sodakadventure.com Blog

I’ve messed up again and missed 2 more coyotes. I know people are always reading about the perfect stand and watching video where it seems like they never miss. That’s probably why nobody has knocked on my door for a show on the Outdoor Channel.

First off let me tell you of something that went right, I had my good friends Mark & Chief out to help brand some cows the other day, theses guys are good friends they are there whenever I need them. I felt I owed them something so I ordered a couple of Ruffidawgs and Predator Quest III from Les Johnson. I gave them each a call and a DVD, I know it’s not much after all they do for me but I know they will enjoy watching Les, and laugh at him like I do, and perhaps they will see something that will make them better callers, I’m sure not improving. After we finished branding we went out for some afternoon calling, while driving to the stand we jumped a coyote, knowing he was going to leave the country after we got so close I circled the pickup around, and missed a running shot, Chief was riding in the seat behind me, he took one last poke at him and dropped him on the run at about 350yds, it was spectacular. We all left our phones and cameras at home but believe me, it was one to remember. We had no luck calling that afternoon, got busted walking into a stand and only had enough light for 2 other stands.

Yesterday right before sundown I decide to make a stand, after calling about 15 minutes Gus took off and he had a coyote, he caught him before I could shoot, and I didn’t want to shoot my dog. After giving him a whipp’n they both went over the hill. I jumped on the ATV and tried to catch them, When I got over the hill, the coyote was gone and Gus was breathing hard. Not enough blood to track so another coyote has been educated.

That brings us to this morning: The wind was out of the east, the sun was in the South East, so I called with the wind, big opening to my East side where I could see them try to circle downwind from either direction. After about 10 minutes I heard a bark and a howl to my left, down in the creek, this was South West of my location. Most hunters will tell you that you are busted when they bark, and everything I’ve experienced is the same, but I had walked into this stand from a long ways and didn’t want to give up that easy. I played the bark on the FoxPro, then changed the call from Jackrabbit Distress to Dying Jack, played the bark again, then went back to Jackrabbit distress. Here he comes I know he’s going to circle right because that is downwind, but no he circles left. This idiot went way around, up wind I watched him go out of sight to the hill behind me. I was in some of that old clover left from the wet summer we had, and I had left Gus at home. He came hard I knew he wasn’t going to stop he was going to try to ambush me. I’m pretty nervous at this point, so I take my gun off the sticks and click the safety to the fire position. I hear the old clover start to rattle. I can’t take it anymore, I stood up and he was right there, tried an offhand running shot at 20yds. You know how hard it is to find a coyote in your scope at 20yds?? He went out of sight, I didn’t see him again until 300yds, still running, took a shot but the game was over. The coyote won this encounter. I really need a shotgun for days like this.

Merry Christmas to all, we hope to have some video to show you soon as Mark and Chief will be doing some calling with the video camera this weekend and I am going to Colorado, Texas and New Mexico for the holidays and plan to get some calling in while visiting each state. So check back next week.

I got this coyote while calling from a 4 wheeler

It was 12 degrees today, I spent most of the day outside, feeding cows and checking water tanks. I took off on the 4 wheeler about 2:00. I took my rifle as well. I had a couple of things to do but thought I might call a coyote or 2 on the way home. I’ve tried calling coyotes from 4 wheelers before but have alway gotten pretty cold doing it. One thing about coyote hunting in your pickup you can warm up between stands. Many calling contests do not allow 4 wheelers because many people use them to run coyotes down, they also don’t allow shotguns for this same reason. I agree with those rules, but I’m going to give my leasure calling from an ATV more of a chance. This fall I bought my first ATV since moving back to the ranch, with it and the new .243 from the last post we got a coyote. Here are a few of the Pros and Cons for using an ATV while out calling coyotes.

Pros:
Less overall noise: I understand ATVs are louder than most gasoline pickups, but you don’t have to go to every stand driving 30mph, you don’t do that in your pickup. Throttle down a little as you travel between stands, there are no slamming of doors, dinging of alarms, or radios to give away your intentions. Also by traveling slower less chance of breaking your neck.

More stand opportunities: Depending on the weather and my mood, my stand opportunities in a pickup are limited, how many times have you pulled up to an area as far as you could go and said to yourself “I bet there is a coyote down there” but after awhile you decide it’s too far to walk. This usually happens to me at the end of a day of calling. I’m wore out and I just can’t bring myself to walk 1/4 of a mile to get a coyote. On an ATV I can get in farther, undetected. Less walking means more stands, more stands should equal more coyotes.

I’m sure I will find more pros as I experiment more with this idea.

Cons

Cold: ATVs have no heater or cab to keep you warm, unless you splurge and buy a cab kit for a new Rhino, Ranger or any other Side by side ATV. Even with a cab the heaters in these don’t work the best and the set up puts you out as much as a late model used pickup. I am somewhat of a wimp when it comes to being cold, I can’t wait to get my fingers shoved down the defrost when the pickup warms up. However with better cold weather hunting gear, it’s getting easier to brave the elements all the time. ATVs have you exposed to the elements, if it’s 5 degrees with a 15mph wind your windchill can be anywhere around 10-20 degrees below 0 and you and driving an ATV another 15mph you are making it that much colder going from stand to stand.

Hunting with friends: For me hunting is all about spending time with friends, I hunt plenty by myself, but I really enjoy hunting with my buddies, on and ATV you are perhaps a little to close for comfort if you know what I mean. A side by side would be better for this, but even then its hard to get 3 or 4 guys together without multiple ATVs, and the more you have the more potential noise you might make.

I guess it’s really up to the hunter, but being someone who has been against it in the past, you will see me packing an ATV around more often this winter. Stay tuned to see how I fair.

It’s sure starting to get dark early these days, it won’t be long before the shortest day of the year has caught up to us, and the Ice Fishing season will be in full swing. Today is December 1st, I’ve decided that any coyote shot after today will be hung on the North Side of my Barn, so I can keep a running total of our success (or lack there of) this winter. I’ve been pretty busy in the mornings lately so my calling has taken a hit, the wind was suppose to be blustery today so last night I decided to make a stand in a spot I’ve never called before, wind was good, had the sun to my back and it was getting close to dark. I called for about 20 minutes using an closed reed Dan Thompson, with no luck. As I walked back to the pickup I could hear a bunch of coyotes making noise about 2 miles to the west of me, I knew it was getting dark but I had to try it. I hammered on the gas when I got in the truck, got to a place where I thought the coyotes might be, and started my walk in. By the time I got situated it was almost to dark to see, but I gave a blow or 2 on the Dan Thompson, after about 15 minutes I couln’t even see through my scope, I stood up and gathered my gear, I heard a bark to my left, and then another. There had to be a coyote but I couldn’t see him. I probably educated him for future stands, Lesson #1 it never pays to educate a coyote!

This morning it was blowing to beat heck, I knew it would be but I stepped out before sunrise to check, I have a bad case of coyote fever lately and staying indoors just isn’t my thing. It was the 1st of December though and I had bills to pay, better get started. Then the wife called and asked me if I would run our 9 year old to the clinic his little brother had a bad cough and seems to have given it to poor Jerin. I thought the day was shot so I might as well, after taking care of Jerin and getting him off to school I payed some bills, but around 3:00 coyote fever started tugging at me.
Let me give you some history: I hate wind, I don’t like it one little bit. I do everything in my power not to call in it, if the weather says wind I skip contests, I do everything to avoid being out in it, but the fever had me.

I decided one stand, prove to myself I can call a coyote in the wind. you see those critters must hate wind too, because I’ve never been very good at calling them on windy days. They must stay at home as well. With a Strong NNW wind blowing I decided to try a draw it ran NNE from where I would set up my stand, it also had a lot of brush and willows in the bottom of it, if I was a coyote that is where I would hole up on a day like today. I also recently traded for a new .243 Savage that would be a little better in the wind than my old .223 standby, I thought it would be a good time to get my first coyote with it. My approach was perfect I found a huge fencepost to sit against and I set the FX3 right on top of the post so the sound would carry against the wind. after about 3 minutes of calling there one stood about 70yds away. I put the crosshairs in the middle of his chest and pulled the trigger, (I know I pulled instead of squeezed). I missed, at 70yds I missed, this would never have happened with the .223, I’m just not used to that gun yet, it has a little more pull, a little more kick, and a little more bang. I’m sure it was operator error, I was so mad I picked a spot on a tree 85yds away and drilled it. Proving it was operator error. The only way I’m going to get used to using this gun is by shooting it in situations like this so we will try again. However Lesson #2 was a good one.
Lesson #2: It is possible to call coyotes in the wind.