The New Huntmastersbbs!: 1 for 4, oh well

This is topic 1 for 4, oh well in forum Predator forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.

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Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on December 08, 2005, 07:27 PM:

This week has been torturous for me. Four inches of new powder on the ground, temps for the past three days haven't gotten above +8-degrees and I'm working sun up to sundown until Saturday afternoon. [Frown]

All I can think about as I trudge along on my route is how all the other guys are out there killing my coyotes. I got home tonight and got supper going for the kids while we waited for mom to get home from work and called a few buddies to see if anyone was up to a single digit hunt. Bunch of wussies! Not a one had enough hair on his ass to go with me. Their loss.

As I left town, the bank thermometer showed 5 degrees. Just right. Walking back into a river bend with short fields and nuttin' but white in front of me, I walked in over a pair of fresh tracks. At a low water crossing, three more joined in and they headed up the creek channel. I went down the fenceline about a hundred yards and set up. Called for twenty minutes with some howls mixed in for good measure. After waiting another ten, I got up to leave. I walked about twenty paces and recalled another time I called from almost the exact same spot, and my little voice said turn around. I did, and there were three coyotes running left to right to get my wind. Damn! They saw me and turned back before checking up at about 250 yards. I was almost 90% sure that they were coyotes, but at that range on barely a half moon and no artificial light legal, I just didn't want to take the chance that what I was targeting weren't deer. There are a ton of deer back in there.

So, I sat back down, waited a bit, started in with a short series of puppy ki-yi's then some jackrabbit squeals. Took about three minutes for a single to appear at 200 yards coming out of the darkness of the creek timber's edge. I repostioned the sticks, found him in my scope and dialed it up to 9x. Bang. Flop. Took him in the base of the neck on the right side at 76 paces. I can't recall the last time I shot one in the dark. Reminds me how cool it is. Mangy across the hindquarters and no camera to take a pic. [Frown]

One stand, four seen, and one killed. Called it a night and came home to tuck my little girl into bed.

Posted by Merle (Member # 45) on December 08, 2005, 09:01 PM:

Cdog911,
Good story sounds like you had fun.
[Wink]

Posted by Rich Higgins (Member # 3) on December 09, 2005, 06:09 AM:

Leaving a warm bright house to call in the night at 5 degrees. That's hardcore.

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on December 09, 2005, 01:39 PM:

Gonna do it again tonight, too. Not as cold, but breezy. One guy I work with was the National Fast Draw Champion 3 years ago. He's going along as my gunner with his .44 mag, scoped. Told me if I can get it inside 150, he can kill it. I said, "Feet?". He says, "No. Yards." I'll take a camera this time. [Smile]

Told him that IF they were willing to play, that wouldn't be a problem.

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on December 09, 2005, 07:48 PM:

Well, we set up in a tree line looking out across a field of milo stubble. This field is usually alflafa and about two inches tall with a nice thicket of trees and cattails on the other side. Not the best visibility at night, even on snow, but what the hell. I started out with a pair of lone howls and went on to cottontail bunny squeals. About three minutes into things, I hear a bark to the SW that isn't a greyhound or a farm dog. It barks again, then howls. Coyote. I howled back at him back and forth about four times, and guessd him to be about 500 yards away. All lone howls, no threat barks. I ended our discussion with a short series of puppy ki-yi's. Not another word from him. I told my gunner to be watching to the west as I was sure he was making his approach. I was right. Unfortunately, he did one of those magic pop-ups to my right (north)in the milo stubs. I managed to take an ~100 yard shot thru stubble and missed. I heard the bullet raking the stubble as it went away and knew I missed, but Miles got to see him make his approach. Had fun. Called one more blank stand and had to head home to cape deer heads. Not bad tonight. A balmy 15.

Posted by Baldknobber (Member # 514) on December 10, 2005, 12:34 PM:

Lance, the full moon is the 15th and I was thinking of trying the same thing. Now you have talked me into it. I'm in hopes that I can talk a buddy into coming along with a shotgun. I guess all the same precautions apply at night as during the day. Quiet approach, well hidden stand, watch the wind, don't skyline myself against the moon? Help me out here. Can't use lights at night here in Mo. either. Todd.

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on December 12, 2005, 12:23 PM:

Todd,

I am by no means an experienced night hunter, but those danged coyotes do get goofy in the dark.

One of the nice things is that a lot of the places I would never call in the light of day because there's no place to hide myself because of low cover are dandy after the moon comes up. I like hedge rows overlooking wheat fields, mowed meadows, etc., anyplace where the snow cover is complete. The pastures I call in the daytime are out of bounds. The grass is too tall and you can't see any better than on a snowless night in many cases. Can't see them coming. Can't hear them either. It's like calling coyotes with Helen Keller!!! [Eek!]

The "rush" hapens when the target clears the cover. Everything is in relief - strictly black and white. You either see it. Or, you don't. No grey areas in between. At 200 yards, a coyote appears as a ghostly apparition floating toward you on a sea of white. Is it a coyote or a deer? Somebody's dog? You have to make sure. You watch it thru the scope. Watch the posture, the gait, look for its ears and tail. When you confirm the target, lock and fire.

I was amazed at how "quiet" my 22-250 is on a cold night in the dark. Hardly a thump, but you could hear the meat report very well. [Smile]

Overall, if dressed for the occasion, it was an incredible hunting experience. It just isn't all that often that we get a shot at hunting early season coyotes at night under clear skies, nearly full moon, low to no winds, and single digit temps. For me, it was the first opportunity in over 15 years. Only a predator caller would think that a brutally cold weather front was a blessing. [Confused]

Posted by scruffy (Member # 725) on December 12, 2005, 01:16 PM:

I didn't make it out until this past weekend for some night calling. The snow was still there, but the temps were in the low 30's and the nights overcast. Enough light that you could still see if something was coming across open snow, but that was it. White or black...

Temps here in my vally last week at night were between 10 and -17 depending on the night and the time of night. The -17 night would have been really cold, but I bet the coyotes would have been really hungry! [Big Grin]

As long as the wood burner has the basement at a toasty 90 degrees when I get back in, I don't mind the cold so much. Just layer up and have some whites over the top, very little exposed skin (eyes) an your good to go! [Wink]

Just remember the foam or air cushion butt pad! Sitting on the snow makes it feel 100x colder than sitting on something that insulates your backside.

later,
scruffy

Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on December 12, 2005, 05:41 PM:

Lance,

Let me make sure that I am following this right.

You work for the Post Office, and one of your co-workers is a Nationally ranked Fast draw Champion?

I know that there is a joke there somewhere, but I'm afraid to touch it right now!

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on December 12, 2005, 06:08 PM:

And I used to shoot an assault rifle for hunting. Scary, isn't it? [Smile]

Don't worry, I've heard them all.

In fact, just the other day we were talking about the funniest Postal-related joke any of us had heard. For me, it was the one about the mailman who was walking his route on his very last day before retirement. He got to one house where this young couple lived, the woman of which was very attractive. When he got to the front door, she opened it and he found her standing there buck nekkid. She took his hand, led him upstairs, made passionate love to him, then fed him a wonderful breakfast and gave him two crisp one dollar bills.

After his meal, he asked her why she did all this for him, to which she replied, "I told my husband yesterday that today was your last day befor retiring and said that we oughtta do something nice for you. He said, '*%^# 'im. Give him a couple dollars.'. Breakfast was MY idea."

Posted by Bryan J (Member # 106) on December 12, 2005, 07:26 PM:

You know when I’m sitting a stand I see all kinds of things running through the brush and noises from behind me that turn out to be my imagination. That’s in broad day light. LOL I don’t know if my imagination would let me sit there in the dark. LOL

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