The last 2 days I hunted with my friend Randy Reeves. I work with a lady who has goats to train herding dogs with, and she has been wanting me to come up to her place because some coyotes have been killing a few goats. A few of the neighbors also have goats that have been killed in broad daylight and they saw the guilty coyotes in action.
Anyway, I decided to make the 2.5 hour trip up to her place and she had also secured some of her neighbors property for me to hunt. Since the area was actually closer to Randy than me, I gave him a call to see if he was interested in meeting up and doing some calling. He was, and we make our plans.
We meet about 8 yesterday morning and went to meet my co-worker and check out neighbors spot. We decided to call the spots around the goat pens and houses first, and then if we didn't do any good we would call it again after dark.
We called 4 spots around those properties with no luck even though a couple looked promising. We grabbed burger at the corner café and decided to head out to a 600 acre spot she had secured for us to call and shoot hogs.
We got there and parked the truck on a decided to make stands down a long power line on foot since the wet weather had the roads almost unpassable even in 4wheel drive.
The first 3 stands on this property were blanks as well and we were scratching our heads. As we were standing on the power line at a road intersection trying to decide where to set up, I saw a coyote cross the intersecting road about 300 yards down and we quickly moved up to set up. We wind was in our favor and a creek that we had to cross to get to where I saw him cross would serve to keep him from circling to far down wind.
I started the caller on nutty nuthatch, and at the 4.5 minute mark I head rustling right in from of us (the road was running left to right) and then he popped out about 20 yards to the right and even with the caller. He was angling across the road when I dropped him in mid stride. It was big 'ol dark males.
We were about a mile from the truck at this point and decided to hunt our way back working at right angles back to the truck but only found 2 more spots that were open enough to call.
It was getting late but we could not find a suitable place to call in the thick woods so we decided to head into town to get supper and then be back around the houses as soon as it was dark.
We made the same stands and only called in one coon that came hard in the first minute or so, and we didn't want to mess up a coyote. We hear some howling that sounded like there in a pasture we had called earlier so we headed there, but only saw a deer. We were about to make our last night stand right were the goats were killed we saw a sheriff deputy pull up behind the truck. Apparently some neighbor that didn't get the memo had called in on our truck thinking we might be copper thieves or something. After checking us out, we went on his way.
About 20 seconds into that stand I hear Randy lip squeak, but I never saw anything. He said he thinks it was a coyote that charged in then ducked out as soon as his red light hit him.
We called it a night and headed to lake house to spend the night. This morning we were up early to make the 45 minute drive west to a spot that Randy has had permission on for several years and had not called yet this year.
We got there about 7:30 and talked to the cowboy on the way in that was feeding the cows. We set up near a barn where I had killed a coyote with him the last time I was there, but the wind was not exactly how we would have liked. About 8 minutes in Randy when to pup distress and I saw a coyote pop out of the thicket and he was dangerously close to being downwind. He was facing me, and I decided to take the shot before he buggered. He bolted at the shot, but I thought I hit. However, I never could find him in the thicket. Two stands later we were calling a spot where Venatic had shot a bobcat the last time I was there. We set up the same way as that time, and about minute and half in I hear something behind me and turn my head to see a coyote come under the fence about 15 feet behind me. He sees me and turns to leave and before I can swing my gun around, he is gone. @#$@#%#$%$~!
Randy hit some pup distress and then back to rabbit and at the 5 minute mark another coyote is coming across between us and the truck and when he hits out tracks he turns and leave and I can never get shot. I guess we should have set up a little different but sometime you just never know where they are going to come from.
The next stand is a snug little clearing surrounded with thicket and at the 3 minute mark of nutty nuthatch (I think) several crows start mobbing at the edge of the clearing over the thicket. I get ready and about 2 minutes later I see a bobcat pop out about 80-90 yards in front of me. I take the shot and he drops, but about 2 seconds later I see him up and into the brush. After a couple of more minutes of calling we break the stand. Randy says he saw the cat sitting on the edge for 30 or 40 seconds before I saw him, but he was holding a shotgun and knew he couldn't reach him. We walked over and she had only made it about 15 feet into the brush. A nice little female, and it was about 10:30 am..
We made a few more stands but never saw anything else, so we called it a day about 1pm. As is Randy's custom, I could not get him to get in any of the pictures.
This was the first time I had seen Randy since the Predator Expo back in April and the first time we have hunted together in about 2 years, so I really enjoyed getting to hunt and visit with him again.
Randy, thanks for buying supper, and hopefully we can do it again. You are going to have to work on your cardio though!
Randy said that he walked more in the last 2 days than he had in the last 2 years. I guess that is what happens when you are a boss. You get out of shape and lazy!
Anyway, I decided to make the 2.5 hour trip up to her place and she had also secured some of her neighbors property for me to hunt. Since the area was actually closer to Randy than me, I gave him a call to see if he was interested in meeting up and doing some calling. He was, and we make our plans.
We meet about 8 yesterday morning and went to meet my co-worker and check out neighbors spot. We decided to call the spots around the goat pens and houses first, and then if we didn't do any good we would call it again after dark.
We called 4 spots around those properties with no luck even though a couple looked promising. We grabbed burger at the corner café and decided to head out to a 600 acre spot she had secured for us to call and shoot hogs.
We got there and parked the truck on a decided to make stands down a long power line on foot since the wet weather had the roads almost unpassable even in 4wheel drive.
The first 3 stands on this property were blanks as well and we were scratching our heads. As we were standing on the power line at a road intersection trying to decide where to set up, I saw a coyote cross the intersecting road about 300 yards down and we quickly moved up to set up. We wind was in our favor and a creek that we had to cross to get to where I saw him cross would serve to keep him from circling to far down wind.
I started the caller on nutty nuthatch, and at the 4.5 minute mark I head rustling right in from of us (the road was running left to right) and then he popped out about 20 yards to the right and even with the caller. He was angling across the road when I dropped him in mid stride. It was big 'ol dark males.
We were about a mile from the truck at this point and decided to hunt our way back working at right angles back to the truck but only found 2 more spots that were open enough to call.
It was getting late but we could not find a suitable place to call in the thick woods so we decided to head into town to get supper and then be back around the houses as soon as it was dark.
We made the same stands and only called in one coon that came hard in the first minute or so, and we didn't want to mess up a coyote. We hear some howling that sounded like there in a pasture we had called earlier so we headed there, but only saw a deer. We were about to make our last night stand right were the goats were killed we saw a sheriff deputy pull up behind the truck. Apparently some neighbor that didn't get the memo had called in on our truck thinking we might be copper thieves or something. After checking us out, we went on his way.
About 20 seconds into that stand I hear Randy lip squeak, but I never saw anything. He said he thinks it was a coyote that charged in then ducked out as soon as his red light hit him.
We called it a night and headed to lake house to spend the night. This morning we were up early to make the 45 minute drive west to a spot that Randy has had permission on for several years and had not called yet this year.
We got there about 7:30 and talked to the cowboy on the way in that was feeding the cows. We set up near a barn where I had killed a coyote with him the last time I was there, but the wind was not exactly how we would have liked. About 8 minutes in Randy when to pup distress and I saw a coyote pop out of the thicket and he was dangerously close to being downwind. He was facing me, and I decided to take the shot before he buggered. He bolted at the shot, but I thought I hit. However, I never could find him in the thicket. Two stands later we were calling a spot where Venatic had shot a bobcat the last time I was there. We set up the same way as that time, and about minute and half in I hear something behind me and turn my head to see a coyote come under the fence about 15 feet behind me. He sees me and turns to leave and before I can swing my gun around, he is gone. @#$@#%#$%$~!
Randy hit some pup distress and then back to rabbit and at the 5 minute mark another coyote is coming across between us and the truck and when he hits out tracks he turns and leave and I can never get shot. I guess we should have set up a little different but sometime you just never know where they are going to come from.
The next stand is a snug little clearing surrounded with thicket and at the 3 minute mark of nutty nuthatch (I think) several crows start mobbing at the edge of the clearing over the thicket. I get ready and about 2 minutes later I see a bobcat pop out about 80-90 yards in front of me. I take the shot and he drops, but about 2 seconds later I see him up and into the brush. After a couple of more minutes of calling we break the stand. Randy says he saw the cat sitting on the edge for 30 or 40 seconds before I saw him, but he was holding a shotgun and knew he couldn't reach him. We walked over and she had only made it about 15 feet into the brush. A nice little female, and it was about 10:30 am..
We made a few more stands but never saw anything else, so we called it a day about 1pm. As is Randy's custom, I could not get him to get in any of the pictures.
This was the first time I had seen Randy since the Predator Expo back in April and the first time we have hunted together in about 2 years, so I really enjoyed getting to hunt and visit with him again.
Randy, thanks for buying supper, and hopefully we can do it again. You are going to have to work on your cardio though!
Randy said that he walked more in the last 2 days than he had in the last 2 years. I guess that is what happens when you are a boss. You get out of shape and lazy!
Last edited by a moderator:
