Venatic and I met up Wednesday morning to head up to north Texas to do a little calling.
We got to our hunting grounds about 3:30 pm after the 4.5 hour drive from David's house.
The first stand we had a coyote come in at the 10 minute mark and I shot the first coyote of the hunt.
Our second stand was cut a little short when the cowboy came in to feed the cows, so we just moved to another spot. The next stand we were set up close to the river and just after we started calling David saw a coyote run across the shallow river crossing about 600 yards away that I couldn't see. At about the 10 minute mark he started playing so coyote growls and a coyote came up from along the river on my side along a fence row, but I had mesquite between me and him. He must have saw something he didn't like and dropped into a draw or something because I never saw him again.
A couple of stands later and David had his first coyote of the trip about 8 minutes in. Dark caught us and we ran into the town to grab something to eat at the only restaurant in town that was open.
We headed back to call a couple of night stands, but the winds were COLD and a freezing mist started to fall. We decided to just get a good nights sleep and start again in the morning.
At daylight it was a brisk 20 degrees with about 10mph wind and ice on the ground. After a little coffee, we drove about 600 yards from camp and set up overlooking a big draw that we have called many times before. David started with a couple of howls and almost instantly I saw a coyote come out up wind about 500 yards out and look around. David couldn't see him as he was set up looking to our right. I had cedar that blocked my view back in his direction but lip squeaked to let him know I saw something. After about 5 minutes he started with rabbit, and I expected to see that coyote come hauling it down the fence line where I had seen him come out but I didn't. After about 5 minutes of rabbit I saw him, and he was about a 100 yards out, but had brush between me. Just about the time he was clearing the brush, he was getting far enough to my right that I was starting to be cut off by the big cedar on the right that I was sitting beside. I had a second where I could see him as I leaned on one leg of my 3 legged chair, and I decided that if I let him go he would be right in David's lap. 2 seconds latter I hear him shoot, and I thought "that worked perfect." Then I heard a second shot. Hmmm?
After a few more minutes we quit the stand, and I said, "Did you get two?" He said, "no 2 coyote came from way over there (and pointed a direction I couldn't see from my spot) and I shot one, but he got up and ran and I had to shot him again."
I asked him what happened to the coyote coming from the left? He said he never saw that one, so we called 3 and got one. That made our 3rd coyote and first of the morning.
Two stands later we had a coyote come in at the magic 10 minute mark loping in from 400 yards out. 10 minutes seemed to be about the time that your fingers started to freeze and start hurting and you wanted to stick them in pockets, but also about the time they seemed to always show up.
He came straight to the caller and David barked him to a stop and I dropped him at 60 yards. Our 4th coyote and 2nd of the morning.
A couple of stands later and we were again looking over a large valley. About 8 minutes and I see a coyote coming in just perfect but he had a few bushes on on me. He has moved into David's view but is circling back to me slightly and I shoot him for the 5th coyote of the hunt and 3rd of the morning. This one is a big rat tailed male with bare hips as the mange was getting to him.
A little later we are again set up with me looking left and him looking right. This time I see a coyote coming in quick on my side, and I unexplainably miss him at about 60 yards not once but twice. I am kicking myself for not letting him stop before taking the first shot. I look at my watch and we were only 2 minutes into the stand.
After we quit the next stand, David informs me he saw 2 coyotes, which I never saw. One had slipped in behind him on the downwind side while he was focused on another one way out in front of him. Both seemed to mysteriously vanish with no shots fired.
The next stand we are again set up with me looking right and him left, but with a better elevational viewpoint. About 10 minutes in I see a coyote coming in from way out and in between us. Then I see another coming behind it. I am watching the nearest one, but can tell that he is going to give David the shot first. Then while waiting for him to shoot I glance a little left and see a coyote just standing there. I shoot and see two coyotes running, one left and one right. My first thought was "did I miss?" Then I see my coyotes tail flipping and realize we had called in three as I try to get on one that had ran left, and I see David standing up trying to figure out what was what as the other one is going straight away from him.
The left running coyote never game me a shot, and I see David sit back down. A few seconds later I hear a bark in the distance and can see that the coyote that ran straight away from David had came back out from behind some cedars in the distance. I tell David "See him? He is standing out there!"
I see David look through his range finder and draw a bead on him as I look through my scope. Kaa Wap! His suppressed shot tells the tale as I see him flipping around. The 22 Creedmoor don't play.
I say "How far was that?" and he says "350". Then he says "Why did you shoot at that coyote running?"
I say, "I didn't, I shot the one laying right there." He had never seen the one I killed and figured I was back to missing.
I took a picture of this stand as David is dragging his coyote back.
My coyote was laying about 50 yards out to the left of the cedar on the left side of the picture. The coyote David shot was in the long row of cedars in the distance behind him below the hill. 6th and 7th coyotes of the hunt and 5 for the day.
We called another stand with no luck and decided to take a picture before we moved on to last stand of the day so we would still have plenty of light.
We had a couple that were right at 40 pounds.
The last stand of the day was bust, and we hit the road for the 4 plus hour drive back to David's house. About 50 miles from his house we really started getting into some slush and ice, but when we pulled into Waco the streets and parking lots looked like ice skating rinks, but we made it.
Then this morning I got up and drove another 3 hours back to my house. Luckily the ice got less and less the closer I got to home. A good hunt with a good friend,
We got to our hunting grounds about 3:30 pm after the 4.5 hour drive from David's house.
The first stand we had a coyote come in at the 10 minute mark and I shot the first coyote of the hunt.
Our second stand was cut a little short when the cowboy came in to feed the cows, so we just moved to another spot. The next stand we were set up close to the river and just after we started calling David saw a coyote run across the shallow river crossing about 600 yards away that I couldn't see. At about the 10 minute mark he started playing so coyote growls and a coyote came up from along the river on my side along a fence row, but I had mesquite between me and him. He must have saw something he didn't like and dropped into a draw or something because I never saw him again.
A couple of stands later and David had his first coyote of the trip about 8 minutes in. Dark caught us and we ran into the town to grab something to eat at the only restaurant in town that was open.
We headed back to call a couple of night stands, but the winds were COLD and a freezing mist started to fall. We decided to just get a good nights sleep and start again in the morning.
At daylight it was a brisk 20 degrees with about 10mph wind and ice on the ground. After a little coffee, we drove about 600 yards from camp and set up overlooking a big draw that we have called many times before. David started with a couple of howls and almost instantly I saw a coyote come out up wind about 500 yards out and look around. David couldn't see him as he was set up looking to our right. I had cedar that blocked my view back in his direction but lip squeaked to let him know I saw something. After about 5 minutes he started with rabbit, and I expected to see that coyote come hauling it down the fence line where I had seen him come out but I didn't. After about 5 minutes of rabbit I saw him, and he was about a 100 yards out, but had brush between me. Just about the time he was clearing the brush, he was getting far enough to my right that I was starting to be cut off by the big cedar on the right that I was sitting beside. I had a second where I could see him as I leaned on one leg of my 3 legged chair, and I decided that if I let him go he would be right in David's lap. 2 seconds latter I hear him shoot, and I thought "that worked perfect." Then I heard a second shot. Hmmm?
After a few more minutes we quit the stand, and I said, "Did you get two?" He said, "no 2 coyote came from way over there (and pointed a direction I couldn't see from my spot) and I shot one, but he got up and ran and I had to shot him again."
I asked him what happened to the coyote coming from the left? He said he never saw that one, so we called 3 and got one. That made our 3rd coyote and first of the morning.
Two stands later we had a coyote come in at the magic 10 minute mark loping in from 400 yards out. 10 minutes seemed to be about the time that your fingers started to freeze and start hurting and you wanted to stick them in pockets, but also about the time they seemed to always show up.
He came straight to the caller and David barked him to a stop and I dropped him at 60 yards. Our 4th coyote and 2nd of the morning.
A couple of stands later and we were again looking over a large valley. About 8 minutes and I see a coyote coming in just perfect but he had a few bushes on on me. He has moved into David's view but is circling back to me slightly and I shoot him for the 5th coyote of the hunt and 3rd of the morning. This one is a big rat tailed male with bare hips as the mange was getting to him.
A little later we are again set up with me looking left and him looking right. This time I see a coyote coming in quick on my side, and I unexplainably miss him at about 60 yards not once but twice. I am kicking myself for not letting him stop before taking the first shot. I look at my watch and we were only 2 minutes into the stand.
After we quit the next stand, David informs me he saw 2 coyotes, which I never saw. One had slipped in behind him on the downwind side while he was focused on another one way out in front of him. Both seemed to mysteriously vanish with no shots fired.
The next stand we are again set up with me looking right and him left, but with a better elevational viewpoint. About 10 minutes in I see a coyote coming in from way out and in between us. Then I see another coming behind it. I am watching the nearest one, but can tell that he is going to give David the shot first. Then while waiting for him to shoot I glance a little left and see a coyote just standing there. I shoot and see two coyotes running, one left and one right. My first thought was "did I miss?" Then I see my coyotes tail flipping and realize we had called in three as I try to get on one that had ran left, and I see David standing up trying to figure out what was what as the other one is going straight away from him.
The left running coyote never game me a shot, and I see David sit back down. A few seconds later I hear a bark in the distance and can see that the coyote that ran straight away from David had came back out from behind some cedars in the distance. I tell David "See him? He is standing out there!"
I see David look through his range finder and draw a bead on him as I look through my scope. Kaa Wap! His suppressed shot tells the tale as I see him flipping around. The 22 Creedmoor don't play.
I say "How far was that?" and he says "350". Then he says "Why did you shoot at that coyote running?"
I say, "I didn't, I shot the one laying right there." He had never seen the one I killed and figured I was back to missing.
I took a picture of this stand as David is dragging his coyote back.
My coyote was laying about 50 yards out to the left of the cedar on the left side of the picture. The coyote David shot was in the long row of cedars in the distance behind him below the hill. 6th and 7th coyotes of the hunt and 5 for the day.
We called another stand with no luck and decided to take a picture before we moved on to last stand of the day so we would still have plenty of light.
We had a couple that were right at 40 pounds.
The last stand of the day was bust, and we hit the road for the 4 plus hour drive back to David's house. About 50 miles from his house we really started getting into some slush and ice, but when we pulled into Waco the streets and parking lots looked like ice skating rinks, but we made it.
Then this morning I got up and drove another 3 hours back to my house. Luckily the ice got less and less the closer I got to home. A good hunt with a good friend,
Last edited:
