Yesterday started my month long oryx season, so I've been out there hiking and glassing and sweating like crazy trying to find one. This morning while glassing from the top of a very large dune, I spotted a pair of coyotes trying to rustle up some breakfast. They were a long ways out, which gave me a few minutes to think about what I should do. The angel side says to stay focused on the oryx hunt, since they taste way better. The devil side says go for it, you have a call in your chest rig that's just achin' to get out for some action. Back and forth, back and forth. Finally, the little red guy with horns won out. I dropped my packed, pulled out the rifle, got the sticks set up, and got ready. The pair was probably 500 yards out, downwind. However, I hoped that my elevation would send my stink out over their heads. They were a couple hundred yards beyond the grey looking open flat in this picture.
I lost sight of the pair while getting ready, but figured they were still out there somewhere within earshot. I dug out a nice little closed reed ebony call that I surely purchased from a custom call maker here and gave it a little toot. After about a minute, a blew it for another ten seconds or so. Then I caught sight of the pair coming across the open. They came across the grey and just inside the brush line when they started acting like they'd caught my scent. The one in the rear checked up, then started to leave, so when she paused for a moment, I sent one her way. Bang, flop, work the bolt. Where is the other? I figured he was on the way out, so you can understand my surprise when I saw him weaving through the brush on his way to me. He just kept coming and coming, even though I tried barking him to a stop. Finally, I just shot him on the run at the base of the dune upon which I had perched - 27 yards. Then I ranged the first one - 188 yards. Not too bad for a big game rifle. I wandered down to the male and hauled him out to be with his bride for their final day.
I lost sight of the pair while getting ready, but figured they were still out there somewhere within earshot. I dug out a nice little closed reed ebony call that I surely purchased from a custom call maker here and gave it a little toot. After about a minute, a blew it for another ten seconds or so. Then I caught sight of the pair coming across the open. They came across the grey and just inside the brush line when they started acting like they'd caught my scent. The one in the rear checked up, then started to leave, so when she paused for a moment, I sent one her way. Bang, flop, work the bolt. Where is the other? I figured he was on the way out, so you can understand my surprise when I saw him weaving through the brush on his way to me. He just kept coming and coming, even though I tried barking him to a stop. Finally, I just shot him on the run at the base of the dune upon which I had perched - 27 yards. Then I ranged the first one - 188 yards. Not too bad for a big game rifle. I wandered down to the male and hauled him out to be with his bride for their final day.