venatic
Active member
My wife is on spring break vacation at the beach with a group of her friends so last night after the cool front moved through and the wind died I slipped off hunting in the middle of the night.
I parked in the center of the 1600 acre pasture thinking from there I would just walk to the edges of the property and call.I knew the sliver of a moon that we had would not be up until almost daylight so it was dark enough to set-up almost anywhere.As I proceeded toward the western edge of the pasture off to the north coyotes started up and then in the Northwest a couple answered back.OK well at least they are here. I had a spot in the SW corner in mind but I knew these coyotes could not hear me from there but no matter they could wait.
1st set I called softly for about 15 minutes with nothing showing.So I started toward the middle of the place but angling north to get within hopefully hearing distance of the earlier yipping coyotes. I had some trouble finding a place to cross the creek as the water was up from recent rains.
Once I jumped the creek I hit the Lightforce and scanned the large field and saw two sets of eyes that turned out to be raccoons,not what I had in mind so I continued on. I had gone another couple hundred yards and luckily decided to scan again. Well looky here two sets of eyes moving parallel to me at about 300 yds. Coyotes!! I quickly set-up the Primos Tripod and stepped about 15 yds to the right and set the Fury on a big pile of dirt that hogs had rooted up and then returned to the tripod and dimmed the Lightforce down and shined to the North Yep they were still there.
I played Vole Squeaks at low volume and the eyes turned and headed my way. As they approached I gradually increased the intensity and when they got to about 100 yds TWO MORE coyotes joined them and the race was on. I lip squeaked the lead dog and that just made him run faster, the cross hairs were following nicely so I squeezed off and he rolled. I jacked another round and then scanned the pasture... not a coyote in sight man are they quick.
Thinking maybe just maybe one might be still in the neighborhood I moved to higher ground and set-up again only 200 yds farther. I tryed bird sounds this time and raccoons climbed the post my call was on twice but they got passes. The bobcat that showed up later did not.
But that's not what made this a combo hunt.I brought my shotgun and tried some crows for a couple of stands until the wind got so bad my hat kept blowing off. I knocked down 9 although only the first five made the photo op.
I parked in the center of the 1600 acre pasture thinking from there I would just walk to the edges of the property and call.I knew the sliver of a moon that we had would not be up until almost daylight so it was dark enough to set-up almost anywhere.As I proceeded toward the western edge of the pasture off to the north coyotes started up and then in the Northwest a couple answered back.OK well at least they are here. I had a spot in the SW corner in mind but I knew these coyotes could not hear me from there but no matter they could wait.
1st set I called softly for about 15 minutes with nothing showing.So I started toward the middle of the place but angling north to get within hopefully hearing distance of the earlier yipping coyotes. I had some trouble finding a place to cross the creek as the water was up from recent rains.
Once I jumped the creek I hit the Lightforce and scanned the large field and saw two sets of eyes that turned out to be raccoons,not what I had in mind so I continued on. I had gone another couple hundred yards and luckily decided to scan again. Well looky here two sets of eyes moving parallel to me at about 300 yds. Coyotes!! I quickly set-up the Primos Tripod and stepped about 15 yds to the right and set the Fury on a big pile of dirt that hogs had rooted up and then returned to the tripod and dimmed the Lightforce down and shined to the North Yep they were still there.
I played Vole Squeaks at low volume and the eyes turned and headed my way. As they approached I gradually increased the intensity and when they got to about 100 yds TWO MORE coyotes joined them and the race was on. I lip squeaked the lead dog and that just made him run faster, the cross hairs were following nicely so I squeezed off and he rolled. I jacked another round and then scanned the pasture... not a coyote in sight man are they quick.
Thinking maybe just maybe one might be still in the neighborhood I moved to higher ground and set-up again only 200 yds farther. I tryed bird sounds this time and raccoons climbed the post my call was on twice but they got passes. The bobcat that showed up later did not.
But that's not what made this a combo hunt.I brought my shotgun and tried some crows for a couple of stands until the wind got so bad my hat kept blowing off. I knocked down 9 although only the first five made the photo op.
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