Curt Barrett
New member
After being trapped in the house by visiting family, (joke) I was able to escape late Sunday afternoon to try a little calling. Didn't have alot of time so I stuck close by the house. I don't take pictures much anymore but I threw a small camera in my pocket this time so I'll bore you with some pics and a story. I didn't have very high hopes for success because this spring I had lost 3 lambs to coyotes and had went on an unscheduled killing spree around my house. Figured the ones that were left might be a little leery about responding. It had been a few months though so I thought I'd give it a try anyway. Main objective was just to get out of the house. lol!
I headed for a hayfield that was across the road from my house. Entering this field you are pretty exposed to all eyes for miles. I parked the truck by the pivot of one of the irrigation circles and glassed the field for a few minutes to see if I had spooked anything while driving in. Nothing in sight so I started across the field to the first stand.
There was a pretty stiff wind blowing about 10-15 mph. It was in my favor and blowing in my face as I walked across the field. There is hardly any cover in the field and the little cover that there is conceals a shallow ditch that runs through the middle of the field. The coyotes lay low during the day and I thought maybe there was a chance of one napping in the brushy draw. I found a rise with a commanding view of the field and ditch. I plopped my butt down on the small hill after placing the caller about 70 yards crosswind and slightly upwind of where I was going to sit, anticipating that any coyote responding would more than likely head downwind of the caller.
I started the caller playing pheasant distress. Less than two minutes had elapsed and I could see a head bobbing down the grass edge along the ditch. It was coming in hard and fast. As I watched it approach I noticed another one coming from way out farther upwind/crosswind of where I sat. Probably 1/4 mile. It would be a bit before it got to me. I'm always amazed at a coyotes hearing. I was impressed that it could hear the caller that far upwind.
The first one was getting close to the end of the grass lined ditch, heading to get downwind of the caller. When it got there it stopped about 40 yards downwind and a little opposite of the caller. It was looking at me straight on probably wondering what the big blob in the open field was. Sun was low and probably reflecting off scope caps and rifle too. Took the shot accepting the fact the other still quite far away coyote would probably run off after the shot. It was hit square in the chest and folded up. Much to my surprise the other distant coyote was still coming. The strong wind greatly dampened the volume of the shot. I was hoping the coyote would follow the ditch to me like the first one. Instead it crossed the ditch much farther out being more cautious than the first. Looked like a YOY. When it crossed the ditch it advanced across the field at a trot starting to circle wide downwind. I was tracking it with my scope. It was stopping and going now and knew something was up. It stopped and was watching me "the blob" and finally turned around and slowly started heading back the way it came. When it got close to the ditch again I "whooped" at it and it stopped broadside. It was farther than I wanted to shoot but I had just sighted my rifle in recently so confidence was high. I shot and was happy to see it fall.
Here are some pics. The first is from where I sat. Wind was blowing left to right. Blue arrow points to where the caller was sitting just outside the pic. Green arrow was the path the first coyote took. It was an adult female. The red arrow shows the path the second coyote took. It was a female YOY. First coyote was 108 paces, second was 220. Sorry about the low picture quality. It's just a pocket camera.
This pic shows where I parked. The tree clump behind is my house.
Walking up on the first coyote...Homestead in the background is vacant. No danger shooting. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
As first one fell...
Walking to second one...
As second one fell...
And the coyotes...
Scenic shot on the way back to the truck. lol!
Good hunting
I headed for a hayfield that was across the road from my house. Entering this field you are pretty exposed to all eyes for miles. I parked the truck by the pivot of one of the irrigation circles and glassed the field for a few minutes to see if I had spooked anything while driving in. Nothing in sight so I started across the field to the first stand.
There was a pretty stiff wind blowing about 10-15 mph. It was in my favor and blowing in my face as I walked across the field. There is hardly any cover in the field and the little cover that there is conceals a shallow ditch that runs through the middle of the field. The coyotes lay low during the day and I thought maybe there was a chance of one napping in the brushy draw. I found a rise with a commanding view of the field and ditch. I plopped my butt down on the small hill after placing the caller about 70 yards crosswind and slightly upwind of where I was going to sit, anticipating that any coyote responding would more than likely head downwind of the caller.
I started the caller playing pheasant distress. Less than two minutes had elapsed and I could see a head bobbing down the grass edge along the ditch. It was coming in hard and fast. As I watched it approach I noticed another one coming from way out farther upwind/crosswind of where I sat. Probably 1/4 mile. It would be a bit before it got to me. I'm always amazed at a coyotes hearing. I was impressed that it could hear the caller that far upwind.
The first one was getting close to the end of the grass lined ditch, heading to get downwind of the caller. When it got there it stopped about 40 yards downwind and a little opposite of the caller. It was looking at me straight on probably wondering what the big blob in the open field was. Sun was low and probably reflecting off scope caps and rifle too. Took the shot accepting the fact the other still quite far away coyote would probably run off after the shot. It was hit square in the chest and folded up. Much to my surprise the other distant coyote was still coming. The strong wind greatly dampened the volume of the shot. I was hoping the coyote would follow the ditch to me like the first one. Instead it crossed the ditch much farther out being more cautious than the first. Looked like a YOY. When it crossed the ditch it advanced across the field at a trot starting to circle wide downwind. I was tracking it with my scope. It was stopping and going now and knew something was up. It stopped and was watching me "the blob" and finally turned around and slowly started heading back the way it came. When it got close to the ditch again I "whooped" at it and it stopped broadside. It was farther than I wanted to shoot but I had just sighted my rifle in recently so confidence was high. I shot and was happy to see it fall.
Here are some pics. The first is from where I sat. Wind was blowing left to right. Blue arrow points to where the caller was sitting just outside the pic. Green arrow was the path the first coyote took. It was an adult female. The red arrow shows the path the second coyote took. It was a female YOY. First coyote was 108 paces, second was 220. Sorry about the low picture quality. It's just a pocket camera.
This pic shows where I parked. The tree clump behind is my house.
Walking up on the first coyote...Homestead in the background is vacant. No danger shooting. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
As first one fell...
Walking to second one...
As second one fell...
And the coyotes...
Scenic shot on the way back to the truck. lol!
Good hunting