Circle down wind.

Stub2

Stub2

New member
I hunt where even a small clearing in the woods is unusual and a weclome place to set up. I place my e-call and sometimes my decoy 30-50 yards out in front of me, on the edge of the clearing. I always set up with the wind in my face or with a crosswind.
Twice this season, there have been signs that coyotes have circled down wind to me and 100-200 yards behind me. If that is normal for coyotes to circle that far out it is no wonder I haven't been seeing them. They would be coming in behind me and so far out I could't see them even if I turned around.
It doesn't seem to make sense to set the caller and decoy so far out that I cannot see them in the woods. But, if they are circling 100-200 yards down wind to me and Iam already atleast 30 yards from the call thats what I would need to do to see coyotes.
Do you experience guys have suggestions?
 
Stub2....Welcome to my world! Here in the east that kind of thing happens ALL THE TIME!
IMHO this is what makes calling these smart critters such a challenge.
Know this....they will circle you as far away as they can. You have to set up each stand to YOUR advantage not theirs. (easier said than done btw)
Stand set up is critical!
My suggestions....place your call in a spot that you can SEE the downwind side and take a shot if it comes in. Natural barriers can help. I try to set up where they have to break cover to get to the downwind. Or where the dw is open. Maybe try a spot that offers them cover to the dw but you can still see their approach to it.
If you find yourself in a stand and the wind is blowing straight in your face....better to just turn around and look behind you! I try to set up where the wind is a cross wind.
The more I type...the more I realize this is really hard to describe properly. I am sure others will chime in to make it clearer.
 
A partner set up downwind between 50 - 100 yards (depending upon terrain and cover) can be helpful. When I have a second gun strung out straight downwind I've found that he gets about 30% - 40% of the shots. Most often there is no way I would get those coyotes. Check out the sticky thread for some good discussion on set ups in big timber, brushy cover and steep country...

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=83113#Post83113
 
I like to put a partner downwind too and when setup alone it is almost always facing downwind.
There have been times when trying to coax a coyote closer and the wind shifts, game over at 200 yds or more. It's not like no shower, just their nose is very good.
Getting them out of timber into the open is not always easy. One tiny move at the wrong time can be a deal breaker.
 
I almost always hunt alone. I didn't realize that coyotes circled so far out down wind. I had assumed that if I was down wind 50 yards from the caller that the coyote would come between, probably closer to me than the call.
I hunt public land best discribed as open woods. In most cases I can see 100 yards or so but the view is through a zigzag of trees. Ive been looking for clearings where I can see 50 yards or so. I sit with the wind in my face after putting the call up wind on the far end of the clearing. So far that system hasn't worked. If the coyotes are circling 100 or 200 yards down wind of the call they are 50-150 yards behind me.
It would seem to me that finding a clearing really does me no good at all. If the coyotes circle that far out I am still going to be shooting in open woods with the clearing behind me. That would be true even if I had a crosswind.
 
I love getting ideas from you guys.
My wife tells me I am too old to climb trees, unfortunately she is right. I just got rid of all my treestands last fall. Ive been grounded.
Ive mostly hunted alone since I was old enough to carry a gun. I enjoy heading out whenever I get a chance and not waiting around for someone to get free time to go with me. Besides, I don't know anyone in my area who calls coyotes and has free time to do it.
Facing down wind kind of goes against everything learned over the years Ive hunted but Iam willing to give it a try. It seems to me that the wind is often like someone breathing. Breathing out is the prevailing wind, I feel it on my face, inhaling is the breeze I feel on the back of my neck. Ive always been a wind watcher while hunting. Every gun I own has thread attached to judge the wind direction. From years of thread watching I know that the breeze changes direction frequently. If I waited for a day when the breeze was constantly in one direction, I wouldn't be able to hunt much. Facing down wind is something I will try real soon.
I got a PM about something to watch on you tube which I ll do that yet tonight.
The thread on sounds and tactics is something I read whenever time permits. This will probably be the third time reading those wonderful 25 pages. I learn a little more with each reading
I know hunting private farms would also improve my success. But hunting on someones property has some of the same problems hunting with a partner has. On public land I can come and go as I please. And public land is wilder, what ever kid there still is in me likes to explore.
For me calling has many rewards that go beyond collecting fur. But getting a shot now and again would be nice. Keep the ideas coming!
 
Around here in open ground I have watched and photo'd coyotes coming in for nearly 2 miles.
Sometimes the wind shifts during a set, I have moved midset for the change, only to kill a coyote minutes later.
 
Here is a decent example:
Think of it like this. You are at a football game sitting in the stands at about the 40 yard line. You have great seats so you are just a couple rows up. The wind is coming from the goal posts left to right heading to the other (right side) goal line. If you put your caller at the goal post on your left, you would be able to see and shoot any critter that comes from the opposing bleacher AND the opposing (right side) goal line. ***Key point is that the critters have NOT caught your scent** they might smell the caller but you should be able to see them before they get the caller wind. You will get busted IF they come from the bleachers to your right because they catch your scent before they get on the field (clearing). From what I have found all critters will try to come to the sound by heading to the right side goal post (directly downwind of the sound). Make sense?
This shows the advantage of having the caller out in front of you but also upwind AND to your left.By having it to your left at the goal post you have opened up the entire playing field as an approach route...because it is downwind of the SOUND.
 
Thanks Tyrod that was a very good example. Another question. Do you point the speaker of the call up wind or down wind? I have been pointing up wind thinking that is the direction the coyotes will start from before they circle.
 
Stub2, I don't think it matters much. But I would suggest pointing it towards the opposing bleacher or downwind.
 
Something to try..

Put the caller/decoy 20 yards in the brush line, on the upwind side of the opening. You setup ten yards or so in the brush line on the downwind side of the opening, facing downwind. This places the call around 70-80 yards behind you upwind with you facing your downwind side.

If they circle between you and the caller, they have to expose themselves in the opening. Maybe this will get you far enough downwind you can see anything circling farther out than that in the downwind woods you are facing.
 
Originally Posted By: battlestickSomething to try..

Put the caller/decoy 20 yards in the brush line, on the upwind side of the opening. You setup ten yards or so in the brush line on the downwind side of the opening, facing downwind. This places the call around 70-80 yards behind you upwind with you facing your downwind side.

If they circle between you and the caller, they have to expose themselves in the opening. Maybe this will get you far enough downwind you can see anything circling farther out than that in the downwind woods you are facing.

I've tried this... And learned quickly that I always want to be able to see the caller/decoy. There are plenty of coyotes, fox and bobcats that are going straight to the caller. Not every coyote is going downwind every time. Especially if your calling style encourages them to come straight and hard rather than causing them to cast downwind. Knowing where to expect the predators to approach from helps tremendously. I was getting backdoored when I had the caller behind me, but it was now upwind at the site of the caller because I had my back turned to it. So if you sit sideways so you can see both upwind at the caller and additionally the downwind area you have what? A crosswind set up. Pick where you set up carefully so terrain and cover funnel critters to your best advantage. When hunting alone in my steep country with long winding ridges of big timber, old clear cuts and/or brushy creek bottoms you're gonna loose some out of sight. It's going to happen, these are the tough areas to call predators in and they are going to win in some of these situations.
 
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Stub2, I have to say I admire your attitude. It is without a doubt we all love hunting, I think some focus on the killing part more, and gauge there successes or failures on that one aspect. I think I am in the same school as you, "enjoy the experience".

Part of what has drawn me to coyote hunting is the challenge, the eastern coyote is one smart bugger. So the chase is what I am after, along with that comes the benefit of being outdoors(especially in the winter).

Those downwind dogs will get you, if they are too far out to see there is not much else you can do to make up for it. Around here, set in the woods is limited because of visibility and the ability to shoot through the bush. The coyotes nose is far better than my eyes so he has the advantage.
When I see those tracks downwind of me after a stand, I kind of smirk and shake my head, "bugger got me again"
 
Originally Posted By: ZcustomStub2, I have to say I admire your attitude. It is without a doubt we all love hunting, I think some focus on the killing part more, and gauge there successes or failures on that one aspect. I think I am in the same school as you, "enjoy the experience".

Part of what has drawn me to coyote hunting is the challenge, the eastern coyote is one smart bugger. So the chase is what I am after, along with that comes the benefit of being outdoors(especially in the winter).

Those downwind dogs will get you, if they are too far out to see there is not much else you can do to make up for it. Around here, set in the woods is limited because of visibility and the ability to shoot through the bush. The coyotes nose is far better than my eyes so he has the advantage.
When I see those tracks downwind of me after a stand, I kind of smirk and shake my head, "bugger got me again"


I feel the exact same way!

Success, in my opinion, is gauged on whether or not I can call one in, or even get a response. If I get coyotes stirred up and barking and howling in the woods, it's a good night for me, even if I don't get to kill one. Simply waiting for them to expose themselves is a rush!

Since taking this up seriously, I've disregarded all the YouTube videos out there, realizing that every hunt isn't THAT exciting, and most of those guys have a long list of failures, too.

All the above advice is good advice, but it doesn't mean the stand is going to go as planned. I've been hunting some big dogs behind my house, and after calling one in three times, I decided to set up right where it was coming in each time, thinking, "I got you now!" Well, I set up, called, and waited almost 2 hours. It didn't come in like before, and caught me off guard. All I saw were a set of eyes for a second or two and they were gone. To this day I haven't downed a single coyote around my house. Some day...some day.
 
If you're consistently stirring up coyotes howling and barking in the woods and you're not killing them then most likely all you are really doing is spooking and educating them. That's not a win for you.
 
Originally Posted By: GCIf you're consistently stirring up coyotes howling and barking in the woods and you're not killing them then most likely all you are really doing is spooking and educating them. That's not a win for you.

I'm not too concerned. I'd venture to say the majority of Pennsylvania hunters hear more coyotes than they see, and still manage to drop them...eventually.
 
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein
 
Originally Posted By: GCInsanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein


Your location says Missouri, have you hunted PA, WV, NY, or any of these north eastern states?

Not to mention we have guys that run dogs every weekend around here. I doubt I'm educating them any more than those guys tromping all across the countryside.
 
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