I'm thinking of getting started with coyotes..

[ivarhusa]

I don't know that it helps, but when you don't see a coyote come in to your call it doesn't mean they weren't there. You might be inclined to give up on an area because you aren't seeing coyotes coming in, but take heart. On my very first trip out for coyotes, we'd heard them in the distance, and I never saw one come in, but as we went back to our rig, we saw fresh tracks where they had come in down wind of us. When they got our wind, they boogied.  That is going to happen.

If you are seeing scat in an area, you aren't totally wasting your time (in my view).

It also takes time to develop an eye for seing the critters. I recently glassed a hillside before leaving a stand, and saw a coyote walking away from me at 500 yds.  How much closer was he earlier?  I don't know, but I sure didn't see him.  It takes seeing a few before you will see "more".

I must confess to have sat on a lot of 'dry stands'.  Be patient.  As Jerry signature line sez "its the hunt not the kill". Enjoy the battle.

[GWP]

Boy! That 'ain't no lie about not seeing them when they are there.  These guys are the MASTERS of stealth. I always wonder what has seen me without me seeing it when I go into the woods. LOTS! 

[btlsoom]

Being from Southern Cal where we hunted yotes in the upper deserts among small junipers and sage.  The view from the slightly elevated stands was usually quite large.  As a general rule, we were able to see "most" of the critters that come in and see them from a long way away.  When I came to the great northwest, I have had to learn all new methods of calling and stands, which I am still learning.  I can vouch for not seeing them even if they are real close here.  I do not see them more than see them it seems like.  Since I am on the wet side, it is like hunting by the Amazon river.  I have found it better to hunt the edges of the clear cuts where you can optimize your viewing area and the scrap wood piles act as a good backdrop for the stand as you can usually get into them a ways to gain height.  Although I have founds that yotes living in close proximity to us humans are not quite as cautious of scent, if at all possible, watch the wind... keep it in your face.  Also, I try to keep the majority of the clear cut to the down wind side as it seems that they will always try to circle down wind to smell what is making all the racket.   Stay camo'ed up, sit still and let the call do its magic... 

[jgregg]

I'm in the same ballpark. We do lots of bird hunting but I started big game this year and got a deer. I'm 19 years old and basically just learning as I go. This last month I'v been researching predator hunting. I went to public pheasant land and checked out some areas around small lakes and along the Colombia. Found lots of tracks. Just to my luck it snowed the other day  so I decided to go out and try to follow these tracks to see where the 'yotes are at. I tracked 4 seperate trails and found 4 dens. I then tracked one into a thicket of sagebrush. Flushed a pheasant and shot it, then walked around the thicket to retrieve it and a coyote runs out 15 yards away from me! I had #5's for my first shell in my Remington 1100 12 guage, followed by BB shot in case a coyote came along. I led him, pulled the trigger, and he cartwheeled 5 feet before coming to a rest  First coyote! I was a little bummed I didn't call him in or anything but nevertheless it was cool to get my first predator kill. Been watching lots of calling videos/tutorials and am going to try to work on my calling this next week. Picture updates will hopefully follow     If there are any coyote callers in the Tri Cities area, i'd love to learn from someone who's done it before though! 

[tlbradford]

Good job on the coyote.  You can learn a ton by backtracking or following tracks.  Coyotes won't dig dens until early spring.  Hopefully, you found where they are staying during the day though.