How to Hunt Thick Forest?

[Weaklink]

New to coyote hunting.  In the Sequim area.  I take my dog hiking old logging roads in the hills, noticed coyote scat marking territory and decided to give hunting a shot.  Bought an e-caller, camo.   Called a half-dozen separate times but have not called any in yet.  Saw one coyote while walking back to my car; he was walking the same road, we both cam around a blind corner at the same time.  He bolted immediately.  Had a coyote walk onto a drainage ditch where my dog & I just passed.  I don't think he was following us, but he was within 50 yards and checking us out.  So I know some coyotes are around.

The forest is thick, so I am setting-up at road intersections and long straight stretches and a couple clear-cuts.  Last night, I had the wind to my face, at dusk.  Put my e-caller about 50 yards down the road, pointed away.  Had a battery "critter" wiggling.  Both units were on the shoulder, in the weeds.  Could see about 200 yards down the road, waiting for a coyote to come around the corner, down the road to my call.  I lie prone on the shoulder in the bushes, motionless.  Call with primarily "distressed pup".  I throw in a couple cottontail sounds.  I wait about 30 minutes before moving-on.

So, not sure what to do in this thick environment.  No way to get off road in the bushes and expect to see one within 5 yards.

Do I need to give-up on forest/hills and find fields and ask owners for access?  Or is there some secret for low range visibility stuff?

[Jonathan_S]

Do I need to give-up on forest/hills and find fields and ask owners for access?  Or is there some secret for low range visibility stuff?

This would end up being a better bet for a few reasons:

1) You can see
2) You're not on public land with frady-coyotes
3) You can see

[justyhntr]

I only hunt the west side and have only been at it a couple years , I have tried going into the thick stuff ( 20 yards or less visibility ) and call with mixed results . Most of the time they bust me , you can hear them coming in but they always see me first . A slight move of the head to locate them and game over . It's  frustrating  . What worked for me well last spring / summer was to locate howl to see where they were at , it seems this time of year they are a bit more territorial than winter and I could get responses most of the time though morning and evening was best . Depending on their location , close I would set up where I was at , further away I would move towards them . But my sets were always on the opposite side of the logging road to were they where at . I set up just inside the fringes so I would have cover but still could see . If they were really close I would go with pup distress , a bit farther out I would go with rabbit distress and if I moved to a spot I would start with a howl or two , wait 15 minutes and then go with rabbit distress. Watch the edge of the road opposite of you closely ,they will come in and hang up right across from you but if you watch  you will see a face or ear or sometimes the whole coyote . With the thick stuff they are coming from I could always hear them coming . I only carry a shot gun , last year my longest shot was 35 yards , closest was under ten . And of course make sure you have the wind , my best luck was with a cross wind but as long as it was not blowing towards them I hunted it . If the wind  wasn't right I would come back another time or try to figure out how to come in from the other side . I'm sure there are other methods but this  worked well for me last spring/summer.  Good luck , it's tough on the west side but if you keep after them it will pay off . 

[Eric M]

tag

[KFhunter]

do you have a climber? 

[Eric M]

My suggestion if you are committed to hunting them on the west side is to wait for a little snow and go out right after. The only time I have had any success personally. You KNOW they are right there. 

[Cougartail]

Time wise you would be better off hunting in a different location. That area is a nightmare for hunting as I recall. Unbelievably thick with trees and underbrush by an eastsiders standards anyways.

[Weaklink]

Thanks for the thoughts.  I'm not an avid hunter, but used to enjoy shooting ground squirrels, clay pigeons, rock chucks as a kid.  I inherited a few guns from my folks, including a nice custom Sako .264, so I thought I would give the coyotes a shot.   I'm saving a ton on ammunition since I have not had to fire one bullet yet.   

I relocated from NC, to take care of my aging folks, so am not too familiar with WA.  If someone needs a hunting/shooting partner, I'm happy to travel and buy gas/jerky/doughnuts/beer/whatever.

Will try to "howl locate" to find exactly where they are and try the road & bushes technique.  Will look into the maps as well and see if I can find private pastures/fields to setup on.

Thanks again!!

[jstone]

Take a chain saw with you

[AWS]

Get some detailed maps of your area that you can mark up.  Scout when you can and mark good locations to call and with what wind is best or at least workable.  When you keep tract of sets, you will spend much more time hunting that looking for a set.

The forest is not near as thick once you get away from the roads, because there isn't enough light filtering though the over story.  Hunt older growth near newer growth that provides more cover and food for prey animals, the older growth can provide more open area.  Hunt creek drainage's and small valleys where you can set your caller  on  one side and sit on the hillside across from it, you can see into the vegetation looking down on it.  Close the back door, when you can use ponds, rivers, very steep hillsides and clear cuts to keep coyotes for circling downwind. 

I like using a decoy and have found that with a decoy coyotes will let their eyes overrule their noses.  A coyote that hears and sees prey will more often come straight in, a coyote that just hears prey will circle to let his nose pinpoint it's location.  Keep your decoy high so a coyotes can see it from a distance, a small thing fluttering in a bush in no way can resemble a dog or big cats tail twitching near the ground.  How many times have heard about a coyotes coming in and catching a look at a decoy on the ground and turning tail right then.

It is much easier to call coyotes in the cover than to try and call them out of it.

[Bofire]

good advice. add in using the land contour, many times from a steep hill you can look down on the brush also can be done hunting from the bottom and looking at a steep hillside. walk in behind locked gates, call from old landings looking at the logged area, call farm fields that edge the brush look along the edges. fence rows, old gravel pits.
I use both rifle and shotgun, lots of times you might only shoot 50 yards but you only get half the head to aim at.
Carl

[Chattayote]

I'm a little mixed on my feelings with a decoy in thick cover.  It can be too much of a surprise in some situations.  Lots of times calling in woods a coyote will walk in between me and the call.  It can make you *censored* your pants and you have to be smart about how you are drawing on them.  I try to put it a little further away or make sure they don't come in behind me.  Sometimes a highline right of way gives a bigger opening.  Bring a shotgun.

[seth30]

I have always had better luck being elevated either on a rock (with a backdrop)  or with my tree stand.  A lot easier to see them coming in.  I have a yote laying down in the bottom right corner and she came into my decoy and e caller.  Good luck