The weather man was predicting the arrival of what probably will be the last norther of the season around midnight last Tuesday. It was expected to result in daytime temperatures dropping from the low 90’s down to low 70’s the following day and around 55 that night with winds laying to 5-10 in the afternoon. Additionally, moonrise would be about 3 hours before sunset with a ¾ full moon. It just don’t get too much better than that!
Besides, I have been really anxious to look at a coyote through the Burris E1 on the M4gery that I recently built, so I just had to give it a shot.
We have had a really wet winter for a change and the grass and beautiful wildflowers are too tall to see a coyote except on some roadways or the few areas that have been mowed fairly recently.
The first stand, I set up facing south on a two track which runs north and south alongside a heavy brushline, placing the Mojo and Foxpro in the center of the roadway. My partner set up about 30 yards behind me, overlooking a caliche road which intersects the two track at a right angle. We expected any coyotes to approach either from the north, giving my partner a shot as they crossed the open roadway, or from that strip of heavy brush bordering the two track where I hoped to be able to see them in the high grass.
When I sat down, the wind was out of the northwest, but wouldn’t ya know, about half way through the stand it switched and was blowing almost straight down the roadway. I decided to give it a little longer, however, as my partner still had a decent chance for a shot.
I was surprised at the 25 minute mark by a coyote which stepped out at about 350 yards, looking toward the call. He was standing at the spot marked by the 200 yard hash mark in the Burris Fullfield E1 3x9 scope. I held off on the shot, hoping he would come on in, but he probably got into the edge of my scent cone and disappeared into the high grass on the left side of the road. But hey, calling in a coyote on the first stand is always a good sign and the day was still young.
We made two dry stands, both complicated by the high grass combined with road/wind directions before heading for an area of the ranch that is a bit salty which tends to stunt the grass. As we expected, the grass was short enough that we would be able to see anything approaching over a wide expanse dotted with a few bushes and trees while taking advantage of a cross wind as well. We set up in the shade of a treeline and placed the decoy against the tree line to our right about 60-70 yards east. The wind was back out of the North, Northwest. We have high expectations, as we have taken a number of coyotes over the years, usually approaching from the brush on the left.
I first cranked out a female invitational howl, followed with bird distress and then switched to high pitch snowshoe at the fifteen minute mark. The snowshoe did it! A reddish brown spot became visible almost immediately, racing out of the strip of brush on the left and trotting right up to the decoy.
Bobcats are protected on this ranch, but a live bobcat picture trumps a dead coyote any day in my book, so grabbed my camera, getting it out as he approached the call….
…and was trying to figure out what that strange sound was. He’s quite a chunk; look at the creases in his neck.
He didn’t admire his “catch” very long, retracing his approach route. I tried to catch a picture through my scope but he was moving at a fast walk, so I was unable to get the crosshairs properly centered while juggling my camera. Really could have used another hand…..oh well, you get the idea.
He stopped at the brush line on the left in second photo from top for one last look back
before disappearing into the brush from whence he came.
We had time for one more stand before dark and had a pack answer my lonesome female howl but did not make their appearance before last light. The end of a near perfect day was punctuated by the fading sun reflecting on a mesquite brushline; nearly as memorable as a beautiful South Texas sunset and serves equally well as a reminder to all that God is in His heaven.
Regards,
hm
Besides, I have been really anxious to look at a coyote through the Burris E1 on the M4gery that I recently built, so I just had to give it a shot.
We have had a really wet winter for a change and the grass and beautiful wildflowers are too tall to see a coyote except on some roadways or the few areas that have been mowed fairly recently.
The first stand, I set up facing south on a two track which runs north and south alongside a heavy brushline, placing the Mojo and Foxpro in the center of the roadway. My partner set up about 30 yards behind me, overlooking a caliche road which intersects the two track at a right angle. We expected any coyotes to approach either from the north, giving my partner a shot as they crossed the open roadway, or from that strip of heavy brush bordering the two track where I hoped to be able to see them in the high grass.
When I sat down, the wind was out of the northwest, but wouldn’t ya know, about half way through the stand it switched and was blowing almost straight down the roadway. I decided to give it a little longer, however, as my partner still had a decent chance for a shot.
I was surprised at the 25 minute mark by a coyote which stepped out at about 350 yards, looking toward the call. He was standing at the spot marked by the 200 yard hash mark in the Burris Fullfield E1 3x9 scope. I held off on the shot, hoping he would come on in, but he probably got into the edge of my scent cone and disappeared into the high grass on the left side of the road. But hey, calling in a coyote on the first stand is always a good sign and the day was still young.
We made two dry stands, both complicated by the high grass combined with road/wind directions before heading for an area of the ranch that is a bit salty which tends to stunt the grass. As we expected, the grass was short enough that we would be able to see anything approaching over a wide expanse dotted with a few bushes and trees while taking advantage of a cross wind as well. We set up in the shade of a treeline and placed the decoy against the tree line to our right about 60-70 yards east. The wind was back out of the North, Northwest. We have high expectations, as we have taken a number of coyotes over the years, usually approaching from the brush on the left.
I first cranked out a female invitational howl, followed with bird distress and then switched to high pitch snowshoe at the fifteen minute mark. The snowshoe did it! A reddish brown spot became visible almost immediately, racing out of the strip of brush on the left and trotting right up to the decoy.
Bobcats are protected on this ranch, but a live bobcat picture trumps a dead coyote any day in my book, so grabbed my camera, getting it out as he approached the call….
…and was trying to figure out what that strange sound was. He’s quite a chunk; look at the creases in his neck.
He didn’t admire his “catch” very long, retracing his approach route. I tried to catch a picture through my scope but he was moving at a fast walk, so I was unable to get the crosshairs properly centered while juggling my camera. Really could have used another hand…..oh well, you get the idea.
He stopped at the brush line on the left in second photo from top for one last look back
before disappearing into the brush from whence he came.
We had time for one more stand before dark and had a pack answer my lonesome female howl but did not make their appearance before last light. The end of a near perfect day was punctuated by the fading sun reflecting on a mesquite brushline; nearly as memorable as a beautiful South Texas sunset and serves equally well as a reminder to all that God is in His heaven.
Regards,
hm
