This is an interesting question and one I have pondered a few times. First let me start out by saying that I do not know the terrain in whashington county and have never hunted it, this is purely my views on the subject. I think the best bet for consistancy is rural farmland up against the base of a mountain or hillside.
Coyotes are all about food and breeding. The fields hold a lot of food, birds, rabbit and mice. They can see, hear and smell prey at further distances in a field which makes for more opportunity. However, they are a very shy and timid animal and prefer to stay within cover and hidden during the day more than night. You don't often see coyotes mousing in a field in the middle of the day for good reason. When breeding, you will almost never find a den in a field unless there is a rock or brush pile around it, again for very good reasons.
Many hunters think coyotes are the biggest, baddest and most aggressive animal in the woods. As a result, hunters are often advised to be equally aggressive and challenge the coyote with loud, long calls. I say just the opposite.
First off, you can't hunt a coyote thats not there. You have to locate first. I like to give a couple yips then a short and broken howl. I'm not a believer in long aggressive coyote vocalization here in PA and use more animal distress sounds than anything. Don't get me wrong, I am forced to hunt sometimes without locating and that's the way it goes. You will be more succesful though with scouting.
I read somewhere that you have to give the coyote what he expects to hear and see, not something he does not. I firmly believe in this statement.
A coyote is more likely to call the thickest, roughest terrain his home here in PA and the less pressured the better. They do need to eat and the fields are good for that.
So, I guess you could say I really have no possitive answer for you but thats what coyote hunting is all about. If we could predict their every move, there would be no coyotes to hunt.
So find a farm with thick and brushy areas that border the base of a mountain and have at it. Good luck with all your hunting...........Tim
