Pretty good day...

DAA

Administrator
Staff member
It always slows down a lot for me this time of year. I'm happy just to get one, by mid January and a two coyote day is a good one. Last two times out, got just one coyote each time.

Today, was just a little bit better.

Left the house real early, to try and get out from under a pretty big storm system and hopefully have some decent weather. Daylight found me leaving pavement to hit an old, old favorite area I've been calling for 25 years now.

The morning came with gray skies, wind and spitting snow. Not much coyote track in the old snow. First few stands produced nadda.

Decided to relocate a bit, so poured a cup of coffee, lit a cigar and drove on dirt for half an hour to a stand that has produced pretty consistently over many years. By the time I got there, it had stopped snowing, the wind had died down some and the sun was trying to peak out through the ragged clouds.

Plenty of coyote track walking in, I had high hopes. And not for nothing. Five minutes into the jackrabbit, calling cross wind, I spotted a coyote 400 yards out, coming pretty hard right down the barrel. At about 250 yards, it cut hard left, circling to get my breeze. I muted the caller but that didn't stop it. So I queued up Lone Howl and sat looking through the scope with the remote in my left hand and my finger on the mute button. When the coyote hit a clearing about 225 yards out and not quite downwind yet, I un-muted the caller and let Lone Howl rip. That did it! He stopped on a dime, broadside, 225 yards, the .17 Predator went boom, the bullet went whop and the coyote went down.

Very next stand, the sun was starting to shine. Late in the stand, nine minutes, I look up and where there were some big jagged rocks on the skyline about 350 yards out, I see a silhouette that looks out of place. Move the rifle over and look through the scope and sure enough, it's a coyote sitting there. I tried a couple sounds before Vole Squeeks seemed to do the trick and she started towards the caller. But at about 200, she cut to circle the breeze, just like the last one had. When she got in the open at about 175 I muted the caller and hit the mouse squeeker I keep on my shooting sticks. She stopped to look. And I dumped her right there. A mature female, spotting a bit.

Two coyotes on the rack!

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Couple stands later, stand almost over, I hit a couple Lone Howls just for grins. And as soon as I did, a coyote stepped out from behind some tea bushes on a steep ridge to my left. I just left the caller muted and she came down and started my way on her own. I dumped her trotting straight at me at 50 yards.

Three coyotes on the rack! That's a pretty good day, for me, this time of year.

Shortly after that, I passed some guys in a side by side that sure looked to be coyote hunting. When I got to the fork in the road I'd been planning to take and hunt the rest of the day towards the highway, their tire tracks greeted me. It was soon plain enough they'd been hunting that road from the highway all morning. So, I stopped to scalp my coyotes, ate a sandwich and called it a day and headed for the pavement and then home.

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Fun stuff!

- DAA


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What is the wood debris in the last pic? Old corral or a structure once lived in? That layer of rocks exposed by weather and erosion, yeah that's a couple pages in nature's history book...
 
Originally Posted By: Infidel 762What is the wood debris in the last pic? Old corral or a structure once lived in?

Old corral. I'm a little bit of a history buff. And, one of my great-great grandpas grew up herding cattle in that area. I know the local history pretty well and happen to know that corral is right about 100 years old, give or take a year or two.


Originally Posted By: skinnyminnySir those have to be the clearest pictures I've ever seen. Can't no way be phone pictures? Nice hunting and story.

Thanks! No, not phone pics, used my Canon 70D today.

- DAA
 
Great hunt & pics. Thanks for sharing!

Quote: What is the wood debris in the last pic? Old corral or a structure once lived in? That layer of rocks exposed by weather and erosion, yeah that's a couple pages in nature's history book...


I'd bet on an old corral, Jeremy. Looks like remains of a loading chute on the left between the two tall posts. Old structures like that always result in a pause to ponder............

Regards,
hm
 
Ah leave it to Dave for some fine entertainment!

And speaking of fine entertainment, dont you think that you are just a little bit overdue for some more videos? The "Dave and Tim" format is always a pleaser. Prairie dogs and rock chucks and coyotes and jackrabbits and guns and camping out and.....gee? When do I get invited?

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I agree, This time of year thats a great day.It rained hard here all day, With all the snow and rain the mud is gumbo, Sticks to your feet and its just not fun, We are gonna give it a rest for a week at least. thanks for the Coyote porn.
 
Originally Posted By: nyttrain5150Great pics! I also thing about taking my slr but never do. Thanks for the read

I usually don't take mine either. But then whenever I do, I think "why don't I bring this more often"
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Glad y'all enjoyed the pics and the short telling. Rusty - no more vids from this kid!

- DAA
 
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