Coyote behavior - where do they like to bed down during the day?

GJJ

New member
I hunt the Southern California deserts. In picking spots for stands during the day, it makes sense to try to find areas coyotes bed down in during the day. Which of these areas would you think are most likely for a coyote to chose for a nap:

1. Dry washes
2. Rock piles
3. Under bushes (millions to chose from)
4. High ground
5. Canyons

If anyone can point me to research on Coyote behavior, I would appreciate it. Most videos and books have nothing on this topic.
 
Pretty good question GJJ and one that surely won't have a definite answer. As we all know, coyotes can be found where we least expect them.

Here is my take on it and how we approach calling in the middle of the day. We actually got some awesome footage of this exact situation at 1:30pm a couple weeks ago. Come 'round about 11:00am I start looking for some hills. But more importantly I am looking for washes, canyons, etc that run in and through these hills and provide some shade. For me, SHADE is the key factor and a lot of time those washes combined with some hills will provide that. I certainly don't think like a coyote, but I do know that I sure as heck wouldn't want to lay up in the sun all afternoon in the desert if I had the choice not too.

Just my opinion and one we have success with, but rest assured, if there isn't any hills, washes, canyons, SHADE to be found, then the game changes and they have to be somewhere.
 
I dont know for sure about West but in the East they will bed down on ridges facing south , out of the north winter wind.
 
Thanks Soreloser. Shade makes sense. I guess I have to start thinking more like a coyote.

I have been getting most of my coyotes at first light. That makes me think I have been in the right place at the right time when they were out hunting before sun up.

The longer I do this (coyote hunt), the more I think "stand selection" is the key.
 
I don't hunt much in the heat but in the cooler months when the wind ain't howling, I've spooked them out or have been busted by coyotes as I walked to a stand. Usually they're bedded up high on a hillside, in the sun, usually with the wind at their back. Between their eyes and nose they pick up on most everything.
 
Roughly 80% of the time in central Iowa. Their laying in cover[Timber, CRP ,ect]. 99% of the time "ANY" wind will be @ their backside. So they'll be panning left to right downwind..."normally". They also prefer a panoramic view, such as laying near or close to the top of a hill. They are very light sleepers.


Roughly 20% of the time. This is what I see. Here's a few laying. Wind is at their backside. http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc78/moreammo/Jan2507024.jpg


That dot to the right of the pole is a very large coyote. A long ways out.
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc78/moreammo/Feb607Largeballed-upcoyote001.jpg
 
Quote:
The longer I do this (coyote hunt), the more I think "stand selection" is the key.



Sounds like you're ahead of the curve for sure. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
GJJ-- In your part of the country, I would have to agree that in warm temperatures with lots of sunshine, those coyotes are probably picking a shady spot for their resting place.

Up here in North DaColder in the winter, coyotes and fox tend to find a spot that gives them some protection from the wind and if they can find such a spot that also gives them a chance to be in the sun, they'll lay there. However, if all the sunny spots would put the predators in the path of the wind, then they usually choose to lay in out of the wind first. At least, that is my experience with them.
 
Sometimes they just do this. They spin around and burrow thru the snow and bed into the dry grass and stay nice and warm and out of the wind.Sometimes the snow will cover them up.A few times when calling I have seen them jump up out of their bed like a jack-in-a-box and then shake the snow off.
P1010205.JPG
 
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I was deer hunting out of a tree stand several years ago when I saw one come out of a creek bed with quite a bit of timber in it on each side and lay down in the sun on the south side of it. He was about 400 yards away and I watched him for quite awhile.

When it was time to climb down he was still there and my way to the truck was right past him. He was sound asleep but I didn't think I could get close, but I thought, what the heck, I will just walk real quiet and see what happens.

It was a picked bean field and walking was pretty quiet. When I got to about 50 yards I began to get excited and thought just maybe I will get a shot. When I got to 30 I thought I had better not risk getting any closer and drew the bow. He was still sound asleep. By that time I was really excited as I had never killed a coyote before.

Unfortunately, buck fever, or in this case coyote fever, got to me and i put the wrong pin on him. I shot short, he woke up, and get out of Dodge.

I know this really doesn't answer your question, but I will always remember missing that coyote. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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