Are you are overhunting property when coyote hunting?
That’s the nagging thought in every new coyote hunter’s mind. With little to no experience and even less land to hunt on, you have no other option but to visit the same spot frequently.
After a few fruitless nights, you begin to wonder. Are there no coyotes left here? Have I pressured the local coyotes too much and driven them out of the area?
This article will help you determine how often you can safely hunt the same property and provide some tips on avoiding ruining the only spot you may have to hunt on.
Overhunting property when coyote hunting.
As a new predator hunter, you need to understand that even vast differences of opinion will all contain valuable nuggets of wisdom. And just the question of whether or not you can overhunt an area is in dispute.
The second thing you need to keep in mind? Almost all of us started coyote hunting on a single piece of land.
There’s was no other option. We couldn’t just knock on farmers’ doors and say, “I’m a new coyote hunter. Can I help you with a predator problem?”
Some of us did not have any public land to hunt on. So, all of us had to sit in nearly the same spot, stand after stand. We all squeezed into tight, tiny fields or wood lots. We were all worried about nearby houses, got pinched between private property lines, and had less than 100 yards of a safe backstop to our front.
Coyote hunting on a postage stamp.
That little space you’re beginning to think your haunting instead of hunting? It’s perfect for you. It’s big enough to hunt on safely but small enough to do on a tight budget. There’s no need for expensive lights, long-range optics, or e-callers that can pound out sound 600 yards.
Here, you can test your skills and desire to pursue the predator hunting sport before investing time and money in it. A small hand caller like one from Rushcustomcallers.com and a red light clipped onto an old hunting rifle is all you need.
A single, small plot forces you to practice sound and movement discipline. You will be super conscious of the fact that a coyote could be dozens of yards away, seeing every nose scratch and hearing every fart. You’ll keep your call volume low to avoid startling it. You’ll scan the same terrain so often that you’ll instantly notice that first red twinkle of eye reflection.
Hey, almost every fight ends on the ground, with both opponents grabbing at close range. Most coyote hunts end the same way, with a shotgun blast at 15 yards, or .223 snapping out less than three hundred feet.
Maybe it is a postage-stamp-sized parcel, but it is also the perfect predator hunting proving ground.
New to predator hunting? Check out Predator Academy. I enjoyed their videos and think they may some interesting and different takes on the subject.
Asking the experts about overhunting property.
Ask two successful coyote hunters a question, and you’ll get eight answers and two three-hour speeches. It quickly becomes apparent; no single response addresses every scenario, property, or type of hunter.
Today, you will read advice from people who run sites that teach predator hunting, professionally hunt coyotes, or who have achieved incredible success just as devotees of the sport. They all agreed to share a few of their secrets and explain a few methods you can use to increase your success rate. All of them want to turn you into a dedicated, life-long coyote hunter.
Better make that 16 answers and half a day of speeches.
We ask them all the same question, “How does a coyote hunter avoid overhunting a property?” Here are their answers.
Coyote hunting on limited land.
R.J. Schifflet of Virginia is a coyote hunting sportsman. He tells us:
“My general rule is not to visit a property more often than every three weeks unless the landowner consistently has harmful interactions with coyotes.
However, if I hunt a place, call one in and kill it, I’m confident that I can go back and potentially have fresh ears as quickly as the following weekend.
Of course, it all depends on the area these setups are in. I have spots that consistently produce coyotes, regardless of how often I visit. And I have places that I leave alone for months before I’m confident I have fresh or forgetful ears.”
Your observations will tell you when you are overhunting property.
Kevin Rought is the co-owner of https://www.facebook.com/overdriveoutdoors.
“In my opinion, it all depends on what happens and the conditions. For instance, if you can see far enough to know that there were predators in the area or not when you call, and you did not see any while calling, I would not be afraid to call it again, say within a week.
Now let’s say you did see predators and shot and missed. I would leave that spot for a while, let’s say a month. But, if you saw one and killed it? I would not be afraid to call it again within a week.
If you get busted while hunting your one spot? Well, you know they are in the area, so maybe try again soon– but change your setup, sounds, etc.
If you call them and don’t get a shot, but they don’t bust you, I would do as I said for the last set of circumstances.”
How often can you hunt, before it’s overhunting?
“Now, for a property I would go back to again soon, I would only repeat that once or twice, then give it a rest for about a month, minimum. Unless, as stated above, you successfully take every predator you see.
A wise man once said the best strategy is to drop everyone you see for continued success, and I have noticed that personally. Misses, being busted, and continuing to call the same spot will ruin it if done too much.
The other issue getting worse every year is having other hunters hunting near or on the same property as you, and you don’t know it.
The effects of others coyote hunting the same spot you are.
Multiple hunters on the same property increase pressure, and if they are not successful, the predators will get smart fast. I have seen it on properties I hunt. I noticed the coyotes hanging up further away, circling nervously, running from certain sounds, or spooking at lights a lot easier.
I strive to mix up my hunting as much as possible to mitigate that, a broad array of sounds, locations, wind directions setups, and I try not to repeat things very much.
Now the other situation, where there is a heavy cover, and you can’t see, far enough to know if there are predators in the area? In locations where coyotes can’t come to the call without exposing themselves, and you can’t be sure they didn’t come to the call and then left without being seen? I will hunt these spots less frequently and switch things up each time. And, I’ll try to set my stand, so they have to expose themselves if they respond to the call, mainly by using the terrain features or structures.
Related: https://thepredatorhunter.com/coyote-calling-sounds-your-successful-pals-keep-secret/
Missing shots can speed up the effects of overhunting property.
Christian Sandklev (pictured in the featured image above) is a coyote hunter in North Carolina. He is also and author and editor at https://m1911.org/. He cautions us not to waste a good parcel of land with poor shooting.
“I believe older coyotes will not come to a call that they’ve heard over and over again.
An excellent example of this? Well, I have exclusive Coyote hunting rights to a lovely farm in Eastern N.C. I started hunting in late January. We had a few opportunities in February and March, but shots were taken and missed (another story). By May, they had utterly stopped answering our calls.
We knew they were there because we had seen them appear 500+ yards out, moving between two woodlots. We even allowed the place to cool off for three weeks before hunting there again, but we never got them to come back.”
Related: https://thepredatorhunter.com/keep-them-interested-how-to-really-call-in-coyotes/
Coyote hunting the rabbit-tat.
A few years ago, Brian Rush of https://www.rushcustomcallers.com/ convinced his two little daughters that he was Santa. Within a few months, thinking they were Santa’s elves, he had them working tirelessly at his lathe, turning out marvelous open reed coyote callers and closed reed rabbit squealers.
Brian insists that one must hunt in the “rabbit-tat” when coyote hunting. Especially is you have limited spots to hunt on.
“We’ve killed many coyotes on what some may refer to as an “overcalled” spot. But it isn’t just the “spot” you’re calling; it’s also the surrounding habitat. Before dispersal and through the mating season, we may productively hit spots 2-3 times per week, depending on what we see.
We use all hand calls and stick to 100% vocals to replicate an intruding transient coyote. This typically dictates success with a diligent approach!”
Related: https://thepredatorhunter.com/3-open-reed-coyote-calls-you-can-learn-now/
And: https://thepredatorhunter.com/how-to-master-the-best-closed-reed-coyote-call/
Time and transient coyotes are your friends.
Chris Robinson of Sherman, Texas is a wildly successful coyote caller and hunter. Here, he reminds us that the coyote population is a living, breathing organism—not a static number.
“If you consider the number of transient coyotes going to and from, technically, you could call a place 100 times with no response. But, then, on the 101st time, you get one new coyote that just moved in the night before. This coyote is hearing your call for the first time in that area.”
Related: https://thepredatorhunter.com/8-ways-to-get-permission-to-hunt-private-land/.
Old school coyote hunting.
Florida hunter, John William Partain has just one solid piece of advice for you…
“I never use a rabbit in distress call on any place I believe someone else has hunted; that’s my number one rule.”
I’d also point out that the hole in Mr. Partain’s coyote is why it’s a favored caliber for those protecting livestock from predators. Coyotes hit with .243 rounds stay down.
Wes Cale is a rarity in the predator hunting world. A West Virginia coyote hunter and YouTuber, he still posts pictures of his wife and children, and apparently spends time with his family. Despite the controversy surrounding his so-called commitment to the sport, we asked him how he avoids overhunting a property.
“I think a break is needed when it comes to repetitive land hunting. I try to hunt every weekend if possible. When I hunt more, I try to give myself different land areas that I can hit more than once a month to not over-hunt the land.
In the summer, I might try a spot or two. I mainly go to the shooting ranges or map out new hunting grounds. It’s an excellent time to meet new farmers and see how we can help with predator control.”
Contrarians who scoff at the idea of overhunting property?
Given the photo above, it’s hard to argue with Curtis French when he says, “ It tickles me to go to a place to make a stand and the owner says “ole so-n-so was here a couple of nights last week”, then Colt Minton says “set the call right over there and get on your gun!”
Three nights at the same spot? Not a problem, according to Bucky Lindgren.
“These five coyotes were taken 3 Fridays in a row standing in the same spot on the same 10-acre property. The first Friday called in a double and killed one; the second Friday, I called in three killed three. Third Friday, I called in a double and killed one. The hunting after that resulted in dry stands. Before I hunted that spot, a higher density of coyotes was initially reported.”
Jacob Touchet will hit the same property again, sometimes only hours apart.
“I’ve called a little 20-acre place at about nine at night called in a dog; my daughter shot it. I went back at seven the following day and called in a big male, hit that one also. It all depends on pressure and population. How many you educate also.”
Dane Kitner hunts the same land every night!
“I go back until they quit coming. I hunt my land almost every night I can. Last night, we called in 2 very smart dogs and killed one. We used to hunt a place only once a month. But anymore, out of laziness, we go back often until it doesn’t produce, then come back a month later to see if it started producing again.”
Two quick ways to avoid overhunting property when coyote hunting.
Bait piles and knocking on doors. Keep em coming with a free meal, or admit you need more land to hunt.
Rather than include how to do these, click on the links below for more information.
Getting permission to hunt private property.
Only you can decide if you are overhunting property.
Every property is different, but I will leave you with this one tiny comment from the author (the non-expert here).
I’ve killed 116 predators in the same one square acre of land, over the last four years.
So, if you only have access to one place to call, learn to be the master of that spot.
Good luck!