Curt Barrett
New member
Well finally got to do some calling last Sunday. Got done with some chores in the morn and headed out. Weather was just right. Cloudy, cool and calm. Almost too calm. Dang wind couldn't make up it's mind which way to blow. LOL!
Last season I got my hands on one of those fancy "Rhino" calls of Jay Nistetters. Man that thing is sweet. So purdy I couldn't bring myself to take it out much last year. Before deer season I had been using some recorded handcalling of the Rhino on my Foxpro. It worked dandy. This Sunday I was running real light. A call, a gun, and a buttpad. Like to get out for some straight handcalling too ya know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Got started a little after the crack of noon. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif My hopes weren't real high as this area had seen quite a bit of calling. I wasted a bunch of time trying to find a good spot for my first stand. That stand didn't produce. Didn't care for the area so I went back to the rig and moved to a different spot a little farther away. Headed into the field and found a stand with a good view finally. Very little cover to sit in though.
After a couple series on the rhino and about 5 minutes I spotted a hard charging big male coming in about 300 yards out. He stopped once to look the situation over then started running hard again. If he held his line he would end up cutting my wind at about 50 yards. I let him come to what I felt was about 100 and was getting ready to bark him to a stop. He stopped on his own so I let a 55 fly and hit him center of the chest. He went down hard and gave a wag or two. 116 paces.
Next stand nada.
I moved about 500 yards and found another good spot. Plenty of cover at this stand. Lot's of sage in spots. Same calling sequence. Had a small group of coyotes howling from a long ways off. I was ready to hang it up and had just stood up and started walking to split the distance to the howling coyotes. Then I saw coyote coming down the two track I was going to start walking to my next stand on. We saw each other about the same time. It went off the two track and into a low spot. I wasn't sure it was making a break or not. It came into view again. I barked at the trotting coyote and she stopped broadside about 140 paces. I suck at shooting off hand so was happy to hear the sound of a bullet connecting after the pull of the trigger. She spun and bit at her side a couple times. Then posed for a pic. Exit wasn't pretty. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif She must of had a buddy with her. Nearby I heard that short bark/howl they do when they cuss you out. Tried calling it in with no luck.
I was heading to the next stand and heard the bark/howl thing again from a different direction. Either the same coyote that had bad mouthed me before and circled or another that spotted me walking. I took a look through the binos and could see the coyote this time and he had a couple younger coyotes with him. I found a spot to sit and watch the bigger one howl for a minute. Kinda neat seeing him throw his head back to howl and not hear anything. After about a 1 second delay I'd hear the howl. I blew a series on the rhino. The big coyote started trotting with the others following. They went behind a small hill that was between myself and them in an attempt to wind me I figured. I quickly got up and went around the other end of the hill to watch the downwind side. Sure as heck they were coming around the back door. Big dog way ahead and getting ready to hit the scent. I extended and flipped the bipod legs down and barked. They stopped. No time to sit. Had to shoot from my knees. Dropped the big one. Took a couple shots at one of the fleeing ones before it made it over the hill but didn't connect. Around 250 yards to the one I hit after pacing it off. Didn't hear the short bark/howls anymore. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Starting to get dark by then so started heading for the truck. Good to get out.
Good hunting, Curt
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Last season I got my hands on one of those fancy "Rhino" calls of Jay Nistetters. Man that thing is sweet. So purdy I couldn't bring myself to take it out much last year. Before deer season I had been using some recorded handcalling of the Rhino on my Foxpro. It worked dandy. This Sunday I was running real light. A call, a gun, and a buttpad. Like to get out for some straight handcalling too ya know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Got started a little after the crack of noon. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif My hopes weren't real high as this area had seen quite a bit of calling. I wasted a bunch of time trying to find a good spot for my first stand. That stand didn't produce. Didn't care for the area so I went back to the rig and moved to a different spot a little farther away. Headed into the field and found a stand with a good view finally. Very little cover to sit in though.
After a couple series on the rhino and about 5 minutes I spotted a hard charging big male coming in about 300 yards out. He stopped once to look the situation over then started running hard again. If he held his line he would end up cutting my wind at about 50 yards. I let him come to what I felt was about 100 and was getting ready to bark him to a stop. He stopped on his own so I let a 55 fly and hit him center of the chest. He went down hard and gave a wag or two. 116 paces.
Next stand nada.
I moved about 500 yards and found another good spot. Plenty of cover at this stand. Lot's of sage in spots. Same calling sequence. Had a small group of coyotes howling from a long ways off. I was ready to hang it up and had just stood up and started walking to split the distance to the howling coyotes. Then I saw coyote coming down the two track I was going to start walking to my next stand on. We saw each other about the same time. It went off the two track and into a low spot. I wasn't sure it was making a break or not. It came into view again. I barked at the trotting coyote and she stopped broadside about 140 paces. I suck at shooting off hand so was happy to hear the sound of a bullet connecting after the pull of the trigger. She spun and bit at her side a couple times. Then posed for a pic. Exit wasn't pretty. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif She must of had a buddy with her. Nearby I heard that short bark/howl they do when they cuss you out. Tried calling it in with no luck.
I was heading to the next stand and heard the bark/howl thing again from a different direction. Either the same coyote that had bad mouthed me before and circled or another that spotted me walking. I took a look through the binos and could see the coyote this time and he had a couple younger coyotes with him. I found a spot to sit and watch the bigger one howl for a minute. Kinda neat seeing him throw his head back to howl and not hear anything. After about a 1 second delay I'd hear the howl. I blew a series on the rhino. The big coyote started trotting with the others following. They went behind a small hill that was between myself and them in an attempt to wind me I figured. I quickly got up and went around the other end of the hill to watch the downwind side. Sure as heck they were coming around the back door. Big dog way ahead and getting ready to hit the scent. I extended and flipped the bipod legs down and barked. They stopped. No time to sit. Had to shoot from my knees. Dropped the big one. Took a couple shots at one of the fleeing ones before it made it over the hill but didn't connect. Around 250 yards to the one I hit after pacing it off. Didn't hear the short bark/howls anymore. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Starting to get dark by then so started heading for the truck. Good to get out.
Good hunting, Curt
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