It's been a windy son of a gun here for the last few weeks. One day from the North, gusting to 35. The next day from the south gusting to 40, and unusually warm. Not good calling weather in my book. Well yesterday evening the wind calmed considerably and it started to get cool and crisp. It felt like calling weather for the first time in quite a while.
I finished up what I was doing with just enough time to gather up all my gear and make a stand at sundown. On the way to my stand I was considering how to call it when I ran across quite a bit of scat in the road on two sides of the pasture I would be calling in. After seeing all the scat I decided to start with vocals and see what happened. I would be setting up on the North side of a brush pile overlooking a pasture that sloped gradually away to a wooded creek 400 yds. to the North. As I was placing the caller a couple of coyotes started howling about a mile East of me across the river, then more to my West and North. I decided to sit for awhile and see if any opened up any closer. After a few minutes I was about to give up and start a female yodel howl when at least 3 lit up 150 yds. NW of me, over a small rise, in some trees. I changed plans with them being that close and played baby cottontail at low volume. It had run for all of about 10 seconds when here came three at a lope. I had to stop them before they blew right over top of the call and managed to anchor this female.
I got the cross hairs on a second one as they were leaving but had cows in the distance in my sight picture so didn't attempt it.
The wind was due to switch directions overnight so I opted to quit calling before they heard more and try to fool them with a lone howl from the other side of the pasture this morning. As I was getting back to my truck they were howling from the creek so I new they hadn't been badly spooked.
Made the stand this morning as planned, with no response, so at the end I gave an invitation howl to try and elicit a response and find out where they were. And respond they did!!! A mile West of me several coyotes opened up in the bottom of a big brushy draw. Game On!
Walked East about 600 yds up a slight hill in a hay meadow. Crested the hill at about 250 yds. from the brushy draw, sat the shockwave 40 yds. straight downwind of me (I don't do this often but the setup called for it) and parked in the shade of a big cedar on the fence line, facing NE. I started with an invitation howl and waited for several minutes with no takers. Switched to cottontail and one came out of the brush just East of me at a fast trot, headed right for the call. I need to get this one shot before he winds me.
First shot was a little deep so it spun for a ways before the second put him down.
Pup distress kicked on with the foxbang and I let it run a little while with no takers. I let the air clear for a few minutes and played a couple of series of jackrabbit while throwing in just a few seconds of pup distress occasionally with a NCK horn howler. Still no takers. Ran coyote fight for less than a minute and #2 came out 20 yds. further East than #1. Anchored her 15 yds. East of the caller.
Looked East and #3 was standing on a terrace 130 yds. away.
This is looking ENE. At the far left of the picture you can kind of see #3 laying on the side of the terrace. #1 came in at the 2 small cedars in the front of the picture and #2 just beyond that.
She was just as ugly through the scope as she was up close.
The first thing I noticed (other than the obvious) was the claw marks on her flanks from breeding. I guess even ugly coyotes need some lovin'. The second was the fresh dirt on all four feet. She must have been cleaning out a den very close.
And now the wind is howling again!!!
I finished up what I was doing with just enough time to gather up all my gear and make a stand at sundown. On the way to my stand I was considering how to call it when I ran across quite a bit of scat in the road on two sides of the pasture I would be calling in. After seeing all the scat I decided to start with vocals and see what happened. I would be setting up on the North side of a brush pile overlooking a pasture that sloped gradually away to a wooded creek 400 yds. to the North. As I was placing the caller a couple of coyotes started howling about a mile East of me across the river, then more to my West and North. I decided to sit for awhile and see if any opened up any closer. After a few minutes I was about to give up and start a female yodel howl when at least 3 lit up 150 yds. NW of me, over a small rise, in some trees. I changed plans with them being that close and played baby cottontail at low volume. It had run for all of about 10 seconds when here came three at a lope. I had to stop them before they blew right over top of the call and managed to anchor this female.
I got the cross hairs on a second one as they were leaving but had cows in the distance in my sight picture so didn't attempt it.
The wind was due to switch directions overnight so I opted to quit calling before they heard more and try to fool them with a lone howl from the other side of the pasture this morning. As I was getting back to my truck they were howling from the creek so I new they hadn't been badly spooked.
Made the stand this morning as planned, with no response, so at the end I gave an invitation howl to try and elicit a response and find out where they were. And respond they did!!! A mile West of me several coyotes opened up in the bottom of a big brushy draw. Game On!
Walked East about 600 yds up a slight hill in a hay meadow. Crested the hill at about 250 yds. from the brushy draw, sat the shockwave 40 yds. straight downwind of me (I don't do this often but the setup called for it) and parked in the shade of a big cedar on the fence line, facing NE. I started with an invitation howl and waited for several minutes with no takers. Switched to cottontail and one came out of the brush just East of me at a fast trot, headed right for the call. I need to get this one shot before he winds me.
First shot was a little deep so it spun for a ways before the second put him down.
Pup distress kicked on with the foxbang and I let it run a little while with no takers. I let the air clear for a few minutes and played a couple of series of jackrabbit while throwing in just a few seconds of pup distress occasionally with a NCK horn howler. Still no takers. Ran coyote fight for less than a minute and #2 came out 20 yds. further East than #1. Anchored her 15 yds. East of the caller.
Looked East and #3 was standing on a terrace 130 yds. away.
This is looking ENE. At the far left of the picture you can kind of see #3 laying on the side of the terrace. #1 came in at the 2 small cedars in the front of the picture and #2 just beyond that.
She was just as ugly through the scope as she was up close.
The first thing I noticed (other than the obvious) was the claw marks on her flanks from breeding. I guess even ugly coyotes need some lovin'. The second was the fresh dirt on all four feet. She must have been cleaning out a den very close.
And now the wind is howling again!!!
