After three weeks recuperating from first a torn leg muscle, then a bout with the flu, finally made it back to the ranch just in time for the last week of nilgai hunting. Connected with this cow Tuesday evening so able to spend rest of week catching up on our coyote hunting.
The ranch has had an abnormal amount of rain so many of our favorite honey holes are partially or completely submerged. Wednesday morning daylight found us setting up over a lake that is normally dry. Foxpro was set up at the point of brush to the right (black circle). Six minutes into adult cottontail with one short coyote pup distress inserted at the two minute mark, a mature male ran (red dots) from left to right across the lake, following the two track until he disappeared behind the point of brush. Figured he would come into view very close to the decoy/FX5, I shifted rifle and planned to bark as soon as he emerged. Caught a movement farther out and discovered that he had reversed direction (blue dots). Managed to bark and stop him at 168 yards (blue cross). While not quite as flat shooting as my .223, the 338 WM and 210 gr. NP is quite effective, if not fur friendly.
And this hawk didn't seem to mind that the fur was a bit mussed:
On the way to another favorite spot, walked out into this dry lake bed and spotted a coyote about 600 yards at edge of brush on opposite side.
We quickly set up the FX5 and started calling. Within 3 minutes a young male met a 165 gr. NP from my partners 308 Norma mag., making two on the stringer.
Made a few dry stands before and after lunch leading up to the last stand which produced coyote #3 for the day, a young female, also no match for the 338.
Thursday morning we eased into the heavy brush surrounding a shallow swampy area. Before I could set up the call, I spotted a coyote about 100 yards out walking to the left through this brush but was unable to stop it for the shot.
At the same time, my partner saw three coyotes trotting into the brush to his right. We had walked into the mother lode! Must have struck the interest of one of the dogs on the right when I barked at first coyote, as it slipped up to within 40 yards of my partner, who made short work of that project.
Made a couple of dry stands this morning and my partner missed a coyote that he walked up on before we decided to end the week at the same spot where we made the first stand. Due to flooding and wind direction, had to set up same as in picture one. This time, a somewhat nervous coyote followed same path, but stopped straight behind the call (almost exact same spot as previous dog). I got on him and was just starting to squeeze the trigger when a duck hunter about a mile away on the next ranch fired two quick shots. At the first shot, the coyote flinched and the second shot he bolted before I could get the shot off. Hey, I can educate more coyotes than I care to without any outside help
! Oh well, all in all, it was a great week.
Regards,
hm
The ranch has had an abnormal amount of rain so many of our favorite honey holes are partially or completely submerged. Wednesday morning daylight found us setting up over a lake that is normally dry. Foxpro was set up at the point of brush to the right (black circle). Six minutes into adult cottontail with one short coyote pup distress inserted at the two minute mark, a mature male ran (red dots) from left to right across the lake, following the two track until he disappeared behind the point of brush. Figured he would come into view very close to the decoy/FX5, I shifted rifle and planned to bark as soon as he emerged. Caught a movement farther out and discovered that he had reversed direction (blue dots). Managed to bark and stop him at 168 yards (blue cross). While not quite as flat shooting as my .223, the 338 WM and 210 gr. NP is quite effective, if not fur friendly.
And this hawk didn't seem to mind that the fur was a bit mussed:
On the way to another favorite spot, walked out into this dry lake bed and spotted a coyote about 600 yards at edge of brush on opposite side.
We quickly set up the FX5 and started calling. Within 3 minutes a young male met a 165 gr. NP from my partners 308 Norma mag., making two on the stringer.
Made a few dry stands before and after lunch leading up to the last stand which produced coyote #3 for the day, a young female, also no match for the 338.
Thursday morning we eased into the heavy brush surrounding a shallow swampy area. Before I could set up the call, I spotted a coyote about 100 yards out walking to the left through this brush but was unable to stop it for the shot.
At the same time, my partner saw three coyotes trotting into the brush to his right. We had walked into the mother lode! Must have struck the interest of one of the dogs on the right when I barked at first coyote, as it slipped up to within 40 yards of my partner, who made short work of that project.
Made a couple of dry stands this morning and my partner missed a coyote that he walked up on before we decided to end the week at the same spot where we made the first stand. Due to flooding and wind direction, had to set up same as in picture one. This time, a somewhat nervous coyote followed same path, but stopped straight behind the call (almost exact same spot as previous dog). I got on him and was just starting to squeeze the trigger when a duck hunter about a mile away on the next ranch fired two quick shots. At the first shot, the coyote flinched and the second shot he bolted before I could get the shot off. Hey, I can educate more coyotes than I care to without any outside help
Regards,
hm
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