scouting help

[alscalls]

Walking in.........This is where one of two packs came from a few weeks ago with frogman and golfertrout.

I found this....

too the left, standing at the same spot the first photo was taken..........

I found ........

then.....

and this pile of bones, they were everywhere and not a dump site at all.........(Mostly deer bones, some.........?)

Back to where I am standing in the first photo, right at my feet. This scat has green grass in it as well as chicken bone(knife pointing too bone). Nearest chicken? 300-400 yards right over the hill(another farm)..........

then I went in the opposite direction about 300yds. to where the second pack came from and stumbled upon this den....

the den is between three old buildings and is in this picture so you can see how it surprised me to be so close before finding it.

one more photo and back home......,Great day.........

There was sign everywhere! And I really want to hear what you guys would or would not do. Give it to me straight and you can help me , Frogman and golfertrout get a plan together for a night hunt. everything behind me in the first photo was open field about 75 to 100 yds. wide and very long and winding.
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[nick]

great pic Al how close is the din from the trails or field

[alscalls]

About 70 yds. from a power line right of way and 120yds from one end of the field.
It is probably 400yds or so total from the other end of the field where I found the other pics. I know there is more dens over there but I did not want to get to close like I did this one. We did not know it was there until today.
The field makes a big  U shape and is only 100 yds. or so at its widest. About 15-20 acres of it was mowed this fall for the first time in years.
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[FinsnFur]

See if you can get us an aerial view of the area. Use the Aerial Maps button up above.
Those pine tress look like a pretty holding area though.

[Frogman]

Al,
         Lokks like you had a good scout.  We need to get out there soon before it starts raining again!

Jim

[alscalls]

I am trying to get an areal but there does not seem to be a good one. I will go to the court house, I know some people that can help with that and it will be a newer one.
I am shooting for the weekend jim, it should be me you and Dave and my buddy nick. It will take that many to do what I have in mind. two shooters and two callers, and the e-callers of course. If the wind is right. I will call you probably Thursday.
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[Frogman]

Sounds good!

Jim

[alscalls]

See if you can get us an aerial view of the area. Use the Aerial Maps button up above.
Those pine tress look like a pretty holding area though.

I can not get a good enough view from this site, but below is a site I can.........
http://www.mapwv.gov/schools/
But I do not know how to copy or print a section to show you. Can you help?
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[FinsnFur]

Zoom in on the area you want.

Hit your "prnt scrn" button.

Open up photoshop or windows paint and paste it into a new file.

Wa-La...then save it.

[alscalls]

THANKS!
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[Frogman]

Hey Jim,
      Thanks!  I've been trying to do this too.  I wanted to show you guys the the lay of the land at the farm where the dead cows are.  I thought you had to do something with the prnt scrn button, but I just couldn't remember.  I will try this.

Jim

[alscalls]

 
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[Jimmie in Ky]

I think what I am seeing is not that large, maybe sixty acres, just guessing from what I can see.

All that can really be seen is the saddle in the ridge they use to get there. It is right under your pack one marker. Your scat symbols show how they disperse as they leave that saddle. They are crossing over and going into the hollow you have marked with the pack two symbol for the most part.

Also remember that east west movement is pretty typical of farm country coyote's. Most territories run in a large oval from east to west here. They go out on a few routes and return by others, basically covering most of what they claim during a nights travels. This is what sign you have there is telling you.

But what is the rest of the story? What time of day did you make the kill?  What do the tracks tell you? I know such an area is going to show little in the way of tracks , but there are some somewhere telling you how they move if you can find them.

Back off the scan a bit and let us see that hollows to the east and west where I believe they are coming from or going too. Jimmie

[alscalls]

I have not killed here, The kill is the bird feathers we found and it was not real old, a day may bey if that. The property is 100 acres, I may be off on my lines.
You are right about the tracks being East to west. In kind of a big circle and avoiding the main road even though you need a 4x4 to drive it.
The meadow is at the bottom of a long hill and we have called here before( very little )from the top and they seem to hang up on the old private road, unused for many many years near the right of way one flat down from the top. Last time they came from both sides of the right of way and hung up.
For some reason I could not zoom in all the way but I will keep trying.
Sorry I was not more clear before but I am always in a hurry through the week.
Thank for your input I need all the help I can get.
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[Jimmie in Ky]

Zoom out a bit, just one ro two clicks should do it. You want to look at the two drainages on either side of that place.

When I find bird feathers I trend to think cats and coons unless it is a domestic bird of some kind.

You mentioned them hanging up, you hunting at night? I don't think I would try this one at night. Way too much cover and too many approaches to it.  If they are letting you know they are there something is wrong. Could be territorial or you messed up some how. Day time calling would be better if they are there.

[alscalls]

We howl em in at night mostly. I will work on the areal.
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[Jimmie in Ky]

If you have definately had two packs that close at th same time th problem is territorial and you need to move. It's not impossible to get them in but dang near it.

If on the other hand the group was split up for hunting purposes, they had your number. the open fields to the north would be better for night setups.

I had moonlight only when I was alowed to night hunt. The time it takes to get one of the groups to cross that boundary is better spent moving to better locations once they are located. Use the howls to locate , then use prey sounds to get them. By locating them you know where they are. It helps you choose the right setup to your advantage when you move. And it doesn't take a lot of distance to change your luck. It can be the diference in getting one animal for several hours work and getting as many as 3 or more animals in the same amount of time.

This is where walking and knowing the ground will pay off. When you look at the airials you can relate what you saw to the photo. Then you can sort things out in your mind how they will aproach before you get there and have a fair idea of where you should setup depending on conditions that day or night. Jimmie

[nailbender]

 From your aerial it looks like you are driving into the small valley you want to hunt.  I would either stop before or cruise thru where it  doglegs south and come to a quiet stop.  They can hear your vehicle from a long ways off, and I've seen animals react to a change in engine rpm's. from a mile away around here.

[alscalls]

Actually it drops off real steep too the left of where the truck is shown and this is also where we park. The private Rd. is following a long point gradually sloping to the field. The right of way is real close to the actual private Rd. now and the old private Rd. has not been used in many years.(Old Rd. marked --New Rd. Not marked)
The Rd. in front of the truck is not really passable, so we stop where the good Rd. ends.
The valley is where the chickens live.
Where the truck is?--famous for getting hit by lightning people say because it is so high up. I know the areal is poor enough to be deceptive. But it was the best I could do for now.
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[alscalls]

Thanks for your input guys, We are checking the wind and we may hunt thisafternoon or tonight.