Switch
New member
Snow that is!
This time of year I like to start looking for cats. We took a couple of night/day trips this month hoping to fill a few tags.
Ed and I headed out to shine a light earlier this month and it was cold. On the first stand Ed was on the rifle and I was on the Dan Thompson call and light. About ten minutes in I spot eyes coming in quick. Ed gets lined up and I burn the animal with Ed's two bulb spot light. The kit fox stops briefly and then keeps coming. About twenty seconds later a second fox shows up and we call the stand and head down the road. Kits are protected here in CA, and once you get into them, you need to change locations to leave them behind.
The next stand I was just about to pack it up when I spotted eyes trotting in quick. The way the eyes were bouncing around, I was pretty sure it was a cat. Ed gets lined up and we coax the cat closer. With each coaxing call, the cat just kept coming. He finally cleared the brush and I lit him up. Ed dropped him with a perfect chest shot at thirty yards. The night time temperature dropped to -4 degrees so we hung up the light and got some rest.
A nicely spotted female.
My buddy Ed with his prize.
The next day we did some calling before the wind picked up. I had a completely hairless coyote come in quick. Mange had turned him completely gray and he looked like he wouldn't survive another night. Unfortunately, he came in fast and left without offering me a shot. Ed called in a nice fluffy one and dropped it to end the trip.
Later in the month I took my buddy Jose to look for cats. He's never gotten a chance at a cat and I figured we'd try and shine the light. Despite the cold and calling seven stands, our only customer was a coyote that took a peak and never offered Jose a shot.
The next morning we set out to call our way home. On the fourth stand we were hunting a spot I've hunted before and have had great luck. We were using the Foxpro on this stand and had it set out about twenty yards. We debated on taking the shotguns since the area Is a bit closed in, but we went with the rifles. About six minutes in I heard brush breaking. I watched the coyote race towards the caller, circle it once and then try and head out. I dumped the sticks, found fur in the scope and caught him right before he was out of sight. The 204 did some damage. He went another twenty feet.
He was easy to find with all the leaking.
For me a rare hunt in the snow.
The very next stand we found a nice spot with a bit of elevation. Due to the terrain, Jose and I set up about twenty yards apart. As soon I started calling, I spotted some movement about five hundred yards out. A few seconds later I see a coyote coming in fast. He was headed straight for Jose's position. I dropped the volume and he kept bouncing through the brush. About sixty yards out, I muted the call and lost sight of the coyote. Jose put the animal down with a perfect chest shot. I guess a second coyote came in as well, but I never spotted it.
Jose wanted his hero Christmas shot.
A couple good hunts with some great friends!
This time of year I like to start looking for cats. We took a couple of night/day trips this month hoping to fill a few tags.
Ed and I headed out to shine a light earlier this month and it was cold. On the first stand Ed was on the rifle and I was on the Dan Thompson call and light. About ten minutes in I spot eyes coming in quick. Ed gets lined up and I burn the animal with Ed's two bulb spot light. The kit fox stops briefly and then keeps coming. About twenty seconds later a second fox shows up and we call the stand and head down the road. Kits are protected here in CA, and once you get into them, you need to change locations to leave them behind.
The next stand I was just about to pack it up when I spotted eyes trotting in quick. The way the eyes were bouncing around, I was pretty sure it was a cat. Ed gets lined up and we coax the cat closer. With each coaxing call, the cat just kept coming. He finally cleared the brush and I lit him up. Ed dropped him with a perfect chest shot at thirty yards. The night time temperature dropped to -4 degrees so we hung up the light and got some rest.
A nicely spotted female.
My buddy Ed with his prize.
The next day we did some calling before the wind picked up. I had a completely hairless coyote come in quick. Mange had turned him completely gray and he looked like he wouldn't survive another night. Unfortunately, he came in fast and left without offering me a shot. Ed called in a nice fluffy one and dropped it to end the trip.
Later in the month I took my buddy Jose to look for cats. He's never gotten a chance at a cat and I figured we'd try and shine the light. Despite the cold and calling seven stands, our only customer was a coyote that took a peak and never offered Jose a shot.
The next morning we set out to call our way home. On the fourth stand we were hunting a spot I've hunted before and have had great luck. We were using the Foxpro on this stand and had it set out about twenty yards. We debated on taking the shotguns since the area Is a bit closed in, but we went with the rifles. About six minutes in I heard brush breaking. I watched the coyote race towards the caller, circle it once and then try and head out. I dumped the sticks, found fur in the scope and caught him right before he was out of sight. The 204 did some damage. He went another twenty feet.
He was easy to find with all the leaking.
For me a rare hunt in the snow.
The very next stand we found a nice spot with a bit of elevation. Due to the terrain, Jose and I set up about twenty yards apart. As soon I started calling, I spotted some movement about five hundred yards out. A few seconds later I see a coyote coming in fast. He was headed straight for Jose's position. I dropped the volume and he kept bouncing through the brush. About sixty yards out, I muted the call and lost sight of the coyote. Jose put the animal down with a perfect chest shot. I guess a second coyote came in as well, but I never spotted it.
Jose wanted his hero Christmas shot.
A couple good hunts with some great friends!
