Rabbit Chaser

BrianID

Active member
Called this Coyote in yesterday morning. I caught movement in the brush about 50 yards away as he was circling to catch my wind. I was waiting for him to clear the brush and he unexpectedly took off at a dead run. I moved 20 yards to my right to get a clear view of the direction he took off and to my surprise he was chasing a jack rabbit. I watched the zig zag chase for a couple minutes and he almost caught the rabbit a couple of times. I had a clear shot at him when he stopped and gave up the chase at about 250 yards. In hind sight, I bet I could have called him back in closer but it hard to pass up a shot on a stationary coyote.
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I've had several coyotes get distracted by a rabbit for 10 or 15 seconds while coming into a call but have never witnessed a full blown chase like this. Anyone else have a rabbit mess up a coyotes approach to your calling?
 
That's what makes predator hunting so much fun. Seems like I see something new just about every trip. Congrats.
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Regards,
hm
 
I've never had a rabbit mess up a coyotes approach, but I've had a coyote chase a rabbit nearly right into my lap before. Took a few loud mouth barks to get that one stopped for the chip shot. I've also seen it several times where a rabbit jumps out in front of an incoming coyote but usually the coyote either doesn't give chase at all or only for a short chase before coming on in.
A couple of years ago I went out and had a rancher tagging along with me, he wanted to see how I called coyotes. Well we had about 10" of fresh snow and as we were walking into a spot to call we crossed a very fresh set of tracks. I told the rancher, "this one's close" and he continued on in. Well just as we came around the hill the rancher spotted this close coyote and we crouched down to watch. The coyote was only 125 yards away and the rancher was whispering to me to, "shoot im". Well as we watched the coyote was actually hunting back toward us so I was thinking I was going to let it come closer for an even easier shot. Hadn't been watching to long when the coyote jumped a jack and it didn't take long for the coyote to roll the rabbit in the deep snow, but he missed and the rabbit came out of the snow ball headed the other direction but once again the coyote caught it pretty quickly. Well that's when I stepped in. Coyote didn't even get a taste of that rabbit before I sent a 25 gr. bullet his way. In the end, the rabbit lived to see another day and I put another coyote in the truck. The rancher was besides himself after witnessing the whole thing. "Darndest thing I've ever seen" he said.

I also witnessed a golden eagle catch a jack one time only to lose his rabbit to coyotes. It all happened far enough away that I didn't hear anything but my guess is the rabbit squealed when it got caught by the eagle because it wasn't long after that 4 coyotes came running in and the eagle wasn't able to hold on to the rabbit as he lifted off.
 
I often have rabbits run up to the call while I am on stand. My partner and I once finished up a stand and on our way out we flushed up a jackrabbit. It took off into the brush and then we heard the screams. The screams then continued away from us. But that coyote never did thank us for flushing up his breakfast.
 
Several years ago, I was on a stand that had a dry stream bed quartering away from me on my left side at about 70 yards, both banks grown with brush. I was calling and saw movement at the far end of the stream bed but didn't get focused on it in time, I called a little more and a cottontail came busting out of the brush on the near side of the stream bed about 80 yards out and hot on the trail was a coyote. The rabbit was really moving and brought the coyote right into me. With a straight on shot from the 12ga the coyote took a nose dive and the rabbit made a hard right and went right back into the dry stream bed.

Always wondered if that was baiting...
 
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I've been tipped off plenty of times to an incoming critter by jackrabbits. Certain years when there's a big rabbit cycle it's really common to be calling and all the sudden see rabbits scattering around. Usually followed by an incoming coyote or bobcat.
 
Originally Posted By: tawnoperI've been tipped off plenty of times to an incoming critter by jackrabbits. Certain years when there's a big rabbit cycle it's really common to be calling and all the sudden see rabbits scattering around. Usually followed by an incoming coyote or bobcat.

Awesome looking yote there sir. Concur with the above but substitute coons and possums in my neck of the woods. They give me something to look at while night hunting and when they scatter its because something is coming in thats for sure.
 
It was fun to watch a chase in real life and not just on TV. I really thought the coyote was going to get the rabbit. I thought a coyote running away while being shot at showed their top speed. A coyote chasing a rabbit might be faster.
Running rabbits often give away an approaching coyote. Every time I see a rabbit move, I scan the area for approaching coyotes. I've also had jack rabbits approach me as I'm calling. I'm guessing they are just curious.
Called in another coyote this morning. He jumped a couple jack rabbits on the way in but didn't get distracted. He caught my wind at about 75 yards out but after barking at him, he made the mistake of stopping to look back from 175 yards out. He wasn't a coyote that would make a good picture but I'll add scenery picture from the stand.
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I have had jackrabbits and even cottontails run tight up and square up on the call, like they are fixing to fight it out. Rabbits can be aggressive little buggers.

Good looking stand.
 


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