Northeastern alternative

sleddogg · December 13, 2006, 08:44:52 AM

Been asked a few times lately to explain some methods I've found sucessful for calling coyotes here in the Northeast, and the reasoning I use in stand selection.........so here goes.

First and foremost our population is small and well spread out. A simple walk or quad ride after a snowfall will bear this out. Coyote tracks can be found almost anywhere, but nowhere does there seem to be to be a dense abundance or heavy use area. Couple here, couple there........been like this since I was a kid, and while our populations are said to be on the rise, I consider the best coyote years here were in the late 80's to early 90's in this area of Massachusettes.

So how do I decide on where to hang a treestand, or set up a blind? First and most important to me is human activity. I choose areas of low to no human activity. A coyote that has been "worried" by countless bird hunters, rabbit, and deer hunters is of little interest to me, and will produce few call-ins. Not saying it can't be done, but I'd prefer to not make a challenging task even harder. Keep in mind the average deer hunter treks only a quarter mile into the forrest, so its easy to hit a "human free" zone if you don't mind the exercise.

I'd rather hunt one coyote at ease than 10 on "red alert".

If I choose to hunt an area that has a bit of human activity, I will do so mid-week, when human intervention is at its lowest point, but try to focus on an area that should have had the least trapsing about.

Second and equally important to me is wind direction. There is this thing called a "prevaling wind". It blows out of the Northwest here, and when picking a stand sight, I will pick this spot using the usual wind direction to aid my entry into the forest. This means my stands are set so I will enter the forest with the wind in my face, so as not to "telegraph" my arrival into my chosen area.

Speaking of "telegraphing" my arrival, I am extraordinarily careful to be as quiet as possible upon entry. Our natural (at least mine is) tendancy is to become excited, and hurry too much. Fight that urge, and ease along, as if still hunting whitetails. Many of my stands are placed just off brooks, and I use felt botomed boots to quietly wade the last 100 yards or so before my stand. This also will eliminate the chance of a responding coyote to cut my entrance route into the forest and bolt. Because if he cuts your scent trail, he will indeed vanish. After freeze-up, I walk the edge of the stream, and hope for the best.

I prefer to pick spots that transitions from open hardwoods to dense mountain laurel which allow for some degree of shooting. Deer runs are a big plus, and coyotes will use these many times when responding to my call, especially after a fair amount of snow has fallen. I prefer a treestand for obvious reasons, but when hunting from the ground, I choose an area of the forest that affords me a downhill veiw, and is in a sense a natural stand.

The amount of time I spend on a stand is short, as over many years calling woodland coyotes, my average call-in time is under 5 minutes. Really........5 minutes. He is either there or he is not. I will stay and call a nother 5 minutes, but rarely (not never) does this result in a shot. The exception is first stand of the day when these coyotes seems to be active. I linger longer then, and if its a good morning, have been kown to call, drink some coffe, call, drink some more coffee, etc.

Other factors...........storm fronts. I will do everything possible to be hunting the few hours preceeding a storm (rain or snow). Preds seem to be aware of the situation, and are up and about, and maybe a bit more eager then. After a storm is good also, but when it snows good, I give them a day or two to adapt to it, and let some snow blow off the trees, so my calls will carry farther. Fellas in Maine and Vermont..........hunt close to those late winter deer yards. I've hammered coyotes in the Rangely lake region of Maine as a kid using a set of snowshoes and some hard work. Man wish I could still hunt that hard........

So no, I don't locate coyote in the traditional fashion, and firmly believe most spots are about as good as the next, and my records bear this out. But use some common sense and woodsmanship, along with a good amount of patience and hard work...........you will succeed.

Lastly, have confidence. I call every series like its my last hunt on earth, and truely expect to see a coyote bomb in. Alot of sucess is in attitude.

THO Game Calls · December 13, 2006, 02:08:38 PM

QuoteFirst and foremost our population is small and well spread out

True, but there are concentration of coyotes in New England. You just have to know how to find them. A reall good place to start, without wasting any gas or breath blowing a howler to try and locate them is to contact your state fish and game department and get a copy of thier fur bearers report. It will show, by county, the numbers of coyotes, fox, bobcats and other fur bearers taken by trappers. It isn't fool proof, but if trapers are taking 3 or 4 time the number of animals in one county than another, it might make sense to hunt the county that they are having success in.

QuoteA simple walk or quad ride after a snowfall will bear this out. Coyote tracks can be found almost anywhere, but nowhere does there seem to be to be a dense abundance or heavy use area

Well, maybe. But don't let the wiley old coyote fool you. Coyotes are one of the few animals that use what is called "direct regeristing" which means that 5 coyotes can walk down a trail and when you come by, it will loiok like only one has been by. They walk in each others tracks. This is especially true in snow, and has been well documented here in the north east.

Consider that coyotes breed every year. Pup are riased and then disperse. They have to go somewhere. According to trapping records, the coyote population in New Hampshire has doubled in the last 5 years. More than doubled. Example - the 1999 to 2000 trapping season saw 397 trappers take 298 coyotes in New Hampshire. The 2004-2005 season saw 429 trappers take 659 coyotes. With the exception of Red Fox trapped, which also doubled, all other fur bearer numbers remained almost constant. So, I believe, based on those numbers, that the coyote population, at least in New Hampshire, is expanding significantly.

As for the rest of your post, I agree almost completely with all of it.

The only thing I would add, is that for the new guy starting out here in the north east, leep in mind one fact that will never change.

While coyotes in the east are still coyotes, and will respond to the same sounds, use the wind and cover the same as their western cousins, in the west they CALL coyotes. In the east, if you are going to be successful, you have to HUNT them. And there is a difference.

Al
THO Game Calls
www.thogamecalls.com

Jrbhunter · December 13, 2006, 04:26:08 PM

Quote from: sleddogg on December 13, 2006, 08:44:52 AM
A coyote that has been "worried" by countless bird hunters, rabbit, and deer hunters is of little interest to me, and will produce few call-ins. Not saying it can't be done, but I'd prefer to not make a challenging task even harder.... I'd rather hunt one coyote at ease than 10 on "red alert".

Jeb · December 13, 2006, 05:49:46 PM

Thanks sleddogg !

Jeb

Todd Rahm · December 13, 2006, 09:22:02 PM

I don't think Alaska, and your North East are much different. It all sounds familiar with one exception up here...............

While the coyotes do come in on occasion early on, the norm seems to be 30-45 minutes? I never have asked but does anyone have a good idea why that is?

Nice post by the way Sleddog

Bopeye · December 13, 2006, 10:46:08 PM

I'm just guessing here Todd, but I would think they are slower to respond due to not being the top predator in your area. Like I said.......just a guess.

They probably dislike the notion of charging into an easy meal, just to find a grizzly or some wolves having the meal..........might just put them on the menu as well.

Todd Rahm · December 13, 2006, 10:57:07 PM

Kinda what I was thinking to Bop. Plus when using vocals this year, especially during the day time...........I get no responses but they show up.

Hawks Feather · December 13, 2006, 10:58:38 PM

Todd,

With the low temps that you have up there you should be happy that they can move at all. I know at low temps I tend to sloooooow down.

Jerry

sleddogg · December 14, 2006, 03:27:52 PM

QuoteWell, maybe. But don't let the wiley old coyote fool you. Coyotes are one of the few animals that use what is called "direct regeristing" which means that 5 coyotes can walk down a trail and when you come by, it will loiok like only one has been by. They walk in each others tracks. This is especially true in snow, and has been well documented here in the north east.

Al, I only call a double or 2 a year rest all singles. Called a triple once in 30 years.

QuoteTrue, but there are concentration of coyotes in New England. You just have to know how to find them. A reall good place to start, without wasting any gas or breath blowing a howler to try and locate them is to contact your state fish and game department and get a copy of thier fur bearers report. It will show, by county, the numbers of coyotes, fox, bobcats and other fur bearers taken by trappers. It isn't fool proof, but if trapers are taking 3 or 4 time the number of animals in one county than another, it might make sense to hunt the county that they are having success in.

Trapping has been illegal since '96 in Ma. Hunting with hounds is also illegal. I called an increasing number of coyotes each year wich peaked out at 26 in 1995. If I hunt super hard I will kill 10-12 a year now. I have only killed 4 with one runner this year Since November 15th, and that is my slowest start ever.

Will not killing coyotes by trapping and hound hunting actually lower numbers? I don't know, but it seems to have shrunken, not improved coyote numbers.

Any biologists out there make sense of this?

THO Game Calls · December 14, 2006, 03:58:39 PM

What I aaid does not have anything to do with taking a double or a tripple when on stand.

Rather, it points out that tracks in an area can often be deceptive and are not a great indicator of coyote presance. Unless of course you don't have any. Tracks that is. That could be bad.

I forgot that Mass does not allow trapping anymore. So my suggestion would not work on your area. But if you have the assett, it is a good source of information to help locate coyote concentrations in your area.

I know that the coyote population in NH is expanding. I can see evidence of it when I am in the woods. Tracks, scatt, kills, and visual sightings of animals seems to bear that out.

I meant you no disrespect Sleddogg. None at all and I hope that my post did not come across that way. If it did, I apologize.

Al
THO Game Calls
www.thogamecalls.com

sleddogg · December 14, 2006, 04:19:05 PM

QuoteI meant you no disrespect Sleddogg. None at all and I hope that my post did not come across that way. If it did, I apologize.

No way Al, none taken as I realize you are just offering up ideas. I respect you as a call maker and a good source of Norteastern 'yote info. Don't forget, I've called a good handfull of predators with your calls

But still I ponder the effects of not trapping coyotes has on their populations. I often wonder if more competition has somehow impacted the numbers of coyote.

Realize also that Western Ma was a virtual whitetail paradise until the mid-90's. As the coyotes devestated the fawns year over year, our whitetail population in Western Ma plummited. This also may have affected the coyote numbers, and the numbers I see now is just what coyotes the current food source can support.

But man, coyote hunting was crazy good by Eastern standards up until mind '90's.

Here are a couple THO dogs

edited to add pics

Jrbhunter · December 14, 2006, 08:11:29 PM

The imact seen from lack of trapping COULD be explained by studies performed in the west. It's possible, the populations were counteracting the loss of adults by raising the number of pups per litter. This was documented by several researchers... the more adults killed by trapping and arial gunning the more pups they saw in the spring. With this impact removed the litters may have shrunk, to better suit the new environment. In my opinion, this would be a reach... because of the low populations and minimal impact hobby trapping has... but it's possible!

I recently made a sizeable donation to the Massachuttsets Trapping Association to support their new wave of attacks on the Anti's grip on their trapping rights. I think we may see trapping there in the next five years... but not without fighting for it.

CCP · December 14, 2006, 08:15:12 PM

I always enjoy reading post like these it gives us lots of insight on how people hunt in other areas. It also shows we have to adapt to the area we live in and the terrain.

I live probably 1200 miles away and hunt totally different. Only 1 in 3 coyotes called in come running here they usually sneak in. We rarely have one come in the first 5 min I would say 15min being the norm. Most of our coyotes travel in two's one will come in and the other will hold back sometimes rarely seen.

I also use scouting, in allot of cases I look at a piece of property 2 or 3 times looking for the perfect setup and an alternate for the wind change.

QuoteWill not killing coyotes by trapping and hound hunting actually lower numbers? I don't know, but it seems to have shrunken, not improved coyote numbers.

You may have had mange or some other canine diseases come through and lower there numbers. I know we had the mange here last year and our numbers here this year has shrunken to about half.

I would love to hear more from people on how they hunt there area. I think it would help us understand how a coyote adapts to the different areas.

One of the things I always tell people when they ask about how to coyote hunt. i tell them take what I do in my area then ask people in other areas how they hunt. Then take all this info and create your own style that matches your area. I can only tell you for sure how to kill coyotes where I hunt.