Hawk-eye
New member
This could get a bit picture heavy but I hope that you all will enjoy these great photos and fun story.
I told my 6 year old Dylan that he could go calling with me this weekend since it's still pretty warm out and he would be comfortable out there. I was in hope for a coyote and thought if we got a nicely furred one tonight, I'd just have it sent in with my bobcat I shot the other day for tanning since it would be our first coyote hunting together. Dylan's only been calling with me once before last Spring and that was out of a hunting tower blind. This time we would set right next to each other on the ground.
Dylan was really excited driving to our spot and was hoping we'd get a coyote too! Once we parked and started the walk in there, I said, Look Dylan, turkeys!" Four turkeys came out of the fence line we were walking in on just 40 yards ahead and took flight right in front of us. Dylan says "Wow, those are turkeys Dad?" "Yep" I said!
Once over the hill, we got to the spot where we were going to have some fun before dark. Little did we know just HOW much fun we were about to have together?
Here's the spot we were overlooking with the caller hung down fenceline from us about 70 yards.
We got all settled in beside each other and Dylan was giddy! We had a little talk about how we had to remain fairly still and kind of quiet while we sat there or we may spook the coyotes away. I chose this spot to sit because we'd be hidden a bit and any movement Dylan might make might be hidden a little. 6 year olds don't sit still very well for a long period of time but he did awesome! With the wind as strong as it was, we could whisper back and forth easily.
It was Dylan's job to run the caller and to watch for movement with me with his mini-binoculars. "Which sound should I play Daddy?" Dylan asked scrolling through the playlist. "Let's play ........ That one Dylan." I said, "I bet it will call some coyotes." "Yep, I think that's a good one too Dad!" He said, even though he had never heard it before in his life. I smiled as I turned my head and began watching our area when Dylan started the caller.
It played for a bit and soon I said, "Looky there Dylan! A Buck! And he's a good one!"
Dylan: "Where"
Dad: "Right there buddy." As I pointed out the buck.
This nice buck had came to have a peek at what all the commotion was about.
Dylan: "Is he going to come over here Dad?"
Dad: "No, I doubt it buddy, he's just seeing what the noise is. I wish I had my bow, he's a great buck."
Dylan: "Would you shoot that buck Dad?"
Dad: If I was bowhunting I would Dylan!" I whispered
The buck moved over the hill and out of sight and I wasn't hearing the caller very well. I feared with the wind, it wasn't getting sound into the thick cedars and cavities around the hill.
Dad: "Should I blow a mouth call Dylan?"
Dylan: "Yeah, blow the mouth call."
I blew two or three excited series and then told Dylan that he could run the caller on whatever sound he wanted to now. After a bit of silence he fired up the caller with a different sound. It played for a while longer and the action started.
Dad: "Look Dylan another buck is coming over the hill."
Dylan, looking through his binoculars: "He's a big buck too Dad!"
Dad: : "He's not as big as the last one but that's still pretty cool isn't it buddy?"
Dylan: "Yeah, pretty cool................Would you shoot that one if you were bowhunting Dad?"
Dad: "No, probably not buddy."
Dylan: "Oh."
Dad: "Look Dylan, another deer is coming over the hill!"
Dylan: "I see him, what is it?"
Dad: "It's a spike buck I think." I said looking through the binoculars.
The deer walked around a bit and soon the spike buck wandered in front of the other buck. He had his attention on something but I didn't pick up on it at first that he was intrigued by something. Check out the little guy's posture in this picture. He's eyeballing something?
Dad: "That deer is interested in something Dylan but I don't know what?"
Dylan behind the curve a little says, "What?"
Then I see it! A clump of something in the cut crp field. I knew what it was as soon as I laid eyes on it even though there was no way to tell with the naked eye yet. That's just the way they appear.
Dad: "Dylan, there's a bobcat! A bobcat is right there! Do you see that?" I said pointing at the cat.
Dylan: "No, where?"
Dad: "Right there!" I whispered excitedly pointing at it again.
It wasn't 65 yards away in the field. Finally it moved and I was on it with the camera!
Dad: "Do you see him now Dylan?"
Dylan: "Yeah, I see it. Is that really a bobcat Dad?"
Dad: "Yes buddy, it is a bobcat. I can't believe we called one in!" I said whispering.
That little spike buck actually moved within just a few feet of the bobcat. He wasn't a big fan of it being there. Not sure if he was trying to intimidate it a little or was more on the curious side but he walked right to it. The cat finally moved towards the caller as soon as the deer got too close to him almost as if he was annoyed by the deer diverting his attention away from the caller that was still playing down the hill.
Here they are together just after the cat began to stalk down the hill to the caller.
Dad: "He's going to stalk in on the caller right in front of us Dylan. Like he's hunting it."
Dylan: "Does he think it's a rabbit?"
Dad: "Yep, and he wants to eat it" I whispered.
Dad again: "O.k, now don't move at all buddy, o.k?" I whispered to Dylan to remind him, all the while taking picture after picture.
Here he is stalking the caller slowly.
Part two of the story is in the next post below:
Nominated for the Hunt Of The Month
I told my 6 year old Dylan that he could go calling with me this weekend since it's still pretty warm out and he would be comfortable out there. I was in hope for a coyote and thought if we got a nicely furred one tonight, I'd just have it sent in with my bobcat I shot the other day for tanning since it would be our first coyote hunting together. Dylan's only been calling with me once before last Spring and that was out of a hunting tower blind. This time we would set right next to each other on the ground.
Dylan was really excited driving to our spot and was hoping we'd get a coyote too! Once we parked and started the walk in there, I said, Look Dylan, turkeys!" Four turkeys came out of the fence line we were walking in on just 40 yards ahead and took flight right in front of us. Dylan says "Wow, those are turkeys Dad?" "Yep" I said!
Once over the hill, we got to the spot where we were going to have some fun before dark. Little did we know just HOW much fun we were about to have together?
Here's the spot we were overlooking with the caller hung down fenceline from us about 70 yards.
We got all settled in beside each other and Dylan was giddy! We had a little talk about how we had to remain fairly still and kind of quiet while we sat there or we may spook the coyotes away. I chose this spot to sit because we'd be hidden a bit and any movement Dylan might make might be hidden a little. 6 year olds don't sit still very well for a long period of time but he did awesome! With the wind as strong as it was, we could whisper back and forth easily.
It was Dylan's job to run the caller and to watch for movement with me with his mini-binoculars. "Which sound should I play Daddy?" Dylan asked scrolling through the playlist. "Let's play ........ That one Dylan." I said, "I bet it will call some coyotes." "Yep, I think that's a good one too Dad!" He said, even though he had never heard it before in his life. I smiled as I turned my head and began watching our area when Dylan started the caller.
It played for a bit and soon I said, "Looky there Dylan! A Buck! And he's a good one!"
Dylan: "Where"
Dad: "Right there buddy." As I pointed out the buck.
This nice buck had came to have a peek at what all the commotion was about.
Dylan: "Is he going to come over here Dad?"
Dad: "No, I doubt it buddy, he's just seeing what the noise is. I wish I had my bow, he's a great buck."
Dylan: "Would you shoot that buck Dad?"
Dad: If I was bowhunting I would Dylan!" I whispered
The buck moved over the hill and out of sight and I wasn't hearing the caller very well. I feared with the wind, it wasn't getting sound into the thick cedars and cavities around the hill.
Dad: "Should I blow a mouth call Dylan?"
Dylan: "Yeah, blow the mouth call."
I blew two or three excited series and then told Dylan that he could run the caller on whatever sound he wanted to now. After a bit of silence he fired up the caller with a different sound. It played for a while longer and the action started.
Dad: "Look Dylan another buck is coming over the hill."
Dylan, looking through his binoculars: "He's a big buck too Dad!"
Dad: : "He's not as big as the last one but that's still pretty cool isn't it buddy?"
Dylan: "Yeah, pretty cool................Would you shoot that one if you were bowhunting Dad?"
Dad: "No, probably not buddy."
Dylan: "Oh."
Dad: "Look Dylan, another deer is coming over the hill!"
Dylan: "I see him, what is it?"
Dad: "It's a spike buck I think." I said looking through the binoculars.
The deer walked around a bit and soon the spike buck wandered in front of the other buck. He had his attention on something but I didn't pick up on it at first that he was intrigued by something. Check out the little guy's posture in this picture. He's eyeballing something?
Dad: "That deer is interested in something Dylan but I don't know what?"
Dylan behind the curve a little says, "What?"
Then I see it! A clump of something in the cut crp field. I knew what it was as soon as I laid eyes on it even though there was no way to tell with the naked eye yet. That's just the way they appear.
Dad: "Dylan, there's a bobcat! A bobcat is right there! Do you see that?" I said pointing at the cat.
Dylan: "No, where?"
Dad: "Right there!" I whispered excitedly pointing at it again.
It wasn't 65 yards away in the field. Finally it moved and I was on it with the camera!
Dad: "Do you see him now Dylan?"
Dylan: "Yeah, I see it. Is that really a bobcat Dad?"
Dad: "Yes buddy, it is a bobcat. I can't believe we called one in!" I said whispering.
That little spike buck actually moved within just a few feet of the bobcat. He wasn't a big fan of it being there. Not sure if he was trying to intimidate it a little or was more on the curious side but he walked right to it. The cat finally moved towards the caller as soon as the deer got too close to him almost as if he was annoyed by the deer diverting his attention away from the caller that was still playing down the hill.
Here they are together just after the cat began to stalk down the hill to the caller.
Dad: "He's going to stalk in on the caller right in front of us Dylan. Like he's hunting it."
Dylan: "Does he think it's a rabbit?"
Dad: "Yep, and he wants to eat it" I whispered.
Dad again: "O.k, now don't move at all buddy, o.k?" I whispered to Dylan to remind him, all the while taking picture after picture.
Here he is stalking the caller slowly.
Part two of the story is in the next post below:
Nominated for the Hunt Of The Month
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