A tough day hunting is better than a great day working...

After harvesting my first dog of the year, the fever has set in and the forecast called for three or more inches of snow.  I make it an effort to make sure I hunt the first snow day of the year every fall because animals are generally a lot more active directly before and after a snow storm.  The chilly morning offered no wind, along with a solid cloud cover which lead me to believe it was going to be an epic morning for calling in hungry dogs and I was very confident in encouraging Johnny D that these factors would almost guarantee success.  After four solid sets and calling in every animal on God's white covered Earth except a legal predator, I was glad I hadn't bet the farm on what I thought was a sure thing.  We decided that it was time to scout a few areas that we have been wanting to hunt and haven't had the chance.  As we warmed up in the truck, I was reminded that homework is a very important part of becoming better at this sport.  I am always interested in a new hunting ground, but I always hesitate to bother a home owner early in the morning to push for last minute permission to play in their backyard.  I prefer to call days before I plan to hunt with a "no big deal" low pressure approach, and generally have better luck getting a hold of them along with the answer I hope to hear.  As the morning moves into the day and life goes on, it's tough to remember to make those calls until the next time you drive by at 7 a.m.  This is also another huge time factor when you are trying to utilize every precious moment of your calling time.  My goal for this week is to try and make some of these phone requests to expand my repertoire of hunting grounds. After work, I tried two sets as the sun went down and had the same results... No fur.  Although I couldn't believe it, I did get to spend the morning with a great partner, we called deer within ten yards (which is the closest I've ever been to a muley in the wild, and it was a rush), we spotted some new possible honey holes, and I got to watch a full moon rise over a Colorado prairie in the middle of nowhere, which reminded me of two things.  First, coyotes love to hunt at night and if there is a full moon after a warming day of snow melt, then hunting dinner treats becomes easy enough that there is no need for a daylight meal.  Secondly, I had a great productive day that ended with both a rifle in my hand and a call in my mouth; A tough day calling beats a great day at work any day.  

Mark One for the Good Guys!

After my opening outing, some slight scope adjustments, and a new confidence, I returned to the field this morning for a chilly 33 degree breezy to windy morning.  I set up cross-wind to catch any sneaky dogs struggling to wind me. A good problem to have is a set that spans such an area you could use an extra set of eyes, I've found that my best bet hunting solo is to put a large yucca at my back and sit tight, although I often think about the dog that is going to jump in my lap at any time. Today wasn't the day for a lap dog, but after 13 minutes on the distress call, he came around my shooting side from down wind. We saw each other at the same time and it was game on.  First shot at forty some yards was solid, did the job.  The second shot was a good double tap, then why a third shot you ask?  Ok, maybe I have a little 'yote fever and I didn't want the same results as last week.  However you break it down, the first dog of the year laid down and stayed. The Colorado wind picked up even more and a couple of following sets provided nothing but the chills.  My father has always told me that coyotes are so crafty that "if the end of world was happening, the last species on Earth would be a battle between 'yotes and cockroaches", Wile E. was just a little too curious this morning.

New Year, New Blog, Same old Dogs...

     This year I am trying to take my predator hunting to another level.  Along with my hunting partner, Johnny D., we are hosting our 2nd annual local calling competition.  I am attempting to use this blog as a journal to track my man things adventures (everything from breaking my horse for elk camp, to my rookie outings with water fowl, and my newly found liking for angling; which is fishing when you take the catching fish part seriously), organize my pictures and videos, and network with both the professional coyote hunting community, as well as newbies to the sport that I love the most.  I have been hunting coyotes for all of the 31 years I have been alive.  This has provided all kinds of success, and even more tough learning lessons.  I am constantly shocked at the choices ole' Wile E. will make and have had all kinds of experiences from 300 yard kills on the run, to being licked on the elbow while calling and scared to death.  On the plains of northern Colorado, I feel blessed to have permission on a plethra of ground, along with the availability to hunt 2-3 times per week every week October thru March.  Enough about me, let's get down to the dog eat dog reality of fair chase coyote hunting.
      This morning was my first set ( a fifteen to twenty minute session in the field attempting to lure a dog into the dead zone) and I want to share a couple of things right off the bat.  First of all, I didn't go shoot my .223 AR platform rifle since last spring, and it came out of the safe straight into the field.  Although there is no reason my gun should be shooting anywhere but where it was last time I shot it, and I used the same rounds, from the time I climbed out of the pickup this morning the fact that I wasn't 100% that I'm hitting a quarter at 100 yards was floating in the back of my mind.  In a game that involves so many details to be successful, this one factor that is easy to fix... Spend time at the range.  Next, I only had time for one set before work, so I chose to go to a 20 acre patch close to town for time's sake.  I knew there were dogs in the area, so I parked at the house and walked out to seek a good spot.  I believe that sitting with the sun behind you eliminates a lot of glare, not to mention that coyotes are a lot easier to spot in the sunshine.  Finding this spot took time that I wouldn't want to spend if I had a whole morning of hunting ahead.  Magic morning and evening hours are few and far between so scouting and knowing exactly how you want to set up can be the difference between dog heaven and getting skunked.  E-calls are all the rage right now, but I prefer hand calls because I feel more involved with the hunt, not to mention real sounding quality electronic calls are not cheap. After about ten minutes of putting my trusty hurt cottontail squeal out over the quiet plains I spotted what I was looking for, and it wasn't the barn cat that came to check me out a few minutes earlier.  A nice sized dog trotted down the cattle trail directly towards the area I had hoped he would appear.  At about sixty yards away he felt something that wasn't right and faced up directly towards me.  I prefer a broadside shot, but as holds true with most opportunities a hunter must adapt, adjust, and make quick decisions at crunch time.  I raised my .223 up on the mono-pod ( I will blog on this later, but I prefer the single shooting stick for a middle of the road between balance and agility) and squeezed off.  To my surprise, the coyote gingerly rocked back, turned and started to trot off.  Utilizing the benefit of a semi-automatic I squeezed off two more rounds watching one miss and spray dirt through the scope. (I lead him too much on that one, which is another topic I will address later- don't use Kentucky windage, put the cross on the fur.)  After checking the area, I found no dog, and no blood.  In all of my hunting, this means one of two things;  There is a dead dog within a mile of my hunt because at such a close distance my nossler tipped bullet didn't expand and shot a clean hole right through him, or the harder to admit of the two... I flat missed.  Either way, no fur in the truck doesn't count for anything except one more hunt in the bank.  Now that you know a little about me and my first hunt of the year, I hope you will interact with me as I start posting videos, pictures, and further descriptions of my man things adventures.  For you new hunters, I will leave you with this.  On every quality set, I believe there is a dog in the area 8 out of 10 times. 6 out of those 8 times you should see the coyote that is interested.  4 out of those 6 times you will get to shoot your weapon.  2 out of those four times fur should be on the ground.  Therefore, with a little research and a serious attempt, a hunter should get a coyote 2 out of every 10 sets, so don't get frustrated.  Obviously, seasoned hunters will constantly up these odds over the years, and some days are just better than others.  Well, off  to the range to try my new rounds, and make sure I will have better success tomorrow.  Keep your powder dry, and remember that to be successful ya gotta just get out there and stick with it.