Zero to Hero

bcturkeynut

bcturkeynut

Member
I always get a kick out of Kirsch and DoubleUp naming their videos so I wanted to throw one out there in the mix.

Made this hunt last week in a hay field with my Super Yoter. A Coyote had howled in front of me so I was hard focused that direction when another coyote approaches from behind me over my right shoulder. She was less than 50 yards when I saw her headed to the caller. She ends up busting me trying to reposition for a shot. The first shot was no good but the 2nd did the trick.

 
Very
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and excellent recovery on the second shot.
 
Thanks for the kind words but sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

I do have a question(s) for the group - how many of you would have waited for the coyote to stop before taking the first shot? She spooks from seeing me move at let's say 50 yards and starts leaving though not in a hard run. By the time I decide to shoot she has actually gone into a "bounce". Is this an indication she is about to stop? I realize at this point it will only be speculation but what do you think? Thanks
 
I'd say Yes, "most" of the time they will stop with a little encouragement. The lady in this video came in pretty fast, saw me, turned and bounded away with the "bounce" you mentioned. I stand at night and many times it's in a wide open field with no cover, so once in awhile I get noticed. But it seems if I wait they almost always have to stop and re-check what they saw. I'm not good at throwing bullets at their butts like others are anyway.



 
Thanks Bradsbirds. That's what I was thinking - just looking for confirmation from folks with more history than myself. It's just so dang hard to wait when you see them leaving.
 
I do everything possible to get them to stop. I know my percentage if I try to shoot them on the run vs standing, so I opt to stop them whenever possible. I have been guilty of waiting too long and getting no shot vs a moving shot, but it is rare.

There are some that like to shoot them as they are coming at them or at the call, and they don't stop the coyote. If a person can do this consistently, more power to you. For me, I know I will kill more if I stop them. In the last 600+ coyotes I have shot, I can remember one that spooked a little by a whistle, or saying my traditional "hey" when I attempted to stop them, and I let this coyote get too close. I did eventually kill it anyway after it got out a ways. With those numbers, that means it happens around .16% of the time to me, so why not do it. They don't always stop when coming to the call, but they typically won't spook from you trying to stop them. Now if they are looking right at you, and you do it, that is a different story, and they will spook much easier. This is why placement of an ecaller is so important.

Your situation was different. It takes more coaxing to get them to stop if they see you, smell you, or get spooked from a shot. The last two are by far the worst situation. If you would have barked, done some rodent squeaks, pup distress softly etc, I am fairly confident this coyote would have stopped. It was still very close, so you had some time. However, if you are not prepared for this, and it takes a person 10-15 seconds to get a sound started on an e-caller for instance, then they would have been better off taking the shot.

 
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