Hunting Setups....

centerfire_223 · November 30, 2006, 10:40:28 PM

OK here is the deal. I have a new piece of property I picked up the other day. I have marked the picture with several different colors, with each color meaning different things. I think these types of post will aid a new hunter on how to figure out where to set up. I am going to explain how I have the map marked, then I will tell why I have chosen the various stand sights.

Green dots: Coyotes were seen by the land owners
Red Dots: When I scouted it, that is where I seen the most sign.
White Dots: Stand locations, the numbers don't necessarily denote the number in which I would call them.
Turquoise Dot: Place where I have already killed a coyote.
Black Line: This is the property boundary.

Wow the picture is a little small anyone know how to enlarge it?

Anyway here is how I plan on hunting this ground. First I will need a North or a North East wind to hunt this perfectly. Though I could get by with anything but a South wind. I would just have to hunt the stands in a different order. So we will discuss this by saying we have a perfect wind.

Stand #4 would be my first choice of stands. I would be parking my truck right to the south of the #4 stand in behind a abandoned house. This stand would be a in your face type stand. The shot would be less than 30 yards. When sitting on stand #4 you would be looking directly North into a thicket. I would call this stand with a call that is not loud at all. All I am trying to do here is make the sound reach 200 yards down into this thicket. The only reason I would even call this stand is, I don't want to walk past a coyote that may be bedded in this thicket. I want to call him out before I go past him.

Stand # 2 would be my next stand. This is the stand I would say will be the one to call up the dog. This is the spot that the land owner always sees the coyote crossing. There is a logging road that meanders through the hardwoods that are in front of this stand. There is also a small pond on the right, just in the edge of the woods. This logging road runs up to the ponds and crosses the pond dam. My guess would be that a coyote coming from that direction would follow the road and cross this pond dam. From where the stand is placed I could shoot one crossing the dam. There is also a deep ditch that runs on this side of the pond. So if I were to see a coyote cross the dam and couldn't get it stopped and shot, then I am almost sure it would get in the ditch and come up the woodline.

Stand # 1 would be my next pick in stands. Though # 3 would be in my opinion just as good. Just so they both get called. But stand #1 is where I seen the most of the coyote scat. The bad thing about that stand is there is no place for me to hide. My only option is to lay prone in the grass at the top of the hill. My guess is if a coyote responds he will hit the road that runs through where the red dots are and come in that way. So that is the way I would have my gun pointing. There is thickets on both sides of the old logging road. Great place for bedding coyotes.

This is how I would hunt this property. Now give me some different ways you would hunt it.

FinsnFur · November 30, 2006, 11:30:59 PM

Ronnie...shoot me your original and I'll make it bigger. admin@finsandfur.net

Jimmie in Ky · December 01, 2006, 12:00:18 AM

My choices for stand sites would be 4,2, and somewhere near the spot where you killed the coyote, depending on th winds. I really like that little finger of trees jutting out into the field near there. My reason for doing this is because of where the travel lane is. That line of four red dots goes indirectly to a saddle in the ridge near where you killed the coyote, at least that is how the photo looks to me.That line of dots and the saddle would likely be the main travel lane in that area.Jimmie

centerfire_223 · December 01, 2006, 02:11:19 AM

Jim is the MAN, he can make it bigger just by sending a picture of it. How about super size it!!! :roflmao: :roflmao:

FinsnFur · December 02, 2006, 11:04:59 PM

This is a nice set up too.

Your line of red dots indicating lots of sign. Look where it is. The easiest path of travel with cover....leading into thicker cover.

The green dots indicating where the land owner has seen coyotes are really the only corners easily visable from the farm buildings. So how many other corners do they actually cross in? In the same notion, if those are their main travel corners they don't have direct contact with the main buildings either....their just hidden.

Oh sure it's easy to pick it out now that you got it all laid out for me Ronnie.

This woulda been a nice one to post blank and let everyone chew on. And then lay out your markings

So now I'm wondering what is the small white building near the top of the pic in the middle of no where and why do they appear to feel safe near it?

centerfire_223 · December 03, 2006, 06:30:19 AM

That white building is a Friend of mines house. He see coyotes in that field all the time. The other day he actually had one come up in his yard. In the broad daylight.

Jim you mentioned to this picture without all of the fill ins. I have another piece of property that I will do the same thing, except I will hold off on giving out the answers. Good idea. It is things like these that help out a new hunter, or at least it did me. Except I had to use the phone and try to explain what I was seeing to Jimmie. Then we talked it over and found out the best strategy.

studabaka · December 03, 2006, 07:59:41 AM

These are very cool....a picture sure is worth a thousand words.

THO Game Calls · December 04, 2006, 12:10:54 PM

These kinds of post sure do point out the benefit of having a map of the area you want to hunt, and of being able to put sign on the map so you can try to make sense out of things.

The more I look at this map, the more a plan seems to be setting up in my head. Call me crazy, but I think I might take a different approach and here's how and why.

If I had a partner, I would hunt the area that I have put the green diamond around first. The reason being, is that little patch of land is a sactuary area. I think the coyotes would feel comfortable there, so I would put my buddy behind me facing west with a shotgun and I would face east with a rifle. I would hunt this in the early morning. Reason being, that land to the east by the number one is going to be in shadows, and I think you stand a much better chance of getting one to come out of the wood line if there are shadows he can use as cover, but I would bet the action would probably be for the shooter facing west.

If I were to hunt this alone, I would again hunt it in the morning, and I would use an E caller. I would put the caller where the red dot is, and I would sit where the blue dot is. Again, the land where the white line is is going to be in shadows, but if you look at the where the white arrow is, you see that break, well, that is where I would expect to see one come out and linger for a bit. In showdow, cover close by, and using it to get down wind of the caller. Anything that came in behind me would be allowed to walk because of the houses. I would not want to chance a shot in that direction. Just me.

The other place I would go is up where I put the white x. If you look at the map you see there is a trail or road or something that they are using. Right were it makes a dog leg to the east, there is a small clear spot. I would get back in there with a shot gun. If I were to call that area with an E caller, I would put the caller down the trail closer to the field. IF I had a buddy and was using hand calls, I would call from the edge of the trail and watch to the east while he was up at the dog leg.

I have not looked much at the top of the map, but then again, it looks too far to walk anyway LOL.

Al
THO Game Calls
www.thogamecalls.com

Rifle 223 · December 07, 2006, 12:52:13 PM

Help me out

I live in Okla.
Where can I get maps of my state that looks like that

FinsnFur · December 07, 2006, 04:48:30 PM

WhiteHare · December 07, 2006, 05:11:33 PM

Another way to do this is to go to: www.mapquest.com
Under Maps... Type in your home address.
Press Search.
Up comes a map of your address.......in the upper right corner of the picture are two Tabs, Street Map and Aerial Image. Aerial Image gives you the topography. Use the tools on the left side of the picture to zoom and move. You can also hold the left mouse button down and move N,S,E,W on the map...
I found that if I zoom too close it gets out of focus. Also it is not "real time".

centerfire_223 · December 30, 2006, 04:37:44 AM

After calling this farm 3 different times now, I have come to some conclusions. To start with THO had picked one of the best stands on there from the picture. I never seen it until he pointed it out to me and the coyotes responded just like he said they would. Here is the updated picture with some changes I have made to it.

This opening with the green diamond around it, that is the stand THO pointed out. That is also where the coyote was killed yesterday. I had Drew facing the north with the rifle and I was calling from behind him and facing the west. The coyote came in from the West.

The other arrow in the center of the picture is where I killed the coyote last week. If you look real close you can see the way the hollow run in the picture. This is something else I never noticed about this type of pictures.

While I was typing this up I remembered another stand that was never mentioned, that I forgot to mark as well. But I will go ahead and point it out too. Right in between the 2 and 3 on the picture there is a funneled down spot. That will make a good stand, especially since there is a loggin road running right down through it. I know it is a little close to the other stands. An most likely I wouldn't call every number on the picture at one time. These are just stand sights that I have picked out, but I let the situation of the day tell me which one I need to call at that time.

These are just a couple of tips that I have picked up since I posted this setup. They will certainly help me when I look over another picture of this type.