Stalking the Stalker

Stalking the Stalker

By Troy Hoepker

If you close your eyes for a moment and imagine the perfect coyote hunt, no doubt it would include pristine, glistening snow undisturbed of tracks and human interference. The morning sun setting the sky ablaze above, as the steam from your breath disappears like smoke in the wind as you set off across the field with the first tracks in the snow towards a coyote, that seemingly knows nothing of your existence so close to his. This is spot and stalk coyote hunting and as pure and real as hunting can be! There’s just something about stalking a predator that is unaware of your presence that gets the blood pressure going! Every step, every breath and every heartbeat seems to be magnified the closer you get. All the planning and work you’ve put into the stalk after first spotting that predator is on the line. One little mistake and the keen nose, wary ears, or superb vision of a predator can pick you out or set off the alarm that something is amiss. That’s all it takes and “POOF” they’re gone ……….. just like that!

Just the day before I wrote this article, as I drove down the road I slowed my pace to look over an area where I know a fox inhabits. As I scanned, sure enough, there on top of a hay bale patch lay two little red balls. There must have been 250 big round bales all lined up in the field and the snow had melted off of the bales even though the ground still held several inches of snow. The dry warmth of the bales must have felt pretty good to these two fox and they were in the middle of a good midday nap. I kept rolling slowly by, not to put them on alarm too badly and stopped up the road about a hundred yards or so. I stepped out and eased myself down into the road ditch and used some cover and the terrain lower than the bale stack to make my approach. The wind was favorable and as I neared the bales, I peeked above the bales to see if they were any the wiser. Both fox still lay there, curled in a ball with their faces buried under their tails. But as I snapped a couple pictures, I realized the far fox had spotted me. I got low again, waited just a bit and again began moving towards the closest end row of hay. Crouching to stay low as I went, as I got to the bales I slowly raised up overtop of the bales to check on the fox again. The fox that had seen me was gone but its mate was still there curled up although it was looking right at me as my head elevated above the bales. I snapped more pictures and the little fox sat up either unsure of what I was or mystified that I could have gotten that close. I had no intention of shooting these fox, in fact I wasn’t even hunting. I just enjoy the stalk and seeing how close I can get to take a picture. Eventually the little fox spun and in a heartbeat, slinked off of the top of the bale he was on away from danger.

I had managed to get within twenty yards of that last fox and would have had an easy shot opportunity had I actually been hunting. It doesn’t always go that easy! In fact, it rarely does. That’s about as close as I have ever stalked in on a pair of adult fox this time of year when they don’t have young ones nearby such as in the spring.

To complete a successful spot and stalk on fox or in particular a coyote, several things have to fall into place correctly and naturally. The first thing that has to happen is to find a coyote. That starts by having good glass and the right conditions. I’ve spotted plenty of coyotes when there’s no snow on the ground but most of them are usually up on their feet when I do.

Occasionally you can even get an eye on a bedded coyote on dry ground but that is rare so the best time to go glassing is when a good snow has fallen. I head for more open country when I’m glassing for coyotes like areas that don’t have as much timber and dense cover for coyotes to hide in. Iowa has a lot of land that lends itself well for this type of hunting.

Agriculturally used ground of row crop, pasture and cut hayfields look rather barren when covered by a good winter’s snow and when you’re in an area that features miles and miles of it coyotes have less places to hide. They’ll be more inclined to select a fencerow, terrace or land feature to bed that allows them to be seen.

When I’m out looking I’ll move slowly along the snow covered gravel roads stopping at high points and glassing. Know which way the wind is coming from and keep a close eye on the downwind side of things that block the wind and on southern slopes that let the sun shine on them. Coyotes love to be out of the wind and like the warm sun to warm them while they sleep. They’ll use terraces, pond dams, fence lines, waterways, hay bales, drainage hillsides, and even old buildings for blocking the wind to name a few. Even a large snowdrift can provide a good windbreak and you’d be surprised just how often they’ll bed right in the snow. Scan the terrain closely. You’ll see lots of things sticking out of the snow that appear to be coyote shaped so the better glass you have the better. The more you can zoom in on far away objects with clarity, the more you’ll be able to distinguish what you’re looking at. If you’re in a vehicle within visibility of a coyote there’s a decent chance the coyote is already looking at you and those ear tips are a dead give away when you’re scanning shapes and objects in the snow. If you’re unsure of what an object is, stare at it for a while watching for movement while adjusting your depth of focus. You may see movement.

Coyotes like to bed down close to the center of a typical one-mile by one-mile section and that makes it difficult to get to them undetected. Once you’ve spotted a coyote, you’ll need to get a good fix on their location. After you’re on your stalk terrain features take on a different look so pick out some land features and their distance or direction from where the bedded animal is so that when you’re on the way in you’ll have a good idea how to triangulate the coyote’s position. You’ve got to know exactly where that coyote is so that when you approach from a different direction and the terrain looks different, you’ll know that you’re on the right path. So count fence posts, take note of nearby trees or note the distance from any identifiable landmark from the coyote while you’re glassing that animal’s location. You’ll need that information later when on foot in pursuit.

You’ve got to have an animal that has put themselves in a vulnerable position. Sometimes it takes a bit of thought to figure out just what their vulnerability is and how to execute a plan that could have success. A coyote that has bedded in the open is a tough adversary. They’ve usually put themselves into a well defended position. They’ll bed where they can see for a long distance to spot anyone making their way to them and they’ll have the wind covered from a separate direction. They’ll be no sneaking up on them from that way either, as they’ll be able to smell what they can’t see usually. A hunter has to approach their position from where their approach can’t be seen and from where their scent won’t disperse towards the coyote. Naturally, it all starts by finding an approach with a crosswind between you and the bedded coyote. Use the hills between you and as you close in take nothing for granted. The slightest sounds of snow crunching, twigs breaking or equipment banging against each other is enough to tip a coyote off. Resist the urge to peek at the coyote to see if it is still there from a distance where a shot isn’t possible. Trust that he’s still there. Only look at the coyote again when you are nearing position for the shot. This is where you put your ninja skills to use to close the deal. Sometimes it includes crawling over the rise of a hill for the shot and sometimes it means being in plain sight of a coyote with his back to you and maintaining that stealthy stalk without getting that coyote to lift his head. Patience is your best virtue. As long as that coyote is not alarmed he’s usually content to lay there for as long as your stalk will take. Slow and easy is the name of the game not hurried or rushed.

Don’t get greedy. Take the first presentable shot you can get that is within your comfort zone. The more polished you are at long range shooting and the more familiar you are with your rifle the better you’ll be. You want to be close enough to get a good reliable shot but not so close that you’ll spook the coyote. When it comes time to shoot, ease into a comfortable position. As long as the stalk has been successful and you haven’t alarmed the coyote, be patient. Get the rifle into a comfortable position and slow your breathing from the walk. Slowing your heart rate will keep those crosshairs steadier. Take into account any wind drift and the distance of the shot for elevation calculations. You didn’t come this far to miss the shot.
I’ve found it handy to keep a coyote mouth call in your pocket. There are times when you can only go so far and still have no presentable shot. Sometimes a previously unseen obstacle you weren’t aware was there can block you from making a clean shot. Other times, the coyote may have moved on you. Regardless of which, a soft coaxing distress sound may get a coyote on it’s feet when that’s all you need to make the shot. Or it may call a coyote to the shot when they’ve moved on you and are still unaware of your presence. Another handy tool to have along is a rangefinder to know the distance of the shot so you can adjust for windage and elevation. Snow camo is always the best thing to wear but is not always necessary. Regardless of what you are wearing, if you are moving within sight of coyote, they will see you usually, snow camo or not. If you have a partner you’re hunting with, you can always use a two-way radio to communicate as one of you makes the stalk and the other glasses the coyote from afar.

Perhaps the most important part of the entire hunt happens long before you ever lay eyes on a coyote. Having permission to hunt in advance saves valuable time once you’ve located a coyote. If you take time to knock on doors or try and make phone calls, that coyote may be in the wind by the time you return.

Spot and stalk hunting coyotes is the ultimate test of your hunting skills. It will humble you and it will make you a better all-around hunter. It will excite you and it will disappoint you at times. But there is nothing better than formulating a plan, executing that plan successfully and downing a coyote that never knew you were there. Even dragging that coyote through the snow on the long walk back to the truck after a successful hunt feels good when you’ve duped Iowa’s most capable of adversaries!