Since June 18th I have hunted 16 nights between 1 set and 4 all nighters for a total of 53 sets. I have heard very little and seen only these 4 plus 2 others that I didn't video that were way far away. I believe our population is down from my observations and those of all the farmers I talked to this winter who saw very little tracks while feeding plus the couple trappers I know say their catches where way down.
Anyhow, here are the stories: 1. the first vid I totally muffed a 250yd shot. I am hunting a hollow that goes N about 1/2 mile off the main E-W hollow with a N drifting wind. Broke the set after 45 min. and had retrieved the call when I get a single howl from across the main hollow at maybe 400y. So now I set my stool back up, turn the tripod around, and try to mouth call the booger in. It comes and mouses its way through the freshly cut hay and turns W (i figure to get better wind). I think it winds me, and I howl it stopped and screw up
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2. this night I had hunted the home hollow looking for the 'Pooper". Our main hollow stretches about 2miles S to N from the edge of town (pop ~3400) with smaller hollows off the main ridge. I hunted the W ridge making 3 sets S to N and at the last one I get a response from WAY South so back I go making 2 more sets to no avail. Came down from that ridge and decided to make 1 more set behind the house in a field I had just mowed filth 3 days before. About 20-25 into the set I have a pup distress playing and I get a single bark-howl from across the hollow and down towards the bottom. I turn to scan down there and see the booger coming down from the ridge I had just hunted for almost 5 hrs! I get the tripod set up 90* below me (hill country, ya know) and it stops and starts going back from where it came. I howl, it sits down and looks my way. Being in my home turf I know this is 3-350yds and too far for my abilities but I am steady, got a lot of verticle 'drop room' since it is sitting, and just plain wanna shoot at something so I 'let drive'. Vid tells the rest. I looked the next am and 2 days later without finding it and never saw buzzards.
3. the next 2 vids are from the same set. This was the first I had heard coyotes in a while. This N-S ridge stretches for several miles with many hollows off each side. This road is an access road to a pipeline valve set and is about 1m long with no fields. I had made 2 sets before this one. Call was ~60y N of me and I was on the edge of the road. I sent a howl on the call then answered it with my diaphragm and immediately got howling from a group 6-800yds to my W in the bottom of the hollow which was answered by a single out in front of me maybe 300y and a couple min later another serenade started up to my E several hundred yds away. I am thinking that I will be here a while if it doesn't happen fast. I don't remember what sounds I messed with, but the single did make a brief showing at about 250 and I thought it was committing but instead went towards where the group had howled the 1 time from. With a NE wind I did not want to do anymore calling myself so relied on the Icotec. I ran some pup howls and social sounds. They answered from MUCH closer so now I am going quiet. As you can see, if they show it will be 'all of a sudden' coming from my left. I had been silent for maybe 15-20min and ran a mouse for a few seconds. Maybe 5min later (43min into set) this young male steps out at 19yds. I already had the gun lined up on the edge but just getting out of the scanner and down into the gun boogered him at that range and I was lucky to get one in him as he turned to go. Done some kiyis then stayed another 20 with no takers.
Anyhow, here are the stories: 1. the first vid I totally muffed a 250yd shot. I am hunting a hollow that goes N about 1/2 mile off the main E-W hollow with a N drifting wind. Broke the set after 45 min. and had retrieved the call when I get a single howl from across the main hollow at maybe 400y. So now I set my stool back up, turn the tripod around, and try to mouth call the booger in. It comes and mouses its way through the freshly cut hay and turns W (i figure to get better wind). I think it winds me, and I howl it stopped and screw up
.2. this night I had hunted the home hollow looking for the 'Pooper"
. Our main hollow stretches about 2miles S to N from the edge of town (pop ~3400) with smaller hollows off the main ridge. I hunted the W ridge making 3 sets S to N and at the last one I get a response from WAY South so back I go making 2 more sets to no avail. Came down from that ridge and decided to make 1 more set behind the house in a field I had just mowed filth 3 days before. About 20-25 into the set I have a pup distress playing and I get a single bark-howl from across the hollow and down towards the bottom. I turn to scan down there and see the booger coming down from the ridge I had just hunted for almost 5 hrs! I get the tripod set up 90* below me (hill country, ya know) and it stops and starts going back from where it came. I howl, it sits down and looks my way. Being in my home turf I know this is 3-350yds and too far for my abilities but I am steady, got a lot of verticle 'drop room' since it is sitting, and just plain wanna shoot at something so I 'let drive'. Vid tells the rest. I looked the next am and 2 days later without finding it and never saw buzzards.3. the next 2 vids are from the same set. This was the first I had heard coyotes in a while. This N-S ridge stretches for several miles with many hollows off each side. This road is an access road to a pipeline valve set and is about 1m long with no fields. I had made 2 sets before this one. Call was ~60y N of me and I was on the edge of the road. I sent a howl on the call then answered it with my diaphragm and immediately got howling from a group 6-800yds to my W in the bottom of the hollow which was answered by a single out in front of me maybe 300y and a couple min later another serenade started up to my E several hundred yds away. I am thinking that I will be here a while if it doesn't happen fast. I don't remember what sounds I messed with, but the single did make a brief showing at about 250 and I thought it was committing but instead went towards where the group had howled the 1 time from. With a NE wind I did not want to do anymore calling myself so relied on the Icotec. I ran some pup howls and social sounds. They answered from MUCH closer so now I am going quiet. As you can see, if they show it will be 'all of a sudden' coming from my left. I had been silent for maybe 15-20min and ran a mouse for a few seconds. Maybe 5min later (43min into set) this young male steps out at 19yds. I already had the gun lined up on the edge but just getting out of the scanner and down into the gun boogered him at that range and I was lucky to get one in him as he turned to go. Done some kiyis then stayed another 20 with no takers.
