Hunting unseasonably warm weather

mcseal2

New member
I have a buddy wanting me to come up and go coyote hunting with him next Saturday. He has some excellent ground but limited time to hunt it. He calls me once or twice a year and I always try to make it work, not often I get to hunt un-called areas this late in the year. Anyway temps are supposed to hit 45 for a low, 70 for a high Saturday. Wind is supposed to be under 8mph all day so that's a plus. Clear and sunny skies are predicted also. Middle of this week highs are around 32, then it gets warm from there.

Where would you look for coyotes in these conditions? Low timbered draws with lots of shade is my first thought. With limited wind the breeze might not keep them up on the ridges as much in the sun. Also the creeks and most of the ponds are lower if they want water with the heat.

Thanks for any help you can give.
 
Honestly it's a toss up. It's in the 70's here and I just saw 2 out in CRP grass. Maybe I'm wrong but during breeding season when they're paired up you might see them on their feet in the middle of the day. Maybe it's different everywhere but here that definitely seems to be the case.
 
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My guess is that you'll find them in their usual spots, despite the warmer temps. They might come to the call a bit slower so a guy might need to have a bit more patience, especially mid day. But I think morning and evenings will still be productive.
 
Thanks guys I'll just hunt like normal and see what happens. I know where some CRP fields lie along some creeks up there might be a prime spot. Lots of options of where to be within earshot.
 
Originally Posted By: mcseal2Thanks guys I'll just hunt like normal and see what happens. I know where some CRP fields lie along some creeks up there might be a prime spot. Lots of options of where to be within earshot.

I would make stands closer together than normal. More likely to run half a mile than a mile.... IMO.
 
I've made 5 sundown and 3 sunup stands in the last 6 days, in good country, with no response. But, Friday I called 3 and shot 2 at midday and saw 2 more in the road between stands. Sunday I called 1 and shot it at midday. Friday 2 were in a brushy draw and 1 in the grass. Sunday was in a brushy draw (and pretty warm). ALL were in the vicinity of calving cows. Who knows if this will continue until next weekend but if morning is not good I would sure be calling from 11 to 1:30/2:00. Hope this helps. Good Luck!
 
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Thanks everyone I'll keep that in mind. Our cows are starting to calve and I saw a coyote this morning that had to be a new arrival, it stood and looked at the feed truck at 150yds for a couple minutes. A new feed saleswoman and her boss were riding along so no rifle! Coyotes seem to catch me the few times a year the rifle is at home.
 
Well we called in 11 and killed 4 despite the heat, it was a great result for the conditions. The morning was foggy and had a real light wind that wouldn't stay from the same direction for 2 minutes at a time. It cost me a shot at one, I needed him to come 30yds further to clear a thicket and felt the breeze on my neck before he got there. He winded me and was gone. Our 3rd stand we called in a pair and my friend killed one. The sun came out then and it got hot, we got no responses until 3:30. We called in one then that came from behind me and winded me in a thick spot. I got a shot at him at 40yds but he was running through such thick brush I don't think the bullet ever reached him. My friend had my shotgun at that stand, I had my AR. At 4 we started a stand near some cows that will start calving soon. The cows surrounded the call and decoy sniffing it. My friend started shooting but I couldn't see the coyotes. He shot several times before I saw a pair pop up at 240yds. I dropped one and the other took off. A few minutes, and a few shots from him later, I saw a big coyote come charging in. I waited until he was 42yds from me and about 50yds wide of the cows to drop him. That was the last one from that stand. 5 total had come in and I got 2. Those cows were never bothered, just stood by the decoy the whole time. There is a shooting range nearby and they are accustomed to the sound of shooting. My friend had forgotten his rifle when we loaded the truck that morning so he was shooting my 6mm that pushes 70gr Ballistic tips at 3725fps, I think he was underestimating how flat that gun shoots and shooting over the coyotes at 250-300yds. I had my Prairie Panther AR. Our next stand another pair came in and he missed one, I got the other and made our 4 for the day. We got in one more stand but had no luck, I think we had that area pretty stirred up by that point.

The rancher whose cows we called by was very happy to hear of our success. I got another one feeding cows this morning where our cows are calving, they are starting to flock to those areas. Timbered areas with cows nearby held about 2/3 of the coyotes we saw yesterday. The timber provides shade, and where there are cows there is water. A bigger pack can cause some real damage during calving. I've seen a coyote act as a decoy to the mother cow while another coyote, usually a big male, drags a newborn calf away. Usually this is on a hill so the female coyote can distract the cow one direction while the male drags the calf down the slope. They get the calf out of sight quickly this way. I sure like to get one of a pair like that and ruin their system! A fairly large ranch a few miles away sold all their sheep a few years ago, went to renting their grass to a neighbor for cattle. I think the coyotes that spread out when that food source disappeared are where that trick came from.

The one this morning was 14 on the year. I've called 10 and shot 4 while working on the ranch. For this area that's a pretty good start. A trapper has been catching a couple hundred a year in a 10 mile area around me and he didn't come out this year, so that's probably part of it.
 
Originally Posted By: flintrockThat was a good day!

How do you get away from the ranch during calving? HaHaHa!

I got Dad to do chores, he just got back from the NCBA conference and had his vacation then. We are just starting to calve not really having many yet so it's kind of the time to escape one more time before buckling down until cattle are on grass in May. When cattle are all on grass and the big spring rush is done then I get the boat out and start catfishing and camping on the river. After camp is set on a sandbar and the rods are cast where we want them we set out the lawnchairs and drink the best tasting beer of the year, celebrate the chance to relax. I love dragging calves, burning pasture, sorting pairs, and all the spring work but I'm also glad when it's done.
 
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