How far can coyotes really smell and call lure

[blakcoyote]

I posed a question on a predator hunting board asking how far can a coyote wind you.The replies ranged from 25yds to 300 yds depending on conditions,and the normal range figured to be 100yds to 200yds.

Now using call lure for trapping it still seems it needs to be placed on location or close to it.I know this has been discussed before,but how far will a coyote actually smell it,and from how far away will he actually come to investigate it,meaning maybe they smell it but it's beyond how far they will actually deviate from there line of travel to check it out.

Or cant they smell 200-300yds away,or is it that maybe human odor has a stronger smell than skunk to a canine,and we dont have the capability to really know how much we stink because we're human and we're use to that smell.

These were some things I was mulling around in my head yesterday.

[bobwendt]

I don`t know how far, but far, more or less depending on a lot of variables like humidity and wind speed and direction. will they come? depends on their notion and if hungry or not, traveling to a set destination, playing or just wandering ,and the attraction of the lure, as they`re all not the same. in other words, there is no concrete answer.

[trappnman]

don't have a clue. Well, actually I don't know...but I do have a few clues.

First of all- does a strong call lure smell more than lets say a rabbit? To me, it sure does- in that I cannot smell a normal rabbit unless very close- yet I can smell a good call lure across a building.

So lets assume it does for a canine.

I've had birddogs and hounds, wind game 50-75 yards away on snow days- so I know its just body scent they are smelling.

I've seen signs where canines have deviated a little further on flat locations to come from one set right up to another set. I've also had coon many times come to lure for 75-125 yards away from the travel route, and I don't believe coon have a fraction of the canines sniffing ability..

So- logically, it must be in the range- depending on the conditions and the type of lure. Much more than that....iffy at best, probably in some conditions a little further.

So in a practical sense, if I set within 50-100 yards of the suspected general locations, I'll get hits. Add in a good visual- and you can pull a coyotes much, much father. I can see white bones in dark fields for several hundred yards- and so can a canine.

[blakcoyote]

I was reading the Predator Hunting mag thats put out by TPC and there was a very interesting article by Paul Waite that interviews Rich Higgins,it was a very good article and talks about some studies in Idaho and coyote behavior.And it got me thinking about this whole scent thing.

[Dusty]

Not a clue with lure, but....

Dogs can smell a seal hole - this is completely iced-over hole full of saltwater that a seal has been breathing through, often under a couple feet of snow - from well over a mile.

Wolves seem to detect moose from at least a half-mile.

Wolverines find every carc out there, and their tracks often straighten out a mile or two out.

It isn't unusual for a polar bear to walk 30 or 40 miles in a straight line to a carc.

I've never seen a canid respond to a lure more than a few yards away.

My guess is they smell it way out yonder - depending on terrain - and just don't give a hoot unless it's close enough to check out without expending much energy.

BTW, I doubt that wind velocity makes a hell of a lot of difference. It doesn't for labs and bears, anyway. Terrain and vegetation are probably the major influences.

[SteveCraig]

Gotta disagree with Dusty on the velosity thing.

A steady 5 to 10 mph wind while calling will allow every coyote to wind you that is downwind of your position.
Yet that same coyote will come tight in to you with a 20 to 30 mph wind or higher.
It is my belief that the harder the wind blows, the more eratic the the pattern is, the HIGHER the air tends to be off the ground, and the harder for the coyote to wind you.
Terrain and vegetation definately do make a difference, and can be either good or bad depending on your situation.

[bobwendt]

steve, you in state yet?

[SteveCraig]

Leaving on Saturday.

What are diesil fuel prices there?

[trappnman]

I've spent way, way too much time following hounds to not know that the wind plays an extremely important part in following scents. Cause you just can't have an animal smell the scent- he needs to smell the scent trail.

doesn't for labs? black labs? Of course it does. I've hunted many years behind Labs-

vegetation, temp are the next biggest factors.

[bobwendt]

just dropped to $2.59, most lower and dropping daily. sorry tman, I know you don`t like chatting here and will go to pm from now on out if it goes further.

[Dusty]

My Lab seal-findind experience is on sea ice, and wind under about 40 does not seem to make a lot of difference. I still say it's how the terrain and vegetation affects the scent, and the velocity of the molecules matters not. I can't help it if you guys have grass and trees and terrain confounding your results!

What the hell is up with diesel prices down there?? Cheaper than that in FAI.

[trappnman]

without a doubt terrian and vegitation play a major, major role.

but terrian is also directly linked with the wind- swu=irling winds make the hardest trailing.

Vegetation too is a big factor- vegetation nor only absorbs scent- it confuses scent by adding its own.

But wind- distorting the scent line- is big.

on your sea holes- are the dogs perhaps just smelling the ocean smell coming through these holes- the sea breeze and all of that? Never the less- interesting.

[rk660]

I visited Odon Corr while pheasant hunting in South Dakota a few weeks back. Checked traps with him for a couple days. He stated at one location he has observed coyotes coming to a good lure 50-75 yards many times. Also said he has observed them stopping the same distance away, sniffing the air for a few moments then going about their business. He sets a lot of higher up locations that stay windblown longer after the snow. He feels keeping a set in operation 10-20 yards off exact travelway if better than a set that gets blown in constantly that would be right on travelway. I was pretty surpised at the distances he has seen coyotes respond to a lure. Another thing though is many times they may smell the lure but dont respond, I suppose the best thing is when they smell something, they can also see something that causes them to investage. Another thing I was surpised was the small amount of lure Odon used, about half of what I normally use. One thing I have seen from the better trappers I have spent time with, was their ability to pick set locations. These guys dont get overly concerned on set mechanics, type of trap, etc, etc. But location is always 1st rate.

[trappincoyotes39]

yep rk, that is the key! human odor is a sure signal of danger to most coyotes, they can smell many 100's of yards and will break in a heart beat as soon as they get your odor!!!! I have called them in on a line in the summer to break wind and nail me at 300-400 yrds with a 15 mph wind, now lures I'm sure they can smell them from the same distance, but doesn't hold or tell them the same thing and will not always come in just ain't in the mood, I have seen on snow them cutting the scent of the lure to mill and keep on going in the straight line. Thats why I like big baits if covering a big area and one that I can confign them into. You get closer milling and feeding on the bait and will work sets nicely with alot less lure useage.

There is a big differance in odors that instigate fear and ones that may lead to a meal, the fear factor always trumps that of the food odor!!!!

Also I like bones, but alot of the time I hide them in a grass clump, so they are not real visiable as I find I cutdown alot on non targets by keeping them somewhat hidden, skunks and coons the few we have see those bones that stick out like a sore thumb, so I like a coyote to first fins the set alot of times with his nose first, then the lure and bone tucked away, keeps the skunk numbers and porcupine catches down quite a bit!!!

[trappnman]

I use the bones in bare fields- putting the bones 25-50 feet from the set. Works as well for the yotes and seems to keep trash the same as not using them.