WeaselCircus
Member
You gotta love beginner's luck! I've never been coyote hunting and have only ever shot one before. That was a month ago and was one that just happened to trot too close before seeing me when I was walking in to a varmint spot. But it's something I've been wanting to try out so I did go buy a Foxpro call a few weeks ago.
So yesterday I went out scouting a new area for varmint shooting with my CZ 527 .17 Hornet and decided to take along the Foxpro just in case. Got to a likely looking varmint spot and thought I'd set up my first ever real stand to test the thing out. I've had it out once before a week ago to see what it sounded like outdoors, but that was in a spot I'd been shooting already so I wouldn't really count it as a true stand. Set up in a big bowl area with some rock outcroppings and put the foxpro about 30 yards to the right of me. I settled in to some larger rocks where I was sort of hidden but not completely - wasn't even in camo, just earth tone clothes.
Turned on the caller and wasn't really sure what sound to try so started up with a female coyote whimper. Almost immediately I heard a faint coyote bark that sounded like it was way off to the left, but it responded so quick I wasn't sure if I was hearing things or maybe it was the caller echoing around the canyon. Let it run for about 8 minutes and hadn't seen anything (didn't really expect to honestly) and then switched over to a dying crow sound. There were a few crows flying around the area so it seemed like it was a good sound to try. Not 2 minutes later I look over to my left and there is a skylined coyote head at 200 yards. He was standing on a little rock cliff which was about the only spot that he could have come that close without me seeing him first. He was looking in my direction which was now right between the coyote and the call. With my heart about pumping out of my chest I very slowly got myself turned enough where I could line up a shot, and thankfully he then took a step or two closer and had turned just enough that I had a really good front quartering shot. Pulled the trigger and he immediately dropped but was down just out of sight, so I grab my gun and started sprinting towards him and a bit uphill to try to get a view and be ready for a followup if needed. I maybe got a third of the way there and I see him run off the cliff and behind some rocks. Got over there and found him piled up dead not making it very far. I'm thinking maybe I should now sell the caller and quit because it's hard to imagine I'll do that well again! J/K, what a rush!
So yesterday I went out scouting a new area for varmint shooting with my CZ 527 .17 Hornet and decided to take along the Foxpro just in case. Got to a likely looking varmint spot and thought I'd set up my first ever real stand to test the thing out. I've had it out once before a week ago to see what it sounded like outdoors, but that was in a spot I'd been shooting already so I wouldn't really count it as a true stand. Set up in a big bowl area with some rock outcroppings and put the foxpro about 30 yards to the right of me. I settled in to some larger rocks where I was sort of hidden but not completely - wasn't even in camo, just earth tone clothes.
Turned on the caller and wasn't really sure what sound to try so started up with a female coyote whimper. Almost immediately I heard a faint coyote bark that sounded like it was way off to the left, but it responded so quick I wasn't sure if I was hearing things or maybe it was the caller echoing around the canyon. Let it run for about 8 minutes and hadn't seen anything (didn't really expect to honestly) and then switched over to a dying crow sound. There were a few crows flying around the area so it seemed like it was a good sound to try. Not 2 minutes later I look over to my left and there is a skylined coyote head at 200 yards. He was standing on a little rock cliff which was about the only spot that he could have come that close without me seeing him first. He was looking in my direction which was now right between the coyote and the call. With my heart about pumping out of my chest I very slowly got myself turned enough where I could line up a shot, and thankfully he then took a step or two closer and had turned just enough that I had a really good front quartering shot. Pulled the trigger and he immediately dropped but was down just out of sight, so I grab my gun and started sprinting towards him and a bit uphill to try to get a view and be ready for a followup if needed. I maybe got a third of the way there and I see him run off the cliff and behind some rocks. Got over there and found him piled up dead not making it very far. I'm thinking maybe I should now sell the caller and quit because it's hard to imagine I'll do that well again! J/K, what a rush!