DoubleUp
Well-known member
The last rays of light were struggling to survive as I prepared my bike for the ride into a stand that I had not called all year. Yes, I needed some fresh coyote ears. The darkness was settling in as I prepared my stand and the wind was actually following the forecast at a moderate five SSW. The sun had struggled to get the temps to forty during the day, and its disappearance had caused a return to a cool thirty-one degrees. The night creatures were preparing to run the gauntlet of life and death.
There is a rise in middle of this field and that is the best place to call from, but it would have put my scent farther into the opposite wood line and the field was noisy with cornstalks. So I opted to set up at the entrance to the field giving up the better view for less noise and less scattered human scent.
Cagie Cottontail was playing those sweet bunny blues and within two minutes, Coyote was coming down the wood’s edge. I knew he would turn and come around the field edge and hoped the wind was just enough west to keep him from hitting the scent coming off my old Fusion. Coyote did his part, and I did my part. Coyote 1 was down for the count. I muted the call and just sat quietly for a few minutes contemplating the awesome of God’s creation and enjoying the fullness of his great gifts to us. The stars seemed to twinkle nodding in agreement with my thoughts.
Again, the Cagie Cottontail blues began to beat out its inviting rhythm, and sure enough there was another taker. This one was the Alpha and he didn’t skirt the field but came straight across. I lost him behind the rise and had my zoom too high. By the time I could readjust he was almost on top of the call. He spooked a little from the scent but stopped twice. Perhaps he was trying to figure out how that rabbit smelled like a human. The second stop was a fatal one as the shot exploded his heart and blew it completely out of his chest. Amazingly Coyote managed to run over a hundred yards without his heart before all the blood was expended. He gave a valiant effort at survival, but it was to no avail. I admired his strength and determination to live. Every night in the wild something dies and provides a meal for something else to live.
There is a rise in middle of this field and that is the best place to call from, but it would have put my scent farther into the opposite wood line and the field was noisy with cornstalks. So I opted to set up at the entrance to the field giving up the better view for less noise and less scattered human scent.
Cagie Cottontail was playing those sweet bunny blues and within two minutes, Coyote was coming down the wood’s edge. I knew he would turn and come around the field edge and hoped the wind was just enough west to keep him from hitting the scent coming off my old Fusion. Coyote did his part, and I did my part. Coyote 1 was down for the count. I muted the call and just sat quietly for a few minutes contemplating the awesome of God’s creation and enjoying the fullness of his great gifts to us. The stars seemed to twinkle nodding in agreement with my thoughts.
Again, the Cagie Cottontail blues began to beat out its inviting rhythm, and sure enough there was another taker. This one was the Alpha and he didn’t skirt the field but came straight across. I lost him behind the rise and had my zoom too high. By the time I could readjust he was almost on top of the call. He spooked a little from the scent but stopped twice. Perhaps he was trying to figure out how that rabbit smelled like a human. The second stop was a fatal one as the shot exploded his heart and blew it completely out of his chest. Amazingly Coyote managed to run over a hundred yards without his heart before all the blood was expended. He gave a valiant effort at survival, but it was to no avail. I admired his strength and determination to live. Every night in the wild something dies and provides a meal for something else to live.
