Kayser on Coyotes: Hunting the Borders
Dave Maas 02.15.18
Predator hunters have a huge bonus when it comes to how much land they can hunt. If you get permission on one piece of property, then you literally can call the four adjacent sides and possibly lure predators from the neighbors. This increases your land access exponentially compared to hunting deer, where your calls won’t carry as far as those broadcast from a high-quality speaker on an electronic caller.
Whether you scout firsthand or use popular satellite imagery programs such as ScoutLook Weather, look for possible stand sites on your targeted property. Prevailing winds, openings, high ground and nearness to dense predator habitat all play into your stand selection.
Choosing sites for every wind direction also increases your utilization of a property. Prevailing winds might dominate the forecast, but every forecast has variables, and that means changing areas to always have the downwind advantage. In brief, pick stands for all four compass points of wind direction.
Next, be sure to set up far enough away from the neighbor’s fence so predators step across and move well onto your side before shooting. You want to guarantee shooting legality, and if coyotes do make an escape burst, the fur prize doesn’t make it back onto the neighbor’s.
Your final objective is to scan any fence lines and property boundaries for terrain or features that provide a path of least resistance for predators. Low spots in fences, ditches, hedgerow holes and the likes all invite predators to pass to you in a convenient manner. Watch these with vigilance.
One of my favorite properties to call is a neighbor’s fence I access through public land. A high ridge on the public side overlooks a winding creek bottom on the private side, and a broken down fence along the creek beckons incoming coyotes. One winter morning I focused my rifle toward the opening, confirmed the range with my laser rangefinder and switched on my electronic caller to broadcast coyote howls. I joined in with a diaphragm to mimic the sound of a coyote pair.
Fifteen minutes later nothing appeared, so I added in some canine bickering and was surprised at the sight of a coyote trotting toward the fence from the creek. It ducked under, and I let it stroll 30 more yards before sending a Hornady V-Max greeting to turn its day from good to bad.
Calling the boundaries landed me a coyote from the neighbor’s, and it always opens up more hunting opportunities in an already challenging landowner landscape. This is one legal means where you can hunt the neighbor’s and get away with it!
