Has Anyone Hunted Coyotes In The Badlands of North Dakota

JimmyD101

New member
I am thinking about a trip out to western ND to hunt coyotes on public land in the national grasslands in the badlands. Has anyone ever hunted there and are there many coyotes? game and Fish told me there are a lot more coyotes in the central part of the state but unfortunately there isnt much public. thanks
 
There are NO COYOTES in North Dakota. There are a few areas way out in the western part of the state, from Williston down past Dickenson to the South Dakota line that hold 2 or 3 yotes or so. Just ask around and you should be able to get some nice fur. Winter has an edge, just beware of all the Oil rigs out there, and there is a lot of traffic so you will need to get off the main roads a little. Good Luck coming to Nodak.
 
While there isn't as much public land, there is a great deal of PLOTS land. (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) It's a Game and Fish subsidized program to keep CRP and farmland open so others can hunt it.

If you check the map here -- NDGF PLOTS Guide -- it may help some. Just zoom in on the center of the state.

Many farmers/ranchers in the area would likely welcome coyote hunters, because we do have more than our share of them here in the center of the state. PLOTS land is open, you don't have to have permission, it is all signed, and there is a little booklet available from NDGF or any license vendor showing you where it's all at. However, you're going to do far better by determining whose land your on, and asking permission FIRST regardless. If you ask to hunt the PLOTS land, it's going to open up a conversation between you and the landowner, show respect for the landowner on your part, and give him the chance to say, "Well it's open, but if I was gonna shoot a coyote, I got a quarter over here that I just pulled my cows out of, where I been seein 'em pretty regular."

If you get out there and drop a few yotes for the guys, try to chase them down and make a point of showing them you are succesful, or at least letting them know you have harvested a few. Be sure to thank them, and if you're staying locally, invite them to the local tavern for a cold beer or two when they get done for the day. Many North Dakotans like a cold beer... There's even a few around still that will drink them warm. Folks out here are for the most part, pretty open and receptive to out of staters coming in to hunt as long as they are shown some respect. Get on their good side, take out a few yotes for them, and most will ride to the neighbors' with you to help you get permission if they got yotes bothering them that might be on the neighbors ground, or if the neighbor is having problems, or if he's got more yotes over there. That's just the way they are.

Not sure what public land maps you're looking at but there are other options that may or may not show up Such as Nature Conservancy Lands. The John E Williams Preserve just outside town here is open to hunting, but you have to stay on establish trails or walk. Good coyote territory there! The Davis Ranch 30 miles to the east, I believe is open, and there's about 7000 acres there if my memory serves me correctly. All virgin prairie, also contains the highest hill in Sheridan County, it's not just flat ground. John E Williams surrounds a big slough, so it's not real hilly.

US Fish and Wildlife Service has a good number of preserves in the central part of the state as well.

Biggest problem you are going to find this year on public land anywhere in ND is however... If isn't leased for haying, grazing, or farming the grass is going to be chest deep on it, and you're going to have trouble seeing incoming yotes. You'll probably do better finding a hayfield, grazed down pasture, or a harvested field here in a few weeks.

As for the western part of the state... there are decent coyote numbers out there. There's just more of them here in the central part of state! It is very rugged country in places. There is a lot of private land mixed in with the public land, and it can be difficult to tell where you are and what you're on at times. There again, if you run into any of the ranchers out there and tell them you want to shoot yotes, they'll probably invite you out for breakfast and tell you that you can shoot 'em out the kitchen window. They'll tell you where to find them, and give you he|| about not shooting enough of them too! Then they'll want you to take home a truckload of deer and antelope out of the yard as well.

If you're wanting sightseeing and good yote hunting, coupled with the ocasional close call with an oil tanker on roads you wouldn't think you'd meet anything... Western Part of the State is the place to be.

If you're wanting yote numbers and aren't afraid to make a few contacts to get them... Central part of the state is going to afford you better numbers.



 
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I was headed out last night when I dug up that link, but looking at that PLOTS map, if you click on Legend it identifies pretty much all public lands in the state. It doesn't show all the Nature Conservancy lands however. Some of those areas are open to hunting, some are not, and that is subject to change at any time, so I guess the state let's them do their own thing.

Advanced tools affords you all sorts of interesting options, worth going in there and playing around a little. I had no clue it did all of that!! Gotta save that one to favorites!
 
ND is a good place to find coyotes. Coyotes in ND receive a fair amount of hunting pressure. It is not odd to run across 10+ rigs out coyote hunting per day on weekends in parts of ND during peak coyote hunting times of the year.

If you are looking for public places to hunt, then either the PLOTS guide that has been mentioned, or try the TRAX product that I create. I am from ND, and use the product all across the state and there is nothing better for finding public areas to hunt, as well as find the roads and trails to get you back in the areas you want to hunt. LINK

The other thing I will mention is you will have easier access to land either before deer and pheasant seasons open or once they are closed. If you go to most ranchers and tell them you want to hunt coyotes, most ranchers will gladly let you on and may even give you some tips on where they normally see them.

As other posters have mentioned, the biggest issue the last few years and especially this year is too much water. Many of the rural and township roads are closed due to water, and the last 3 winters have been brutal. After the first snow, the side roads are all blown shut and the snow on the level has almost been too deep to get anywhere.

ND is a decent place to hunt coyotes, but you will need to work for them. I would also either recommend the Central to Western part of the state as the East just doesn't have the numbers or the terrain that suites most coyote hunters.
 
The traffic with the the oil boom right now is just plain nuts. You WILL NOT find a place to stay as far as a motel/hotel goes. It has not ruined the coyote hunting completly but you have to work way harder for them than you did a few years ago. I would have to say that the farther you stay from oil trafiic the better off you would be.
 
To [beeep] with oil field workers!! Been to ND. Saw a coyote. Looked like a German Shepard/wolf hybrid. I was enamored. I don't think it would have gone quietly with a .223 shell. Good genes for fur hunters. Bad news for deer and livestock heards. ND is the prison yard for Coyotes. Conditions are miserable and everyone is tough and massive in order to survive. Got a Lot of oil field family and friends up there. Plane tickets are outrageous. Some day though.....
 
Not sure if you are still coming or already came to ND. Bow hunted deer in grasslands twice so far this year. Once the south of 94 and the second the north. The second became more of coyote hunt. Had real good luck. One ranch, in which we couldn't locate the owner, we watched 4 coyotes at 10:30 in morning milling around the cattle. I would say, plenty of coyotes in the grasslands. I hope to make another winter trip, and I will leave the bow at home. Oil boom is slowing quite a bit, so rooms should be available. We had no problem getting access to private land. 100% for the rancher we were able to locate and talk to.
Good Luck! Save a couple for me.
 
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