# ND badlands success



## Jaybic (Sep 8, 2005)

Hey all,

I am just curious but how much success have any of you ever had in the badlands?

I have called there a bunch and it all looks like it should hold tons of coyotes but I have had pretty limited success.

Is it too barren of food in the winter that they come up out of there and hang out closer to the cattle ranches so food is easier to come by maybe?

I would just like to hear some success(or lack thereof) stories so I can figure out if its just me(probably) or not.

Thanks,

Jaybic


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Looking forward to seeing the results!

I have never hunted in the badlands so I am interested to hear about it.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

We have found the closer you are to cattle the better! The vast miles of nothing have yotes... but they are just that... spread out!

Gotta put on lots of miles.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

P&Y hit it on the head, cattle will help your success, it only gets better when they are calving. All dogs love afterbirth.


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## Jaybic (Sep 8, 2005)

I agree with both of you about the cattle thing. On our last trip it seemed that the coyotes were near cattle and not out in the miles upon miles of nothing that is the badlands. Maybe food just gets scarce down in there. Hell, I dont know.

Seemed like I have it in my head that when food gets scarce, they kinda migrate up and out of the badlands on onto the "flats" where the cows/pronghorn/deer/pheasant sloughs are. I think a rancher or two told me that but I dont remember.

Any one else?

Jaybic


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## kevin.k (Dec 31, 2005)

me and some buddies did a trip last year for 5 days. 2 days in the badlands and the other 3 on one of my buddies land in the killdeer mountains. and we had the best luck calling around streams,cattle,old structures, and thick draws. its an annual hunt. and its coming up in 2 weeks im excited!


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Cattle, wintering deer herds, and group of animals where something might get sick or die attracts coyotes.
I have never had good luck in the badlands. My theory is it is all good habitat and when your looking for an animal that has a home range of about six miles in diameter what's the chances he is going to be in range to hear you. On the other hand around here at Jamestown I might not have as many coyotes, but the habitat for them to lay up during day is limited. I have a better idea of where to find them. I get one response for about 15 sets in the badlands. I get one for ever three to five (somewhere around that) sets around here. 
I think the brand is feather-flex. Anyway I sure would like to find one of those crush type fawn decoys. I would like to try the decoy and fawn distress about 1/2 down wind of a couple hundred wintering deer.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Plainsman

I believe your theory on the habitat explanation. It makes sense.


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## FurGittr (Jan 24, 2003)

Talked to an old ranch owner waaay back in the Badlands and he told us (opposite of what we would have thought) that the coyotes move into the hills after they get a substantial amount of snow. I think it's alot like fishing,if you have a lake loaded with structure the fish are going to be spread out. Easier to work the cover found outside the Badlands.


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## nitwit (Dec 18, 2004)

Hi all,
I've hunted the Badlands between the north & south Units of TRNP for about 12 years. When I first started going I probably got a response to calling at one in every four stands. Then, about six years ago, I killed a couple of mangy coyotes. Since then my success has dropped off drastically. Also the cottontail rabbit population has exploded - I assume the two are related.
I will say that we always had a little better success when we set up in the public land that bordered private land which had crops and/or cattle.

This year in a blizzard shortened trip we made about 25 stands and only saw two coyotes - and one we jumped on the way to the stand.

I've been meaning to ask on this forum if anyone else has noticed a recent decline in coyote numbers in the badlands - maybe I'm just calling in areas that for some reason no longer holds many coyotes.
Nitwit


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

nitwit, nope I have noticed it too. My son lives out there and thinks there are fewer coyotes. I don't live there, but have been going out with a friend since 1980. I think there are many reasons for lower success. In the past five years I see more and more snowmobiles with sirens and dog kennels on the back. They are getting run hard with hounds. Predator hunting has become more popular in the past ten years and there is more pressure there also. Mange has moved in an taken a toll also.


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## Jaybic (Sep 8, 2005)

Nitwit,

Me and my buddy got chased out by the same blizzard about a week ago. We must have been out there during the same time. We did a little better but not much. Seen 27, called 12, killed 4 but we did not spend much time in the badlands that trip. We were gonna this next trip but maybe not now. Maybe time to find some new areas.

Kevin K,

It sounds like you and I stomp some of the same ground too and during the same time. I am leaving for out there for a 12 day hunt on the 31st of dec and we spend a fair bit of time around the Killdeer Mtns also. If ya drop by the 2 and 7/8ths bar and see a fat hippy with a 2 foot ponytail in whites, stop by. I'll buy the first beer and tell ya how many I missed. :beer:

Jaybic


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