Humbled...

[blake]

I tried hunting a new area today in central ND after spending a night for work in a small town. I did not scout before as time did not allow it. I awoke at 400am to attempt and locate as many as I could before light, howling. I found 5 spots with coyotes. As the sun peaked accross the horizon, I started to notice my first spot is posted up tighter than Minot Air Force Base. Then I get to my second, third, fourth, and would ya know it, fifth. All posted with industrial metal signs "No Hunting". This was over 20 miles on one gravel road. Go figure all the public land didnt return any howls-at least where I tried. I remember 10 years ago feeling like the Dakota's were the wild west... They still are in some places (way west), but things are getting tougher as money moves in. I only hope my kids get to see some of what I did. I didnt knock on any doors, as who would want to be awoke at 6 am on a Saturday. I will return with more bullets and time later...

Went home with my tail between my legs when the wind came up and the snow started falling. I sniffed my yote tote to remember what a dead coyote smells like on the drive home.

[DustyC]

Thats kinda the same scenario as alot of Wyoming anymore. Alot of areas around where I live are uranium properties controlled by big money that don't allow hunting to the general public but save it for upper management types that only show up every 2-3 years.

[Jeck]

Dusty,

That is the great thing about coyote hunting. Get permission on the perimeter and call them off those areas. They should be pretty dumb in those areas.

It does get frustrating with all the posted land, but I have found that 90% allow you to hunt if you ask... they usually tell me I can as long as I dont miss. I don't tell them if I do miss...

The other thing that is frustrating is when they let anyone and everyone on... and they educate the coyotes. We saw a few spots this weekend where a guy was "night hunting". No full moon... dark as hell... so I dont know how he could night hunt. The landowner we had permission to hunt on said a guy was down the night before... night hunting. He must have been using night vision. We saw a couple places where the pickup was pulled off/parked off the side of the trail ... snow melted or gone where truck was sitting. No footprints leaving the area. Now I am assuming and we know what that can mean... but my guess is he was calling from the truck.

Never saw so many coyotes in one area, as we did out there. But they sure seemed educated!

Oh well, I tried switching it up after I had a few barking at my rabbit distress... but no call seemed to pull them all the way in. I had one pair that was about 1000 yds out. I could pull one down the fence line about 300 yds towards me... but she would eventually turn around and run back to where the other one was sitting. She came down the fence line 3-4 times turning around each time. I will be back in a few weeks to try some other calls on them... not sure what yet. If not, we will get to them sooner next year and do some thinning before everyone else makes it out to that area.

Just to give you an idea of the coyote numbers. I saw 15 coyotes from my first spot I crawled into. Two groups of 6 and three singles bedded around a lake off the backside of a feedlot. With a few more howling out of site... and I saw all 15 at the same time, so I wasn't double counting any. By far the most coyotes I have seen in one spot (hell, seeing 15 would be a good day!). As I sat down to call, the rancher came down to feed the cows. Oh well, I will be back. I snuck in on the coyotes from different directions to call the groups but had no luck.

That is my sob story for the weekend.