Wind in tight cover
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:16 am
One of the biggest problems I seem to be having is getting smelled out before the coyotes are close enough to give me a clear shot when hunting in tight cover.
Where I hunt, they simply will not come out into open fields in the daylight hours with any consistency. The time I have seen it happen they are always extremely wary, sticking to available cover and clearly on their way somewhere else in a hurry. Any calls or sounds made at this time only seem to hurry them along rather then bring them in.
My most successful daytime setups have been finding tight cover spots that have logging or land lines cut out to provide shooting lanes. Problem with this is that if there is any wind at all the dogs seem to stay well out of range until they are down wind of the distress call source (me). I have seen them cross these cut trails(to fast or far for a shot) and forego an easy approach to the sound and instead bust through the brush so they can approach from down wind. The result is that they usually would have to be within 30-40yards before they'd be shootable and they rarely get that close without smell causing a problem. They also seem to really slow down their approach when they think they are getting close to the source which makes it hard not to get busted. I take the usual precautions for scent reduction.
I'm thinking of getting a remote call and trying to put myself between it and the coyotes with regard to the wind. Do you guys think this might work? How far apart should the call and I be? Any other suggestions.
Edit: I should mention that we can't night hunt here. Judging by the activity level and reduced wariness I have seen during scouting/locating I am pretty sure we would just sneak up to a good field and get them pretty easily in the dark. But, ya work with what ya got!!
Where I hunt, they simply will not come out into open fields in the daylight hours with any consistency. The time I have seen it happen they are always extremely wary, sticking to available cover and clearly on their way somewhere else in a hurry. Any calls or sounds made at this time only seem to hurry them along rather then bring them in.
My most successful daytime setups have been finding tight cover spots that have logging or land lines cut out to provide shooting lanes. Problem with this is that if there is any wind at all the dogs seem to stay well out of range until they are down wind of the distress call source (me). I have seen them cross these cut trails(to fast or far for a shot) and forego an easy approach to the sound and instead bust through the brush so they can approach from down wind. The result is that they usually would have to be within 30-40yards before they'd be shootable and they rarely get that close without smell causing a problem. They also seem to really slow down their approach when they think they are getting close to the source which makes it hard not to get busted. I take the usual precautions for scent reduction.
I'm thinking of getting a remote call and trying to put myself between it and the coyotes with regard to the wind. Do you guys think this might work? How far apart should the call and I be? Any other suggestions.
Edit: I should mention that we can't night hunt here. Judging by the activity level and reduced wariness I have seen during scouting/locating I am pretty sure we would just sneak up to a good field and get them pretty easily in the dark. But, ya work with what ya got!!