Other Hunting > Coyote, Small Game, Varmints

First time coyote hunting

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bearhunter99:

--- Quote from: Loup Loup on January 29, 2026, 09:30:45 AM ---I prefer the hills. The flat land has mostly been burned over. No cover for coyotes or you. You get seen from a mile out your busted and don’t know it. Less he does a warning bark.
The hills you can make your approach over a ridge ,get settled, and not be visible to the country your calling to for very long.
Problem west of there the land trust, nature conservancy, has bought up big tracts of land. Fancy fences and all posted. Says hunting by permission, but I’ve never heard of anybody being granted permission.
I always say, thermalists out, that 85% of the coyotes have nothing to fear from 85% of hunters. Go test your mettle.

--- End quote ---

Very much agreed!  It used to be easy but now it is tough to find good places that don't already get hammered.  Most coyotes have become very call shy - too many guys out there training them.  Main reason I bought a thermal - they are a lot dumber at night.  Now I just have to deal with jacknobs calling in because they heard a gunshot so somebody must be doing something illegal somewhere  :bash:

To be successful in daytime - first find a large enough piece of ground and check it out the night before to see if you hear them vocalizing - try to pinpoint where they are at with a pin drop.  Next day during daylight make a plan to get into that area unseen and try calling.  They haven't been as responsive to distress calls this year (in my opinion) because the weather hasn't got them haggard.  They should respond to howls but use them sparingly as they get called to a lot unless you really get out there far from the road

Aleebee156:
I got some really great responses here. Attempting to not take advantage of it too much... one last question: Reading both your reports is making me want to venture west of the columbia river. Which sounds awesome to me. Is a guy on track out that way or has he gone too far?

One of the pulls to the flats, and I hear what y'all are saying and I see the same things during other seasons of hunting as well, is that Grant County has the highest number of coyote harvests in the state. By a lot. And Grant county obviously stops at the columbia river. Kittitas and Douglas counties have significantly lower harvest numbers. Do y'all know if there is something skewing those numbers for Grant county? Are there a bunch of private guided dog hunts somewhere in the county raking up the numbers? What is your take on why so many more coyote harvests in Grant county?

birdshooter1189:
I just looked up the coyote harvest numbers on WDFW site. I Didn't realize they posted those.  I'm responsible for nearly 1/4 of the coyote harvest in Kitsap county in 2024  :IBCOOL:

Grant county is great for coyotes. There are lots of them there, there are lots that get harvested there, and there are still lots left.  Some areas will get heavily pressured, while other spots will see nearly no pressure. The trick is finding those right pockets, at the right time.

I'd say don't worry so much about total numbers or flat vs steep.  Focus more on where you can find promising looking spots that you think might not be over-pressured.

When I'm planning a trip, I try to e-scout and mark 15-20 potential spots for a day.  Some spots I'll drive up to and quickly realize it's not going to work (posted, bad layout, people/activities nearby, etc.), other spots might work out.  I'll also not hesitate to return to a good looking spot and call it again a few hours later.  I usually aim for 30-60 minutes total time from set to set.....but I also won't hesitate to spend a few hours getting into and working a spot if I'm optimistic about it.

birdshooter1189:
For some spots you may want to set up in an open area and blast the volume loud and far, but for many spots you will do better if you can sneak in quietly to some stucture or terrain and play softer volume for anything that may be close by.

762Gunner:
I think I know the BLM land that you're talking about that is adjacent to Ephrata. I've been trying to get up there and do few stands myself. Spent time last fall in there deer hunting and there was a lot of coyote sign. DM me if you want a few points in the area.

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