I went out yesterday to set a couple stands. Drove out to some property near the state park for the first stand. Found a car sitting in "my" parking place. The property is owned by relatives and the car is owned by another relative. I know he's deer hunting so I decide to go to the other end of the property to another "hotspot". I get to my parking spot there and find a truck in "my" other parking spot. I know its my cousin deer hunting so I go on up the road to a "backup" spot. I pass a new house just before getting to "my" spot. My day just can't get better. There are three "large" dogs loose in the yard and this house is less than 1/4 mile from my planned next set. I went ahead to "my"(which is mine) spot and set up my caller, hoping and praying that the dogs don't show up. After listening to a screaming rabbit and a tortured woodpecker for an hour I shut it off but, before I leave I give the old open reed rabbit squaller a couple puffs. Wouldn't you know it I hear what sounds like horse hoofs running thru the woods. Something about the rabbit squaller got the interest of those dogs and I soon have them sitting in my lap. I pack up just happy the dogs were friendly. So I head to the family farm to try my second set. On the way I stop off home and pick up my 22. When I get to the farm I set my next stand hoping to get a fox. Of course nothing shows up(no big surprise). By this time I've given up on predators for the day. So, I pull out the 22 and head out squirrel hunting. Wouldn't you know it my luck for the day was in tree rat hunting. It didn't take 15 minutes before I take a head shot on one. Of course I miss but, it didn't know what direction the shot came from and it hid on my side of the tree. With a better rest it ended up tied to my belt. A few minutes later I was carrying another. Walking along the ridge I found lots of droppings from either a fox or yote. I get more interested in the sign than hunting and sorta forget what I'm there for. Stopping to examine another pile I heard the sound of cuttin'. I look up and its a tree full of bushy tails not fifty feet in front of me. I sit down real quick and shoot the first. It fell and the other four start barking at me. For some reason they all decided it was a good idea to stop in open spots. So I take aim on the next one and it fell to the ground. I took aim on the third one and click. What the !!!! This gun never misfires. Seems I found a tree full of bushy tails with death wishes and I only have two shells in my gun. I don't how or why this mag only had five shells when I always keep my mags for it full. After that all I can shoot at them are insults. For me whenever bad luck comes it comes in bunches. I think I will take up fishing.
Bad luck day
- Thread starter BIGGUN
- Start date
Krustyklimber
New member
Yeah, and it sounds to me like BIGGUN had a great day.
I guess it's all in your attitude...
You should spend a day, or forty, with me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I still haven't even fired a shot while hunting predators, and I consider every one of my days in the field a sucess, I learned something new on everyone of those days.
Happiness is in the journey, not the destination.
Good hunting!
Jeff
S.L.C. Buzzard
New member
I feel your pain BIGGUN, but at least you didn't go away empty handed. A similar thing happened to me last year on one of my first coyote hunts. I located a group of coyotes while it was still dark out and returned to the area to make a stand at first light. It was a pretty good location, but I really couldn't find an ideal spot to hunker down. I ended up choosing a spot that offered what I thought was the best possible vantage point overlooking a couple of draws. I'm not really sure what the wind was doing, and not being very experienced at the time, I guess I really didn't care. I started off with a short series on my hand call, and within just a few minutes I noticed some movement about 500 yards out. Sure enough, it was a coyote making his way toward me at a leisurely pace. I lost sight of him as he wandered down into a draw at about 200 yards out. I wasn't too worried though, because he looked to be headed right directly into my shooting lane. Well I waited for what seemed like an eternity, and then wouldn't you know it, he popped up directly to my left at no more than 15 yards. He just stood there looking at me as I contemplated my next move. I had my bipod attached to my 22-250, and there was no way I was going to be able to pan far enough left to get him in my scope. All I could do was pick up the whole dang setup, swing it left, set it down and then hope for a shot. Well, that's just what I did, and that bugger just stood there the whole time and just watched me do it. So I quickly snug up to my rifle and ease my eyeball up to the scope. Now I'm thinking I'll be able to close the deal for sure on this one. Wouldn't you know it, I had the power on my 6.5 x 20 maxed out (another rookie mistake), and there was absolutely no way I was going get this guy in my scope for the shot. So what did I do next? The only thing I could. I grabbed that dial, cranked it down as low as it would go, acquired the target, who by the way, was still standing there wondering what to make of the scene that was unfolding before him, and BANG! My first coyote hit the dirt. Obviously not the smartest dog on the block, but it was still one down and that's all that mattered to me.
Well as it turns out, the charade didn't end there...
As I stood up to make my way over to my trophy, I noticed movement to my right, about 100 yards out, down in the draw where I had expected the first to come into view. It was ANOTHER coyote getting the heck out of Dodge. I quickly swung the gun back around and got into position, hoping for an opportunity. Well wouldn't you know it, that sucker decided to stop and have a look back near the top of a little bluff about 150 yards out. I shouldered my rifle, centered the crosshairs, and stroked. Only this time, nothing happened. In my haste, it turns out I had somehow neglected to kick out my last shell and rechamber another. Here we go again, I thought. Well, this time I wasn't so lucky. The second I grabbed the bolt on my 700, that sucker decided he wanted no part of it. I was able to get off a shot, but by that time, that dog had already broken the sound barrier. Oh well, one down and almost a double on my first successful call was good enough for me.
Now, I won't even get started on my first attempt at skinning one of those buggers. I'm sure most of you can figure out how that went.
Cheers.
S.L.C. Buzzard
Well as it turns out, the charade didn't end there...
As I stood up to make my way over to my trophy, I noticed movement to my right, about 100 yards out, down in the draw where I had expected the first to come into view. It was ANOTHER coyote getting the heck out of Dodge. I quickly swung the gun back around and got into position, hoping for an opportunity. Well wouldn't you know it, that sucker decided to stop and have a look back near the top of a little bluff about 150 yards out. I shouldered my rifle, centered the crosshairs, and stroked. Only this time, nothing happened. In my haste, it turns out I had somehow neglected to kick out my last shell and rechamber another. Here we go again, I thought. Well, this time I wasn't so lucky. The second I grabbed the bolt on my 700, that sucker decided he wanted no part of it. I was able to get off a shot, but by that time, that dog had already broken the sound barrier. Oh well, one down and almost a double on my first successful call was good enough for me.
Now, I won't even get started on my first attempt at skinning one of those buggers. I'm sure most of you can figure out how that went.
Cheers.
S.L.C. Buzzard
yote yodeler
New member
When it rains it pours. Just think you could have been sitting on your butt at the house or stuck behind a desk somewhere.Now that i think about it maybe you had a good day
SLC you sound like my wife. Her first deer happened about the same way. For some reason she had unloaded her rifle and laid it down several feet from where she was sitting. This goofy doe trots out in the field not fifty feet from her. What does my wife do. She crawls over, grabs her rifle, loads it and shoots the doe. She said it stood there and chewed grass the whole time. She said she almost felt guilty shooting a stupid one. LOL.