toward me is spotlighted quickly, while the caller becomes nearly invisible to approaching animals. In other words, the sun is in their eyes and not yours as you lower your call and start your rifl e up for a careful shot. These rocky upthrusts with their
many caves and rock holes are prime areas for coyotes to make their dens in and also raise their young, so you are doing your calling in their own back- yards, so to speak, which also gives you another leg up. I’ve learned that butte country is always laced with small, dry washes and trails that run at the base of these higher places that coyotes use to hunt along and get from place to place faster. Set up where you can see two or more of these or where they converge, and you’re upping the odds of calling animals in along them as they use the path of least resistance. Such a setup puts the caller in the cat bird’s seat for action coming in from more directions than just one. SAGEBRUSH LANDS
Certainly, Nevada is also a state
where sagebrush lands literally can run for dozens of miles on end in one un- broken chain, and coyotes will be found coursing through it to hunt and rest. So, how do you choose a place to hunt in a land that all looks pretty much the same? I’ll tell you how I do it. First thing I look for is a dry wash
or rainwater creek, even if bone dry, and most are after winter’s brief rains. Coyotes use these open travel lanes in thick brush to get from place to place quickly and easily. The story of their travels is right there at your feet, with their tracks telling how many animals passed this way, how recently, and what direction they were heading. Once I fi nd a spot that sees a good deal of activity, I set up along the banks in just enough cover to conceal myself where I can look both ways or at the juncture of two or more arroyos or dry washes, which is even better. Right out in the creek bed or wash I like to stake a coyote decoy as a fi nal clincher to any animal that comes in. This is precisely the situation where a coyote decoy can really shine and make a tremendous difference. Here’s another tip on decoys. Face yours in the opposite direction from your stand so approach- ing animals are directed away from your position and not at you. Another productive spot to look
for is any small or modest opening right out in brush lands to stake a decoy, and there always are spots like this. Put your decoy in the middle of it, then position yourself close by in cover off to one side. An approaching animal answering a varmint call that sees one of his own kind already on the scene confi rms that an easy meal is only moments away and he means to get his share of it. HIGH COUNTRY
I’ve said that Nevada has its moun-
tainous regions and that is certainly true, but for the most part these are desert
mountains and that means much of the highlands are still covered in lower plants, like the fl at lands, in shrubs and brush because of the limited amount of moisture they receive. Timber is only on the very highest peaks. Coyotes also call these lands home, and with good reason. Both mule deer and antelope live in these elevated heights and a large part of the predator’s diet can be made up of newborn fawns and young of both big game animals in springtime. When hunting up high I like to set up at the apex of wide valleys and
WESTERN EDGE
www.varminthunter.org
Page 83
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212