Farmland hunting tactics

M

markh28

New member
Long time lurker, first time poster. Some great info on here guys!

I need some advice getting coyotes to come to my call. I have only been trying for a few months but I am limited by my environment.

Where I live, it is mostly farmland with country roads every square mile. There are coyotes allright, I hear them and catch quite a few during trapping. But they are under heavy pressure. The local farmers and road hunters take shots at them whenever they see them. They get chased a lot by pickups out in the fields. You rarely see them during the day.

Most of the terrain around here is farm land, with the only remaining trees located in the middle of the sections, right next to the roads, and along fence lines.

For the most part, Nebraska has a 24/7/365 policy on coyotes, so I can hunt day or night with lights (just not from a vehicle). I live in an area where there are quite a few wildlife management areas (public) where tall pheasant grass has been planted. Most of these are treeless areas less than one square mile. I have a couple different half-sections that I have permission on.

I have tried using some mouth calls and I also use a Primos Alpha Dogg electronic caller. I am an experienced deer hunter so I understand how to play the wind correctly and use the proper cammo. Depending where I go, I take my 22-250 or 12 gauge.

On the 20 or so stands I have made, I got one to bark/howl back at me once. Thats the extent of it.

Any tips or advice for my location?
 
Gonna be tough without adequate cover to hold the yotes. I'd think you're luck will improve the taller the crops get.
How flat is the land?
 
Not sure what part of Nebraska you're in, but I've worked quite a bit in the last 10yrs up in Nebraska, and tend to take my rifle along. Where I have hunted has basically followed the I-80 corridor from York to Lincoln, then up I-29 from Omaha up to Sioux Falls, plus some out west between Grand Island to North Platte, Hastings, and out to Ogallala and down to Trenton, and a bit between there and the Kansas side.

So basically, I've hunted much of the lower half of the state, the eastern end, and nothing out NW.

Like you mentioned, much of that area that I've hunted has had reasonable topographic terrain, and the coyotes are fully versed in using it to their advantage. I'm a big believer that dogs will tend to follow the low lines and hide behind crowns as they approach a call, so rolling hill areas (especially with terraces) can be difficult. You're elevated, so you can see for miles and miles, but they can hide their approach behind a small crest and come in, bust you, and leave without you ever knowing they were there. I like to set up with advantaged views of low cut approaches. Asking them to expose themselves and cross high ground is difficult, but planning on them coming in low lets them stay comfortable.
 
With heavy pressure on coyotes careful more detailed scouting is required. You really need to know before you call where the coyotes want to travel in and out of the type of habitat you are setting up in. You need to hide your vehicle and keep vehicle's noise to a minimum. Using baits can help reveal coyote travel routes. You may find that waiting 30-45 minutes before calling will help.
 
I hunt farmlands almost exclusively. The open areas are hit hard by trucks with CB's but I get back in where they can't. Everyone uses dying rabbit calls and such so I try different calls, hunting right at first light or late afternoon. Usually I get the dumb young ones to come in but once in awhile a big one pops up. I wish I had another set of eyes to help spot. I get on a hillside where I can overlook a long way but also with a ravine as they will use the ravine, popping out when you least expect it.
 
I hunt a lot of open country. Some of it is very flat and some looks like these pics.

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Often there is a small slough or clump of cover that holds coyotes. In the second pic three of us are set up in a small clump of grass within 100yds of the truck, gravel road and fenceline.

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The coyotes can see a long way here, so I don't spend a lot of time walking around to make their job easier. I set up and call them to me. I never sit in the cover. That's why I love this Rancho Safari ghillie suit.

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The coyote uses the cover to move, making it possible for him to come and go undetected. I set up where I can watch the fenceline or patch of cover. Getting a hundred yards from the travel route will put you in position to kill them. You're successful when you trap, so you know where they will travel.

This is typical calling country here, so obviously I'm dealing with larger areas, but the principle is the same. The difference is my coyotes die tired.
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I've had them running from the horizon a couple miles away, invisible to the naked eye, which brings me to my next point.

Binos. Don't leave home without them. I know you aren't necessarily trying to see a long way off, but binos are very important to me when I hunt the terrain where a coyote uses the contours to travel. When he checks out the sound, he'll just poke his head up over the rise as far as it takes to see, which means his ears and eyes will be showing. The binos can be a game changer.

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most of the areas I hunt here in n.y.s. Is farmland to. The difference is we can't hunt them from trucks. That being said,if it were me I would try hunting them at night with lights.There not as scared as during the day and there way more active at night.There still cautious but IMO I think you will have better odds killing them at night.I'm sure you will get more input on this subject and you should be able to figure things out. Good luck
 
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It doesn't get much flatter than where I shot this coyote. Center-pivot irrigation is the rule around here, so we set up by the rock piles next to transition zones between habitat and irrigated lands. The key for us is finding the cover, denning, or loafing areas coyotes use and calling to those areas. With good concealment (ghille suit/full camo and face mask) and a stealthy approach, you don't need to be calling from the cover of bushes. I guess what I'm trying to say is "scout, scout, and scout." Once you know the areas the coyotes frequent and their traveling areas, you can plan your approaches and stand locations.
 
My experience with the wind is often different than deer hunting. When calling, the coyotes may come from any direction or distance, but with wounded prey sounds they will almost always circle downwind.
I have even moved mid set as the wind direction changed and killed them coming in downwind.
I think this would be a tough time of year to learn as a great set may not work. After the pups are out in July it will be easier into the beginning of deer season.
A few successes helps the mental state.
I park by farm equipment or in hay sheds and shoot from the truck.
 
Originally Posted By: 5spdmarkh...where you at in NE. My pal & I call NE all the time, day & night in those same kind of areas.

South Central Nebraska. Hastings area and East
 
As stated you know their travel ways to trap them. If you're catching them mostly at night then I would concentrate at night. Be quiet, unlike the guys chasing in the pickups and it will come together.
 
I'm south of you 60 miles. What has worked best is go nocturnal. Get ya a good set of lights, like wicked lights,and howl at night to locate them. Get within the section they're in and set up fast. Choose a sound and scan constantly. I'm assuming you'll have a pivot tire, or fence on a half line, or anything to break up your outline. Late nights will be ahead of you but the pressure our area has on coyotes, we have no choice.
 
should have been directed toward Varminterror.

not sure what part of Kansas you're in but would like to know. I work and am from some of the places that you listed. I'll be about 5 miles north of benkelman tomorrow and you see from my profile where i live!
 
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