Hunting for Coyotes in Open Plains: Best Practices

Hunting for Coyotes in Open Plains: Best Practices

The wide-open plains are perfect country for coyotes—vast space, abundant prey, and plenty of vantage points. But that openness works both ways: coyotes can see, hear, and smell you long before you spot them. Success depends on smart positioning, stealth, and understanding coyote behavior.

Here’s how to consistently outwit these elusive predators on the open range.

1. Understand Coyote Behavior in the Plains

Coyotes in open terrain are cautious, intelligent, and opportunistic. They cover large areas and rely on sight and scent more than cover.

Key Insights:

• Territorial patterns: Coyotes patrol hunting grounds daily, often following fencelines, creek bottoms, or small draws.

• Movement times: Early morning and late evening are peak activity periods, especially in cooler months.

• Wind and scent: A coyote’s sense of smell is its best defense—more than sight or sound. Always set up downwind.

• Vocal communication: Howls, yips, and distress calls play a big role in territory defense and locating food.

Pro Tip: After hearing a coyote vocalize, wait and listen. You can often pinpoint direction and plan your stand accordingly.

2. Scouting and Stand Selection

Finding coyotes in big country requires pre-scouting and reading the land.

Scouting Tips:

• Look for tracks, scat, and feather piles—signs of recent activity.

• Scout livestock pastures, prairie dog towns, and hay fields, which attract rodents and, in turn, coyotes.

• Use binoculars or a spotting scope to glass ridgelines and valleys during early light.

Stand Setup:

• Choose slight elevation—such as a hilltop or fenceline rise—for maximum visibility.

• Set up with the wind in your face or at a crosswind angle so approaching coyotes circle downwind into your shooting lane.

• Keep the sun at your back when possible to blind approaching coyotes and keep yourself concealed.

Pro Tip: Avoid skylining—sit below the crest of hills, not on top.

3. Using Calls Effectively

Calling is the backbone of plains predator hunting. Both electronic and mouth calls work, but the sequence and realism matter more than the type.

Calling Basics:

• Start with low-volume distress sounds (rabbit, fawn, rodent).

• Increase volume gradually over the first few minutes.

• Mix in coyote howls or challenge barks once you establish a response—especially during breeding season (Jan–March).

• Call for 15–20 minutes per stand; if no response, move ½ mile and try again.

Pro Tip: Never overcall. Coyotes that don’t see what they expect may hang up or retreat. Add realism with pauses and tone variation.

4. Camouflage and Movement Discipline

In open plains, concealment and stillness are critical. Coyotes can spot subtle motion from hundreds of yards away.

Best Practices:

• Use camo that matches dry grass or stubble—light tan, gray, or sagebrush tones.

• Break up your outline with grass tufts, fenceposts, or brush.

• Sit in front of small rises or vegetation rather than behind them—your silhouette will vanish into the landscape.

• Avoid shiny gear, exposed hands, or reflective gun barrels.

Pro Tip: Use a face mask and gloves—small skin reflections are enough to blow your stand.

5. Decoy and Electronic Setup

While not always required, decoys and e-calls can improve success when paired correctly.

Setup Tips:

• Place the call and decoy 30–40 yards upwind of your position—this draws attention away from you.

• Keep decoy movement subtle—too much motion looks unnatural.

• A small feather spinner or motion decoy mimics wounded prey and keeps coyotes focused.

• If using an electronic call, mute it briefly every few minutes to simulate prey exhaustion or to reset curiosity.

Pro Tip: In windy conditions, increase volume slightly, but always keep motion believable.

6. Managing Wind and Scent

Nothing ruins a coyote hunt faster than poor wind control. Coyotes always try to approach from downwind—use this to your advantage.

Wind Control Tips:

• Set up with crosswinds blowing toward open terrain, forcing coyotes to expose themselves.

• Use unscented clothing and scent eliminators to reduce human odor.

• Avoid walking through your shooting lanes when approaching the stand.

Pro Tip: Drop a small puff of dust or grass before calling to visualize wind direction—it can change subtly with terrain.

7. When to Hunt: Timing and Conditions

Coyotes move according to temperature, moon phase, and pressure.

Best Times:

• Early morning: Coyotes finish night hunts and respond well to distress calls.

• Late afternoon: They become active again as temperatures drop.

• Cold fronts or post-storms: Excellent—hunger drives movement.

• Avoid hot, still midday hours: Activity drops sharply.

Pro Tip: Night hunts (where legal) with thermal or red lights are highly productive in wide-open areas.

8. Safety and Ethics

Always maintain awareness of your backdrop and neighboring properties—bullets travel far in open plains.

Ethical Practices:

• Ensure a solid backstop before shooting.

• Respect private property and posted land.

• Recover animals quickly and avoid unnecessary shots.

Pro Tip: Coyotes play a vital role in ecosystem balance—hunt responsibly and take only safe, ethical shots.