Post by erict on Feb 20, 2009 22:53:23 GMT -5
This forum seems to be too quiet, so here's something to keep you going.
Well, I'll be the first to tell you that this was the last thing I expected when I agreed to take a friend out for his first weekend of coyote hunting. I have some good spots out in northern Onondaga County to hunt coyote and was lucky enough to have a few carcasses out before we arrived. I like calling, but calling + carcasses increases the odds.
Saturday night we hunted from 9 PM - 2 AM - that's when he got cold and I had to take him back to his hotel room. I went back out because we had dogs talking all night long. I finally got one coming and don't you know that the breeze had stopped and even at about 18-degrees a "fog" rolled in across the field. Next thing I know, I hear something running across the ice covering a drainage ditch. Of course, by now it's completely socked in over the field and I can't see a thing, even with my Lightforce spotlight. I get home at 5:30 AM.
Sunday night my friend comes dressed like he should. First stand was our last chance for fox, but no luck. I had hunted with him over a carcass the first night but decided to let him try it alone this night. He was kind of upset that I wasn't going to be there with the caller, but I had a place down the road I wanted to set up. I wasn't even out of the truck when he shot the blonde at 11 PM. I never heard the shot from his 6mm BR Rem 700 using 55-gr. V-Max at about 3,900 fps. He had just walked up the long driveway to the field when he thought he saw something on the carcass. Three coyotes ran away. He got set up behind the white rolled bales, turned on his spotlight and they were already running back in. He got the shot at 80 yds. 1 in the bag.
The next few hours we spent at a couple of other stands. Plenty to be heard, none to be seen. I dropped him off again at about 2:30, planning on staying until 4 AM. At 3:10 AM I heard him shoot. His second night coyote hunting and he's already got a double! He saw a deer out in the field and turned on his spotlight - out in the distance were three sets of eyes. He remembered that I gave him a mouse squeaker and he tried it. Not long after, one came in to the carcass. He got another 80 yd. shot.
I started calling with my FX3 shortly after the shot. Locator howl. I got a response. 10 minutes later I do it again and the same response, but it had moved. I did this two more time and it moved both times. I finally decided to use turkey tactics and play hard to get. I kept the caller off and a full 40 minutes after my friend shot I had a coyote magically appear right in front of me at about 80 yards. It had just crested the edge of the field and immediately began howling. I turned on my spotlight and it wasn't phased. The air was so calm and cold that the sound was amazing. I watched it howl again, obviously looking for the rest of it's clan. The third time it howled I decided I better take the shot and let one fly with my .223 Rem 700 VS using 40 gr. V-Max. at about 3,300 fps. It never took another step. 3:50 AM and time to load up the truck.
All in all a great weekend hunting. We heard plenty and got to shoot. This is the first triple I've been in on and my friend was thrilled. He later admitted that he was sore and tired and that maybe he's not cut out to be a coyote hunter. I reminded him that he got in on two great nights of hunting and that the true test comes after days of not even hearing a thing.
Pelts were not too good even though we only had one quarter sized exit wound out of three shots. Top left small female was okay. Top right larger female blonde was missing a lot of tail fur in the top 1/3, plus had bare elbows and insides of rear knees. The rest was okay. Bottom small male was real bad - most of the guard hairs missing ("rubbed"? I assume) and lots of underfur came out when I brushed it.
That's me on the right - make fun of the hat, but it's never let me down in the cold.
Plenty of season left, so go out an get 'em!
Well, I'll be the first to tell you that this was the last thing I expected when I agreed to take a friend out for his first weekend of coyote hunting. I have some good spots out in northern Onondaga County to hunt coyote and was lucky enough to have a few carcasses out before we arrived. I like calling, but calling + carcasses increases the odds.
Saturday night we hunted from 9 PM - 2 AM - that's when he got cold and I had to take him back to his hotel room. I went back out because we had dogs talking all night long. I finally got one coming and don't you know that the breeze had stopped and even at about 18-degrees a "fog" rolled in across the field. Next thing I know, I hear something running across the ice covering a drainage ditch. Of course, by now it's completely socked in over the field and I can't see a thing, even with my Lightforce spotlight. I get home at 5:30 AM.
Sunday night my friend comes dressed like he should. First stand was our last chance for fox, but no luck. I had hunted with him over a carcass the first night but decided to let him try it alone this night. He was kind of upset that I wasn't going to be there with the caller, but I had a place down the road I wanted to set up. I wasn't even out of the truck when he shot the blonde at 11 PM. I never heard the shot from his 6mm BR Rem 700 using 55-gr. V-Max at about 3,900 fps. He had just walked up the long driveway to the field when he thought he saw something on the carcass. Three coyotes ran away. He got set up behind the white rolled bales, turned on his spotlight and they were already running back in. He got the shot at 80 yds. 1 in the bag.
The next few hours we spent at a couple of other stands. Plenty to be heard, none to be seen. I dropped him off again at about 2:30, planning on staying until 4 AM. At 3:10 AM I heard him shoot. His second night coyote hunting and he's already got a double! He saw a deer out in the field and turned on his spotlight - out in the distance were three sets of eyes. He remembered that I gave him a mouse squeaker and he tried it. Not long after, one came in to the carcass. He got another 80 yd. shot.
I started calling with my FX3 shortly after the shot. Locator howl. I got a response. 10 minutes later I do it again and the same response, but it had moved. I did this two more time and it moved both times. I finally decided to use turkey tactics and play hard to get. I kept the caller off and a full 40 minutes after my friend shot I had a coyote magically appear right in front of me at about 80 yards. It had just crested the edge of the field and immediately began howling. I turned on my spotlight and it wasn't phased. The air was so calm and cold that the sound was amazing. I watched it howl again, obviously looking for the rest of it's clan. The third time it howled I decided I better take the shot and let one fly with my .223 Rem 700 VS using 40 gr. V-Max. at about 3,300 fps. It never took another step. 3:50 AM and time to load up the truck.
All in all a great weekend hunting. We heard plenty and got to shoot. This is the first triple I've been in on and my friend was thrilled. He later admitted that he was sore and tired and that maybe he's not cut out to be a coyote hunter. I reminded him that he got in on two great nights of hunting and that the true test comes after days of not even hearing a thing.
Pelts were not too good even though we only had one quarter sized exit wound out of three shots. Top left small female was okay. Top right larger female blonde was missing a lot of tail fur in the top 1/3, plus had bare elbows and insides of rear knees. The rest was okay. Bottom small male was real bad - most of the guard hairs missing ("rubbed"? I assume) and lots of underfur came out when I brushed it.
That's me on the right - make fun of the hat, but it's never let me down in the cold.
Plenty of season left, so go out an get 'em!