Feeling like the fool this April.
- Thread starter Jim Byers
- Start date
I've also had it a little tougher the last couple of months. In the last two months, I've had only one trip that I've killed more than one coyote. On my best day I only killed two and I had to work for them. I believe I made about 8 stands that day.
On Tuesday morning I had a coyote howl a couple times but never came in on the first stand. Second stand I had at least two coyotes yipping and howling at me from what only sounded like a 1000 yards out and another one that was about a mile in the opposite direction howling at me and none of them came in. On the 3rd stand of the morning I had a rabbit distract a coyote I called into 50 yards but I was able to get a clean shot at him a couple minutes later.
Last month I called in 4 coyotes one day and didn't kill any of them. Probably my most frustrating day all year. 1st stand of morning the coyote "back doored" me. I took a shot as he was trotting away at about 150 yards and missed. I should have waited for him to stop but I was too confident in my shooting abilities. I was truly surprised after the shot to not hear the bullet thumb him and to see him run off. 4th stand had a coyote wind me from 200 yards out and I took a 350 yard shot at it as it was trying to get away and I missed. Both those were not extremely easy shots, so I wasn't too mad at my self. 5th stand of the day, I had a coyote come in and stop at about 100 yards and gave me a perfect shot opportunity and I somehow missed and then missed him 3 more times as he made his get away. By this point I was sure the scope on my 22-250 was off so I took 3 quick shots into a water bottle at 100 yards to check. All 3 were within 1/2" of my aiming point. 6th stand I had a coyote sit down and stop at 265 yards. I put the cross hairs dead center on the chest and shot felt like it would be good but I lacked confidence. The coyote's body language also looked like it would continue to come in to my calling. Sure enough, as soon as I started calling the coyote came trotting into 100 yards and then started circling to catch my wind. Every time it stopped, it was behind some brush so I kept waiting. I waited too long because it circled just wide enough to get my wind and never gave me a shot as it took off. That was a good day of calling with coyotes on 4 of 7 stands but a really bad day of executing the shot. I would rather call in only one coyote all day and make a good shot, than have a good day of calling and bad day of shooting like that.
About 3 weeks ago I made a short trip with time for only two stands. On the first stand I had a coyote howl at me but I gave up on the stand after 30 minutes. Walked about 400 yards back to my 4Runner and then as I'm driving past my stand, there is a coyote running off 200 yards from where I was calling. If I had waited just a few more minutes on the stand, I would have had a chance at him. 2nd stand that morning was a blank.
2 weeks ago I called in a coyote in the first 5 minutes of the first stand and then didn't call in another coyote for the next 5 hours. A week ago, the same thing happened. Coyote came in on the first 5 minutes of the first stand and then nothing for the next 5 hours. My shot execution was better both those days though.
There were also a couple short trips last month that I didn't call in a single coyote.
The challenge is what makes it so rewarding when they finally do come in. I shouldn't go out thinking I'm going to kill 5 or 10 coyotes in a day. They are very intelligent and have superior senses and physical abilities, I should feel lucky that I occasionally get one.
On Tuesday morning I had a coyote howl a couple times but never came in on the first stand. Second stand I had at least two coyotes yipping and howling at me from what only sounded like a 1000 yards out and another one that was about a mile in the opposite direction howling at me and none of them came in. On the 3rd stand of the morning I had a rabbit distract a coyote I called into 50 yards but I was able to get a clean shot at him a couple minutes later.
Last month I called in 4 coyotes one day and didn't kill any of them. Probably my most frustrating day all year. 1st stand of morning the coyote "back doored" me. I took a shot as he was trotting away at about 150 yards and missed. I should have waited for him to stop but I was too confident in my shooting abilities. I was truly surprised after the shot to not hear the bullet thumb him and to see him run off. 4th stand had a coyote wind me from 200 yards out and I took a 350 yard shot at it as it was trying to get away and I missed. Both those were not extremely easy shots, so I wasn't too mad at my self. 5th stand of the day, I had a coyote come in and stop at about 100 yards and gave me a perfect shot opportunity and I somehow missed and then missed him 3 more times as he made his get away. By this point I was sure the scope on my 22-250 was off so I took 3 quick shots into a water bottle at 100 yards to check. All 3 were within 1/2" of my aiming point. 6th stand I had a coyote sit down and stop at 265 yards. I put the cross hairs dead center on the chest and shot felt like it would be good but I lacked confidence. The coyote's body language also looked like it would continue to come in to my calling. Sure enough, as soon as I started calling the coyote came trotting into 100 yards and then started circling to catch my wind. Every time it stopped, it was behind some brush so I kept waiting. I waited too long because it circled just wide enough to get my wind and never gave me a shot as it took off. That was a good day of calling with coyotes on 4 of 7 stands but a really bad day of executing the shot. I would rather call in only one coyote all day and make a good shot, than have a good day of calling and bad day of shooting like that.
About 3 weeks ago I made a short trip with time for only two stands. On the first stand I had a coyote howl at me but I gave up on the stand after 30 minutes. Walked about 400 yards back to my 4Runner and then as I'm driving past my stand, there is a coyote running off 200 yards from where I was calling. If I had waited just a few more minutes on the stand, I would have had a chance at him. 2nd stand that morning was a blank.
2 weeks ago I called in a coyote in the first 5 minutes of the first stand and then didn't call in another coyote for the next 5 hours. A week ago, the same thing happened. Coyote came in on the first 5 minutes of the first stand and then nothing for the next 5 hours. My shot execution was better both those days though.
There were also a couple short trips last month that I didn't call in a single coyote.
The challenge is what makes it so rewarding when they finally do come in. I shouldn't go out thinking I'm going to kill 5 or 10 coyotes in a day. They are very intelligent and have superior senses and physical abilities, I should feel lucky that I occasionally get one.
Things change season to season. This time last year, we put down 13 in a weekend. This year, nada. Blanks. Some howlers was all we got this weekend.
That's part of the allure of the sport. Trying to decipher the puzzle. It has been a colder winter for us down here and that may account for some of their changes. Seems to me that they are staying closer to the dens than they did this time last season.
But you have to stay at it. When things change they change fast and you will start stacking them up. I will log this season away and the info might be useful in the future.
That's part of the allure of the sport. Trying to decipher the puzzle. It has been a colder winter for us down here and that may account for some of their changes. Seems to me that they are staying closer to the dens than they did this time last season.
But you have to stay at it. When things change they change fast and you will start stacking them up. I will log this season away and the info might be useful in the future.
jcs271
Active member
This one was behind the house last fall...
http://www.predatormastersforums.com/for...164#Post3169164
http://www.predatormastersforums.com/for...164#Post3169164