JTPinTX
Custom Call Maker
I'm gonna start off by saying I am no kind of expert coyote caller. There are plenty here with way more experience than I. But I have called a few over the last 25 years and like all of us I have reasons I do things the way I do, whether that is right or wrong in someone else's eyes. As I read the stories on here I always try and glean tidbits of knowledge here and there, things that can help me along. Maybe there will be a few of those in here for some new folks.
I had to run over the Childress Saturday morning to be a Volunteer Examiner for a HAM radio test our club was giving. Since I had a little time before the test started at 10, I wanted to go call a good stand I have over there. It is one of those stands I don't call very often, maybe once a year. But it produces pretty much every time I call it.
I pulled in the equipment yard at my FIL's cattle pens and parked the truck. From there it is just a short little hop over a low mesquite ridge to where I sit. I always sit on the edge of the ridge, looking SE over several miles of CRP. That gives me good visibility out over the grass, but the mesquite behind me breaks up my outline and conceals me good. There was a very light wind out of the ENE, a perfect crosswind to call this stand. It was also overcast so not really any sun to deal with either.
I started out with Nutty Nuthatch, one of my top 6-8 sounds. About 5-6 minutes in I see a pair coming from the SE, just the way I expected. I muted the machine, and a couple hundred yards later they checked up, out about 250. I hit the machine again, and here they come, the male in the lead. Once they got about 175 I muted the machine again since they were coming in pretty hot. The female stopped at 150, and I shot her with the 243/87 VMAX.
Now here is one of those tidbit things. Folks ask why I shoot suppressed, and what difference does it make, when the rifle is still plenty loud even with a can. The can really helps mask the muzzle signature, but does nothing for the sonic crack of the bullet or the impact noise. What happens sometimes, as it did in this case, is that causes confusion. The male heard the crack of the bullet, and the loud slap of the VMAX hitting the female, back behind him. The muzzle blast in front of him, not so much. He took off running, but straight towards me instead of away. As I ran the bolt on the rifle he saw me and veered west giving me a crossing shot a bit over 100 yards. I swung ahead of him and shot, and at the shot he rolled. Even so, I didn't lead him enough, the shot was too far back. He bounced back to his feet and was doing the spinner/runner thing, I had to rack another round and hit him again. I honestly feel the suppressor is what caused him to initially run at me, and not away. That gave me a running shot at 100 instead of 200, a much easier shot for me.
Run together, die together, lol.
I picked up my brass and topped off my magazine from my pocket. I really figured I was done with this stand. Called 2, killed 2, I was pretty pleased. But since I still had some time, but not enough time to call another stand, I decided to just keep calling. I swapped over to coyote pup screams and started the machine rolling again. By the second series I could see another pair coming in. They were following nearly the same path as the first pair but maybe a bit more west. I played it exactly the same.
This female checked up just a bit west of where I killed the first female, and I was on her. And that, is where I screwed up. Mentally I "put her in the bag" before I killed her (a big no-no), and was already thinking about #4, and how to handle him. I wasn't focused the way I should have been and missed the sign she was about to start heading in again. Right as I was breaking the trigger she took off and I shot where she was, but she wasn't there any more.
She spun in her tracks and headed back the way they came in. The male did similar to the first male and swung around for a front crossing shot. I couldn't get solid on him, he got in some taller grass and I lost him. Then I saw the female hold up a pretty good distance out there. She turned and looked, watching for her mate.
I had checked a bunch of distances with my rangefinder when I sat down, before I started calling. I knew from that she was pretty close to 400. That is 1.5 Mils elevation on the 87 VMAX I am shooting in the 243. When I am calling I leave my scope dialed to 200, or .4 Mil up. Knowing that I took the 1 Mil diamond and held it on her face, shifted a couple tenths left for the wind, and squeezed it off. I heard the bullet slap, and saw her fold. It went in right under her chin, broke her neck, and right out the back. She ended up being 387 yards, so my guess was pretty close.
Just for Infidel 762, I will include the bloody boot photo. I know he likes that.
My 243 is not what I would call a dedicated LR rifle. It is a factory barreled, sporter weight R700. But I shoot the highest BC varmint bullet I can find, the load is well tuned, it has scope that dials repeatably, and I shoot it regularly out to 800. I have good dope for it and know where it shoots at distance. That makes a 400 yard shot like that relatively simple (as far as holds go), instead of just a WAG. I may not need that capability very often. But several times a year it nets me a coyote I probably would not have gotten otherwise.
There are some other tips from this stand too. Don't count your chickens before they hatch, like I did on that female. Always focus on the coyote you are shooting, don't be thinking about the next coyote before you have the one in your sights down. That is generally a recipe for a miss. It is something we all know, but a hardhead like me has to be reminded of every now and then. Also don't hesitate to keep calling some more, even when you think a stand is over. It changed my double to a triple in this case. And if you have one of those really good stands that always produces, treat it special. Don't over call it. Try and think about what factors make it special, why it works the way it does. Take that information and apply it to other stands.
I had to run over the Childress Saturday morning to be a Volunteer Examiner for a HAM radio test our club was giving. Since I had a little time before the test started at 10, I wanted to go call a good stand I have over there. It is one of those stands I don't call very often, maybe once a year. But it produces pretty much every time I call it.
I pulled in the equipment yard at my FIL's cattle pens and parked the truck. From there it is just a short little hop over a low mesquite ridge to where I sit. I always sit on the edge of the ridge, looking SE over several miles of CRP. That gives me good visibility out over the grass, but the mesquite behind me breaks up my outline and conceals me good. There was a very light wind out of the ENE, a perfect crosswind to call this stand. It was also overcast so not really any sun to deal with either.
I started out with Nutty Nuthatch, one of my top 6-8 sounds. About 5-6 minutes in I see a pair coming from the SE, just the way I expected. I muted the machine, and a couple hundred yards later they checked up, out about 250. I hit the machine again, and here they come, the male in the lead. Once they got about 175 I muted the machine again since they were coming in pretty hot. The female stopped at 150, and I shot her with the 243/87 VMAX.
Now here is one of those tidbit things. Folks ask why I shoot suppressed, and what difference does it make, when the rifle is still plenty loud even with a can. The can really helps mask the muzzle signature, but does nothing for the sonic crack of the bullet or the impact noise. What happens sometimes, as it did in this case, is that causes confusion. The male heard the crack of the bullet, and the loud slap of the VMAX hitting the female, back behind him. The muzzle blast in front of him, not so much. He took off running, but straight towards me instead of away. As I ran the bolt on the rifle he saw me and veered west giving me a crossing shot a bit over 100 yards. I swung ahead of him and shot, and at the shot he rolled. Even so, I didn't lead him enough, the shot was too far back. He bounced back to his feet and was doing the spinner/runner thing, I had to rack another round and hit him again. I honestly feel the suppressor is what caused him to initially run at me, and not away. That gave me a running shot at 100 instead of 200, a much easier shot for me.
Run together, die together, lol.
I picked up my brass and topped off my magazine from my pocket. I really figured I was done with this stand. Called 2, killed 2, I was pretty pleased. But since I still had some time, but not enough time to call another stand, I decided to just keep calling. I swapped over to coyote pup screams and started the machine rolling again. By the second series I could see another pair coming in. They were following nearly the same path as the first pair but maybe a bit more west. I played it exactly the same.
This female checked up just a bit west of where I killed the first female, and I was on her. And that, is where I screwed up. Mentally I "put her in the bag" before I killed her (a big no-no), and was already thinking about #4, and how to handle him. I wasn't focused the way I should have been and missed the sign she was about to start heading in again. Right as I was breaking the trigger she took off and I shot where she was, but she wasn't there any more.
She spun in her tracks and headed back the way they came in. The male did similar to the first male and swung around for a front crossing shot. I couldn't get solid on him, he got in some taller grass and I lost him. Then I saw the female hold up a pretty good distance out there. She turned and looked, watching for her mate.
I had checked a bunch of distances with my rangefinder when I sat down, before I started calling. I knew from that she was pretty close to 400. That is 1.5 Mils elevation on the 87 VMAX I am shooting in the 243. When I am calling I leave my scope dialed to 200, or .4 Mil up. Knowing that I took the 1 Mil diamond and held it on her face, shifted a couple tenths left for the wind, and squeezed it off. I heard the bullet slap, and saw her fold. It went in right under her chin, broke her neck, and right out the back. She ended up being 387 yards, so my guess was pretty close.
Just for Infidel 762, I will include the bloody boot photo. I know he likes that.
My 243 is not what I would call a dedicated LR rifle. It is a factory barreled, sporter weight R700. But I shoot the highest BC varmint bullet I can find, the load is well tuned, it has scope that dials repeatably, and I shoot it regularly out to 800. I have good dope for it and know where it shoots at distance. That makes a 400 yard shot like that relatively simple (as far as holds go), instead of just a WAG. I may not need that capability very often. But several times a year it nets me a coyote I probably would not have gotten otherwise.
There are some other tips from this stand too. Don't count your chickens before they hatch, like I did on that female. Always focus on the coyote you are shooting, don't be thinking about the next coyote before you have the one in your sights down. That is generally a recipe for a miss. It is something we all know, but a hardhead like me has to be reminded of every now and then. Also don't hesitate to keep calling some more, even when you think a stand is over. It changed my double to a triple in this case. And if you have one of those really good stands that always produces, treat it special. Don't over call it. Try and think about what factors make it special, why it works the way it does. Take that information and apply it to other stands.
Last edited by a moderator: