Distance between stands

J

jk2paintworx

New member
When you are hunting a area that you think holds coyotes, how for are you traveling between stands. Say you are in a area with a road running through country that could hold coyotes. How far do you drive before you stop and walk in to a stand? In other words what radius do you feel has been hunted per stand.
I was picturing it being a half mile in all directions but on my first time out i made the first stand of the day where i thought was a good spot but had no luck. Just for the heck of it we walked about 500 yards and set up in a new spot. I felt like it was probably too close and anything that would come in would have come to the first stand. I played the same sound (dsg cot) and a coyote showed up in under 2 min. Was that A fluke or do you regularly walk from stand to stand or is it driving distances?
 
Depends on the country. In the Texas panhandle, I have seen them come from close to a mile away. This is wide open flat country. Here at home, there are places that it is head high brush, and you do good to see twenty feet. Sound doesn't travel far, so moving 1/2 mile is about right. We also have to deal with hills, so your movement may depend on terrain. It is my experience that it is hard to call coyotes down in a valley, when they can sit up on the hill, in the brush, and check you out. Then there is the lazy coyote that may not like to travel, or he may not want to go to the call, for fear that it's in another coyotes territory, and he doesn't want to get his butt whipped.
They will hear you a long ways, so try to play them a new tune every stand. Some days sound travels a long ways, some still mornings I can hear the HS band practicing nearly ten miles away.
 
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I park on main roads, and walk in. I figure coyotes are used to hearing cars on well used roads, but will notice when one varies from what is customary.

I nearly always do two stands from one parking spot, wind permitting. A week ago, I walked about a quarter mile to the north of the pickup, called in and killed a coyote, walked back to the pickup and walked a quarter mile south, and repeated. I actually did this twice last week, come to think of it. The other location there was a little more distance between stands, due to terrain.

If you are in rolling terrain, I figure a coyote that is a couple of ridges over, may not hear you. I also wonder if coyotes have boundaries that they hesitate to cross, maybe not wanting to invade another's territory. Any of you pros know about this?

Anyway, for what it's worth, I have no qualms about only moving a few hundred yards, and setting up again, and have been successful enough.

Just my 2 cents worth.
 
Thanks guys. That makes sense. Wolftrapper, I pretty much did the scenario you mentioned, I kinda though the 2nd stand was a waste of time but we didn't have much land to hunt so I figure I would practice stand setup.
The area is scab land with rocky sagebrush terrain with lots of elevation change.
How about Re-calling the same stand the same day? Would seem that new coyotes could be in the area that weren't there the first time. Say once in the morning and again in the eve?
 
In an area where you are calling and see sign. It's not uncommon for a coyote to not want to cross the territorial lines, or not hear..

You would be very surprised at how sound can not travel. Especially from a hand call.

I have on many occassions found that scat in the road marks a boundry, go one side of it and you could run into one set, and go the other and you are in someone elses yard and they will come. Sit on that line and neither will show up.

I typically try to put a mile between stands, but will do a stand every 800yrds if i am hearing howls and seeing good cover and getting results.
 
Originally Posted By: wolftrapper
I also wonder if coyotes have boundaries that they hesitate to cross, maybe not wanting to invade another's territory. Any of you pros know about this?

Not that I am a pro, but I strongly believe this to be the case.

I think if I set up in the middle of one's territory, the neighbor might not come in, but if I set up near the boundary line, the neighbor will come in after, say, 12-15 minutes. I think the neighbor is listening, but when he keeps hearing the call he might figure no ones home and he can sneak over the line, grab a meal and scoot back.
 
I have had coyotes refuse to cross a boundary many times. They only thing I could come up with is territorial.

II use handcalls most of the time. I hunt mostly open country where I can see for miles. I have seen coyotes regularly respond to a call from two miles away, and even farther with a good howler.

I've seen them respond to a lipsqueak at more than 300 yards, with the wind. So sometimes I'll set up a mile or two between stands and sometimes I've hidden the truck ina road cut and called one side of the road. dragged a coyote back to the truck and then called and killed one on the other side of the road.

Be flexible. Every stand brings something new to the mix, whether it's wind, sun , topography or time of day.
 
I like to save gas and sit on the boundary roads. I have seen them coming in 1 mile away, while hearing domestic dogs a known 2 miles away.
I have driven upon many sleepers going between sets.
Some places I call from the truck, others 50 feet or more.
It seems terrain and weather dictate the choice made by the lucky hunter.
 
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