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Old 09-29-2020, 05:05 AM
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Nomercy448
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
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700 really isn’t a very big spot when it comes to calling coyotes. That’s two sets if it is contiguous - coyotes will hear a call over at least half a mile, so if you’re not spreading out more than half mile to a full mile between sets, you’re either calling the same dogs (more education), or calling the same empty spot. Consider, coyotes typically live in solo or in family units, typically only 5-6 coyotes living within a territory which covers 5-15sq miles. As an example, in Kansas, we estimate 2-2 1/2 coyotes per square mile. So if your 700 acres are contiguous, you’re only calling on the territory of one pack, and can only expect to harvest 3-4 adults from the area in a year without replacement from YoY and invading packs, as you cull out the original occupants. In some areas, territorial pressure might mean your population will refill rapidly, in other lower pressure areas, you might harvest two in a year and then not see another shot for 6 months or more.

In small spots like that, I recommend spending more time - quality over quantity. I might walk a a quarter mile from the truck/ATV/UTV, and wait 15min before calling, and call off and on for 45min to an hour or more. In contrast, for a competition where I might cover 50-100 miles to call on 15-20 sets - a high-quantity, volume calling game - I would have walked 200yrds or so from the truck, waited 5 min, called for 15, and bailed for another spot a few miles or more away. But on a small area, make sure you don’t walk so far in that you get busted, but give yourself plenty of room away from the distraction of your vehicle (they’ll learn to recognize your UTV as a thread, and won’t come to call if it is visible near the set), and then give the spot plenty of time to relax from the interruption of your sound driving up and walking in.

Alternatively, you might have more luck using your truck or UTV to “road hunt” or even “drive hunt” the property, looking for an opportunity shot as you swarm the property or bust out dogs. This does assuredly “educate” coyotes to the threat of your vehicle’s appearance and sound, but it can be very productive on a small parcel.

And as always, remember, coyote hunting isn’t deer hunting. We’re not ambush hunting over their natural travelways, we’re calling them into our pre-determined killbox. They’re stalking us. Don’t design your set(s) as if you’re ambushing a Booner.
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