hideandseek
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Freezing Temps = Success. NOT REALLY
Last week my a buddy and I are headed out for some coyote hunting.
The temps have been from the low teens to -8 degrees. During the hunt last week it was 6 or 7 degrees. My rule of thumb has always been, if it is that cold it will be "On like Donkey Kong". We got on the first set and as soon as we started the caller on a distress sound a pack begins howling about 500 hundred yards to our east. We threw everything under the sun at them. Nothing. I think they might have our number. Well we finished our set and completed 5 more. Nothing! This was our first skunk all year. Maybe they decided it was too cold to eat. Also for the first time this year we drove by a couple guys out coyote hunting. In my area. Not cool. But I do now believe these guys are calling in my spots. Which may explain alot of the blank stands I have been experiencing.
Fast forward one week. My buddy and I headed out to the same general area. I use a call chart for this area which included 17 different sets, so I know when each set was last called and if we were sucessful or not. The temps are around 12 - 15 degrees. We hit the first set, which is an area where we have called in two coyotes and both have gotten away. Set was a blank but I am not surprised. Then I see that same pickup with coyote hunters from last week drive by. Great! Sets 2 and 3 were also blanks. Now I am starting to get a little bummed, thinking we are looking at getting skunked again. Set number 4 starts with the bunny blues. I am on the downwind side of the caller, in a rockpile. My buddy is 40 yards to my right and back a little. The caller is right in front of his rockpile. The nice thing about these rockpiles is they give you 10 or more feet of elevation, which helps control your scent. So at about 10 minutes in, I catch movement coming in about 125 yards straight out. I see a coyote coming in, then it stops for a look. It starts again and comes to about 80 to 100 yards then stops again. This coyote is not looking real set on coming in, so as it stops the second time, I put the scope on its chest and slowly take out the slack. Bang! The coyote drops right there. Then a second later jumps up and begins a little spin. I already lost one coyote this year by not putting another in it, so I quickly put another V-Max into this one and it lays down for good.
Here is a pic of the nice female. After inspection I could see my first shot hit the scapula of her shoulder and nearly took off the leg but did not penetrate much. The second shot hit the same spot but put her down for good.
Set number 5 was a spot which has produced 4 or 5 coyotes. Last week we pulled into this spot and saw fresh tire tracks and boot prints headed right to our rock pile. We pulled out and headed elsewhere. This week we pull into the same spot and see no new track since our last visit. We walk in for ten minutes and cut boot tracks coming in from a different direction. These tracks look to be from this morning. Well were already most of the way in so we figure we may as well give it try. We get set up and run the bunny blues. At six minutes in I see a coyote coming in from my right at about 120 yards. I tell my buddy, "coming in on the right" but as the words are still in my mouth the coyote catches our wind and starts heading straight out. My buddy starts lip squeeking but its not stopping. Finally my buddy gives a howl by mouth and it stops broadside. I take a good breath, remove the slack and slowly squeeze. Bang, Flop!
This nice female was shot at 180 yards. Well that goes to show you, even though somebody was in here earlier today, that does not mean its a bust for the day.
We did two more stands for the day which were blanks. On the last stand of the day, as I was heading back to the truck we cut this set of tracks in the snow. I took a pic as the track looked pretty cool in the snow.
Happy hunting everybody.
Last week my a buddy and I are headed out for some coyote hunting.
The temps have been from the low teens to -8 degrees. During the hunt last week it was 6 or 7 degrees. My rule of thumb has always been, if it is that cold it will be "On like Donkey Kong". We got on the first set and as soon as we started the caller on a distress sound a pack begins howling about 500 hundred yards to our east. We threw everything under the sun at them. Nothing. I think they might have our number. Well we finished our set and completed 5 more. Nothing! This was our first skunk all year. Maybe they decided it was too cold to eat. Also for the first time this year we drove by a couple guys out coyote hunting. In my area. Not cool. But I do now believe these guys are calling in my spots. Which may explain alot of the blank stands I have been experiencing.
Fast forward one week. My buddy and I headed out to the same general area. I use a call chart for this area which included 17 different sets, so I know when each set was last called and if we were sucessful or not. The temps are around 12 - 15 degrees. We hit the first set, which is an area where we have called in two coyotes and both have gotten away. Set was a blank but I am not surprised. Then I see that same pickup with coyote hunters from last week drive by. Great! Sets 2 and 3 were also blanks. Now I am starting to get a little bummed, thinking we are looking at getting skunked again. Set number 4 starts with the bunny blues. I am on the downwind side of the caller, in a rockpile. My buddy is 40 yards to my right and back a little. The caller is right in front of his rockpile. The nice thing about these rockpiles is they give you 10 or more feet of elevation, which helps control your scent. So at about 10 minutes in, I catch movement coming in about 125 yards straight out. I see a coyote coming in, then it stops for a look. It starts again and comes to about 80 to 100 yards then stops again. This coyote is not looking real set on coming in, so as it stops the second time, I put the scope on its chest and slowly take out the slack. Bang! The coyote drops right there. Then a second later jumps up and begins a little spin. I already lost one coyote this year by not putting another in it, so I quickly put another V-Max into this one and it lays down for good.
Here is a pic of the nice female. After inspection I could see my first shot hit the scapula of her shoulder and nearly took off the leg but did not penetrate much. The second shot hit the same spot but put her down for good.
Set number 5 was a spot which has produced 4 or 5 coyotes. Last week we pulled into this spot and saw fresh tire tracks and boot prints headed right to our rock pile. We pulled out and headed elsewhere. This week we pull into the same spot and see no new track since our last visit. We walk in for ten minutes and cut boot tracks coming in from a different direction. These tracks look to be from this morning. Well were already most of the way in so we figure we may as well give it try. We get set up and run the bunny blues. At six minutes in I see a coyote coming in from my right at about 120 yards. I tell my buddy, "coming in on the right" but as the words are still in my mouth the coyote catches our wind and starts heading straight out. My buddy starts lip squeeking but its not stopping. Finally my buddy gives a howl by mouth and it stops broadside. I take a good breath, remove the slack and slowly squeeze. Bang, Flop!
This nice female was shot at 180 yards. Well that goes to show you, even though somebody was in here earlier today, that does not mean its a bust for the day.
We did two more stands for the day which were blanks. On the last stand of the day, as I was heading back to the truck we cut this set of tracks in the snow. I took a pic as the track looked pretty cool in the snow.
Happy hunting everybody.
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