Coyote bedding areas

1badboy

New member
Has anyone ever found one ?
I've found a few and found an unbelievable one the othe other day while tracking a wounded coyote.
Had 2 go by me when I was looking for it and another almost attack me when I called it in with vocalizations !
The dam thing ran right at me downwind looking right at me barking !
It's an area I've taken a bunch of coyotes over the years.
I'm going to put a bait with my HD cam in there with audio and see what I can come up with.
 
Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnoti do not even know what a coyote bedding area would look like. what does one look like? I'm all ears LOL
 
It was a thick swamp.
Beds from varying ages in the snow , I found 15 or 20. There's no way there that many coyotes in there. Just hang out and bed there during the day.
I've only ever seen it once before , most places they just bed wherever but these places for some reason is where they hold up.
 
I have found a couple coyote beds while still hunting deer. They were at the edge of swampy cut over areas. Thick seems to be the key.
 
I'm curious if they were on the downwind and/or east side of the thick cover and on an east facing slope? I'm also curious if they will still use that specific core spot now that they have been disturbed and discovered?

And my reason for asking those questions is because I keep seeing here and elsewhere where guys are asking for help...a common statement is "hunting timber or big woods and they could come from anywhere". That's BS...they don't just come from anywhere. They are in a specific location for a specific reason and take a specific route to get to you or downwind of you. A lazy hunter will go out in the woods and repeat the same thing over and over, occasionally see one and say they can come from anywhere...or a person can be a student of the game and learn it like a science, figuring out how to break down a section or block with a high certainty of exactly where the coyotes are going to be...hence, upping the odds and increasing sightings & shot opportunities. The more that takes place, the more that hunter is relying on skill and knowledge versus luck.
 
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Originally Posted By: NoName1I'm curious if they were on the downwind and/or east side of the thick cover and on an east facing slope? I'm also curious if they will still use that specific core spot now that they have been disturbed and discovered?

And my reason for asking those questions is because I keep seeing here and elsewhere where guys are asking for help...a common statement is "hunting timber or big woods and they could come from anywhere". That's BS...they don't just come from anywhere. They are in a specific location for a specific reason and take a specific route to get to you or downwind of you. A lazy hunter will go out in the woods and repeat the same thing over and over, occasionally see one and say they can come from anywhere...or a person can be a student of the game and learn it like a science, figuring out how to break down a section or block with a high certainty of exactly where the coyotes are going to be...hence, upping the odds and increasing sightings & shot opportunities. The more that takes place, the more that hunter is relying on skill and knowledge versus luck.

Exactly. Coyote hunting is similar to fishing, in that ten percent of the lake holds ninety percent of the fish. Once you know how to Key in on and call to the ten percent, you'll get coyotes.

Amateur callers approach predator hunting in a very rigid way. They'll set up every couple hundred yards in places with big views and wind in face. The idea is to cover the most area possible in hopes that sooner or later a coyote will hear them and just come running in to get shot. The coyote may eventually hear and respond to the call, but because the setup wasn't specifically preplanned to call to that exact area, the coyote will often bust the caller.

A good caller does pretty much the opposite. He already knows where the coyotes are before he hunts. He bypasses all the empty territory that the the amateur wastes valuable time calling to. He knows a good setup might not Have a great view, but it's the right view. in a spot that likely has them and which allows shots on predators circling for the downwind. Also, the amateur's great view, means less cover. Less cover means a more cautious predator. This then leads to more hang-ups and wide downwind circle busts..
 
I sure wish coyotes came from the exact spot every time I think they are going to come from. they are not trained very well here. they do come from what ever direction they want to come from.
 
Originally Posted By: NoName1I'm curious if they were on the downwind and/or east side of the thick cover and on an east facing slope? I'm also curious if they will still use that specific core spot now that they have been disturbed and discovered?

And my reason for asking those questions is because I keep seeing here and elsewhere where guys are asking for help...a common statement is "hunting timber or big woods and they could come from anywhere". That's BS...they don't just come from anywhere. They are in a specific location for a specific reason and take a specific route to get to you or downwind of you. A lazy hunter will go out in the woods and repeat the same thing over and over, occasionally see one and say they can come from anywhere...or a person can be a student of the game and learn it like a science, figuring out how to break down a section or block with a high certainty of exactly where the coyotes are going to be...hence, upping the odds and increasing sightings & shot opportunities. The more that takes place, the more that hunter is relying on skill and knowledge versus luck.

I haven't gone back to see if they're still.using it yet because I'm going to call my way into it after things settle down a bit.
My theory is this : like deer , every coyote is different. This particular spot may be a family group because last year I called in 4 or 5 together and all but one was pretty small for the time and that's the only one we got. Of those seen in that group the one from the other day had particular markings and looked like the same dog to me.
This bedding area had multiple beds with varying age so I would say it got used alot but that was a little before breeding too so it may have changed but I believe some coyotes do this sort of group bedding for comfort in real thick areas that they are used to.
Other times I have killed coyotes and tracked them back just to see what they were doing before they heard the call and most times they were just layed up in the one or under stumps or whatever.
So I think , like deer , some just bed wherever and some have more reasoning behind it.
Not sure how timing of breeding may plan into that though.
But if I have time I try to take the time to learn by following their tracks if I can.
I've also picked up a few things while hunting with dogs and realized just how far some travel out of their home ranges .
 
One type of terrain I've seen them consistently bed in is thick vegetation along creeks, they lay with their backsides to the deep creek barrier.....I believe the lack of wind down low, and thick cover one would have to bust through to reach them aids in detecting approaching danger. I also believe they can scent better in moist lowland environs too. Everthing I've read says they bed up high in a thicket. Well they sure don't around here.
 
I saw one bed on a large rock twice this past season. Somewhat close to the thick area of a stream bed. The first time there were two and I had my recurve @ ~ 100yds. The next time in I had my deer rifle. I watched him sleep for a while, then he stood up, shook off, took one step, and I put him back to sleep.
I also bumped one from his bed that was more a brushy semi clear cut. I think they bed where they decide to bed. But, I'm still a newbie at the dog game.
 
It may be a regional thing, but they have very specific bedding areas in my area. I'm sure some transient coyotes passing through will make do with some out of the norm places, but resident coyotes will bed in the same places often and year after year.

If you're finding bedding sign, it's a good bet you have found a good day spot to call to. In the mountains here they like to get under rock ledges. in The farm areas, they like abandoned apple orchards, clear cuts and swamps.
 
Some very good points made by everyone that posted. I do disagree with this though "I'm going to call my way into it". My take on that is making multiple sets on the way to that spot? I would rather make one well executed and perfectly timed setup to max out the odds of a kill to the utmost extent versus the "haphazard stands on the way there because they can come from anywhere" guys. As swampwalker said, I would do the opposite. Instead of hunting your way to that spot, start there and if they aren't in that core area then hunt the other spots and try to catch them out and about.
I'm not saying you are wrong, just saying I would do it differently.
 
Originally Posted By: NoName1Some very good points made by everyone that posted. I do disagree with this though "I'm going to call my way into it". My take on that is making multiple sets on the way to that spot? I would rather make one well executed and perfectly timed setup to max out the odds of a kill to the utmost extent versus the "haphazard stands on the way there because they can come from anywhere" guys. As swampwalker said, I would do the opposite. Instead of hunting your way to that spot, start there and if they aren't in that core area then hunt the other spots and try to catch them out and about.
I'm not saying you are wrong, just saying I would do it differently.
Honestly , that's a pretty ignorant statement considering you don't know the setup.
This isn't my first time out or first time in the area...
Just because I think I know where they're bedding doesn't mean I'm going to blow through a 3/4 of a mile of prime calling to get there with the chance I'll spook coyotes , that doesn't make any sense.
I've seen coyotes from the road until there so I make obvious stands to within ear shot otherwise you'll have spooked the coyotes you're trying to hunt without actually knowing where they are.
Like in the original post , I shot the first coyote in the first stand only seconds into the stand because he was messing around in the feild. Had I tried to go right to the bedding area I would have spooked that coyote and maybe many more.
If the area I want to hunt is a distance to get in I " call my way in " by making sets every 400 yards or so , so I don't bust anything out on the walk in.
Good way to educate coyotes if they see or smell.you going in and you setup and call.
 
nice job badboy.
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the thick cover that coyotes like to bed in is a great benefit to a caller. It allows You to slip in close to them without being detected. Wait awhile for the sun to come up before making your move. To early and the coyotes might not be home yet..sneak in close on the right wind, then call them out.
 
Originally Posted By: swampwalkerthe thick cover that coyotes like to bed in is a great benefit to a caller. It allows You to slip in close to them without being detected. Wait awhile for the sun to come up before making your move. To early and the coyotes might not be home yet..sneak in close on the right wind, then call them out.
If they are in fact in there , I agree.
This property was cut a number of years ago and the coyotes always came from the other side of the feilds , since being cut they switched to a different area so at first caught me by surprise

I setup on an outer feild to call first and 99% of the coyotes I've called have came to this feild from numerous directions , day or night so I don't just burst right into there area.
There is no harm in being too far away but too close and you can bump them or completely ruin an area.
 
Originally Posted By: swampwalkerthe thick cover that coyotes like to bed in is a great benefit to a caller. It allows You to slip in close to them without being detected. Wait awhile for the sun to come up before making your move. To early and the coyotes might not be home yet..sneak in close on the right wind, then call them out. Good Stuff, Swampwalker knows the deal. Call softly at first, love this thread.
 
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