even as good as ours. If you hold still it seems like they have a pretty hard time picking you out from the surroundings - even sometimes when it seems like it should be pretty easy. I will sometimes actually flutter my fingers or intentionally expose my bare face to a coyote that is a couple hundred yards out and undecided. Sometimes that little bit of movement, which they can't actually tell what it is from that far, seems to be what they need to get them to commit. Sometimes...

- DAA
 
Quote:
One of those things that depends a great deal on conditions, obviously. But, I've got video of a coyote very clearly getting our breeze at a bit over 400 yards. By the same token, in other conditions, I've got video of coyotes 30 yards away downwind and apparently not catching our scent.

By the way... IDBob mentioned coyote eye sight. I know I'm in the minority with my opinion, but frankly, I'm just not that impressed with how well I think coyotes can see. My experience is, that I think they can pick up on movement extremely well. But I don't think they have great resolution. Not like an antelope, for instance. And actually, I don't think their resolution is even as good as ours. If you hold still it seems like they have a pretty hard time picking you out from the surroundings - even sometimes when it seems like it should be pretty easy. I will sometimes actually flutter my fingers or intentionally expose my bare face to a coyote that is a couple hundred yards out and undecided. Sometimes that little bit of movement, which they can't actually tell what it is from that far, seems to be what they need to get them to commit. Sometimes...

- DAA



I agree totally on the eyesight, the movement deal is the key if they are searching and see movement too much of it you can be in trouble, I generally try to move and get in posisition while the yote is moving themselves. I don't think they can spot outlines very well at all. in reality the camo IMO is only an aid in masking movements. If you sat totally still and had no scent a yote would not know you from a tree, if I had to guess I say their vision isn't all that clear beyond 200 yards yeah they can see but I think we see far better as humans.
 
It would be very interesting to know exactly what a coyote can see or define. I've read many opinions on that matter according to many hunter's opinions.

My experiences vary somewhat. I'm convinced some coyotes can pick out certain shapes, even when pretty much camo'd into the background. Our Border Collie dog can for instance. I've witnessed some coyotes do the same. I believe "the coyotes" that can do or have done this, are the locals in the area.
 
All dogs memories are based on scent. They can remember millions upon
millions in sequence. I would bet coyotes are the same, so it's not just human
scent I think it is unfamiliar scents with the area they are in. And a lot of dogs
have pretty poor eyesight. Not just by breed but dog to dog just like people.
m2c
 
Bowhunting for whitetails last Saturday had a light but swirling wind...Yote came out in the field at a lasered 187 yards and picked up a whiff when the wind switched his way for only a few seconds. Know he smelled me b/c I got about 5 mins of barking and warning howls. Never more than 300 yds away, but me with a bow.
 
I am not sure about coyotes because I have limted experience killed 3 so far started last year. I use cover scents, deodorant toothpaste and laundry detergent when deer hunting. I definetly notice a difference in the deers reations when I use or do not use cover scents. Do they COVER your entire scent no way! do they help I think so. hunt with the wind is always a good idea. I use scent loc clothing too. I am a nutball about scent control. its got to help especially in a swirling wind when an animal cannot tell right where you are.
 
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