How "still" should one be when on a coyote stand?

[ivarhusa]

I am new to the sport, but have been enjoying less-than-desired success in the field. Some of it is attributable to hunting public lands with lots of pressure (mostly bird hunters this month), and having found places to hunt that probably don't hold a lot of 'yotes (absent water, cover, etc).

But I am examining my technique, to improve my chances. I was rereading Simonski's book Coyote Hunting, and noted that the "ideal hunting partner is as still as a dead mouse.". He also advocates pre-placing ones rifle in shooting position on the 'sticks', with rifle butt against the shoulder.  A reasonable argument is made that lifting a rifle spooks the critter, if he is looking your direction.

I will allow that "one can never be still enough", and must avoid fidgeting, rotating ones head, or any other rapid movement, but I have a few questions for those who have shot a few coyotes.

My biggest concern is what to be doing, or NOT doing, before one spots a coyote.

Do you keep your rifle at your shoulder when calling?

Do you use binoculars, and if so, do you use any precautions to avoid detection when raising and scanning?

Do you raise a call to your lips, if you have a coyote in view and he is looking your direction?

I expect you guys will come up with some other guidance along these lines.  How still is "still enough"?

Thanks in advance.

Ivar (looking for my second coyote)

[demontang]

I try to not move at all, The less you more the better you chances that the coyote wont pick you up. Your camo and where you set up is just as important. Move as little as possible when you see a coyote and if you have to move do it  when they are moving and not looking at you. I have learned its best to have your rifle shouldered for the ones that sneek in on you. I have not gotten a few shots becuase of this, I dont use binos but if I see some that looks like a coyote I will look though my scope. If you have to call and not have your rifle shoulder have it rested on some shooting sticks and ready to be shouldered. If you think you will need to move it would be best to have a decoy out in front of you some where to give the coyote something to zone in on.

[Kain]

My brother cant sit still to save his life so I always make him sit in the bushes.  I try to move nothing but my eyes and if I have to scan, I do it REAL slow.  I have been busted by enough deer that sneaked in on me.  If you are in the wide open and can see for miles I would not worry to much until they get close but in the brush I have seen just faces looking through the branches.  It is important no matter what you hunt to see them first. 

[jdb]

, I dont use binos but if I see some that looks like a coyote I will look though my scope. .

Not trying to be a dick but thats kinda poor gun handeling in my opinion

[jdb]

I keep my gun to my shoulder, I also pre scan the surrounding area with my bino's but once I start calling I dont use them, if useing a mouth call I keep the call within inches of my mouth, if calling with a partner we try to set up so we can see as much area as possible without moveing our heads,if calling alone I scan very slowly. I also try to keep my approach as qwik and quiet as possible.

[billythekidrock]

Very still.
If you are moving enough that another person could see you out of their peripheral then you will be busted everytime.
Sometimes I will use binos if I am concealed and I think a cat may hang up.
I try to keep my rifle shouldered on the sticks when possible.
If I can see the coyote I will not raise my hand to call. If he is coming I won't call. If he goes out of sight I may call again, but once he is in view I would go to a lip squeak.

[Bofire]

BTKR made some good points. Movement will bust you before anything else assuming you are using the wind. But sometimes ya gotta move.
It all depends?? How far out you see the game, move when they are out of sight, move when they aren't looking. Experience is the key. A question like this is nearly impossible to answer.
Hunting Turkey is a good lesson in vision that game has.
Bottom line for me is, I hide as good as I possibly can, I stay as still as I can, even if that means I cant see some areas some times. I always use binocs. at some point almost on every stand. every stand is different.

[demontang]

Not trying to be a dick but thats kinda poor gun handeling in my opinion

I dont see how thats poor gun handling, If I see some thing that looks like a yote I will look at it. I'm not scaning with my scope just looking at a posible target which is all most 100% of the time a coyote, if thats poor gun handling then I guess I'm guilty a long with a lot of other people. 

[saylean]

Its a tough (but fun) game to play Ivar. I havent had much luck recently either. I have been trying to change up my game a bit too...i've added a battery powered decoy to try to take the attention off me if I do move...but dont know if that well help all that much.

Something needs to change for me thats for sure. Its tough for me especially, since I usually call solo...and always with a hand call. Needing to keep an eye out for things, its hard not too move at least a little.

Generally, if I am moving my head, I do it very slow, scan with my eyes are far as I can in either direction, then, move my head slightly more, repeat with the eyes going as far at they can in either direction. Once I get as far as I can with my head moved, I start to bring it back to the original (straight forward) position.

Good luck!

[ivarhusa]

I got another lesson in "how still" today.  I called a coyote through an area with about 40% sagebrush coverage.  I didn't see him until he was 150 yards away, and moving across my field of view.  He was in and out of view such that I never got a shot.  I gotta get more still, I should say. 

[FrankDown]

How far do you normally shoot out to?  Sometimes whistling or making a barking sound will get them to stop and look around as if they are thinking "what is that???".  If you do it so that it times them with being in a clear lane and you already have your rifle shouldered, they wont know what hit them.

[ivarhusa]

I gave that some thought, having seen it done more than a few times on the Randy Anderson videos, but the 'yote was more out of view, than in.  Fleeting glimpses. 

I kept on calling, hoping there was another fool coyote in the neighborhood, but none showed.  It is/was a tough place for a stand, with so much sagebrush around for them to use as cover.  But, you gotta call, even when the callin' aint the best.  Here is some of what was in front of me at this stand:

[billythekidrock]

  I didn't see him until he was 150 yards away, and moving across my field of view. 

This may not have been a movement issue. Is it possible that he winded you?

[ivarhusa]

This may not have been a movement issue. Is it possible that he winded you?

A good point, I considered that it was possible that he was trying to circle me to get down wind.  The wind (very slight) was right to left, and he was moving right to left. He disappeared up a draw and never returned. Boy, I kept my eye peeled on the downwind for him, but he pretty much had to catch my wind, had he been going that way.

Either way, one can never be too still! Thanks for the consolation and advice, however.

Back to the hills this AM. Maybe I'll be reporting a second and third 'yote today!  Hope springs eternal.

Ivar

[billythekidrock]

Hope it works out today. Good luck.