CountryWildcat
New member
Saturday, we had plans to go to town for some shopping and run errands. We had a front come through, and I had been looking forward to getting out for some calling all week. So, I struck out early to get in a stand or two before we had to get going. I donned my orange vest over the camo, and carried the shotgun, as I had jumped some quail in this area on opening day of bird season, and wanted to get some for the table.
I parked the truck in the highway ditch, and walked about a ¼ mile along a hedgerow between two fields. My plan was to get to the end, then strike into the wind and sit at the corner of the pasture bordering this field of milo stalks. When I go to the end however, I couldn’t help thinking it was a great spot, and the trees made an excellent backstop, with me in the shade, looking West and North. I had killed a coyote at that pasture fence before, and it had come from directly West. Early in the morning that year, I had trouble seeing him in the grass as the sun was coming up, and I almost missed an opportunity. Staying back at the trees would have me looking more northwest and anything that came in would have to come through milo stalks. To be downwind, it’d have to be on a cut soybean field behind me.
This was my view.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155619434@N05/shares/33v36D
I decided on one of the “experts” calling sequences on the call. I wanted some jackrabbit, and this one had it all laid out, just push play. With volume up about a third, I let her rip. The sequence starts with a howl, then silence followed by an answer howl. When the first howl played, I almost immediately got an answer. This is rare for me, and the howl I received was very throaty, almost growling at the same time, and followed shortly by a bark. I wondered if I was already busted, but I listened to busted barks on YouTube before, and this didn’t sound like that. I also had come in pretty quietly I thought, and hadn’t seen anything move. With the rising ground in front of me, the pasture I expected to have action from was obstructed from view. I was pretty sure nothing could have seen me yet. The answer howl played from the caller, and within seconds, I see my first customer. He stopped sky lined on a terrace 150ish yds out. Looking back and forth, and very non-committal, he shortly turned and trotted off. I turned the rifle to where he had been and zoomed in the scope. His reaction was new to me, so instead of waiting 2 more minutes for jackrabbit, I played the same answer howl. This time he came over the terrace and kept coming, moving slightly to my left as he came. As I was moving to get on him, I saw his pal come over the terrace also, probably 50 yds behind. Now I was really excited. Tense, nervous, elated. I was so pumped to have a double coming, and at the same time pressured to not screw this up. I knew I had little chance to get both before they ran out of sight. Maybe I should have shot the farther one first, but I was already lining up on the close one, and he wasn’t stopping. Finally, he halted abruptly, and my scope was zoomed in a little to far at this point, but not bad. I told myself, right on top of the leg so he goes down quick, not too far back. On the shot, he turned on a dime and ran back the way he had came. I was in disbelief, thought it was a perfect sight picture. I racked another round and swung to take a running shot. Just as I got him in the scope, he tumbled and was down. I had caught a glimpse of the other running back over the hill out of sight. I felt like I was all thumbs as I fumbled for my remote and hit the hot key. But I don’t use them much and hit baby cottontail first, next button was KIYI. Just like TV, the second comes back, and stops on a terrace looking for whoever’s hurt. Easy shot and she falls over backwards. I was shaking and smiling to myself, ready to get up and do the happy dance. But I remembered what I read on here, if you call something in, sit and call a few more minutes. So, I let the rabbit play finally. No other action, so off I went to find my quarry.
I looked for the runner first as he was closer and the second was going to be easy, just on top of another terrace. I quickly found where he had been standing when shot.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155619434@N05/shares/zN85zs
The blood trail was probably not needed, but easy enough for my 3 yr old daughter to follow. Good sized male. Drug them both to the field edge for a couple’s pic, left my rifle and caller, and walked along the pasture edge looking for quail where I'd seen them previously. I was seeing images of coyotes and quail in the truck on the same day, but that was not to be.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155619434@N05/shares/7se4bU
This was my second double calling, but my first killed. What a great day to be out. It sure made the trip to town more tolerable.
I parked the truck in the highway ditch, and walked about a ¼ mile along a hedgerow between two fields. My plan was to get to the end, then strike into the wind and sit at the corner of the pasture bordering this field of milo stalks. When I go to the end however, I couldn’t help thinking it was a great spot, and the trees made an excellent backstop, with me in the shade, looking West and North. I had killed a coyote at that pasture fence before, and it had come from directly West. Early in the morning that year, I had trouble seeing him in the grass as the sun was coming up, and I almost missed an opportunity. Staying back at the trees would have me looking more northwest and anything that came in would have to come through milo stalks. To be downwind, it’d have to be on a cut soybean field behind me.
This was my view.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155619434@N05/shares/33v36D
I decided on one of the “experts” calling sequences on the call. I wanted some jackrabbit, and this one had it all laid out, just push play. With volume up about a third, I let her rip. The sequence starts with a howl, then silence followed by an answer howl. When the first howl played, I almost immediately got an answer. This is rare for me, and the howl I received was very throaty, almost growling at the same time, and followed shortly by a bark. I wondered if I was already busted, but I listened to busted barks on YouTube before, and this didn’t sound like that. I also had come in pretty quietly I thought, and hadn’t seen anything move. With the rising ground in front of me, the pasture I expected to have action from was obstructed from view. I was pretty sure nothing could have seen me yet. The answer howl played from the caller, and within seconds, I see my first customer. He stopped sky lined on a terrace 150ish yds out. Looking back and forth, and very non-committal, he shortly turned and trotted off. I turned the rifle to where he had been and zoomed in the scope. His reaction was new to me, so instead of waiting 2 more minutes for jackrabbit, I played the same answer howl. This time he came over the terrace and kept coming, moving slightly to my left as he came. As I was moving to get on him, I saw his pal come over the terrace also, probably 50 yds behind. Now I was really excited. Tense, nervous, elated. I was so pumped to have a double coming, and at the same time pressured to not screw this up. I knew I had little chance to get both before they ran out of sight. Maybe I should have shot the farther one first, but I was already lining up on the close one, and he wasn’t stopping. Finally, he halted abruptly, and my scope was zoomed in a little to far at this point, but not bad. I told myself, right on top of the leg so he goes down quick, not too far back. On the shot, he turned on a dime and ran back the way he had came. I was in disbelief, thought it was a perfect sight picture. I racked another round and swung to take a running shot. Just as I got him in the scope, he tumbled and was down. I had caught a glimpse of the other running back over the hill out of sight. I felt like I was all thumbs as I fumbled for my remote and hit the hot key. But I don’t use them much and hit baby cottontail first, next button was KIYI. Just like TV, the second comes back, and stops on a terrace looking for whoever’s hurt. Easy shot and she falls over backwards. I was shaking and smiling to myself, ready to get up and do the happy dance. But I remembered what I read on here, if you call something in, sit and call a few more minutes. So, I let the rabbit play finally. No other action, so off I went to find my quarry.
I looked for the runner first as he was closer and the second was going to be easy, just on top of another terrace. I quickly found where he had been standing when shot.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155619434@N05/shares/zN85zs
The blood trail was probably not needed, but easy enough for my 3 yr old daughter to follow. Good sized male. Drug them both to the field edge for a couple’s pic, left my rifle and caller, and walked along the pasture edge looking for quail where I'd seen them previously. I was seeing images of coyotes and quail in the truck on the same day, but that was not to be.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155619434@N05/shares/7se4bU
This was my second double calling, but my first killed. What a great day to be out. It sure made the trip to town more tolerable.
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