Valentine Couple Counseling

Arizona Bushman

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Over the last few weeks I have been getting quite a few inquiries from fellow hunters who are stuck in the breeding season rut. Most of the questions revolve around sound usage and ambush tactics. My advice has been as follows; “Pup Distress, stay on stand longer and shoot the smaller dog first if you call in a duo, because it is the female and the male will stay in the area” The only problem with all of my advice is the fact that I haven’t really had any of my own success since New Year’s Eve.

During the month of January, I called over 90 BLANK stands. Nothing, nada, zero, zilch came to the call. [beeep], I couldn’t even call in a woodpecker! However; last Saturday that all changed when I managed to call in back to back doubles. But, once again my tactics were lacking. I was forced to carry my shotgun because of certain politically driven supply and demand issues (.223 ammo shortage) and the dogs would not come any closer than about 70 yards before making a journey downwind and bugging out.

After several early mornings waiting to be the first into several local gun stores I was able to put enough pieces together to finally manufacture some quality ammunition. I gave all of the components to a good friend and he was able to develop some rounds that wouldn’t take too long to zero in. (Thanks Kingzero, no sight in required)

On my first stand of the morning I set up with a highway to my back in hopes of calling in some dogs scavenging for road kill, the sun was coming up over my shoulder and I had a slight 2-3 mph breeze coming straight at me. I hung the call in a tree and began playing Pup Distress at full volume.

60 seconds later a pair of dogs were coming straight to the call, but broke off at about 100 yards and began to circle out and away from me………. The female presented a perfect broadside shot between 80 and 90 yards and was dropped with a single 40gr Nosler. I kept Pup Distress playing in hopes of bringing the bigger male back in. I instantly catch movements in the brush and spot the first coyote standing up, covered in blood and staring blankly at me. A quick double tap puts the stunned varmint back on the ground. I figure after three shots that the male isn’t coming back, so I walk over to the downed animal and finish her off with a fourth bullet.

I snapped a few pics of the carnage and sat back down to relay a full report to Kingzero on the performance of his creation. The text read like this (The 40 grainers get an “A+” for accuracy, a “C-“ for knock down and a solid “F” for fur friendliness)

I decided to let things chill out for about a half an hour and began calling from the same spot in hopes of bringing the male back around. I started my second set with some challenge barks and then went straight into TT Breeding Coyote. Well needless to say; the male coyote did not like the sound of being played on Valentine’s Day. He instantly appeared on a rolling hill about 300 yards to my 12-0-clock……….

I slowly rotated my scope control up to 9x, focused on my breathing, focused on easing through the first stage of my two stage trigger and held steady right in the middle of his chest to send the round.

The big male dropped hard with a single well-placed shot and I began a long 283 yard hike over the rolling hills, and then an even longer hike back with a 35 pounds of dead weight in tow.

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Well, if nothing else, that's a fine way to break a dry spell! I switched away from 40-grain Vmaxes a number of years ago because I got results like yours. The 50 and 55 grainers work much better for me. I even have some 60 grainers to try out soon.
 
Originally Posted By: KollincoyoteNice job man, Ive noticed you haven't posted much lately but 90 stands!!!??? Way to stay with it!!!

Yep, and every one of those stands was going to be the "one". Well at least in my mind it was!
 
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