how far do I park away from my stand?
- Thread starter wife1.0
- Start date
Really depends on the terrain. I live on the high plains, so sometimes I will walk quite a distance, but in rougher tighter country a person can park closer. Shoot, a couple of my cohorts have literally called in an killed coyotes in daylight while sitting in the pickup. I figure a few hundred yards is minimum in my country.
Hidalgo
Well-known member
How far away? If you were the coyote, how far away would you be and not see or hear the hunter or the vehicle? I've killed them 25 yards from the truck before, but that's in the thick eastern woods. Depends on your terrain and how quiet you are. Also depends on whether the coyotes have been hunted hard or not. Are they accustomed to vehicles driving by? Lots of things come into play. Just use your head and you'll be fine.
derbyacresbob
Well-known member
I probably walk 300 yards to 600 yards from my vehicle most of the time to make my calling stands.
But some stands where I have a great spot to hide my vehicle I don't walk more than 30 yards to 80 yards away from my vehicle.
I shot this coyote while laying prone from where my rifle is in this picture. I took this picture while I was kneeling down.
I took this picture while I was standing. You can see my truck is only about 20 yards away from where I was laying prone with my rifle. Some of the dry creek beds in the country I hunt in are perfect for hiding my truck.
In flat country if you park in a low spot and walk about 300 yards to 400 yards away from your vehicle. Then kneel down to get your head about 2.5 ft to 3 ft off the ground, then see if you can still see your vehicle.
I have called in and killed many coyotes where I can't see my truck while sitting down but it is in plain sight when I stand up.
But some stands where I have a great spot to hide my vehicle I don't walk more than 30 yards to 80 yards away from my vehicle.
I shot this coyote while laying prone from where my rifle is in this picture. I took this picture while I was kneeling down.
I took this picture while I was standing. You can see my truck is only about 20 yards away from where I was laying prone with my rifle. Some of the dry creek beds in the country I hunt in are perfect for hiding my truck.
In flat country if you park in a low spot and walk about 300 yards to 400 yards away from your vehicle. Then kneel down to get your head about 2.5 ft to 3 ft off the ground, then see if you can still see your vehicle.
I have called in and killed many coyotes where I can't see my truck while sitting down but it is in plain sight when I stand up.
YoteslayerWA
Well-known member
To me it depends on hunting pressure and terrain. If you are hunting a place that gets a lot of pressure I would walk further from the truck. But a place that is less hunted I just try to keep the truck out of sight.
Recon Ops
New member
Hey wife1.0. Welcome to the forum. I am also originally from Salem, Oregon. You have a great question there, and like others, it depends, There has been some good advice given and I will add my own spin that no one has mentioned as of yet.
I find that during the wee morning hours as the sun rises it would behoove you to be extra cautious about getting in quiet and walking a further distance from your truck in general. The coyotes are much more active during these early morning hours as the sun rises. It's much easier for them to bust you during this time because they are more aware.
During the afternoon sun and they are bedded down and sleeping and not out and about as much, you may can get away with less walking. That's my own experience. During the afternoon seems to be a great time to get in and call them in. I've had just as much success after 12pm than before. If you can turn around and see the vehicle, that's a dead giveaway usually. You just never know what angle they will come in at though. You may not even see the vehicle as you turn around, but the coyote on the hill at 500 yards sees the reflection off your vehicle and may not come in. All stuff to think about. Good luck!!
Recon
I find that during the wee morning hours as the sun rises it would behoove you to be extra cautious about getting in quiet and walking a further distance from your truck in general. The coyotes are much more active during these early morning hours as the sun rises. It's much easier for them to bust you during this time because they are more aware.
During the afternoon sun and they are bedded down and sleeping and not out and about as much, you may can get away with less walking. That's my own experience. During the afternoon seems to be a great time to get in and call them in. I've had just as much success after 12pm than before. If you can turn around and see the vehicle, that's a dead giveaway usually. You just never know what angle they will come in at though. You may not even see the vehicle as you turn around, but the coyote on the hill at 500 yards sees the reflection off your vehicle and may not come in. All stuff to think about. Good luck!!
Recon
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A couple years ago during spring turkey season I finished hunting for the morning and went back to the truck, unloaded my shotgun, put it in the backseat. I got in the front, opened the window, and started eating some crackers and drinking a coke. Within about 5 minutes a nice silver coyote walks right up over a rise, looks at the truck, and continues walking passing about 15 yds in front of the truck. He saw or heard me reaching to the backseat, froze for an instant and took off. If I hadn't moved he would have walked on by with no alarm at all. They are ever remarkable and unpredictable.
Brownie
New member
I like to get out aways because around here everyone shoots at them out the windows of their trucks. So the coyotes run at the sound of tires on gravel. I try to get out 1/4 mile or so away from the rig and use whatever I can to hide it. Last time I was out I did have one run along the road a ways and then run into CO field and bed down about 300 yard's out. I thought it may have been wounded so I Parked and walked towards it and got pretty close before it ran off. Was he lazy?? Crazy?? Had a full belly?? Never lnow. Sometimes they are smart and sometimes they do things that make you wonder how smart they really are....
DiRTY DOG
Well-known member
In some areas they get shot at by every vehicle they come in contact with. Around here in open farm land if there's a coyote out in a field you can drive past him without spooking him. But if your vehicle starts to slow down they take off running. They know lead is soon headed their direction when vehicles are around. Better park way out of sight and walk in.
In other areas with rough terrain etc you can get away with simply parking out of sight, even if that means only 25 yards around a bend or behind a hill.
When in doubt, assume the sight and sound of cars spooks them and walk in.
In other areas with rough terrain etc you can get away with simply parking out of sight, even if that means only 25 yards around a bend or behind a hill.
When in doubt, assume the sight and sound of cars spooks them and walk in.
Depends on the location. I do my best to keep at least 500 yards away from a road. However, I do have a few honey holes that within 150 yards of the road. For the spots that are very close to the road, I go in at dawn when it is still dark, park my vehicle several hundred yards short of my entry point, and walk the rest of the way to my set.
possumal
New member
Sometimes how far you walk from the truck is only part of the answer. How quiet you are has a lot to do with success on stand. Don't forget that coyotes can pick up the smell of your truck as well as its noise. Our terrain is such that I can usually walk 300 yards and be completely away from both sight, sound, and smell.
Redfrog
Moderator
Some interesting info here. The thing is, there is no right or wrong answer, whether you are talking about site selection, call to use, sound to use, rifle or ammo to use.
Like all of us, I meet some coyote calling experts from time to time in the local sports stores. As soon as someone says "Coyotes always do this ", my eyes glaze over and my hearing goes into 'marriage mode'.
I nod my head and say 'uh huh' a lot.
One of the things that makes calling so challenging is that the quarry is smart and unpredictable. HMMMM this is sounding more like marriage.
Sometimes I'm close enough to hit the truck with a stone and sometimes I walk 200 yards. Each set is different and requires some planning. Do that in the truck, not in the field. Have you ever seen two guys walk out into a field to the 'perfect spot' and then stand there discussing where the coyotes will come from, while pointing with their shooting sticks, or looking through their binos? If you have, then so have the coyotes who are sunning themselves.
BTW Derbyacresbob, what is that on your headlights?
Like DAB I've setup close to the truck. Most of my area is flat and hiding the truck is tough sometimes. I have parked in a road cut through a small hill, and climbed the bank, sat on the fenceline and called and killed a coyote. I then went to the other side of the road and set up on the other fenceline and killed a double. It doesn't always work that way, but that day it did. Wind, sun[time of day], make a difference.
I've hunted with callers who will walk for a mile to setup. My thinking on this is 'why carry calls?" The coyote can hear me calling farther away than I can see him without the use of binos. I've done it many times. That's why I always carry my binos.An old Montana caller taught me that.Really old.
Quietly get to your spot and sit down. While things settle, you can decide which way they will come from,
, be sure to let them know.
Like all of us, I meet some coyote calling experts from time to time in the local sports stores. As soon as someone says "Coyotes always do this ", my eyes glaze over and my hearing goes into 'marriage mode'.
One of the things that makes calling so challenging is that the quarry is smart and unpredictable. HMMMM this is sounding more like marriage.
Sometimes I'm close enough to hit the truck with a stone and sometimes I walk 200 yards. Each set is different and requires some planning. Do that in the truck, not in the field. Have you ever seen two guys walk out into a field to the 'perfect spot' and then stand there discussing where the coyotes will come from, while pointing with their shooting sticks, or looking through their binos? If you have, then so have the coyotes who are sunning themselves.
BTW Derbyacresbob, what is that on your headlights?
Like DAB I've setup close to the truck. Most of my area is flat and hiding the truck is tough sometimes. I have parked in a road cut through a small hill, and climbed the bank, sat on the fenceline and called and killed a coyote. I then went to the other side of the road and set up on the other fenceline and killed a double. It doesn't always work that way, but that day it did. Wind, sun[time of day], make a difference.
I've hunted with callers who will walk for a mile to setup. My thinking on this is 'why carry calls?" The coyote can hear me calling farther away than I can see him without the use of binos. I've done it many times. That's why I always carry my binos.An old Montana caller taught me that.Really old.
Quietly get to your spot and sit down. While things settle, you can decide which way they will come from,
