How to hunt this area?

[cb223]

I'm looking for opinions on how to hunt this area. It is state land. So I know other people hunt it as well.
I have hunted this 3 times in the last 2 years, well 4 times but once for deer. The whole area has alot of tracks and scat.

I posted 3 views of the same area. 1 topo and 2 different satellite photos.

The blue dots on the topo map are the first stand last year marking where we sat. After that stand we went for a walk there were fresh tracks behind us in the snow. We apparently got busted.

The green dots mark where we were on the second stand later last winter. It was snowing and windy so we sat in a small clearing in the middle of some thick pines. Nothing!

The red dots are the last stand we have made there. Last weekend.

Most of the time we have a N, NW or W wind.
Most of the tracks I see are up on the high ground zig zaging through the clearings. I assume the coyotes are hunting there at night. I have not spent alot of time down in the creek bottom. Should I? The area is hard woods and pines. Some of it very thick and some it quite open.

I know they are there and I think if I go about the right way I should be able to get a couple coyotes out of this area.

I would appreciate any and all feed back.

[northern coyote]

I'm a newbie to yote callin, but if they act anything like and ol' White-tail then I'd try the wooded strip between the two openings where you got busted the first time aroun' , looks as though it lightens up on the -I'm guessing- the east side just south of the Northern opening. maybe there will give you a chance at a yote, but like i said I'm a beginner to yotes.

Thats just my bit

[Jimmie in Ky]

The color Photo and the topo add a great deal to my understanding of your situation. It's no wonder your having trouble with this area. You can throw out what I said about the point and creek crossing in my other post. The high points next to the swamp at the top of the topo map are likely bedding areas for that part of it. You will have to use the high points for setups on that side of the creek. And a down wind shooter. Stay back from those areas of pines they have planted since they may hold a bedded animal or be used for the aproach to the calls.

The hollow top center leading to th 8 on the topo is likely another bedding area depending on how it is related to the sun. The part of it leading to what I assume is the west is a good place for a setup on  it.


This area seems flat enough that thermals are not too likely to be a problem. But watch the winds carefully and work into them if you can. The open fields are too small to be of any use to you. They are surrounded by trees and give the coyote's all kinds of cover to aproach from. Jimmie

[THO Game Calls]

You seem to have a large swamp or marshy area to the north and to the south.

Between the red lines I drew on your map there is a creek crossing.  There has to be.  If it were me, I would find it.  The first place I would start is where the blue arrow is on the western side of the creek, and on the eastern side of he creek I would start looking where I drew the other blue arrow.   If you look at the map, it looks rather steep on both sides, but there is one spot on the eastern side where it looks like it might be a litle easier to travel.  The west side, you have two roads converging right near the creek.  Since most roads in forest land are old game trails, that is why I would pick that spot to start searching for sign.  Once I found where they cross the creek, I would call from the eastern side, if I think they are going to approach from the west.  If I thought they were going to approach from the east, I would get set up where I could see down into that little draw where the blue arrow is.

Why? 

Because if there is a creek crossings, the coyotes will know about it and they will have used it.  It is a natural ambush site.

I hunt an area very similar to this, though not quite as large.  If I or one of my buddies don't over hunt it, it is good for a coyote a month right at the crossing.  It almost isn't fair to call there but I do  :)


When you set up where the blue dots are, were you watching the field or were you watching the woods?  You said you took a walk and found fresh tracks, were they to the east west north or south of where you were set up, and were they in the woods or the field?

There are probably several places to call in this area, but if I were going to pick one, I would get in the creek bottom and find where they cross and set up there. 

Al

[cb223]

Al, The dots are  not 100% acccurate. I was watching the field with a rifle and doing the calling. My friend was to the east down wind of me watching the thick stuff along the drop into the marsh with a shotgun. The tracks came from the NW of the north dot just into the woods and out of my sight, turned and went straight north. Where they turned was only about 50 yards away but just out of my sight. Maybe I was spotted, I'm not sure. The tracks were up wind.

My logic for this setup, if they try to circle down wind they hit the ridge(50-75 feet quite steep) going down in the swamp to the east and should follow it to the guy with the shot gun in the thicker cover. I'm not sure if this right or not, I'm still learning.

Where you drew the NW arrow the trail that go's east is blocked off, no motor vehicles, it used to be a rustic camp ground. I will go scout in the creek bottom there and look for a crossing.  I am I best off down wind of it? Perhaps setting up by the SW arrow or should I get right down in the creek bottom? It seems that once I get down in the bottom lands the wind gets really unpredictable, swirling around alot.

Thanks, Chad

[Greenside]

cb223

What I usually do on those type of creeks is to stay back and call to the outside bends  of  the creek.  Couple of good setups that might have potential would be to the north of that west green block, calling  to that little "finger".  Southwest of the big bow on the east also looks good around that little hump that looks like (OP). Are those roads just two track farm lanes?

[Omega47]

Curious where you got the 2nd photo?  I have a similar situation, but the Google Earth and other satellite photos I can find are full summer shots with no detail.  I need to find a winter satellite shot. 

Thanks

[cb223]

Curious where you got the 2nd photo?  I have a similar situation, but the Google Earth and other satellite photos I can find are full summer shots with no detail.  I need to find a winter satellite shot. 

Thanks

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