Rich_D
12-13-2013, 09:44 PM
So I was in an area last Friday afternoon that I knew held some WT's and was doing some walking around. On my travels I had a Coyote, that obviously had not seen or smell me, start to challenge howl/bark at me. I knew whatever was barking at me was really close so I did my best to get a sneak on him, I managed to get him in my bino's once but despite my best efforts, I could not get him in my rifle crosshairs. Since I didn't have any calls with me at the time I was relegated to trying a slow sneak but he either sighted or winded me and and I never got another look at him.
Of course all this week I have been trying put a plan together to go and try my hand at calling it in sometime this weekend. Since I was off early today, and I had an hour and a half to "waste" before the wife and I went out and the spot was 7 minutes from my doorstep, I figured it couldn't hurt to take my calls and see if I couldn't get him within shooting distance. I have had these calls for a year and have yet to have a dog come into my calling.
I pulled the truck in about 400yds past where I knew it was bedding last week, walked into a treed area with a fairly decent line of sight with the truck to my right about 100yds (on the same elevation) and an uphill slope to my left about 60 yds away, the wind was quartering towards me so I figured this would be perfect. I let things settle down for a few minutes and started out with a cottontail call, waited for a bit and made another cottontail call. After about 10 mins I changed it up a bit and went with a jackrabbit distress (both closed reed calls). After about 30 mins of no movement, and not really feeling that this was "the spot", I decided to move up the hill.
I made my way up about 10 mins after my last call. I found a downed log with a standing tree right behind it (I'm thinking this is a perfect spot, downed log to keep me "hidden" and a nice backrest). So I get myself comfy, and let into a cottontail distress, I wait for a few mins and let out a few dog yelps, a few more mins and a few more yelps then I let things settle for 10 mins. I don't see anything moving so I grab my small open reed call and give a 30 second rabbit distress call.
I sit back against the tree and look out through the trees when something catches my eye about 40 yds out in front and a little to my right, I can't see anything but I get on the gun and get ready as something was definitely moving my way. I give a lip squeak and I see a head and a back. He's slightly downhill and trying to get to the wind which was now slightly quartering away from me. He stops behind a tree, which was perfect as I needed to adjust my position. I lip squeak again, and again he moves further to my right but still downhill.....NO SHOT....grrrrrrr, and again stops behind a tree. Arghh, I need to readjust again so I do and now he has to come into the open to get into the wind. I give one final lip squeak and out he comes, I let him get into the open and stop him with a "woof", I unleash the fury of the 35gr Hornady Vmax from the .22 Hornet case and all I see is snow puff up on my downed log 1.5ft in front of me......"SHIT.....I hit the log" I think to myself when, right after, I see the Coyote drop over onto it's side.....YES......DRT!!!!!!! 30yd shot with iron sights in the neck.
I pulled the empty case from the gun and loaded up another round and gave a few yelp calls in case there was another Yote in the area that was interested in trying to figure out what the commotion was all about, but no luck.
How exciting to actually call in my first dog, lip squeak him in and dispatch him with my Springfield M6 Scout. I think this could turn into a Winter long addiction. :D
How it played out:
First saw movement around the Red arrow, confirmed Coyote approx 10yds to the right (he was running on an angle so distance was approx the same from first sight to shot), another 10yds right and lip squeak, shot at approx yellow arrow (tried to get a pic of him on the hillside but phone died....grrrrr). Tree just to the right of the Yellow arrow is 31yds, he was 2yds in front of it.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj311/CyaN1de_01/Scenario.jpg
Threw a charge on the phone and got this "Where it lay's after I dropped it by the truck" photo....:D Sorry for the blurriness but phone was still attached to the charger at the time.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj311/CyaN1de_01/DRT.jpg
Saved a few WT's for next year and I know there are a few more Yotes in the same area that I will be targeting next.
Of course all this week I have been trying put a plan together to go and try my hand at calling it in sometime this weekend. Since I was off early today, and I had an hour and a half to "waste" before the wife and I went out and the spot was 7 minutes from my doorstep, I figured it couldn't hurt to take my calls and see if I couldn't get him within shooting distance. I have had these calls for a year and have yet to have a dog come into my calling.
I pulled the truck in about 400yds past where I knew it was bedding last week, walked into a treed area with a fairly decent line of sight with the truck to my right about 100yds (on the same elevation) and an uphill slope to my left about 60 yds away, the wind was quartering towards me so I figured this would be perfect. I let things settle down for a few minutes and started out with a cottontail call, waited for a bit and made another cottontail call. After about 10 mins I changed it up a bit and went with a jackrabbit distress (both closed reed calls). After about 30 mins of no movement, and not really feeling that this was "the spot", I decided to move up the hill.
I made my way up about 10 mins after my last call. I found a downed log with a standing tree right behind it (I'm thinking this is a perfect spot, downed log to keep me "hidden" and a nice backrest). So I get myself comfy, and let into a cottontail distress, I wait for a few mins and let out a few dog yelps, a few more mins and a few more yelps then I let things settle for 10 mins. I don't see anything moving so I grab my small open reed call and give a 30 second rabbit distress call.
I sit back against the tree and look out through the trees when something catches my eye about 40 yds out in front and a little to my right, I can't see anything but I get on the gun and get ready as something was definitely moving my way. I give a lip squeak and I see a head and a back. He's slightly downhill and trying to get to the wind which was now slightly quartering away from me. He stops behind a tree, which was perfect as I needed to adjust my position. I lip squeak again, and again he moves further to my right but still downhill.....NO SHOT....grrrrrrr, and again stops behind a tree. Arghh, I need to readjust again so I do and now he has to come into the open to get into the wind. I give one final lip squeak and out he comes, I let him get into the open and stop him with a "woof", I unleash the fury of the 35gr Hornady Vmax from the .22 Hornet case and all I see is snow puff up on my downed log 1.5ft in front of me......"SHIT.....I hit the log" I think to myself when, right after, I see the Coyote drop over onto it's side.....YES......DRT!!!!!!! 30yd shot with iron sights in the neck.
I pulled the empty case from the gun and loaded up another round and gave a few yelp calls in case there was another Yote in the area that was interested in trying to figure out what the commotion was all about, but no luck.
How exciting to actually call in my first dog, lip squeak him in and dispatch him with my Springfield M6 Scout. I think this could turn into a Winter long addiction. :D
How it played out:
First saw movement around the Red arrow, confirmed Coyote approx 10yds to the right (he was running on an angle so distance was approx the same from first sight to shot), another 10yds right and lip squeak, shot at approx yellow arrow (tried to get a pic of him on the hillside but phone died....grrrrr). Tree just to the right of the Yellow arrow is 31yds, he was 2yds in front of it.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj311/CyaN1de_01/Scenario.jpg
Threw a charge on the phone and got this "Where it lay's after I dropped it by the truck" photo....:D Sorry for the blurriness but phone was still attached to the charger at the time.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj311/CyaN1de_01/DRT.jpg
Saved a few WT's for next year and I know there are a few more Yotes in the same area that I will be targeting next.