This is topic How far do coyotes travel once you've missed them in forum Predator forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by Wiley E (Member # 108) on March 27, 2007, 08:58 PM:
I'm just curious how far you believe most coyotes will move out of an area once you have missed them with a rifle?
TA .17,
Hold off on answering this because I want to see if others have had similar observations to what you have seen. You really got me to thinking about this and your observations mirror what I have seen once I started thinking about it.
~SH~
Posted by JD (Member # 768) on March 27, 2007, 09:32 PM:
I`m not sure exactly what you mean, do you mean how far do they go before they stop & look over their shoulders or if they run in a mad state of panic for days on end. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
time frame??
I`ll state what I`ve observed in some of the open country that I hunt. I can`t say that this happens every time or even the majority of the time but when I`ve been able to see for long distances I`ve observed that they don`t go all that far before they stop & stare back or even circle around or just meander on as if nothing happened.
A couple in particular stand out in my memory they went maybe 500-600yds & sat down & stared back in my direction for upwards of 5 min. before wandering off. I`ve seen them haul ass for a 1/2 mile & then start to circle back down wind & one time I missed one & continued calling for another 10 min. or so & decided to shut the caller off & enjoy the last little bit of daylight so I sat there quietly for about 30 min.(too far to walk back & have time for another stand) daydreaming & relaxing & just when it was damn near too dark to see, a coyote came crawling & sneaking back to where the call had been sitting for 30 min. without a sound coming from it or me. I can`t say for sure that it was the same one that time but he did come over the hill where the one I missed ran off to, could be a coincidence in that particular instance. I killed that one.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 27, 2007, 10:25 PM:
Hard to say, especially since they have a knack of putting cover between me and them, and the last time I missed, it was so long ago, my memory is a little hazy.....
No, really. When I have been able to observe them, which is rare, they have gone 600/800yards, or so? Just a wild ass guess, while looking through a scope.
But, some misses are better than others, so I'll fall back on; just depends.
How far will a cripple run before he checks up? Depends.
Good hunting. LB
Posted by tlbradford (Member # 1232) on March 27, 2007, 10:43 PM:
Only as far as they need to feel safe again.
I have missed a drive by when they are in the middle of a field of winter wheat, and have seen them run almost a mile until they were in cover. I have seen them shot at when they are at the top of a rise, and only run 10 yards away to the other side of crest of the hill, and proceed to bark at the shooter.
Posted by JoeF (Member # 228) on March 27, 2007, 10:44 PM:
Shooting from the hip....
Not much more than line of sight (if you were seen) and a hand full of seconds.
Or less.
Posted by TOM64 (Member # 561) on March 28, 2007, 05:26 AM:
I don't have the terrain to be able to watch them very far but usually they run to cover and are out of sight. But they must not run very far because I have been able to set up differently and call them back in the same area given a little time. At least I think they are the same ones.
My answer: depends on how far cover is then they start trying to figure out "what was that?" but I don't believe they run out of the area.
Posted by nd coyote killer (Member # 40) on March 28, 2007, 06:24 AM:
I think that you really need to look at the terrain. In squared off sections they are going to start to cirlce back sooner instead of crossing the road. In my observations with one shot taken they will start slowing down and wandering around again at the 600-800yd range before they settle down and stil pay attention to your location
Posted by Cal Taylor (Member # 199) on March 28, 2007, 07:11 AM:
Last year at Rawlins my partner and I snuck to a bedded coyote that we had glassed. We got to about 300 and squeaked and when he stood up my partner got a little anxious and shot.(Giving him credit, he usually doesn't have any problem with a 300 yard shot) anyway he shot through the hair over his hips and it looked like a blizzard. 2 stands later and about a mile down a big drainage we called a coyote in and I killed him at about 100 yards. It was obvious by the bullet mark in the hair that it was the same coyote and it was in the same drainage in the same area that we last saw the missed coyote heading. So my informed answer is about a mile for this particular coyote. But coyotes being the nuerotic little creatures they are, there would be no consistant answer.
Posted by slydog (Member # 389) on March 28, 2007, 07:38 AM:
Here again we have a trick question, as with most questions pertaining to coyote behavior there are no one liners or sure things. There are many varibles that could change this outcome,proximity to core area, where the hunter is in relation to the coyotes safty zone, hunting pressure and so on.
Most coyotes are going to run untill they feel safe or something alters their thought process/ distracts them from the feared thought.So the answer would be; they will run untill they forget what they are running from or something distracts their thought process.
Travis and Cal covered it well and I agree.
sly
Posted by Rich (Member # 112) on March 28, 2007, 08:04 AM:
Most of the time, these coyotes around here don't run very far after being shot at and missed. Just far enough to get over that first hill, or into the nearest cover. 1/4 mile would be far enough for most of my coyotes to stop running from the shot.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 28, 2007, 08:21 AM:
Rich obviously has much more experience than the rest of us. I'm going to get out and miss a few coyotes, in order to verify his findings; until then.......we will have to conceed on this one!
Good hunting. LB
(just yankin' your chain, Rich)
Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on March 28, 2007, 08:59 AM:
Mine usually go about 50-100 yards. It just depends on how fast I am on the bolt that particular morning. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Posted by Bryan J (Member # 106) on March 28, 2007, 09:03 AM:
I have had several instances where I have been walking out to see if there was blood to confirm the miss. As I have gotten closer and gained altitude or was able to see beyond or around an obstacle (a small rise, group of rocks or brush) there the coyote stood looking back at me as if waiting to see if danger was going to follow.
Posted by UTcaller (Member # 8) on March 28, 2007, 09:10 AM:
Like Tim said,as far as it takes to get the second shot. ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 28, 2007, 09:38 AM:
...but, the problem is; in my half of Arizona, you don't get that second shot because they are out of sight, right now!
Good hunting. LB
maybe you miss guys should be looking into AR's?
Posted by Wiley E (Member # 108) on March 28, 2007, 09:53 AM:
JD,
What I was looking for is how far most coyotes go IN YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION before they quit running and feel comfortable again.
As in most discussions, the habitat you are calling in and human disturbance (hunting or other) will affect this answer.
My point in asking? Every answer to this question really needs to include disclaimers regarding habitat and hunting pressure to give a more accurate picture.
So many times novice callers will ask you a simple question like, how long do you stay on a stand or which caliber is best for coyotes and the correct answer is it depends on the situation. Without first understanding the variables from area to area you can't possibly understand the applications of the answer.
The only way to encourage critical thinking which would allow you to adapt to changing environments is an indepth discussion on variables.
Tim said that most coyotes in his area run about 2 miles in his open country which is blocked off sections with spotty patches of cover. Tim's answer means more to me than the average caller's answer because Tim has spent a lot of time on foot tracking them in snow and knows exactly how far they go before they feel comfortable enough to slow down.
Cal's answer is meaningful because that particular coyote was identified.
Based on my observations, 2 miles seems about right in most situations because we find the same coyotes many times with the airplane and have seen how fast and how far they go many times when we are looking for the last of a multiple group.
Habitat and human disturbance will be key issues just as how far it is to the nearest safety zone.
The absolute cigar winning answer is:
Tlbradford: "Only as far as they need to feel safe again."
Which varies from situation to situation.
~SH~
Posted by tlbradford (Member # 1232) on March 28, 2007, 10:31 AM:
For my cigars I prefer Monte Cristo #2's. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Rolled by virgins. ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
Posted by TA17Rem (Member # 794) on March 28, 2007, 11:28 AM:
Good post Scott and i'm glad that most of us are on the same channel here. I think we can safely use this info as a guide. Some have said the coyote only went a short ways. This i have also seen when in the Dakotas calling. from time to time i would get busted or miss a shot and the coyote would run off. I would take my four-wheeler and drive deeper into a range unit to see where the coyote ran off to, in order to understand them better. i would drive a short distance and find the coyote again. By compareing this to what i have seen at home the coyote only goes as far as he needs to feel safe. So i would say anywhere from a 1/4 mile up to 1 1/2 miles the coyote will run after being shot at..
Like Tom And Cal stated that they moved and set up again and where able to call there missed coyotes back in.
By knowing this a caller could go after these missed coyotes by moveing at least a half mile between stands depending on ground conditions and set up to youre advantage and call these coyotes back in useing a different sound..
This is one of the reason why i don't like to use the kitchen sink tatic. By useing too many sounds to call a coyote in and then get busted or a missed shot. I think the coyote assosiates the sound used and the gun going bang as danger. By moveing the stand and useing a different sound the coyote willbe that much easier to call in the next time...
Posted by slydog (Member # 389) on March 28, 2007, 12:18 PM:
BryanJ hit on a point that I would like to revisit as he states: "there the coyote stood looking back at me as if waiting to see if danger was going to follow", I see this quite a bit here in the SW corner of Idaho. I think it has to do with the proxcimity to thick cover.
Many coyotes in this country are called from thick cover into the open, after a missed shot quits ringing in the air and the coyote makes it to cover they tend to check up and watch their back trail for signs of danger. This doesn't mean they are through traveling and won't resume leaving the country but it gives the caller a chance to pick up and move on him, many times resulting in a seccond opertunity for a shot.
I have many times moved only 60-100 yards and set up again using a different sound and called what I belive to be the same coyote in for the coo-d-graw. By simply moving a short distance and changing the sound I have been able to "recall" a missed coyote on many ocations, Not always but none the less this tactic will produce.
This has been a good topic Scott and a good read.
sly
Posted by TOM64 (Member # 561) on March 28, 2007, 06:10 PM:
Another thing I'd like to add is the coyote doesn't always link the shot to danger. Ever call in a coyote and kill it then keep calling and kill another one? Sure you have. I've also seen coyotes get missed by quite a ways (not by me of course) and look around like what was that then keep on coming.
I think that if a coyote realizes that you ain't no rabbit just as you shoot and miss he would run a ways further but is he running from the sound or because you ain't no rabbit? Probably a combination of the two.
Now if you nik a coyote like in Cal's case, I'd think that would be cause to vacate the area as far as possible. Too many variables for my feeble mind.
Posted by Rich (Member # 112) on March 28, 2007, 06:41 PM:
"Another thing I'd like to add is the coyote doesn't always link the shot to danger. Ever call in a coyote and kill it then keep calling and kill another one? Sure you have."
-------------------------
Good point Tom. I have done that on several occasions. I once killed five coyotes that came in one at a time on the same stand. The dangdest though was when I opened up on a fast running incomer. Missed him three times with the .25-06--BOOM, BOOM, BOOM and the dust flew like anything but the stupid coyote kept coming like one of those Kamakazi pilots. LOL, I finally killed him at 40 yards or so as he screamed right on past me going mach 3.
Posted by JD (Member # 768) on March 28, 2007, 08:28 PM:
My answer was based solely on the premise of a missed shot, meaning that I was not busted in any way, only a single gunshot, the coyote didn`t see or smell me. In the case of being busted or in Tims case where the coyote MAY have seen the shooter my experience is that they`ll go much further, of course.
Another MISSED shot that sticks out to me was one day this last winter a coyote came in a sat down at somewhere around 400-500 yds, after it was too dark to see well, I just happened to be making my last scan with the scope before I went home & caught movement in the grass, I don`t normally shoot freehand at anywhere near those distances but in a stroke of genius I fired 3 shots at that coyote & he never even flinched, these shots were probably 20-30 seconds apart, I realized the futility of me taking that shot & just sat & watched him for another 1-2 minutes before he stood up & casually walked off.
Point being, if they don`t detect human presence they "usually" don`t go very far before they feel safe, or in this case, sitting there in the dark he obviously never felt threatened at all.
Interesting to hear what others have experienced in the field, always gives me a broader picture than just my little corner of the map.
Posted by TA17Rem (Member # 794) on March 28, 2007, 09:24 PM:
(Quote)BryanJ hit on a point that I would like to revisit as he states: "there the coyote stood looking back at me as if waiting to see if danger was going to follow", I see this quite a bit here in the SW corner of Idaho. I think it has to do with the proxcimity to thick cover.
The coyotes do this also here, they will stop and look to see if they are being persued, if there is not much of a disturbance comeing from the road, then they will lay up a little sooner.
We had a couple of coyotes that would stay ahead of us and when they thought they were close to a safe area, they would turn to look back. A pick-up would come down the road and the coyote would change his mind and go to the next section with-out being spotted. As we broaden the search, the same would happen, the coyote would see the pick-up first and move to the next mile. From tracking the coyote we could see what was going on, and from past exsperiances with the coyote running a mile or a little more from being jumped, we pinnied down his general direction of travel and got a shooter set up way ahead of where we thought the coyote was headed. the plan worked and we got him. this coyote covered 9 miles always staying one step ahead of us.. If we would of stopped are search from the get go the coyote would of layed up a mile from the start..
Posted by 6mm284 (Member # 1129) on March 29, 2007, 05:07 AM:
Interesting answers.In winter almost all of my coyotes involve tracking in areas of rolling crop fields and sparsely scattered cover.If I miss or bump coyote I will usually give him an hour or more to settle down so he quits looking over his shoulder so much.Here most will go a mile but usually less than two before laying up. Sometimes I go for stretches where most will go 4 to 5 miles.Depends on what they were involved in when missed or bumped.Transient coyotes often do not stop all day long and track from morning til dark and never see where they did any bedding.Those become obvious after a while that they do not know the area they are in because they do not use trails,open gates, terrace wash outs etc as part of the route.Multiples will if split up generally not go as far as singles. I split up a triple this winter and killed all three within a mile of one another.Was probably a family group in the heart of their territory.
You can also usually tell on the trail when a coyote is settling down as they quit stopping to look back and their gate changes to match . I rarely if ever have seen a missed coyote run out a few hundred yards or less and stop here in midwest.Thats why we shoot on the run here. I have seen them come in over top of a called and killed coyote or turned around and come back to a call, but not often. In alot of other states I have called ,the short run or ignoring gun fire I have unfortunately proved to myself too many times,but here most have been introduced to gun fire numerous times by bird and deer hunters and they all too well know the routine. I quess I will go some more missing to gather more information. thanks
[ March 29, 2007, 05:16 AM: Message edited by: 6mm284 ]
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on March 29, 2007, 09:30 AM:
Yeah that's it, 6mm; it's "research". I like that spin.
Good hunting. LB
edit: tracking, in California and Nevada is so difficult as to be impossible, without fresh snow cover. Hard to understand these reports involving miles? Normally, I can't even follow a blood trail for a half a mile because of the color of the rocks and gravel.
Good hunting. LB
[ March 29, 2007, 09:33 AM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
Posted by TA17Rem (Member # 794) on March 29, 2007, 10:58 AM:
Coyotes and gun fire: There is a tatic that we use to get a coyote out of a grass patch or small wood lot. Years ago we used to find a tree in the middle of a CRP patch or pick out a big old dead tree in small wood lots. For this tatic i would have a 270 win. along. we would shoot the gun off hopeing to kick the coyote out of the grass or wood lot, when we shot we would shoot at the dead tree useing it for a back stop, plus it made enough noise to get the coyote up and out of the grass or wood lot..This tatic worked most of the time, but now we have longer hunting seasons and more hunters and it seems the coyote has gotten use to the gun fire. We still have a few that will break from cover, but not alot..
From some of my hunting posts you would have read that we had to go into the thick stuff and try to drive them out. Sometimes we would have to make 3-4 passes to get them to break out of the heavey cover. So as some have said not all the coyotes are affraid of the gun shot, but if the bullet hits the ground near by the coyote takes off like a rocket..
Posted by 6mm284 (Member # 1129) on March 31, 2007, 07:39 AM:
TA, have noticed the same thing around here, I will not shoot into anything to bust a coyote but most hunters here do, so sure he will come out.I often end up in the same cover tracking coyotes that did not come out which is most of them.I have also spent time hiding in a ditch waiting for the gunfire to end, they might be shooting a tree but I have no way of knowing and the shooters have no way of knowing where I am.know of cases here where guys have had bullets zinging over there head. Would give me the real temptation to return fire.Thanks
Posted by Rich (Member # 112) on March 31, 2007, 08:04 AM:
6mm284,
Have you noticed that most of those ditch shooters didn't even have permission to be in that field? How many of your fences did they cut this past winter?
Posted by TA17Rem (Member # 794) on March 31, 2007, 08:30 AM:
Here we have one guy that is asigned to shoot the tree, and it is only one shot. its just another tatic used to kick up coyotes..All the land we hunt on we have permission to hunt, not very hard to get permission in these parts. Come deer or pheasants season its a whole different ballgame.
It sounds like you guys live in a war Zone.. LOL
Posted by Randy Roede (Member # 1273) on March 31, 2007, 04:55 PM:
Scott some good info for this topic could come from the coyote airplane scenario.
Gunning wise,on clean misses some spin off and just wait for the next run others never show a sign of slowing down.
Some groups stand by and watch their buddies die others head fore the hills in all different directions.
You do have that big noisy bird envolved which would make you think that with the gunshots and engine noise they would really spook.
Maybe they want to see the crash!LOL
The clean miss story came from some other gunner!LOL
Posted by 6mm284 (Member # 1129) on April 01, 2007, 06:28 AM:
Rich,they fire the shots into posted ground to try to run the coyotes to ground they either have permission or are willing to trepass, lots of times it is just to get the coyote to the road so someone can shoot . These guys will get out of the truck to shoot or to pee and that is about it. TA17, this is no way directed towards your hunting,sounds like you guys quit this some time ago. it is just a phenomenon around here that we have to deal with.Thanks And Rich, they sometimes don't bother to cut the fence. I have seen twice where they just drove over the gates or straight thru the fence posts and all on my property.
[ April 01, 2007, 06:31 AM: Message edited by: 6mm284 ]
Posted by 6mm284 (Member # 1129) on April 01, 2007, 06:39 AM:
We cannot aerial hunt here but I have used my airplane to spot coyotes on snow cover. Some run some just stop and look all around, but I have never seen any look up. I no longer do this due to the preponderence of cell phone towers that go up almost over night.thanks
Posted by Randy Roede (Member # 1273) on April 01, 2007, 06:46 AM:
6mm at time they will charge the plane, try to jump up and sink a tooth in the wheel, stand looking at it trying to give ya their best Barry Sanders fake side steps, and some like you stated flat out no look heading for something sprint.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on April 01, 2007, 09:49 AM:
I have seen coyotes look up at planes like they are watching a butterfly, when coming to the call in my urban neighborhood. Of course, there is an airport close by, so they are probably conditioned, and un exploited.
Good hunting. LB
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