YoteslayerWA
Well-known member
The cooler temperatures have set in here in the northwest. The leaves are changing colors, the sun is hanging lower and the morning dew on the grass are sure signs that fall is quickly approaching. It also has me changing seasons from golf to coyote hunting.
I do not usually hunt this early in the year but I have been getting really antsy to get out and knock the rust off and the rust was very prevalent.
I got out at first light and got set up on a stand that I have killed several coyotes on over the years. unfortunately, the only thing I called in was a young steer who managed to knock my foxpro out of the sage bush I had set it in.
Not the start I was looking for on the morning and to top things off the first signs of rust were showing. I had charged my batteries for the foxpro but neglected to change the batteries in the remote and it had next to no battery left in it. Hand calls it will be for the rest of the morning.
I had set a few goals at the end of last season and one of those goals was to get my first coyote with a hand call. So the timing was perfect to try to make that happen. I had ordered a set of 3 custom calls this spring from a member off here. They sounded really good in my living room so I was excited to try them out in the field anyway.
The next spot I set up in was a spot that I always like the looks of but never call anything in. I got set up and had coyotes immediately answer back to my howls from 3 directions. I follwed up with a few more howls before switching to a rabbit distress call.
I soon spotted a coyote at just over 1000 yards. He was watching over the large draw I was calling to but seemed unmotivated to make a move my direction. I switched to my howler and gave off a few ki-yis to try to coax the coyote in. When I lowered my binoculars something else caught my eye that was not there before. A coyote had snuck his way in on me and was standing watching me at 250 yards. I settled my cross hairs on him and dropped him where he stood.
After taking a few pictures I decided to head in the direction that I had heard a group of coyotes howl from. I got set up overlooking a large pond and started with the same call sequence. My Ki-yis had yet again done the trick and I spotted a coyote slinking his way in at about 300 yards. When he got to 100 yards I settled the cross hairs on him and let a round fly.
Now when I say fly that is exactly what it did and it flew right over his back. My offseason rust was showing and I had jerked the trigger so hard I new it was a clean miss from the moment the firing pin hit the primer. I was fortunate that my suppressor had done its job because the coyote never moved and I was able to squeeze the trigger and put him down on the follow up shot.
I did 2 more stands on the morning and called in another coyote on my last stand of the day. I gave the trigger one last jerk and missed one at 150. I decided it was time to call it a day and head to the range to get back in the groove with the rifle.
I do not usually hunt this early in the year but I have been getting really antsy to get out and knock the rust off and the rust was very prevalent.
I got out at first light and got set up on a stand that I have killed several coyotes on over the years. unfortunately, the only thing I called in was a young steer who managed to knock my foxpro out of the sage bush I had set it in.
Not the start I was looking for on the morning and to top things off the first signs of rust were showing. I had charged my batteries for the foxpro but neglected to change the batteries in the remote and it had next to no battery left in it. Hand calls it will be for the rest of the morning.
I had set a few goals at the end of last season and one of those goals was to get my first coyote with a hand call. So the timing was perfect to try to make that happen. I had ordered a set of 3 custom calls this spring from a member off here. They sounded really good in my living room so I was excited to try them out in the field anyway.
The next spot I set up in was a spot that I always like the looks of but never call anything in. I got set up and had coyotes immediately answer back to my howls from 3 directions. I follwed up with a few more howls before switching to a rabbit distress call.
I soon spotted a coyote at just over 1000 yards. He was watching over the large draw I was calling to but seemed unmotivated to make a move my direction. I switched to my howler and gave off a few ki-yis to try to coax the coyote in. When I lowered my binoculars something else caught my eye that was not there before. A coyote had snuck his way in on me and was standing watching me at 250 yards. I settled my cross hairs on him and dropped him where he stood.
After taking a few pictures I decided to head in the direction that I had heard a group of coyotes howl from. I got set up overlooking a large pond and started with the same call sequence. My Ki-yis had yet again done the trick and I spotted a coyote slinking his way in at about 300 yards. When he got to 100 yards I settled the cross hairs on him and let a round fly.
Now when I say fly that is exactly what it did and it flew right over his back. My offseason rust was showing and I had jerked the trigger so hard I new it was a clean miss from the moment the firing pin hit the primer. I was fortunate that my suppressor had done its job because the coyote never moved and I was able to squeeze the trigger and put him down on the follow up shot.
I did 2 more stands on the morning and called in another coyote on my last stand of the day. I gave the trigger one last jerk and missed one at 150. I decided it was time to call it a day and head to the range to get back in the groove with the rifle.
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