Coyote Hunting, A Target of Opportunity!

The Coyote is despised by many but can make for some great hunting sport while controlling the "Predator Population" at the same time. "Calling Coyotes" is the standard method of hunting but they can be a target of opportunity anytime you are in the woods hunting!

Some reasons you should consider hunting coyotes;

-Coyotes can increase your available target opportunities!
-Hunting coyotes can increase your time afield!
-Hunting coyotes will improve your hunting skills!
-Predator population control!
-A Coyotes makes a unique and beautiful trophy!

Take em when you see em!

Coyotes are one of, if not the most sought after predator in the field. Many hunters target these secretive animals exclusively, but for most, the Coyote is a target of opportunity. Every year Hunters take thousands of coyotes while hunting other species of game such as Turkeys & Deer. It‘s a lucky hunter who has been sitting in a deer stand on a slow morning and has a Coyote come loping by! Rarely do you see one of these speed demons standing still and it is extremely difficult to get a shot off at one with a bow.

A great way to get more hunting time in!

In many States Coyotes can he hunted year round. If you decide to hunt coyotes outside of the hunting season of other game animals you hunt it can greatly increase your time in the woods hunting.

Time spent chasing these cagey critters will only add
To your woodsman and hunting skills!

Every time you step in the woods you should be learning something new. If you don’t your not paying attention! Coyotes are super shy and unbelievably sharp! If you can harvest them consistently at close range you can consider yourself at the top of your game and the coyote a good tune up. If your skills are not this advanced, hunting the coyote will really increase them. If you can get your bow drawn on a coyote a deer will be a piece of cake. The coyote can teach you volumes about hunting, like how and when to move on an approaching animal, stand placement and many other things that hunters can use when hunting other species.

Predator populations require control like any
Other game species!

Like any other species, predator populations need to be kept in balance. If their numbers are left unchecked they can quickly get out of hand. Coyotes prey on all manors of game species including turkeys, quail, small game, small hogs and deer. They are particularly hard on deer fawns. When they begin to compete with you for the same game its time lower the population.

A trophy not every Hunter has!

Coyotes come in many color phases and can make both a beautiful and unique addition to your trophy room. The most common mount is a full body mount. There are a wide variety of manikins to choose from that include; full body, half body and shoulder mounts. The cost of a full body mount varies among taxidermist and also depends on how elaborate a base and habitat you desire if any, but the average is about $450. There are other options for remembering and honoring your trophy and include skull mounts, rugs and soft tanned hides. Be sure to choose a taxidermist wisely, check references and take a close look at their work.

A solid black dog is pretty uncommon and quite a prize!

Next time your out hunting deer or sitting in a turkey blind don’t overlook an opportunity at a Coyote if you should be so fortunate. They will probably be few and far between but if your lucky you might just end up with a unique trophy and another special hunt to remember.

Good Luck Hunting!
Larry Stephens

Photo's by Larry Stephens

How to Find the Best Stand Locations for Taking Trophy Whitetails!

So you’ve finally gained access to piece of deer hunting heaven! A piece of ground that has been un-hunted for years. How do you go about deciding how to hunt it? Here’s a some answers to a few of the most commonly asked questions.

Where do you start?
How do you narrow down hundreds of acres into a handful of top stand locations?
How do you find that perfect spot to ambush a trophy whitetail?
How do you pick the right tree?
How will you access the stand?

You Found a Piece Great Piece of Property, Now, Where do You Start?

Once you have secured access to some ground, the next step, if you have not already done so, is to get a good aerial photo of the property. This will be one of the most valuable tools for getting started and can save a great deal of time and effort. I keep a small, laminated version in the truck to refer to all the time. You will be surprised just how off your perception of the lay of the land can be. A good detailed aerial will reveal more about how to begin your scouting and how to hunt a piece of land than you can imagine. This works extremely well for northern areas but a little less so in the south. However, a great deal of useful information can still be gained from an aerial even if you’re a southern hunter, such as a change in the vegetation or edge in the woods where an upland hammock changes to a marsh or planted pines change to a cypress strand or pond. Creek drainages, island, hammocks and other terrain features that are keys to deer movement can be derived from the aerial. In the northern part of the country such as the Midwest you can literally plan your entire strategy from an aerial before you ever set foot on the property. Even bedding areas can be easily determined once you learn how to interpret them. They are typically going to be the thick steep draws, especially if they have been select cut. After that, you are going to need to scout some of the areas you found on the map to verify whatyou have learned from them.

How do you Narrow Down Hundreds of Acres into a Handful of Top Stand Locations?

With your aerials in hand you will be able to identify the most likely stand locations.
I like to start with the fields. Look for inside and outside corners and points that project out into the field. Next, look at the general lay of the land for obvious travel routs for any buck looking to cross from one side of the property to another. Bottle necks or any features that funnel the deer travel will be a key spot. Also try to identify possible saddles that tie two ridges together, this is another great ambush site for all deer and especially Trophy Bucks.

How do you Find the Perfect Spot to Ambush a Trophy Whitetail?

Now that you have some potential key locations identified, its time to put on your hiking boots and get a first hand look at each spot. Any outside points are no brainers, they cut down the width across the field and increase your shooting range. You can have an 80 ac field and if it has a point that projects out into it, more often than not a buck is going to be drawn to walk by it.
If I had to pick one kind of stand location, it would be bottle neck or some kind of funnel that helps force the deer to move thru a narrowed area. This can be formed by fields on each side of a narrow strip of woods. Fences or some natural thick barrier.

You can even create your own funnel if you are hunting on private land. I have a favorite stand overlooking a strip of crp and a lot of the deer I was seeing were passing out of bow range, so I spent half a day cutting 2-3” maple saplings to create a big “v” to force the deer closer to my stand. It was a lot of work but it worked great!

Another spot to always keep an eye open for is a location where multiple types of edge all come together. The more the better. An example of this would be the stand that I killed the doe in the picture here. It’s an inside field corner that butts up to an open wooded bottom to the north and a thick cutover bedding area to the east. This can be a deer magnet. Another good example would be different age or type, stands of timber abutting a cutover or head, etc.

How do you pick the right tree?

Once you have zeroed in on the perfect spot, now comes the delima, picking the right tree. This is often a difficult choice, especially for a bow hunter. One of my favorite hunting buddies Cpt. Rick and I often debate over the right tree for 30-45 minutes before we come to an agreement. There never seems to be a good tree right where you need it and you usually end up in something with a dog leg or crook and it usually takes some head scratching to get the stand on the tree. Personally, I want to be as close as possible to as much sign as I can cover. In an ideal situation you would want to set up so deer don’t come from behind you but sometimes this can’t be helped. It’s a lot easier if you are a gun hunter but when bow hunting, you want to cover as much ground as possible. If you are gun hunting, get back off the sign a little to avoid spooking deer. If you are bow hunting, don’t get to close to a trail you expect deer to travel. Try to stay back 12-15 yds. If you can. You will have less deer busting you and have a better shot angle. On calm mornings it is nearly impossible to draw on a deer that is under 10 yds.

How will you access the stand?

How you access the stand can be extremely important. Always avoid walking in front of your stand and approach from the rear or side. There are hundreds of different scenarios you could consider but in general try to avoid approaching where you expect the deer to be. Use any possible cover to hide your approach. If you are hunting in thick woods like in the south, make a chop trail to your stand so you can avoid contact with the vegetation. This will help you avoid contaminating your walk trail with scent. Many times deer will start using your trail but it’s a trade off you have to live with.

If you will follow some of these tips and apply them they will get you that much closer to your goal of putting a Trophy Buck in the back of your truck!

Good hunting!
Larry Stephens

Don't just be a Hunter, be a Predator!

Don’t just be a Hunter, be a Predator!

If you intend to be a life taker of Trophy Whitetails, you better start thinking less like a weekend warrior and more like a predator. You cannot expect to hunt 5 or 10 days a year and have all your senses finally tuned to the extent necessary to be consistently successful at harvesting game.

From the beginning of time man has been a hunter and gatherer. Unfortunately, today’s society has molded man into a creature far removed from what we used to be. Most have lost all touch with nature and the feelings that stir in a man soul that drive him to hunt other animals. Our senses have been dulled by generations of life lived outside of the natural environment and dependence on others to provide sustenance.

Here are Some Essential Things you can do to Tune Yourself up for Hunting Season!

1. Spend as much time in the woods as you can in the off season.
2. Hunt other species of game besides Whitetails.
3. When hunting deer, don’t limit your harvest to just bucks, shoot some does!
4. Put in as much time on stand as possible each Year.
5. Employ other hunting methods such as spot & stalk!

The animals your hunting spend each and every day of life in the woods and everything they do revolves around survival. You will never be able to match their senses but the more time you spend in their environment the more you can close the gap.

Hunt Other Game Species to Sharpen Your Skills!

Hunting other species such as squirrels, hogs and especially turkeys will sharpen you predator skills like nothing else. By the time you get around to chasing Trophy Bucks, you’ll be a lean, mean, deer killin’ machine.

Don't Just Hold Out for a Buck,
Shoot a Doe if Given the Opportunity!

If you have a limited number of days to hunt each year don’t just hold out for a buck, shoot a few does, this is extremely important for a bow hunter. Most anyone can pick up a gun and shoot a deer at 100 yds or more but put a bow in that guy’s hands and see if he can shoot a 5 yr. old doe at 15 yds. that has a couple yearlings she is teaching the skills of survival. You cannot believe the things that can go wrong at that close distance. With her yearlings in tow that deer is just about as hard to kill as animal that walks or breaths, except maybe a coyote. That practice is invaluable, believe me!

Spend as Much Time in the Woods as Possible!

One of my very best hunting companions who shall remain nameless, only gets to hunt deer about 10-12 days a year. Therefore, he is pretty dull when he arrives to hunt the monster bucks that call our Illinois farm home. All of his effort, preparation and anticipation is for this very hunt, but the day he arrives at the farm is his first day in the woods in a year, except maybe a handful of days turkey hunting. Everyone cannot afford the time to spend 50 to 75 days a year hunting but the more you can squeeze out the better your hunting skills will become.

Employ Other Hunting Methods!

Day in and day out more deer hunting is done from a tree stand than by any other method but if you want to sharpen you skills, try doing some spot and stalk. This is a much more difficult method of hunting and will really hone your predator skills like nothing else. Stalking is the ultimate predatory skill. Besides, it is just a matter of time before your presented with circumstances that require just these skills.

If you want to take more trophy deer next season, follow these tips and get outside and put some extra time in the woods prior to your big hunt. I guarantee you, you’ll be more successful for the effort.

Good hunting,
Larry Stephens