wormydog1724
Member
Hunted in a handcall only contest yesterday. This is our second time doing it and we did a lot better than last year.
We started out pretty cold and didn't see our first coyote until 10:30. But he saw us drive in and wouldn't come to the call.
At noon we went to a spot where a group of cattle usually hang out and we've seen a pair of coyotes living close to them. We setup on top of a hill with the wind in our face and blew our call. After 3 blows here they came. They must have been bedded just 100y from us. They came for a second but knew something was up and started drifting away. We each got on one but they wouldn't stop together and I was afraid we were about to lose them both so I took my shot. I smacked him just a little back with a 110gr V-max in 6.8 SPC and he spun and then took off. My partner got on him and hit him again on the run, knocked him down, but then he got up again! He ridged over. I saw the other coyote going over the next ridge but didn't see the wounded one. There was a kind of bowl between the ridges and he never came out of there. We drove around for 30 minutes but never found it. Mad at myself for not making a good shot, I switched back to Cavity Back Bullets 105gr MKZ. I only have about 15 left so I figured the v-max would be good enough, I was wrong.
The next set we headed north where my partner knew a coyote had been seen. At 3 minutes I hear my partner move and immediately shoot. I look and see a stiff coyote fall at 40 yards, 60gr V-max hammered him hard. First kill of the day! We keep calling for a few more minutes then decide to move. With one in the box we were feeling better.
Big male down. 1:00
Made another set further north and called in a coyote but we stood up too early and spooked it off.
We kept heading north into some canyons and setup on between some ridges. Two ridges on our left and right made a funnel right to a ridge we were sitting on. Expecting a coyote to come up that funnel. At 5 minutes my partner says he saw a coyote headed our way. We call and sit for another 5 minutes but the coyote never shows. We kind of give up but I keep calling anyways. Then I glance over at my partner and there's a coyote not 40 yards from us. My partner is looking down at his phone. lol. I get his attention and he tries to get on the coyote but it won't stop and he's having trouble. It's crossing right in front of us but picking up speed. I get on him and make a running shot at 60 yards. He falls, spins, and tries to get up and makes it to about 75 yards when my partner drills him with a 60gr V-max .223. He died.
Another decent sized male. 2:00
Feeling pretty good we continue making sets into the canyon but run out of coyotes. We decide to change it up and head towards the river. With the sun setting, and the wind coming from the NE, we head to the far west side and work back east, so we'll have the sun at our back and the wind kind of in our face a little bit.
As we're heading west a coyote runs across the road in front of us. We drive past and see it just meandering through the brush. We drive ahead a bit and jump out, run to get in front of it, setup by a tree and we have a shooting lane in front of us. I start calling and two minutes the coyote runs back towards the road looking at us. Thinking he was going back the way he came I run back to the road to shoot him as he crosses (this isn't a county road but a oilfield road on private property). I wait and call some more. I catch movement across the road to my left and a different coyote was coming but then he tries to skirt off into the brush. I take my shot just as he disappeared into the brush. Miss. I didn't know it but my partner said the other coyote came back to have a look after I ran off to the road but he couldn't get a shot. Crazy.
The next set we're sitting on a hill looking at a group of trees with couple of quail feeders around. At two minutes a coyote comes out of the trees and is heading to us. It stops on a small ridge about 180 from us, the sun in his eyes. My partner takes his shot and drills him in the chest. He was kind of flopping and trying to run so we both put another in him simultaneously. We keep calling for a bit but nothing else came in. We're both using suppressors so another coyote coming in is a real possibility. Don't jump up and high five after a kill, keep calling or try pup distress.
Number three at 5:15
We kept heading east, setting up basically the same way we did the last kill. Almost an identical situation unfolded at 6:00. Only this time I made the shot and hit the coyote in the head at 200y. There wasn't any need for follow up shots on this female. The CBB 105gr MKZ in 6.8 SPC is a nasty nasty bullet. Any head shot is gonna be a DRT but I felt good and had my confidence back.
Boom number four at 6:00. #15 on the year for me.
We made another set but decided we were done and headed to the truck.
We ended up tied for second place with four coyotes. Tie breaker was high card draw. I drew first because we're the young gun team. I drew and shook my head to my partner, it was a 4 of spades. The other team drew and theirs was a 4 of diamonds! Whew. Another draw. This time they drew first and it was a 7 of clubs. Not bad, but not good. I drew and didn't show my card. I asked if Aces are high or low. The other team said low, of course. But the contest director said Aces were high. Boom, flipped my card over, Ace of Diamonds! So we ended up with second place and third place big dog. My partner and I net profited $146 each so we pretty happy. A 14 hour day and $146, not too bad lol.
We have another contest in two weeks but this time we'll be using an e-caller. My lungs need a rest.
This post is nominated for Hunter of the Month. Sorry, the nifty little .gif isn't rotating, so all you see is "Nominated" for now.
We started out pretty cold and didn't see our first coyote until 10:30. But he saw us drive in and wouldn't come to the call.
At noon we went to a spot where a group of cattle usually hang out and we've seen a pair of coyotes living close to them. We setup on top of a hill with the wind in our face and blew our call. After 3 blows here they came. They must have been bedded just 100y from us. They came for a second but knew something was up and started drifting away. We each got on one but they wouldn't stop together and I was afraid we were about to lose them both so I took my shot. I smacked him just a little back with a 110gr V-max in 6.8 SPC and he spun and then took off. My partner got on him and hit him again on the run, knocked him down, but then he got up again! He ridged over. I saw the other coyote going over the next ridge but didn't see the wounded one. There was a kind of bowl between the ridges and he never came out of there. We drove around for 30 minutes but never found it. Mad at myself for not making a good shot, I switched back to Cavity Back Bullets 105gr MKZ. I only have about 15 left so I figured the v-max would be good enough, I was wrong.
The next set we headed north where my partner knew a coyote had been seen. At 3 minutes I hear my partner move and immediately shoot. I look and see a stiff coyote fall at 40 yards, 60gr V-max hammered him hard. First kill of the day! We keep calling for a few more minutes then decide to move. With one in the box we were feeling better.
Big male down. 1:00
Made another set further north and called in a coyote but we stood up too early and spooked it off.
We kept heading north into some canyons and setup on between some ridges. Two ridges on our left and right made a funnel right to a ridge we were sitting on. Expecting a coyote to come up that funnel. At 5 minutes my partner says he saw a coyote headed our way. We call and sit for another 5 minutes but the coyote never shows. We kind of give up but I keep calling anyways. Then I glance over at my partner and there's a coyote not 40 yards from us. My partner is looking down at his phone. lol. I get his attention and he tries to get on the coyote but it won't stop and he's having trouble. It's crossing right in front of us but picking up speed. I get on him and make a running shot at 60 yards. He falls, spins, and tries to get up and makes it to about 75 yards when my partner drills him with a 60gr V-max .223. He died.
Another decent sized male. 2:00
Feeling pretty good we continue making sets into the canyon but run out of coyotes. We decide to change it up and head towards the river. With the sun setting, and the wind coming from the NE, we head to the far west side and work back east, so we'll have the sun at our back and the wind kind of in our face a little bit.
As we're heading west a coyote runs across the road in front of us. We drive past and see it just meandering through the brush. We drive ahead a bit and jump out, run to get in front of it, setup by a tree and we have a shooting lane in front of us. I start calling and two minutes the coyote runs back towards the road looking at us. Thinking he was going back the way he came I run back to the road to shoot him as he crosses (this isn't a county road but a oilfield road on private property). I wait and call some more. I catch movement across the road to my left and a different coyote was coming but then he tries to skirt off into the brush. I take my shot just as he disappeared into the brush. Miss. I didn't know it but my partner said the other coyote came back to have a look after I ran off to the road but he couldn't get a shot. Crazy.
The next set we're sitting on a hill looking at a group of trees with couple of quail feeders around. At two minutes a coyote comes out of the trees and is heading to us. It stops on a small ridge about 180 from us, the sun in his eyes. My partner takes his shot and drills him in the chest. He was kind of flopping and trying to run so we both put another in him simultaneously. We keep calling for a bit but nothing else came in. We're both using suppressors so another coyote coming in is a real possibility. Don't jump up and high five after a kill, keep calling or try pup distress.
Number three at 5:15
We kept heading east, setting up basically the same way we did the last kill. Almost an identical situation unfolded at 6:00. Only this time I made the shot and hit the coyote in the head at 200y. There wasn't any need for follow up shots on this female. The CBB 105gr MKZ in 6.8 SPC is a nasty nasty bullet. Any head shot is gonna be a DRT but I felt good and had my confidence back.
Boom number four at 6:00. #15 on the year for me.
We made another set but decided we were done and headed to the truck.
We ended up tied for second place with four coyotes. Tie breaker was high card draw. I drew first because we're the young gun team. I drew and shook my head to my partner, it was a 4 of spades. The other team drew and theirs was a 4 of diamonds! Whew. Another draw. This time they drew first and it was a 7 of clubs. Not bad, but not good. I drew and didn't show my card. I asked if Aces are high or low. The other team said low, of course. But the contest director said Aces were high. Boom, flipped my card over, Ace of Diamonds! So we ended up with second place and third place big dog. My partner and I net profited $146 each so we pretty happy. A 14 hour day and $146, not too bad lol.
We have another contest in two weeks but this time we'll be using an e-caller. My lungs need a rest.
This post is nominated for Hunter of the Month. Sorry, the nifty little .gif isn't rotating, so all you see is "Nominated" for now.
