UUGH!!! I missed my first coyote tonight. It's funny...you don't replay the ones you connect with over and over in your head. It's the ones you miss. And for the life of me, I can't figure out where the round went. I knew it would happen eventually, I just don't expect to miss.
I set up between a freshly cut field, and a hay field about a foot and half in height. I figured the yote would come from the woods on my right, through the hay field and into the freshly cut field (that's where the last one came from). I was tucked in some taller grass against some wrapped bails, with the line of bails to my right so I couldn't be seen from the woods. I was uphill and downwind of the caller and decoy, which I had set originally about 25 yards from me. I say originally, because after about 20 minutes of spinning, my decoy batteries crapped the bed, so I decided to get up and attach my foxpro decoy to the caller and pull in the mojo. I pushed the caller and decoy a little further out, about 35 yards total now. It was still light, so I wasn't too worried about blowing the set.
I had my mossberg 935 and TC in the .204 with me. I'm really trying for that first shotgun kill, but keep the rifle just in case. Okay...first mistake...I loaded the rifle at the car, and proceeded to leave the rest of the rounds in the car. I "Barney Fifed" myself. I knew this as I was in my spot. But the shotgun was fully loaded and ready. I was only gonna get one shot if I had to use the rifle.
Okay...now to the yote. Probably 10 minutes after the sun sets, and a couple of loan howls...with the distressed young rabbit playing, I catch movement in the hay field. It's the head of a coyote bouncing through the hay field coming my way, from the woods just like I thought he would. I couldn't believe how hard it was to see it in the hay field. But he makes it to the edge of the cut field about 100-120 yards out. I'm holding steady with the shotgun hoping he'll charge the decoy. He starts stuttering in his approach...not sure if he can see the decoy or not, but obviously can hear the sound. But he's staying out there instead of coming my way. At some point he stops to turn around and I turn the sound off. He turns again and starts making his way back deeper into the cut field. I think he might have seen me. Second mistake...I switched calls in an effort to get him deeper into the cut field. He figured something was wrong, stopped and turned and proceeded to head back into the hay field. At this point, I realize I'm not getting a shotgun kill, so I grab the .204.
Now...he can't see me, and I can't see him due to a tall patch of uncut sourghum. The bastard stopped in the middle of the hayfield and started barking and yipping. He was loud, and I figured I don't have anything to lose at this point. I stand up and lean against the bails and started scanning the hay field. Can't see him yet, but he's still barking. I shift to the right and look a little further left and there he is. Basically just his head sticking up out of the field. I get him in my scope and place the crosshairs on him. About 200 yards at this point...well within my range. I squeeze off the round and the yote heads off through the field. I really can't believe I missed. 5 minutes of legal shooting time left, so I got up and decided to go take a look to make sure...NOTHING!! I don't know if the bullet caught some grass and deflected, or if I pulled the shot. My rest wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad either.
Anyway, that yote simply went to the next field and barked and yipped the entire time I walked out of the field...I think he even followed me out through the corn until I got to my car. Bastard was mocking me.
I find myself dissecting every minute of the hunt to figure out what my mistakes were, so that I can learn from them. Had I had the rifle shouldered instead of the shotgun, I would have had a dead yote at 120 yards.
Long story...appreciate you guys reading if you made it this far. Feel free to offer advice if you see anything else I could have done better. Still learning.
I set up between a freshly cut field, and a hay field about a foot and half in height. I figured the yote would come from the woods on my right, through the hay field and into the freshly cut field (that's where the last one came from). I was tucked in some taller grass against some wrapped bails, with the line of bails to my right so I couldn't be seen from the woods. I was uphill and downwind of the caller and decoy, which I had set originally about 25 yards from me. I say originally, because after about 20 minutes of spinning, my decoy batteries crapped the bed, so I decided to get up and attach my foxpro decoy to the caller and pull in the mojo. I pushed the caller and decoy a little further out, about 35 yards total now. It was still light, so I wasn't too worried about blowing the set.
I had my mossberg 935 and TC in the .204 with me. I'm really trying for that first shotgun kill, but keep the rifle just in case. Okay...first mistake...I loaded the rifle at the car, and proceeded to leave the rest of the rounds in the car. I "Barney Fifed" myself. I knew this as I was in my spot. But the shotgun was fully loaded and ready. I was only gonna get one shot if I had to use the rifle.
Okay...now to the yote. Probably 10 minutes after the sun sets, and a couple of loan howls...with the distressed young rabbit playing, I catch movement in the hay field. It's the head of a coyote bouncing through the hay field coming my way, from the woods just like I thought he would. I couldn't believe how hard it was to see it in the hay field. But he makes it to the edge of the cut field about 100-120 yards out. I'm holding steady with the shotgun hoping he'll charge the decoy. He starts stuttering in his approach...not sure if he can see the decoy or not, but obviously can hear the sound. But he's staying out there instead of coming my way. At some point he stops to turn around and I turn the sound off. He turns again and starts making his way back deeper into the cut field. I think he might have seen me. Second mistake...I switched calls in an effort to get him deeper into the cut field. He figured something was wrong, stopped and turned and proceeded to head back into the hay field. At this point, I realize I'm not getting a shotgun kill, so I grab the .204.
Now...he can't see me, and I can't see him due to a tall patch of uncut sourghum. The bastard stopped in the middle of the hayfield and started barking and yipping. He was loud, and I figured I don't have anything to lose at this point. I stand up and lean against the bails and started scanning the hay field. Can't see him yet, but he's still barking. I shift to the right and look a little further left and there he is. Basically just his head sticking up out of the field. I get him in my scope and place the crosshairs on him. About 200 yards at this point...well within my range. I squeeze off the round and the yote heads off through the field. I really can't believe I missed. 5 minutes of legal shooting time left, so I got up and decided to go take a look to make sure...NOTHING!! I don't know if the bullet caught some grass and deflected, or if I pulled the shot. My rest wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad either.
Anyway, that yote simply went to the next field and barked and yipped the entire time I walked out of the field...I think he even followed me out through the corn until I got to my car. Bastard was mocking me.
I find myself dissecting every minute of the hunt to figure out what my mistakes were, so that I can learn from them. Had I had the rifle shouldered instead of the shotgun, I would have had a dead yote at 120 yards.
Long story...appreciate you guys reading if you made it this far. Feel free to offer advice if you see anything else I could have done better. Still learning.
