What makes a coyote hunting location a great one?

NorthAZHuntr

NorthAZHuntr

New member
I'm sure this has been asked many times, and although I've read a number of different opinions here and elsewhere on locating good calling/hunting areas, I'm curious as to what you coyote hunters have found to be the most important thing (or things) to look for when choosing a good hunting area? Terrain? Sign (scat/tracks)? Nearby water? Weather? Other game? Past success? All the above or something else? Now that I'm hooked on this, I'd sure like to improve my success rate and just see more coyotes. I'm calling some areas that look perfect with nil results. I'm in a part of Arizona that enables me fairly close access to everything from flat deserts, to rocky canyons to mountain pines and everything in-between. Is it just perserverance and patience, or are there some specific factors that should be placed first and above all others? Obviously the places that just "look like a good place to me" aren't!
 
I start with tracks and scat. I've had the same problem you are having. I've called some spots that look like it would be coyote heaven and been skunked. I've also called some spots where I though there would be no chance a coyote would come in and a double comes charging in. Where are you located in Northern AZ? I hunted Cottonwood over Thanksgiving weekend and had some good luck.
 
Locate coyotes first, they turn up in the oddest places. then worry about terrain, food, water and other things. The more coyotes you locate the better you will understand the areas that you are calling in. m2c
 
I guess what I mean is go out at night and howl em up, come back in the day and figure out what makes them be in that particular area, work in reverse from what you are doing.
 
kylesredapple--

that method is a good one,not to take anything from you, but for the average guy with little time other than a few weekend hunts the best way to find a "good" area is to locate the sources they need to survive. FOOD-WATER-COVER.. that being said, they aren't always going to be there. but it is a basis to start from. IMO most of the time they will be within a few miles of these sources, however, like said above they do show up in odd places and sometimes they are not in the areas that look "perfect". this is when the method above may meet your needs better than trying to locate by source. The simple tried and true method of finding scat and tracks always works to
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Originally Posted By: yotestomper kylesredapple--

that method is a good one,not to take anything from you, but for the average guy with little time other than a few weekend hunts the best way to find a "good" area is to locate the sources they need to survive. FOOD-WATER-COVER.. that being said, they aren't always going to be there. but it is a basis to start from. IMO most of the time they will be within a few miles of these sources, however, like said above they do show up in odd places and sometimes they are not in the areas that look "perfect". this is when the method above may meet your needs better than trying to locate by source. The simple tried and true method of finding scat and tracks always works to
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Definately not trying to take away from scouting good areas and sign is always great to see, however, I read post after post of people making stands (10 to 15 or so) in "great areas" and coming home with a coyote, maybe two if they are lucky. I would think that spending a little more time, that I know nobody has, to find coyotes would make stands more productive and then people could really work on their calling and get to interact with coyotes instead of sitting under a bush listening to a rabbit die all day without a coyote in sight. Heck, a Walmart parking lot would make a great coyote hunting spot if there were a coyote in it. The great thing about coyotes (and elk) is that they are vocal and you can locate them by listening. I really believe that hunting coyotes is more about finding them than where a great place for them to be is.
 
I have done all of the above also. Along with them being mile away after making tracks and scat I have found the same with howling. I have gone out and howled and return in the morning to not hear or see a coyote. It works real well during denning season but not always. This time of year I will look for tracks and coyotes. And antelope. We have snow so finding them makes it easier.
 
I can't give really good advice here, but I was just reading a likely outdated publication last weekend that talked about a large coyote population near Anderson Mesa. I believe this is just south of Flagstaff. Might want to give it a try.
 
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You need to keep in mind that when you locate at nite the coyotes are out hunting already. Now you know there are some around but you don't know for sure where they hold up for the day so you need to locate one more time and thats 1-2 hrs. before sun-up. At this time they willbe in there bedding area or moveing to it. So you need to locate early mourning and then move on and find a few more to keep youre day busy and then return after day lite and call them in.. [/quote]

I dont agree. If it was that easy and worked like that everyone would be doing it. It may work like that some times but not all of the time.
 
It can be very frustrating. I know that I have found areas that have a lot of sign in them, and not been able to call a coyote out of an area. Along with food, water and cover, you must also consider how much hunting pressure that the area is under. If there are a bunch of people hitting an area over and over, the yotes just will not come to anything. A lot of people over call areas and that makes it hard if you are just coming in to an area. You will also find that it will vary due to the success and or failure of the yotes in the previous nights hunt. If they got lucky, they will be less likely to come in on the run, than if they are hungry. They might come in out of curiosity, but they will tend to be more wary. And like the other guys have said, sometimes they will be found in the oddest places. I have found that rather than scaring them away, civilization, like houses and roads will actually attract them. I have had coyotes pop up in wide open barren fields where you would think that nothing would be caught dead there. Focus on the way that you are calling, and the number of stands and you will increase your success, good luck!
 
I look for a good amount of primary food source. Where I'm located it's rabbits. Coyotes won't venture far from prime hunting habitat. They know if they do another predator will move in. They "guard" what's important to them just like many other creatures.
In summary; identify primary food sources for your area. Then locate those food sources. The food sources are easier to discover than seeing coyotes running all over in most cases.
 
The best advice I can give is put on some boot miles. Get further away from the roads and maybe make your calling stands longer. I typically stay on stand from 30 to 45 minutes. I will also arrive at the basin I am planning on hunting an hour before sun up and just sit and listen. If I do not hear anything for the first 30 minutes, I will throw out a howl and sit and listen for another 30 minutes. That will usually produce a good starting point.
 
I would like to clear up an assumption that was made about my posts, I have been trying to answer the original posters questions about locating good calling areas. I may have implied that you "howl em up" the night before and then return in the morning to shoot them. Not my intention and I don't want the original poster to believe that is what I am saying.

What I said was

"go out at night and howl em up, come back in the day and figure out what makes them be in that particular area"

meaning, find coyotes then look at where they are in regards to terrain, food , water, cover, territory, etc.

Since coyotes can range fourty or fifty miles, you might not find the same coyote under the same bush, but if you get repeat performances often then look for a reason. Thats the point I'm trying to relay, people go to their "favorite spots" because coyotes are there often, locating them helps narrow down where the favorite spots should be.

Kyle
 
no assumption taken here, I fully understood your first post and agreed that the method was valid. my post was just to interject another method for the hunter with little time. with that said, in my area it can be a difficult deal trying to get a coyote to respond, mainly due to over pressure. this is why I hit the source areas and scout.
 
Coyotes are in an area for 1 reason FOOD if theres food everything else will be there also cover water ect.
 
I understand. I feel the same way when it comes to overpressure. I sometimes think I have done it all right and make 12 stands in a day and come home empty, coyotes all around and they are hip to the game too. I end up trapping with great success where there are tracks and scat but calling is hit or miss in some areas.
 
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