Kilt Anudder 'Yote

[The Baron of Bufflehead]

I put a lot of time into chasing 'yotes last weekend and one evening last week, to no avail. I decided with such a nice day forecast I had better start devoting a little more time to the family before turkey season hits.:Rich: So, I decided I would only hunt until 9am at the latest today.

I got out at the crack of dawn, and was ready for first light. I hit as new spot I got a few weeks ago. Hunted it once, but conditions were better today (the right wind) so I set up at an outside corner of woods, with the treeline running straight behind me and along to my right. Wind was from over my right shoulder, blowing about 45 degrees out across the field and to my left.

I decided to use my rabbit decoy and I think it really paid off. I set the decoy and caller about 40 yards straight in front of me and got started. After about 10 minutes of cottontail distress, I look to my right and there is a coyote about 40 yards away standing in a mess of dogwoods, staring at the decoy/caller! I turned the volume down and switched to chirping coaxer. She circled out around the decoy and came clear of the brush. She moved to the downwind side of the decoy and when she slowed down and swung toward it/me, I smacked her with a 40gr. Berger from the .204. She dropped and I immediately switched to ki-yi's. I look up from the remote and she is back up again and hobbling on three legs makin' time outta there. Tough buggers!:MS: One airball and then shot #3 thumps her at about 100 yards and she's done. I let the ki-yi's run for a minute. Then I went back to rabbit for 5 minutes. I decided there was only one coyote and so I went and got her, took some pictures with a flash (it was still early) and was putting some gear away when I look up to where she came from and see a coyotes head staring at me from over the rise. What the!?:up: The 2nd coyote disappeared and I tried squeeking, but after 30 seconds I figure I might as well edge up there. So, I get to where I can see over the hill and the second dog is already 200 yards away crossing a beaver pond. He's running, so I scoot to where I can get a clear shot and barked at him as best I could. He stopped and turned back facing me at about 250 yards and I screw up and hold a hair over his head thinking he is a lot farther. Missed him and so he takes off at mach II and I figure the jig's up, so you're gettin' two more.:rf: Missed him clean. Me and the double play don't seem destined to work out.

Anyhoo, one dog down and I'll take that anytime. Her fur was very poor. Her back was 1/2 rubbed off, and I think she is about 2 weeks past poor condition. Not mangy, just changing her winter coat.

A view straight out from my stand, after I retrieved the dog and FoxPro. Coyote came in from the right side.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y216/thebaron1/08-3-2901a.jpg

The dog. They sure do look skinny without their winter fur. I think that contributed to my error in judging the range to dog #2.

Oh... what's that standing up against my gun? Could it be?... is it?... YES... the lucky shooting stick has been retrieved from where I left it about 6 weeks ago. This is my first stand with it since I found it, and I got shooting at 2 coyotes. I am going to wrap that stick is a silk blanket and keep it locket in my gun safe from now on!:rof:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y216/thebaron1/08-3-2902a.jpg

[BlueDevil]

Nice shooting way to go! :TT:

[jhartwig24]

Nice Yote! Keep up the good shooting! And great job on finding your lucky shooting stick!

[Crazy_Farmer]

Geez you guys just keep giving me more and more motivation to get some of our coyotes we've got here. I went out the other afternoon on our property but didn't see anything. I think I'll try again tomorrow morning as I know we have a good sized den on our property from a bunch of fallen over stumps.

A question though, I think a caller could help out alot for me as I just have a hand call but where I live we have no rabbits at all, so to me its like the coyotes here have never heard that noise. Is there anyother kind of animal noise they go for?

[kirsch]

Baron, good job. That elusive double will eventually happen.

Crazy_Farmer. Any distress can work. I called a coyote in on a porcupine distress this year and we don't have porcupines around here. Bird distress, fawn distress, rabbit distress, etc all work well. If it sounds in enough pain, it can work. Bird and rabbit are used most often. Another option may be mouse/rodent distress but that typically works better to finish the deal than a main call.

A caller can definitely help especially to get the call away from you as Baron described in his post.

[Quacker-Wacker]

Good job Barron! What are you going to do with that one? Are you going to quit for the season and wait until next year when the pelts are prime? Our season ended March 25th.

[The Baron of Bufflehead]

Crazy_Farmer... I think as coyotes instincts are such that any thing that sounds like an animal in pain or distress will attract them. What do coyotes eat in your neck of the woods? You can get fawn distress sounds too. Heck, you can get distress sounds for everything, so just try out a few and see what happens. The e-callers do help, like kirsch said to get the sound away from you. The hunt I shared here is a perfect example. Had I been using a hand call, that coyote would have been looking at me when she came over the rise at 40 yards and I might never seen her before she busted me and slipped back. If you use a hand call, I would suggest adding a motion decoy and call sparingly so you can hopefully see an approaching coyote before they zero in on the sound and catch you moving. If a 'yote shows up to where it thought the sound came from and sees the decoy first, you should stand a decent chacnce.

kirsch... my goal for this past season was to at least see a coyote. This season was better than I ever expected, by far. I guess my goal for next year will be to turn a double.

Q-W... yeah, I think I'm done for the year. That female got dumped because her fur was of no use at all. I think calling season is over for me. But, I will be carrying my rifle while scouting turkeys and any coyotes I bump into near "my" turkeys are fair game.:HP:

[GANDER D. BANDER]

Congrates on another doggy! Is night hunting legal where you are Baron? Ought to try that! Then after the family goes to bed you can use the "can't sleep so I am going hunting line" Works well for me. THEN you can also sqeeze in the turkey hunting without too much trouble. :TT:

We got snow overnight and your post got me fired up!! I think I am going to head out the door for a stand or two. :TT:

[SSCarnage]

Good job Baron!

[kirsch]

Baron, I almost commented on how bad the fur looked on your coyote as I had been out during Easter and harvested two and both looked fine. Not sure if it was because I hunted a different area but yesterday decided to try a few stands closer to my house and had two respond and both looked like they had mange but they didn't. They looked a lot like your coyote. Wow, what a difference a week can make. I do think it had a bit to do with location but still the yotes are dropping fur fast right now.

[OhioGooseBuster]

Man! I am really considering hunting coyotes in Ohio since I keep seeing all of these posts about them!! Hey Randy(brdsup), you up for some yote hunting while bird season is out?

[The Baron of Bufflehead]

Yes, the coyote I shot was is very poor shape. Not mangy, just rubbed almost bare. But, a pal killed a double (lucky bugger!:rof: ) the same day not 20 miles away, and his 'yotes both looked really good. Go figure.:CF:

[DANE-G-RUSS]

Congrats on another yote Baron. :TT: You sure put a hurtin' on 'em this winter :st:

[Jezzolo AKA Isaac]

Good job..

[jimfaststeel]

Good job. Way to keep after them!!!:TT:

[Bardern]

My money is on you for next years derby Rob!

[The Baron of Bufflehead]

I appreciate the vote of confidence, but don't more than a twooney on it... just in case.:rof:

[gooseaholic]

Glad you found your lucky stick!!! Hopefully it works equally well on the gobblers!