TonyTebbe
New member
My client and I witnessed one of the coolest things I've seen while out calling, this morning. We had started our morning out at 3:30am to do some night calling before sunrise, then switch to day calling. The coyotes just haven't been moving at night, right after sunset, so we thought we'd see if they are moving much later. Well, after 5 night stands, we were chasing the sunrise.
I decided to head to an area where I had consistently called a pair of coyotes over the past 2 months that were aggressive to howling and pup distress, but never got killed in the past. It was a frigid 28 degrees with a light wind that cut right through us. After 20 minutes of calling, we hoofed it back to the hunting rig and drove down the road. I spotted a pair of coyotes heading across the open pasture, to our calling location. We drove well past them, turned around, and headed back to our calling stand. It didn't take but a few seconds and I could see them hauling butt our way. They joining up with a third coyote, but hit an invisible brick wall and would not come any closer than the fenceline about 900 yards out. They headed down the fenceline and would look over at us calling, but clearly they had something else in mind.
We debated what to do and decided to get back to the hunting rig and drive a big circle around the section and get to where they appeared to be heading. I picked a windmill as the landmark. We drove around the section (Bare in mind, this a 2 mile by 2 mile section) and parked next to the windmill and water tank. I climbed on top of my hunting rig with binos and started glassing for them. After 10 minutes of eyes watering, toes numb, fingers numb, type of glassing...I spotted them. All 3 were coming down the fence about 700 yards out and heading to the corner post. We watched them for a good 15 minutes, while they milled around, looked around, and just did what coyotes do. I was afraid to blow a call, as we had just did it a few minutes ago with a less-than-positive response.
We decided to just wait them out and see what they were going to do, as it appeared they were working their way towards us. One dropped off by the corner post, while the other two fanned out in hunting formation and continued on their path. They were definitely heading our way, but a good 600 yards downwind of us. I decided that I better start blowing on a call and change this game, as it was about to go south real quick on us.
As I was reaching down to grab my call off my lanyard (bare in mind, we are still on top of my hunting rig), I can see them taking off at a full blast run. I thought to myself "Dang it...they caught our wind!". That's when Stan, my client, said "He's chasing a jackrabbit!", as he watched them through his scope. I grabbed my binoculars and watched as one of the coyotes was in hot pursuit of a jackrabbit and only 4-5 feet behind it. He ran it in a big circle for about 200 yards, when the jackrabbit headed STRAIGHT TOWARDS US! The rabbit ran about 80 yards downind of us, as the coyote was starting to lose ground. Stan said "Anytime", so I barked and halted the coyote and blam....dead coyote. Gunner took off after the mate, but she was heading for hills. No loyalty when it comes to females.
I've seen alot of things calling over the past 28 years, but this ranks up as on the the coolest. I never had to blow a call, got a chance to watch coyotes just be coyotes, watched a coyote course a jackrabbit and cut it's distance from 600 yards to 80 yards to meet the gun. It's something we'll never forget! The only thing that could of beat it was if I had the video camera running.
Oh yeah, he is a freakin gorgeous pale male to boot!
Right after the stand, I had to call my buddy Kerry Carver and tell him about it. We were stoked and amazed.
We spent the rest of the morning making stands and called up one more coyote that got missed. (Which is rare, as this Canadian can shoot!) Once the wind kicked up, we went and put the slay on some prairiedogs to wrap up his hunt.
Figured yall would enjoy.
Tony
I decided to head to an area where I had consistently called a pair of coyotes over the past 2 months that were aggressive to howling and pup distress, but never got killed in the past. It was a frigid 28 degrees with a light wind that cut right through us. After 20 minutes of calling, we hoofed it back to the hunting rig and drove down the road. I spotted a pair of coyotes heading across the open pasture, to our calling location. We drove well past them, turned around, and headed back to our calling stand. It didn't take but a few seconds and I could see them hauling butt our way. They joining up with a third coyote, but hit an invisible brick wall and would not come any closer than the fenceline about 900 yards out. They headed down the fenceline and would look over at us calling, but clearly they had something else in mind.
We debated what to do and decided to get back to the hunting rig and drive a big circle around the section and get to where they appeared to be heading. I picked a windmill as the landmark. We drove around the section (Bare in mind, this a 2 mile by 2 mile section) and parked next to the windmill and water tank. I climbed on top of my hunting rig with binos and started glassing for them. After 10 minutes of eyes watering, toes numb, fingers numb, type of glassing...I spotted them. All 3 were coming down the fence about 700 yards out and heading to the corner post. We watched them for a good 15 minutes, while they milled around, looked around, and just did what coyotes do. I was afraid to blow a call, as we had just did it a few minutes ago with a less-than-positive response.
We decided to just wait them out and see what they were going to do, as it appeared they were working their way towards us. One dropped off by the corner post, while the other two fanned out in hunting formation and continued on their path. They were definitely heading our way, but a good 600 yards downwind of us. I decided that I better start blowing on a call and change this game, as it was about to go south real quick on us.
As I was reaching down to grab my call off my lanyard (bare in mind, we are still on top of my hunting rig), I can see them taking off at a full blast run. I thought to myself "Dang it...they caught our wind!". That's when Stan, my client, said "He's chasing a jackrabbit!", as he watched them through his scope. I grabbed my binoculars and watched as one of the coyotes was in hot pursuit of a jackrabbit and only 4-5 feet behind it. He ran it in a big circle for about 200 yards, when the jackrabbit headed STRAIGHT TOWARDS US! The rabbit ran about 80 yards downind of us, as the coyote was starting to lose ground. Stan said "Anytime", so I barked and halted the coyote and blam....dead coyote. Gunner took off after the mate, but she was heading for hills. No loyalty when it comes to females.
I've seen alot of things calling over the past 28 years, but this ranks up as on the the coolest. I never had to blow a call, got a chance to watch coyotes just be coyotes, watched a coyote course a jackrabbit and cut it's distance from 600 yards to 80 yards to meet the gun. It's something we'll never forget! The only thing that could of beat it was if I had the video camera running.
Oh yeah, he is a freakin gorgeous pale male to boot!
Right after the stand, I had to call my buddy Kerry Carver and tell him about it. We were stoked and amazed.
We spent the rest of the morning making stands and called up one more coyote that got missed. (Which is rare, as this Canadian can shoot!) Once the wind kicked up, we went and put the slay on some prairiedogs to wrap up his hunt.
Figured yall would enjoy.
Tony
