First 2 yotes of the season.

bushpilotmexico

New member
Hi everyone,

It's me again...our yote season opened September 1st and up until now I had only seen tracks. Probably worked about 7 sets from opening day up until this morning. I decided to leave the glory hole alone, you'll recall last spring that I took 7 coyotes from a single stand over a period of about 3 weeks.

I got up around 4:00 am and drove to another one of my favorite spots that I can only hunt when the wind is coming from the north. Daylight arrived around 5:15 am. I broke down this summer and bought a Foxpro FX3 and have been persisting with it since opening day.

The first set drew a blank other than for the magpies that were swooping down at my wounded woodpecker. I must have had 30 of them making a heck of a ruckus. Didn't mind it as I thought it might attract a yote. This set drew a blank.

I left there about 6:30 am and set up about 1/2 mile away. This time I decided to use the Foxpro distressed jack rabbit. Ten minutes into the calling I saw a pair of coyotes in front of me moving from left to right just loping on by. The odd time one would stop and look toward the sound but they weren't interested in investigating further. I had my old Sako L579 6BR with those 75 grain V-max bullets and had my scope set for 300 yards. There was no time to actually take a range finder measurement as they were moving through too quickly. I gave a bark and one stopped, I centered it in the cross hairs and squeezed off a shot. I heard the V-max hit and it went down...the other one took off like someone had poured turpentine on it's you know what. The old Sako is only a single shot so trying to eject and reload for a second shot takes time. I had the second shell in the chamber when the first one I shot pulled it's self up and was sitting on it's haunches and started Ki-Yi'ing. My second shot was a direct hit and it dropped. I suspect it was starting to move just as I had squeezed off the first shot and the V-max hit it's hind end.

Nice probably 2 year old male and when I ranged back to my stand it was 248 yards.

Picture0010.jpg



Picture002-14.jpg


Still in the same stand with the Foxpro blaring away, about 6 or 7 minutes later a second pair crossed in front on me again going from left to right but this time a long way away. Once again no interest in coming closer just loping along and every once in a while either of the pair would stop to look towards the sound. I decided on a hail Mary shot as soon as one of them stopped again. I fired at one of the pair and saw the dust kick up just below it's chest, I should have held higher because my scope was set for 300 yards but when I ranged back after I went to investigate it was 430 yards.

I still don't know what to think about the Foxpro having always used hand calls. To me it was unusual that 2 pairs of yotes(perhaps the Foxpro got their attention in the first place?) would both decide not to come in to investigate where and what the sound was. I need to do some more experimenting because I know some hunters swear by them.

I went to pick up the first kill and while I was taking pictures a dog to the north of me was giving me the old busted barking.

I set off to investigate and another 1/2 mile north found a nice rock bluff where I could sit in the shade with the sun behind my back. The wind was still from the north and into my face.

Now I decided not to use the Foxpro and hand call. I have to tell you that in the Classifieds on PM I ordered 2 lanyards and 2 totes from paleotter who is also a custom call maker. To my surprise when the parcel arrived paleotter had included at no charge one of his custom calls.

This is the call I decided to use and it's a honey, I would highly recommend it. About 8 minutes into my wailing and in front of me 2 yotes appear out of the sage brush coming my way. The first one stopped at 120 yards (ranged it afterwords) and I took the shot, I heard the V-max hit and she dropped instantly. The second one looked a little confused and ran a little but then stopped. Naturally I was trying to reload my single shot Sako so by the time I was ready it had disappeared.

This yote was a nice female, I also took a picture with paleotter's call laying on the dog and another of the call sitting in sage brush.

Picture005-20.jpg



Picture008-9.jpg



Picture014-4.jpg



HOM%20-%20Banner.jpg


All in all a good morning with 6 coyotes seen and 2 in yote heaven. Still wearing my blue gloves...I was going to try and buy Michael Jackson's gloves but couldn't afford them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Those are nice dogs and it does my heart good to see you in a jacket. Fall is coming...Yay! I'm ready for some cool days here in Oklahoma. Good shooting and thanks for the story.
 
Good story, good shooting, nice yotes. I don't know enough about your setups used to comment about your questions pertaining to the yotes' response to the FX-3, but I will suggest that I have found that both the FX-3, FX-5, and the Fury are very directional, especially with the built in horn. I have found that the Kentucky coyotes like to come in "Eye to eye" with the sound source. I like to face the horn in the direction I want the yotes to show up, and nearly always sit on higher ground than where the caller is placed, where my scent is the least likely to get me busted. If I am calling with a quartering wind, I don't use as much volume as some hunters, and I feel the yotes find it easier to get downwind and eye to eye with the caller. Works for me, and might work in B.C.

Good hunting at ya!
 
Thats a good tip to think about. I never would have thought about them comeing eye to eye with the call. I will have to keep that in mind on my next trips.
 
Originally Posted By: 4949shooterGood shooting, Bushpilot.

Question....what particular factors about this spot make it useable only with a wind from the north?


First I have taken at least 5 or 6 yotes from this area each year.

Is a relatively narrow valley that runs north to south, lots of mice and other feed, also it is within 1 mile of orchards which grow an abundance of fruit especially apples.

I have seen yote scat just full of fruit skins and seeds, also the area is on private land and you have to have permission to hunt.

The north wind is essential so I won't get busted walking into the area as my approach is from the south.

The high hills on the west side lend favorably to calling crosswind.
 
Originally Posted By: hunter2960Thats a good tip to think about. I never would have thought about them comeing eye to eye with the call. I will have to keep that in mind on my next trips.

When hand calling the problem is that a yote first goes audio and then quickly goes video. I once read that a coyote at the range of a mile can isolate a sound to within 300 yards. At 300 yards it narrows down to 5 feet.

As any dedicated hand caller will tell you most yotes coming in to your call are looking directly in your direction, poor camo or cover or a reflection from a scope or rifle barrel and they will spook and take off running especially the older dogs.

The younger ones, like this springs litter, are often a little more naive and even though you may be less than visible if they are hungry and a little curious they will approach closer.

I can guarantee you one thing I shot 2 yotes and educated 4 more, it will be exceedingly tougher (but not impossible) to work that area again. I won't go back for at least 2 to 3 weeks.
 
Back
Top