Big Lou
Well-known member
***Edit*** added a write up below the picture.
No time for a write up. Have to get to bed. Went out for a quick evening set. Shotgun double. 18 and 32 yards. It was stupendous!
Okay, I have a window for a little write up.
I have some Cousins up from Oregon currently. They were over at another Cousin’s place having a visit. This is a spot that I’ve hunted Whitetails on for several years. It’s been poor for big bucks over quite a few seasons now but, I’ve enjoyed some decent success there at times. I’ve killed my biggest archery WT there at 166.5”. A double dropper with a flyer that goes 163” and another 6x4 that goes 167”. Despite it not producing lately, the piece of ground is dear to my heart and I had yet to do any calling there this year. While hanging cameras in the fall, I had found a spot where coyotes had denned. I figured I’d hedge a bet that a resident pair would be in the area and kill two birds with one stone - do some calling and swing in for a visit afterwards.
It wasn’t a very long walk in to where I wanted to set up. We had just received a fresh snow fall of about 4” and stiff winds had accompanied. Now, the snow had halted for several hours and the wind was dying, temperature dropping to boot. It felt very coyote like in climate as the north wind licked at my cheek. I had an old brush pile in mind to tuck in. This would let me see to the downwind side, both directions crosswind and a commanding upwind view.
I deployed the caller about 30 yards away and got nestled in. An old slough bottom immediately to my left and the way the hills rolled, a low spot leading from the north right to me. I’d seen deer and coyotes travel this little swale from bush to bush here over the years many times. “This should work just fine”.
I opened with a howl. Two minutes later, another howl and rolled right into a pair serenade. I heard a lone coyote light up to my NW and another straight east. The one to the east was a ways off but, the NW coyote was definitely close enough to come. I stayed quiet for a couple more minutes and out of the timber, I watched a silky object materialize 225-250 yards away. I felt a small rush of excitement at the prospect of another coyote.
I dialled the volume way down and gave some breeding chirps. The coyote immediately started trotting down to the swale and closing. In my peripheral, I caught movement to my left. I stayed motionless and within seconds, saw two coyotes streaking in through the old slough bottom. They were close. Sub 60 yards and closing fast. “You’re both going to die” I thought.
I let them close. As the male hit the 18 yard mark and turned his head towards the bitch, I descended upon them. BOOM! The male crumples as the payload of 4 Buck pounds him in the head and neck. The bitch didn’t even spook at the shot, just looking towards her fallen mate. Drawing a bead, BOOM! Again, a delivery of shot to the head and neck had her folded up like a lawn chair at 32 yards and, I had a shotgun double.
I looked NW and the first coyote was still closing. I was on the rifle and tried to stop it several times. It made the bush and I thought maybe it might hook around to the slough where the first two had come in. Moments later, I saw it lope into the bottom and I took a lead. BOOM! “How did you miss that?!”. I’m only 8 minutes into the set at this point. I fire up a fight sound and I can hear another coyote start challenging to the SW of me. I kept up with the fight sounds and at roughly the 16 min mark, another coyote enters the bottom. It’s doing some little threatening barks as it enters. I was on the rifle and it came to a stop 60-70 yards away facing me. BOOM! “YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING”. It makes cover and is gone. My high is absolutely dashed by this dirty low. “That should have been a quad. Is this gun off? Oh my gosh. That went so badly. Are you off?” So many questions in a flood but, I found solace in my two fallen victims when my eyes returned to view the scene.
Great set. Great responses. I still don’t know what went wrong but, 50% of it went very right. Saved a couple fawns if nothing else but, I sure could have saved more; that’s for certain. Bonus coyotes regardless and I’m happy they are out of circulation.
No time for a write up. Have to get to bed. Went out for a quick evening set. Shotgun double. 18 and 32 yards. It was stupendous!
Okay, I have a window for a little write up.
I have some Cousins up from Oregon currently. They were over at another Cousin’s place having a visit. This is a spot that I’ve hunted Whitetails on for several years. It’s been poor for big bucks over quite a few seasons now but, I’ve enjoyed some decent success there at times. I’ve killed my biggest archery WT there at 166.5”. A double dropper with a flyer that goes 163” and another 6x4 that goes 167”. Despite it not producing lately, the piece of ground is dear to my heart and I had yet to do any calling there this year. While hanging cameras in the fall, I had found a spot where coyotes had denned. I figured I’d hedge a bet that a resident pair would be in the area and kill two birds with one stone - do some calling and swing in for a visit afterwards.
It wasn’t a very long walk in to where I wanted to set up. We had just received a fresh snow fall of about 4” and stiff winds had accompanied. Now, the snow had halted for several hours and the wind was dying, temperature dropping to boot. It felt very coyote like in climate as the north wind licked at my cheek. I had an old brush pile in mind to tuck in. This would let me see to the downwind side, both directions crosswind and a commanding upwind view.
I deployed the caller about 30 yards away and got nestled in. An old slough bottom immediately to my left and the way the hills rolled, a low spot leading from the north right to me. I’d seen deer and coyotes travel this little swale from bush to bush here over the years many times. “This should work just fine”.
I opened with a howl. Two minutes later, another howl and rolled right into a pair serenade. I heard a lone coyote light up to my NW and another straight east. The one to the east was a ways off but, the NW coyote was definitely close enough to come. I stayed quiet for a couple more minutes and out of the timber, I watched a silky object materialize 225-250 yards away. I felt a small rush of excitement at the prospect of another coyote.
I dialled the volume way down and gave some breeding chirps. The coyote immediately started trotting down to the swale and closing. In my peripheral, I caught movement to my left. I stayed motionless and within seconds, saw two coyotes streaking in through the old slough bottom. They were close. Sub 60 yards and closing fast. “You’re both going to die” I thought.
I let them close. As the male hit the 18 yard mark and turned his head towards the bitch, I descended upon them. BOOM! The male crumples as the payload of 4 Buck pounds him in the head and neck. The bitch didn’t even spook at the shot, just looking towards her fallen mate. Drawing a bead, BOOM! Again, a delivery of shot to the head and neck had her folded up like a lawn chair at 32 yards and, I had a shotgun double.
I looked NW and the first coyote was still closing. I was on the rifle and tried to stop it several times. It made the bush and I thought maybe it might hook around to the slough where the first two had come in. Moments later, I saw it lope into the bottom and I took a lead. BOOM! “How did you miss that?!”. I’m only 8 minutes into the set at this point. I fire up a fight sound and I can hear another coyote start challenging to the SW of me. I kept up with the fight sounds and at roughly the 16 min mark, another coyote enters the bottom. It’s doing some little threatening barks as it enters. I was on the rifle and it came to a stop 60-70 yards away facing me. BOOM! “YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING”. It makes cover and is gone. My high is absolutely dashed by this dirty low. “That should have been a quad. Is this gun off? Oh my gosh. That went so badly. Are you off?” So many questions in a flood but, I found solace in my two fallen victims when my eyes returned to view the scene.
Great set. Great responses. I still don’t know what went wrong but, 50% of it went very right. Saved a couple fawns if nothing else but, I sure could have saved more; that’s for certain. Bonus coyotes regardless and I’m happy they are out of circulation.
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Boom! Splat! Perhaps? 
I still have lots of ground that hasn’t been hit this year. Not by me anyway. Last night’s ground hasn’t been touched since I hit it. Might have been two years since I last called it actually. Fresh ears and knowledge of an area make a big difference.
