Yotarunner
Custom Call Maker
With the family in the city for the last 2 days I was excited to get out calling after work. Yesterday was deemed "too cold" and although today was almost exactly the same I decided that it didn't matter and I had to try anyways.
Checking the wind status I saw the windchill factor was sitting at -37. Sitting in the truck I stared at my phone for a moment questioning my life choices. Oh well. Man up.
I had a spot in mind where 2 days ago I saw a pack of 5 standing on a distant hill.
On the way there I realized my path led me past a location I haven't hit for a long time. Pulling into the lease I parked my truck next to a pile of pipe in hopes any coyote spying over the berm would think its an operator like usual.
Previous experience taught me coyotes always come from the east despite the excellent cover to the south so with my back against an old wood cattle chute I began wailing away with one of my new cottontail handcalls. Immediately 5 magpies burst from behind the hill in front of me which was a good sign. Sure enough a pair was not far behind them coming fast.
Now with the cold I had donned a coyote fur hat which was about to come into play
The pair circled around into the open 100 yards out as i keyed vole squeaks on the FoxPro. They seemed unsure but tentatively the female began walking in. "Sweet I'm going to get a shotgun kill!" As she dropped below a snowbank I readied the shotgun. She had just cleared the bank when she turned and saw me and my big hat and whirled. The perfect broadside shotgun shot presented itself as.... CLICK "oh for fox snakes!!!" I racked the gun and rushed the next shot sending half the pattern into the snow 2 more long distance shots failed and 2 more running shots at the male had me cussing and swearing like no tomorrow. 6 min into the stand I had 6 rounds fired and nothing to show. If you look close you can see her tracks by the shadow of my head at the middle of the picture.
the scattergun was left in the truck the next time (not the first time this gun has failed in the cold)
The next stand was what I had been waiting for. parking in a low spot I trudged up the road and across the fence and 2 steps in sank in up to my knees. The snowshoes in the box of the truck would come in really handy right now. Oh well I'm halfway there. Man up. After crunching and slogging my way through the loud snow i found a spot of shade and once more began the bunny blues on the handcall. No takers. Did some howls with my Riled Runt handcall hoping to sound like a subordinate intruder. After a minute of scanning I spied bumps moving around on the hill to my left. Sure enough 4 coyotes sat watching.
Now no matter how hard I tried these coyotes would not come unglued. Pup distress, Jack distress, howls nothing was working. Finally a Tony tebbe fight sound pulled one off and behind them the rest began to lazily start down the hill. She was almost invisible in the failing light as she came over the hill. She stopped. Looked at the FoxPro which was obviously not a bunch of coyotes fighting and then at me. Once more I think she saw the hat but this time tentatively began coming closer. What was now 4 more coyotes sat 300 yards away and just watched her approach. 150 yards away she looked at me once more and decided I wasn't a coyote after all. A wood and a KER-WHOP was my answer to that. The rest left unscathed.
Checking the wind status I saw the windchill factor was sitting at -37. Sitting in the truck I stared at my phone for a moment questioning my life choices. Oh well. Man up.
I had a spot in mind where 2 days ago I saw a pack of 5 standing on a distant hill.
On the way there I realized my path led me past a location I haven't hit for a long time. Pulling into the lease I parked my truck next to a pile of pipe in hopes any coyote spying over the berm would think its an operator like usual.
Previous experience taught me coyotes always come from the east despite the excellent cover to the south so with my back against an old wood cattle chute I began wailing away with one of my new cottontail handcalls. Immediately 5 magpies burst from behind the hill in front of me which was a good sign. Sure enough a pair was not far behind them coming fast.
Now with the cold I had donned a coyote fur hat which was about to come into play
The pair circled around into the open 100 yards out as i keyed vole squeaks on the FoxPro. They seemed unsure but tentatively the female began walking in. "Sweet I'm going to get a shotgun kill!" As she dropped below a snowbank I readied the shotgun. She had just cleared the bank when she turned and saw me and my big hat and whirled. The perfect broadside shotgun shot presented itself as.... CLICK "oh for fox snakes!!!" I racked the gun and rushed the next shot sending half the pattern into the snow 2 more long distance shots failed and 2 more running shots at the male had me cussing and swearing like no tomorrow. 6 min into the stand I had 6 rounds fired and nothing to show. If you look close you can see her tracks by the shadow of my head at the middle of the picture.
the scattergun was left in the truck the next time (not the first time this gun has failed in the cold)
The next stand was what I had been waiting for. parking in a low spot I trudged up the road and across the fence and 2 steps in sank in up to my knees. The snowshoes in the box of the truck would come in really handy right now. Oh well I'm halfway there. Man up. After crunching and slogging my way through the loud snow i found a spot of shade and once more began the bunny blues on the handcall. No takers. Did some howls with my Riled Runt handcall hoping to sound like a subordinate intruder. After a minute of scanning I spied bumps moving around on the hill to my left. Sure enough 4 coyotes sat watching.
Now no matter how hard I tried these coyotes would not come unglued. Pup distress, Jack distress, howls nothing was working. Finally a Tony tebbe fight sound pulled one off and behind them the rest began to lazily start down the hill. She was almost invisible in the failing light as she came over the hill. She stopped. Looked at the FoxPro which was obviously not a bunch of coyotes fighting and then at me. Once more I think she saw the hat but this time tentatively began coming closer. What was now 4 more coyotes sat 300 yards away and just watched her approach. 150 yards away she looked at me once more and decided I wasn't a coyote after all. A wood and a KER-WHOP was my answer to that. The rest left unscathed.
period of life but, at 84 I have begun to back off some.
Congratulations.....you earned that one!