The moment we all dread...

Sambobocel

Sambobocel

Member
i am posting this for other newer hunters to not feel alone and something for you vets to laugh at knowing the feeling. I have been coming off of a 5 day streak of blank stands (have not had much time to put long hours into multiple stands being as i am in collage and sneak away for the last couple hours before dark when i have time) After spending countless hours studying youtube videos, podcast and forums such as this one, i was bound and determined to end my streak and frustration, I picked a spot a couple years prior i got my first double, wind was just right for the spot the temperature finally took a little dip last night here in central Alberta i knew it was my time. As i make my way onto the frozen slew all i could see in the skim of snow is nothing but coyote tracks everywhere i look, with high hopes i pick my spot to sit. It was a wind blowing to the north i set up facing east looking across the 600 yard long 400 yard wide slew, i set my foxpro hammerjack2 upwind of myself about 85 yards. the set was seeming to be perfect. i started my sequence off with 3 minutes of female long howls followed by 2 minutes of silence then threw on mfk yo mama after about 30 seconds 400 yards down in the north east corner i see a coyote poking out of the weeds, my heart starts to pick up speed, then he locks eyes on the call and starts charging the call as fast as the ice would let him finally after all my frustration here he comes, a beautiful dog i wait until he gets about 100 yards straight infront of me my hearts in my throat i let out a low whoop he hammers on the breaks... I line up between the eyes and yank the trigger! yes i did say yank the trigger.... in all my excitement all of my shooting fundamentals went out the door and i yanked the shot right over his head and watched him slip back into the weeds never to be seen again. i sat with my heart broken more frustrated than when i started, let a kiyi play for a few minutes in hopes one was possibly trailing behind that one and nothing... Ive seem many guys say how frustrating predator hunting could be and i am starting to see why. it is the most addicting way of life. i love every minute of it the good and the bad, i soon realized i was having an issue with pulling blank sets and ended my streak of blanks i ended my day on a positive note. pay attention to every situation and dont forget your fundamentals. When the stars align dont forget to align the crosshairs.
 
Welcome to the insanity...these things happen to us all...

Look at it this way...you shot...you missed...but you called one in...small victory but a win is a win...
 
Enjoy the hunt! Success is the icing on the cake. Due to an accident and health issues I can hardly walk.
I'd love to be able to walk out 85 yards and set my caller! When you're older you find the hunt is the prize.
Keep at it!
 
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My first time out this year I had back to back stands that I did exactly what you described. I was the yank master that day. Fortunately I shoot suppressed and was able to get one of them on a follow up shot. Either way I had to have a sit down with myself and talk about how it's not my fault and it was probly the wind or a bad reload.:ROFLMAO:
 
I don't think there's anything harder to hit than a coyote. I shanked tons of shots from coyote fever and still do from time to time.
 
I really understand, my mentor AWS always said I move too much and he is correct. Every stand is like going to the first grade again, I can't seem to get out of elementary school for coyote hunting, maybe this year.
 
Many years on the first coyote I call in, I get excited and either miss or mess it up somehow!

I am not a good enough rifle shot to be shooting at a coyote's head. I have a much better chance shooting at the ribs or just behind the front leg.

Just in the last two weeks I have missed two coyotes with my rifle. I have a shotgun trigger pull and a rifle trigger pull. When I use my shotgun trigger pull when I am shooting my rifle I don't get good results.
 
derbyacresbob said:
Just in the last two weeks I have missed two coyotes with my rifle. I have a shotgun trigger pull and a rifle trigger pull. When I use my shotgun trigger pull when I am shooting my rifle I don't get good results.
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Absolutely, Bob; all the difference in the world between the two. I'm the absolute worst shotgun shooter in the world......squeezing the trigger on a SG yields very poor results, and vice-versa, so I very seldom shoot a shotgun.

I shot HP rifle competition in the army and the only time I ever shot the NTIT (National Trophy Infantry Team Match) my trigger control went out the window for weeks. Takes me a lot longer to develop good trigger control, but a very short period of time to undo it.:(
<iframe width="783" height="446" src="" title="USAMU Praslick wins 2011 National Trophy Infantry Team Match!" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It was a fun match, but I felt guilty putting a NM Garand through such abuse, even if it wasn't my own rifle, not to mention the drop in scores due to bad trigger control. The NTIT requires a two man team (back then with the Garands w/only one coach using binoculars) to put an obscene number of rounds downrange at silhouette targets in a very short period of time. (Can't remember the # of rounds or the time limit, but those Garands would have boiled water at the end of each string.) Looks like they are shooting 3 man teams w/one coach now with the M16's.
 
Good video, Dave, just got a moment to watch, thanks for sharing. Makes a lot of us feel a bit better about a miss or tw....three....mmmm ;)
 
My problem is I’ve hunted with shotguns most of my life and tend to lead and aim high when shooting runners with rifles. Like the advice to keep hair in the scope
 
I get that fairly often when I have been shooting lots of running pigs, and then I start calling. Pigs are big and usually close, and when they are running I get trigger happy. I get sloppy with my shooting. So then when I start calling I have to miss a few coyote chip shots to reset myself. Also I have to randomly shank one every now and then just to prove I still can, lol. It seems the worst ones to me are the ones that ought to be easy.

The worst is when you get in a slump and start beating yourself up over it. Sometimes that makes it hard to break the pattern. You will though. Just stick with it.
 
HM1996- When we shot Rattle Battle, Jim Adell always said it was "the most fun you can have with your clothes on". If we can execute good trigger control going that fast @ 600, you would think just 1 shot at a shorter distance should be a piece of cake!
 
I'm sure that w/practice one would develop better trigger control and lots of other techniques but I wouldn't put a personal match rifle through that abuse and w/today's prices on components, doubt I could afford the ammo, either.
Have to admit, it was a fun match when Uncle was furnishing both eqpt and ammo, however. Wouldn't be as hard on the pocketbook shooting a mouse gun, either.

Regards.
hm
 


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