So it's been a while since I could get out but this week I have managed to get back in the swing of things. The warm wet weather has not been ideal for calling so for the last few stands all I have gotten is wet. Though I did manage to snap this cool picture during a bout of freezing rain.
PXL_20220120_234750047._exported_167_1642783913593 by
brad , on Flickr
This afternoon at work it had finally cooled down and with a nice light east wind my plans were made to head back to my east wind honey hole once again. Before Christmas I had a absolute goat rope of a stand here resulting in 5 rounds fired and only one coyote down.
Knowing there was more coyotes here and not wanting to use the same sounds as before, the foxpro x2s was brought along to accompany the hand calls.
I walked in carefully scanning for coyotes as I went and sure enough right when i was placing the foxpro I locked eyes with a pair that had been sleeping not 100 yards away.
With them long gone I worried that the stand had been blown. With no time to move I sat down against my rock and from my lanyard pulled out a new open reed howler i had just recently made.
The lonesome howls had barely finished echoing across the pasture when like an apparition a coyote appeared 100 yards in front of me.
The large male stood there scanning for the intruder or potential mate but not seeing anything didn't move. Thinking to be sneaky I pressed play on mouse squeaks on the foxpro but nothing happened. Vole squeaks and volume up didn't work either. It was then I realized I had neglected to turn the dang thing on!
So back to old school. A few lip squeaks brought the cagey old male in a little closer but it was apparent that he didn't want to break cover without seeing a valid reason to do so.
When he turned his head slightly I sat up and with a boom and a WHUMP his ticket was punched.
The coyote died to the left of the barrel above the rock along the treeline.
PXL_20220125_000340876.PANO by , on Flickr
Here's the custom homemade howler that did him in.
PXL_20220125_002000702.MP by
brad , on Flickr
He was a pretty big bugger that surprised me when he only weighed in at 32lbs
PXL_20220125_002249896.MP by
brad , on Flickr