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.
I'm Johnny D and I approve this post.
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