Stand approach

sneky casual walk if u kno what i mean


i walk /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif but sneaky like ya kno the elmer fudd walk
i dont like belly craawl
 
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Slowly enough to note anything in my surroundings that may look abnormal and looking for setup spots while doing it. I have this philosophy, "It is not how much ground you cover, but how well you cover the ground you are on". Besides that, I figger at 58 years, why hurry.
 
I found when I first started this stuff, that I would second-guess my instincts and end up too close to the area I intended to call. I had to constantly remind myself that the object was to have them come to me. I get alot more shots now-days because I don't spook them off a bed by getting too close.
 

Our group prefers to locate herds of cattle when calling coyotes. We will often hunt in pairs or three man teams. One of our measures of a proper stand approach is whether the nearby cattle sense your presence or not. If they do it is my opinion that the approach was made too hastily. But, the bottom line is that when cattle do not sense us, the success ratio of the call is higher.

Let me add one thought. As a guideline we don't begin the call sequence for about five minutes from the time we arrive on stand. Too, when ending the calling we wait about five minutes before moving off stand. Numerous times we have had late comers show up.
 
Hello DLR..

When I go to a stand I will always approach from downwind of the stand. In the broken open country I hunt my stands are usually located about 100 yards downwind of the area I want to call to. As I approach the stand I like to move as if I'm spot stalking deer. I move quietly and keep any available cover between me and the area I want to call to. I also use any terrain I can to stay out of sight of my target area. If I'm using an E-caller, I'll again try to cover my movement as I place the caller. If you try to walk into the open and set your caller, then scurry back to your stand, you've just negated all the sneaking you did to arrive at your stand undetected. If it is so open that I can't place an e-caller without showing myself to a bedded coyote, I'll stay in cover and use a mouth call, or simply set my e-caller 20 or 30 feet away to my left or right. You never know if there's a coyote laying along the edge of cover watching. If he's there he'll see you and leave before you ever know he's there.

I remember when I first began to hunt coyotes, I saw a couple mousing in a shelled corn field as I passed by on the road. I slipped home and retrieved my 22-250 and returned. After sneaking along a thick fence row downwind of their location I thought I could peek out to see where they were. I glassed another fencerow about 250 yards upwind in the area of where I'd last seen the coyotes but failed to see them. I then took about 2 steps into the open field and both coyotes stood up and ran from the fencerow I'd just glassed. I was left watching them as they ran off across the fields. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif A year later I did the exact same thing in the exact same field using the exact same approach. I'd learned a lesson this time though and instead of stepping into the open I held up in cover and called two coyotes in and scored my first and only double. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Good hunting y'all..Coyote 6974
 

I've called enough to know there are no fixed rules. Sometimes even the generally accepted guidelines seem vague. I've found that camo isn't that big of a deal*, for example, and neither is it critical to replicate the exact sounds of the distressed rabbit** or whatever. Still, if I understand your post correctly you are approaching your stand from the downwind? Well, if it works for you that's what counts.

In general we always approach a stand from the upwind so that the wind is at our back when calling. This allows the coyote to scent the stand (we take a lot of care to minimize scent) and most often the coyotes come in from the downwind side (OK, I've had them come in from all directions, depending on the wind velocity and stand location).

Another technique I like is to call in cross winds because the coyote will often circle the stand into the scent and that exposes them for a bit more time. Here we try to set the stand with our backs to some type of barrier, like the side of an outcropping or draw.

*Several us used tie dyed shirts or white T shirts with much success on a four day hunt. One guy thought he would best us an used a Santa Claus costume, sitting fully exposed on the side of a hill. He did well, too. My opinion is that absolute stillness is the most critical thing. We averaged 40 to 50% success ratio, the same as when using camo or ghille.

**Years of hunting jackrabbits with a .22lr has allowed me to hear the dying distress sounds of wounded jacks on several occassions. They all sounded different as far as pattern, but, similar as far as the raspiness of the vocalization. I took a fellow worker out for his first calling trip and thought he would pattern his call after mine -- wrong. He just blew steadily on the call, almost nonstop; it sounded horrible. I knew the next 20 mintues were going to be long, but, guess what? We had a pair of coyotes come in. They didn't leave.

I've used step ladders, tree stands, crouched under junipers, sat in the open with a ghille, called long and short, new moon and full moon and have concluded that the "rules" for calling coyotes are fairly loose and, at best, we can make some generalizations. Some of my calling buddies do things very differently than I as far as calls and techniques, yet, they have similar success ratios. I believe we have to be cautious about stating what works and what doesn't.
 
desert
The most important thing to remember when approaching a stand is it will be nearly impossible to call a coyote that saw you come to the stand and recognized you as human. So, keep low, use terrain to block your approach and don't spend a lot of time looking for the perfect spot to sit down. Get over the hump and get on your rump.

Then you can spend some time looking it over. The Coyotedoctors usually find a more suitable stand site for the next time if we don't like the one we picked on first try. Each time we call an area, we get better stands. We don't have the luxury of scouting new areas before we call them, so each time through an area we learn from past stand sites.

Keep the wind in your face and shoot straight.
 
Handloader,
Perhaps in Arizona, where you can see long distances, you can get away with calling with the wind at your back. In my part of the world if you put the wind at your back and try to call, you may as well have stayed home. As I stated in my post, most of my stands are situated within 100 yards of the cover I'm calling to. There is no way that a resting coyote will not scent you if you attempt to get within that distance of him with the wind at your back. A hunters scent will float to that cover and it's over.
I see that DLR is from Arizona so perhaps your methods will work better for him.. If you ever find yourself in Indiana during the winter months..Look me up and I'll show you what I mean.

Good hunting y'all...Coyote 6974
 

coyote6974: thanks for the offer; I believe it would be a blast to call in other parts of the States and see how others do it. I am sure situations are different in your area and require techniques that are so suited.

I do hasten to point out that some of our calling in the SW is in rather tight brush with visability seldom in excess of 40 to 50yds and then only if you are in a raised position (step ladder, the side of a cattle tank, etc). In those situations we still will call into the downwind and see little difference in kill ratios than in wide open country -- as long as there are coyotes in the area.

The subject of scent maskers has been brought up on this list numerous times with many suggesting it is impossible to mask human scent and many believing that scent maskers are an aid. This is an issue that will make the rounds again and again. We use some scent masking agents that work, but, as important are the scent attractants. IOW, playing the wind to the advantage of the caller by broadcasting a scent that is either neutral or "of interest". When we use attractants in light wind (5 to 10mph) our success ratio remains good.

That said, the biggest scent problem, IMO, is when calling with someone that is a smoker. We simply won't do it anymore.

Another aside: we often take two, three and even four day varmint calling trips that put us in remote areas. Many of these coyotes, I am sure, have never heard a varmint caller, have never been shot at and have less inhibitions about responding to the call than areas that have been called frequently. Even in areas that have heavy calling, most callers seldom will walk a mile or two away from the roads to set a stand and that, too, works to the advantage of the caller willing to work a little harder.

Best of hunting and calling to you.
 
What a great thread!Handloader.I like your style.

"In general we always approach a stand from the upwind so that the wind is at our back when calling. This allows the coyote to scent the stand (we take a lot of care to minimize scent) and most often the coyotes come in from the downwind side "

Coyote6974 makes some good points as well.

"In my part of the world if you put the wind at your back and try to call, you may as well have stayed home. As I stated in my post, most of my stands are situated within 100 yards of the cover I'm calling to."

I guess my style lands somewhere in between?Generally speaking,I approach a stand from upwind.The areas I hunt most often are logging roads and clearcuts.The "cover" is everywhere.I have no way of knowing in most cases which direction a coyote(or a buck when I'm rattling) will come from initially,however I have alot of faith that either will try to make his final approach from downwind and scentcheck the set.I ALWAYS choose a set location with the best possible downwind view.By approaching the set from upwind,I'm trying to minimize the width of my own scent cone and have it float over the open area with the idea that a coyote(or buck)has to expose himself before he hits my scent.I also use attractants,either fox urine or more recently rabbit training scent for hounds,and "mist" as I'm calling,another technique I've adopted from deer rattlin'.If I was to approach a clearcut from the downwind and set-up on the edge,a critter could easily come in behind me in the thick stuff,wind me and bug out without me ever knowing he was there.(Except in the case of bucks,which often like to blow and snort as they run off,adding insult to injury! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif)Also,by approaching from downwind,I feel as if I'm "laying down a trail"that a responding animal is likely to cross on his way in.Again,game over.

That all being said, I will approach from downwind if the conditions are right,like a natural barrier,lake etc. that prevents them from getting downwind.Or,on occasion,when hunting more wide open "farm country" and calling to a much smaller cover,a downwind "Indiana" style approach is warranted.

I guess every situation has to be analysed,make your best guess as to where the game is,how it is likely to come in,and set-up accordingly.
 


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