(Or a male for a female.)
During chores late Friday afternoon I walked around the corner of the hay barn looking North to find a a pair of coyotes leaving. They were sneaking out through some tall grass on a South facing hillside, across a draw that lies between the barn and a hay meadow. I've shot several coyotes there over the years. A few have been called but most have been targets of opportunity. It's a spot where they lie on a sunny day with a really cold North wind and soak up some heat, out of the wind. They have a good get away route within a few yards West (woodlot) and the draw runs to the river to the East.
After seeing them I start making a plan for Saturday evening. I check the weather and wind and decide to go to the back side of the pasture just to the West of the hay meadow. I got a little earlier start than usual but figured that would leave me time for two stands. I was facing East from the West pasture fence with CRP and farm ground behind me. I had a South wind and was overlooking a drainage with a few trees in it. This was my view.
I've killed two other male/female pairs in the last week and a half and have seen quite a bit more territorial marking so have been starting my stands with vocals. I started this one with a female long howl and waited about 5 minutes. I no more than started the second howl and they showed up on the fence line to my North. They were coming in side by side at 300 yards when I first saw them. Then just like with the two previous pairs at about 150 yards the female hangs up and let's the male come on in and check it out. I can imagine the conversation going something like, You go ahead, I've got a flea driving me crazy that I've got to take care of, then I'll be right along! HeHe
Well I fooled her and shot her first standing at about 125 yards. The male bugged out going straight East. He crossed through the drainage and stopped on the other side to take a dump. I didn't let him finish. Dropped him at a little over 200 yards. Not only did he voluntarily charge in first, but when the urge hit him he couldn't even wait until he was out of rifle range. Maybe not so different from us.
(yeah I know, he was just marking territory)
In the above picture he stopped in the gap in the shorter trees to the left.
The male was one of the bigger coyotes I've shot in a while and the female was pretty nice but I hit her in the spine.
In front of the cedar is where I set up my stand.
On to the next. I drove South 1 1/2 miles and walked 600 yards through the pasture to another abandoned railroad ROW, overlooking a timbered creek. The wind had switched to the West and I was facing South. I had to wait just a few minutes for the setting sun to fall just below the horizon before I started calling. Repeated the long howls with no response. After a short wait I went to cottontail for a minute and muted the call. Just before I was going to start up the call again I caught movement pretty close, to the West. Eased my head around that direction and saw a bobcat approaching on a cow path out in the middle of the pasture. I watched for quite awhile, those little buggers are sure fun to watch. I probably should have shot sooner because when it got close it started to take interest in me. I got the call started back on cottontail at a really low volume and drew it's attention away long enough to adjust my rifle. I was expecting a lot of fur damage that close, but there was none.
That's her in the lower middle.
Gotta have a pickup bed picture. Merry Christmas and Happy Hunting!
Now if I could just take pictures like DAA, Bob Morris, or photohunter!
During chores late Friday afternoon I walked around the corner of the hay barn looking North to find a a pair of coyotes leaving. They were sneaking out through some tall grass on a South facing hillside, across a draw that lies between the barn and a hay meadow. I've shot several coyotes there over the years. A few have been called but most have been targets of opportunity. It's a spot where they lie on a sunny day with a really cold North wind and soak up some heat, out of the wind. They have a good get away route within a few yards West (woodlot) and the draw runs to the river to the East.
After seeing them I start making a plan for Saturday evening. I check the weather and wind and decide to go to the back side of the pasture just to the West of the hay meadow. I got a little earlier start than usual but figured that would leave me time for two stands. I was facing East from the West pasture fence with CRP and farm ground behind me. I had a South wind and was overlooking a drainage with a few trees in it. This was my view.
I've killed two other male/female pairs in the last week and a half and have seen quite a bit more territorial marking so have been starting my stands with vocals. I started this one with a female long howl and waited about 5 minutes. I no more than started the second howl and they showed up on the fence line to my North. They were coming in side by side at 300 yards when I first saw them. Then just like with the two previous pairs at about 150 yards the female hangs up and let's the male come on in and check it out. I can imagine the conversation going something like, You go ahead, I've got a flea driving me crazy that I've got to take care of, then I'll be right along! HeHe
Well I fooled her and shot her first standing at about 125 yards. The male bugged out going straight East. He crossed through the drainage and stopped on the other side to take a dump. I didn't let him finish. Dropped him at a little over 200 yards. Not only did he voluntarily charge in first, but when the urge hit him he couldn't even wait until he was out of rifle range. Maybe not so different from us.
(yeah I know, he was just marking territory)
In the above picture he stopped in the gap in the shorter trees to the left.
The male was one of the bigger coyotes I've shot in a while and the female was pretty nice but I hit her in the spine.
In front of the cedar is where I set up my stand.
On to the next. I drove South 1 1/2 miles and walked 600 yards through the pasture to another abandoned railroad ROW, overlooking a timbered creek. The wind had switched to the West and I was facing South. I had to wait just a few minutes for the setting sun to fall just below the horizon before I started calling. Repeated the long howls with no response. After a short wait I went to cottontail for a minute and muted the call. Just before I was going to start up the call again I caught movement pretty close, to the West. Eased my head around that direction and saw a bobcat approaching on a cow path out in the middle of the pasture. I watched for quite awhile, those little buggers are sure fun to watch. I probably should have shot sooner because when it got close it started to take interest in me. I got the call started back on cottontail at a really low volume and drew it's attention away long enough to adjust my rifle. I was expecting a lot of fur damage that close, but there was none.
That's her in the lower middle.
Gotta have a pickup bed picture. Merry Christmas and Happy Hunting!
Now if I could just take pictures like DAA, Bob Morris, or photohunter!
