TN Lone Wolf

I have permission to hunt coyotes over 700 acres of mostly adjacent properties. Since getting around to various locations to set up different stands takes time, I often use a Polaris Ranger to get around, especially during evenings when I can hunt after work and time may be short. I'll park it wherever I can hide it, then walk the rest of the way to where I want to set up. However, I've been unsuccessful lately and have been wondering whether the Ranger is part of the problem.

How far away should I park a Ranger when I use it to get to my various stands? Or, should I wait longer before setting up and beginning to call?

Nomercy448

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.

mrbb

as far as I am concerned HOW far away you can park a ATv/UTV/SXS all comes down to a BUNCH of factors, first being how used to them are the area's wildlife, in some places where ATv/UTV use is often and daily, most all wildlife adapts to them and after a while they pay less and less attention to them
but if an area is almost always quiet and few and far between riders, wildlife will pay much more attention to them, so that is one factor

Next is, where and how your setting up

If your area allows for approach from one direction and you have little to NO chance of things coming in from behind you, you can many times park a LOT closer(liek say your sitting on top of a high ridge watching a valley below or field or??(houses farms behind you)
your really only expecting things to come from in front of you
in places like this, I have KILLED coyotes parking atv just behind me, even used it for cover at times when wide open places(throwing a camo netting cover over ATV
but again, the smell of atv will, be there, so they have to have some normal exposure to things like them to NOT find the scent and have that keep them away!
how used to machines makes a different in HOW close you can park as dopes terrain

if your hunting rolling hill,s parking at the bottom of one and hunting from the top can work, some times
there is NO one set answer here, too many factors come into play

when ever I used an ATV to hunt coyotes I always waited at least an hour before calling too


now as for size of hunting area??
well in my experience how far apart you can call and not be an issue all comes down to the terrain and NOT acres
I hunt many different types of land and some places I can set up 500 yards or less apart and have totally different views and sounds will not travel from one set up to another
I don;t use very LOUD calls or calling, as it is NOT very effective in many places
out west and in wide open farm land, YES calling can be louder to reach farther and still have you set up inn one spot
but its not the same when hunting forested lands with lots of hills and valley's close together!
so sort of like above, factors play into things and there is NO set rule to how far apart call set ups need to be! its all based on factors that determine how far sound will carry, what you can see a winds , and HOW you hunt them, and so on!

tons of folks kill coyotes at different call set ups on lands way smaller than 700 acres
I have killed 3-4 off 200 acres in a day! setting up and calling in a few places!
heck most of the places I hunted coyotes were well under 700 acres, !
and I killed a LOT of coyotes over the yrs

elkman30

I think the terrain can make a difference. If you're on flatter terrain, you might need more than 700 acres for more than 1 set. If your terrain is split by hills or mountains, you might get 2 or more sets if the hills or terrain block sound to another part of your hunt area. For the OP, can you provide a little more description of your hunt area?

TN Lone Wolf

Most of the area is a patchwork of smallish to medium sized row crop fields divided by irregular patches of woods and creek bottoms and fairly flat with short, gentle hills. I tend to stick to the 15 acre or smaller fields and enclaves in the northwest and southeastern part of the area, along with a solitary area further to the south where I can park in a dilapidated old barn and overlook an open field from inside it.

As of late, I've been primarily hunting the harvested cornfields in the northeast, generally moving between 200 to 400 linear yards between stands.

rogerstv

If the area has coyotes and you are not seeing any while hunting, you are doing something wrong. I suspect it ties to the UTV. While sitting in a tree during the IL archery deer season, I was watching and filming what appears to be a booner 8 pt. Whitetail. When he finally committed to my direction. I put the camera down and grabbed my bow. Within seconds the buck stopped, turned, and ran away. Within a few more seconds I heard then saw an ATV coming down the field road. The buck heard it well before me and reacted well before the 4-wheeler appeared. The 4-wheeler rider had no idea what he just did.

Coyotes are more skiddish than deer. They tend to relate vehicles to bullets coming at them.

I believe you can ride in somewhat close. The next step would be to quietly get away from the vehicle and wait for everything to calm down. Try to keep the coyotes from relating your calling to the recent motor noise. 700 acres of rolling hills and patchwork farm ground should offer dozens of sets. A 100 yard move followed by 30 minutes of stillness can change the whole situation.

CalHunter

Are you able to have somebody drop you off from their vehicle and then drive away. Most animals can't count very well.

MudderChuck

My experience is it often depends on how used they are to vehicle traffic. In most farming areas they are used to tractors. I once had a Yote come right at me sitting in my Jeep, I eventually shot it at around 40 yards. In most cases, they will hunker down and hide when a tractor drives by, but don't flat out head for the hills. Generally speaking, I don't expect much wildlife action for the first 3/4 hour after I move into a spot. I usually get into spot way early, an hour and a half before prime time, sunrise and sunset.
An exception around here is Hogs, our Hogs seem to unass the area when a vehicle shows up and may move way out of the area. Likely the same for Yotes that have been shot at and missed often.
I generally park around a quarter-mile from where I plan to hunt. But once nailed a Hog 30-40 yards from my truck on the way out of my blind.
What I try not to do is leave my scent all over. I'll generally wait a few days before I use the same spot again.

hogmister13

200 yards away at least

elkman30

well. Did it work for you?