Where do coyotes sleep during the day?

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BJJ223

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I hunt the high desert. Usually, in areas that have many hills. I am curious,where do coyotes usually bed down during the day?

Have any of you had any luck glassing an area like you do for deer to spot coyotes?

My thought is that getting closer to a coyote that is bedded down might make that coyote more likely to come to the call. I wouldn't really be interested in shooting a coyote who is bedded down. It is more of an effort to improve the odds of one coming in.

Anyone?

(Maybe this is a dumb idea...)
 
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Some of the areas I call coyotes in the north side of the hills and mountains have trees brush and deeper ground cover than the south side of the mountains. Way more coyotes sleep and hang out in these areas because they have shade and cover.

During December, January and February I think coyotes will just lay down and sleep just about anywhere they feel like it. It probable feels good to them to lay in the sun and sleep after moving around all night when it was colder.

During warmer months it doesn't take much shade for a coyote to get out of the direct sunlight to lay down and sleep.

Coyotes also us big rocky areas for shade and cover to hang out in during the day.
 
Thanks Derbyacres. You are north of me. I hunt the So CA high deserts.

What you say makes sense. They want to stay warm in the winters and cool in the summers.

I have heard they like elevation for sleeping so they can see threats. They like to be on the opposite side of a hill for protection from the wind. Any truth to this?

 
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I don't know much about coyotes. But I know that around here in winter, when its cold, deer will bed down on South facing hillsides to absorb more sunlight. I'm thinking coyotes would do the same to stay warm.
 
Up in MN the fox would lay on the lee side of a hill in the winter most of the wind came from the north or west so that would be the sunny side also.

Hunting coyotes during the day out west they seem to be coming from thicker cover when called but I've walked up on them laying under the only shade bush around here on the desert.
 
In a lot of ways, critters are like people. When it's hot they want shade, when it's cold they'll lay in the sun. In the dez the wind blows a lot. Just like people, they want out of the wind. I've bumped plenty of them out of rock piles. They seem to like elevation as well, like a hillside. If it's cold and breezy and I see some rocks on a south facing slope I usually call there.
 
As already said, the wind, temp, sun etc all play a factor on where they bed down. Coyotes are extremely difficult to sneak up to when bedded but it is possible. You have to take your time, and it is helpful if you can keep something between you and the coyote like a hill, rock pile, etc. In crunchy snow, it is almost impossible to sneak up on one.

I know you said you want to call them in but when they are sleeping, it can be tough. Either a mouse squeak or some soft fighting sounds if an older coyote can work. If the terrain and walking conditions allow me to get close, it is a challenge and great reward to sneak in on them. I typically get set up for the shot, and lip squeak them to wake them and drill them between the eyes.

It can take so long to do this that I rarely stalk them anymore but it is a challenge. Fox are much easier to spot and stalk. We used to joke it seems like coyotes sleep with one eye open.
 
Guessing where they will be at any one time is like the lottery.
Often see them in the middle of 500 acre wheat stubble, or next to a russian thistle 20 feet off the road, or in a culvert under the road, in a fallen old barn, or the concrete pump station.

There are more sure fire answers on how to get a coyote to light the after burner, or what speed do they achieve after the third shot?
 
Here in the flatlands of Southern IL, I have seen them bed down just about anywhere and everywhere. Grassy waterways, 2 feet inside of a tree line, and everywhere in-between. Im starting to see more late morning action than first light like they have been over the last several years. If they are curled up, it's a challenge to see them they blend in so well.
 
In order to spot sleepers the cover must be shorter than the bedded coyote. Even in short grass prairie as early as October, high pressure northerly wind days will put coyote on sunny slopes. Cold weather with little snow will often put coyote in grass, light wind direction is not as much of a factor as as the sun. Very little wind to calm conditions will put coyote out in flats, or on top of hills. I have lost count of how many coyote I have tried to call out of a bed during the day. Almost always the response is nothing but the head turning to the sound(in my hunting area). If you are going to try spotting bedded coyote, in grass or short cover coyote hair doesn't shine and the coyote will always have it's head/eyes downwind. So if you can see the coyote he can probably see you, unless you need binoculars or spotting scope. I have seen them on round bales, up on logs, bean chaff piles, small tuffs of corn stalks out in plowed fields, under bushes, found them in culverts, dug into muskrat houses in sub zero days. Many times I have spotted a sleeping coyote at the end of the day, got to 1/4 mile away, tried calling saw no movement. Waited until sunset. Than moved in and shot the coyote still in it's bed an hour after sunset.
 
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Question for you guys. I have always wondered if coyotes still use dens even after they have kicked out the pups. Have you guys ever seen coyotes den up before a big storm in the winter long after the pups have dispersed?

Might be a dumb question but I am curious.
 
Not a dumb question. There is research showing that in severe weather bobcats will den up, sometimes multiple cats in the same rockpile or other wind breaking shelter. That research was done in Idaho where things can get pretty cold.

Now coyotes, haven't seen any research there so I don't know. My guess is it would have to very severe weather to make them do it. And in my country (high desert) there probably wouldn't be enough dens around to accommodate all the coyotes.
 
I seen a mangy one sleeping between a snow bank and a stack of square bales yesterday. They'll get on the side of hills out of the wind or even in between the rows in corn fields. Pretty much anywhere that offers concealment or protection from the elements.
 
I agree with spotandstalk on the fact that they sleep on when called . I was calling a large mountain park from a knoll ,after squalling for 15 minutes I thought to myself "looks like a coyote there at 300 yds curled up sleeping " crawled up to 100 yds and bagged him .
 
Originally Posted By: bhallowsQuestion for you guys. I have always wondered if coyotes still use dens even after they have kicked out the pups. Have you guys ever seen coyotes den up before a big storm in the winter long after the pups have dispersed?

Might be a dumb question but I am curious.

This has been discussed here several times over the years and there have been many guys adamant about the fact that coyotes do not use a den after pup rearing.
I have personally seen coyotes using dens in winter with the snow beat down like a road. Also have seen a coyote come out of a den in fall just before shooting it.
 
I have several culverts that coyote use all year round. When conditions,wind/temps, are right I will sneak out and post in a fence line. Usually with warming day temps and diminishing winds just before sunset, the coyote will come out and stretch before a night run to one of several hog buildings within 4 miles. I have tried calling(prey and coyote sounds) but just sitting and waiting works best. One spot I can see with a spotting scope, I usually watch that culvert and if I see a coyote "pop up" on the grass bank near the culvert I sit on that one the next evening. Pretty easy to tell which culverts are being used, a day or two after a good snow storm. You can see the digging out sign from a mile+ with a spotting scope.
 
Originally Posted By: spotstalkshootI have several culverts that coyote use all year round. When conditions,wind/temps, are right I will sneak out and post in a fence line. Usually with warming day temps and diminishing winds just before sunset, the coyote will come out and stretch before a night run to one of several hog buildings within 4 miles. I have tried calling(prey and coyote sounds) but just sitting and waiting works best. One spot I can see with a spotting scope, I usually watch that culvert and if I see a coyote "pop up" on the grass bank near the culvert I sit on that one the next evening. Pretty easy to tell which culverts are being used, a day or two after a good snow storm. You can see the digging out sign from a mile+ with a spotting scope.

I envy your hunting skill. That's true hunting and knowing your prey right there imo.
 
I often see them way out in the open, laying down in the middle of the day, seems like more often in winter, but they are obviously easier to see in the snow.
 
Kirsch said:
As already said, the wind, temp, sun etc all play a factor on where they bed down. Coyotes are extremely difficult to sneak up to when bedded but it is possible. You have to take your time, and it is helpful if you can keep something between you and the coyote like a hill, rock pile, etc. In crunchy snow, it is almost impossible to sneak up on one.

I know you said you want to call them in but when they are sleeping, it can be tough. Either a mouse squeak or some soft fighting sounds if an older coyote can work. If the terrain and walking conditions allow me to get close, it is a challenge and great reward to sneak in on them. I typically get set up for the shot, and lip squeak them to wake them and drill them between the eyes.

It can take so long to do this that I rarely stalk them anymore but it is a challenge. Fox are much easier to spot and stalk. We used to joke it seems like coyotes sleep with one eye open.
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How disgusting, taking pleasure in sneaking up on innocent creatures and shooting them when they are no threat to you and simply sleeping where THEY belong.
 
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