Here is a picture of one of my calling areas. The entire place is a mass of small fields and wood lots seperating them. In the picture the black line is a path that cuts through the property. The green patches are conservation land and the gray patches are private land that you can hunt on. The yellow line is the path I take to get to my stand site. Where it turns red, that is the place where you really have to put the sneak on to get set up. The blue line is a trail that the coyotes use. I know this because I have tracked them in the winter and spring when there is enough soft ground to see what they are up too. Also, there are barb wire fences everywhere here. Keeping an eye on the fences will often give you a clue as to where they cross. You would be amazed at how much fur a coyote will leave on a fence. The red dots are where I set up - at number 2. If I have a calling partner, I put him at number one. This is a fence row that is overgrown and provides great cover. The orange x and the orange line are where coyotes have approached.
I only hunt this area if the wind is out of the west or northwest. Anyother wind direction and I go someplace else. That is blowing left to right in the picture.
Getting into the stand site is easy for the most part, but you have to be sneaky to get set up on the fence row and on the opposite side of the field. I have always believed that if I have to let things settle down before I start calling, I have not been quiet enough getting in. It doesn't always happen, but if you try to act that way, you will be a lot quieter. This area is also full of turkeys. I always have a mouth call with me, and if I make noise, I will give a few yelps or a cluck. In areas that have lots of tree rats, a squirel call that you shake is good too. Just be sure that when you use that call you stand still for a few minutes because you never know who is going to come check it out.
If I arive before daylight, I will get to my stand and just sit there. The coyotes use the edges just like deer, and I know from hunting here in the past, that they come out in the middle of the field across from where I am set up and then use the edge to get to the end of the field where it turns to corn to cross. Every now and then, you can snipe one without blowing a call. This is a natural travel area for them.
Once the sun gets up and I have been sitting for 30 minutes or so, I let go on a cottontail distress call. I give it a good 30 seconds of hard mournful calling and then I look, and listen. A lot of time the coyotes will pop out of the woods opposite me and just stand there looking. But most of the time, I draw one from the woods behind me. The field where the orange arrow is funnels them to the corner of the fence row, and that is why I set up above the fence row. It lets the coyote do what he naturally is going to do anyway, try to get down wind. But in reality he can't unless he crosses the field. Usually he will just work the edges and try to get a sniff and a look. If I get no takers on the first 30 seconds of calling, I will call again in about 5 minutes. I will sometimes sit here for a good hour. I know the coyotes move along this area so sooner or later, one is going to hear me. Every now and then one will catch me napping, and slip back into the woods. A good puppy squeal will often pull them right back to the edge for a second look.
One point we don't talk about often is to leave the area as quietly as we did when we came in.
I never change calls on a stand except to use the hurt pup sounds.
I think if you can get maps of where you are going to call, especially aireal maps, you can often find places that will allow you to use the terrain to funnel the coyote to you. Just like deer, I never try to force them to do anything that they would not do naturally. If they want to try to get down wind of me, I try to let them have an easy go of it. The maps will help you pick out potential stand sites.
Good luck and good hunting
Al
