I have tape at the end of most of my rifles as I find that my Magnetospeed chrono tends to loosen after a few shots. The tape (blue painters) keeps my chrono in place and has no effect on groups.
perry42
Not Wile E. enough
- Thread starter Toby Bradshaw
- Start date
perry42
The spot where I was hunting with my hawks yesterday had a fresh coyote scat every ten steps, so I went back this morning with my .222 to see what could be done to correct the coyote overpopulation problem. As I parked my truck between the alfalfa pivot and the sagebrush, about 30 minutes before sunup (to give me time to walk to my stand), a coyote crossed the 2-track in front of me. I looked out into the pivot and coyotes were streaming across the cut field, headed for cover. I counted 7, but then stopped gawking and went to the back of the truck for the rifle and the Bog-Pod. I set up the Bog-Pod right beside the truck, turned my scope to 10X (something I rarely get to do with coyotes) and started scanning the pivot in the gathering daylight. I had multiple coyotes in my field of view all the time, most angling away from me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one just a couple of hundred yards out. I followed him as he trotted across the pivot. When he stopped I shot him -- a young adult male. When I went to pick him up, I saw the tremendous damage that the coyotes were doing in the pivot by digging for ground squirrels and gophers. I'm sure that the farmer will be happy to have one less coyote making holes that catch the pivot wheels.
I was home cooking breakfast when the sun came up -- the day is off to a good start.
I was home cooking breakfast when the sun came up -- the day is off to a good start.
Glad you're enjoying it! Yesterday I went back to the same pivot that had 7 coyotes in it, parking a mile away and sneaking in instead of driving the road next to the pivot. This time there were 10 coyotes the 135-acre field -- incredible! I set up in the adjacent sage in an opening (well, relatively open) with the FoxPro about 30 yards from where I was standing. Within 5 minutes of "nutty nuthatch" I saw a coyote at the edge of the opening, a little less than 100 yards away. I turned down the volume, but this coyote had the sound located and rushed the call, jumping onto the top of the rabbitbrush that the call was in, biting the plastic, and knocking the battery door off the caller! He quickly figured out that the "nuthatch" wasn't the real thing, and lit the jets. I took a Hail Mary running-straight-away shot that probably didn't even come close.
This morning it was foggy, with hoar frost on the sagebrush. "Nutty nuthatch" did the trick again at the first stand, but the coyote was on the caller before I saw him, and didn't like what he saw/smelled. I took another futile running shot. [One of these days I'm going to start packing a scattergun instead of the .222 for hunting this thicker cover.]
On my second stand, with visibility in the fog not even 100 yards, a yearling female responded to "nutty nuthatch" within minutes. She nosed the caller, knew something wasn't quite right, but stood there for a second instead of running. At 38 paces, standing, even I wasn't able to blow this opportunity. The guard hairs on her back were all tipped with frost -- those coyotes are well-insulated.
Using the tall Bog-Pod has opened up a lot of coyote-rich habitat for me, and I'm trying to make the most of it.
I crept out to an alfalfa pivot at first shooting light. There were 4 coyotes in the field, mousing. The closest one was halfway across the pivot (1/4 mile), so I played some vole squeaks on the FoxPro. None of the coyotes showed any real interest. One of them trotted out of the field 200 yards from me, but a couple of whoops didn't faze it as it disappeared.
I called in the adjacent sagebrush for 15 minutes, but no takers.
Driving the back roads a couple of miles to the north, I set up my tall Bog-Pod at the edge of a relatively open area. I played some vole squeaks to see if any coyotes were close by, then went to "nutty nuthatch." I had a 300-yard view for 270 degrees in front of me, but the sound of sagebrush rattling came from behind me. I slowly turned my head to see a coyote pup no more than 6 feet away. It didn't quite know what to make of me, and trotted off more confused than frightened, looking back over its shoulder. I slowly swiveled my .222 in the coyote's direction, but missed the moving shot at 75 yards. [Sometimes I wish I had never killed that running coyote a few weeks ago -- it has made me take too many running shots since!]
I kept calling, though, switching to "lightning jack." I spotted another coyote coming in at about 200 yards, keeping clumps of sagebrush and rabbitbrush between him and me. He stopped a little over 100 yards out. I could see some of him through the sagebrush, and held where his shoulder would be. The 40gr Ballistic Tip splattered on the twigs in front of the coyote. My Foxbang is set on "coyote pup distress," which stopped the coyote after only a few yards, this time behind a rabbitbrush. Not learning from my immediate past experience, I tried to thread another shot through the brush, again having the bullet explode on twigs in front of the coyote.
Thank goodness for dumb coyotes, though -- he moved a few more steps in my direction, and stopped again, this time in the open at 85 yards. The head-on shot took the yearling male in the center of the chest, and he never twitched.
I called in the adjacent sagebrush for 15 minutes, but no takers.
Driving the back roads a couple of miles to the north, I set up my tall Bog-Pod at the edge of a relatively open area. I played some vole squeaks to see if any coyotes were close by, then went to "nutty nuthatch." I had a 300-yard view for 270 degrees in front of me, but the sound of sagebrush rattling came from behind me. I slowly turned my head to see a coyote pup no more than 6 feet away. It didn't quite know what to make of me, and trotted off more confused than frightened, looking back over its shoulder. I slowly swiveled my .222 in the coyote's direction, but missed the moving shot at 75 yards. [Sometimes I wish I had never killed that running coyote a few weeks ago -- it has made me take too many running shots since!]
I kept calling, though, switching to "lightning jack." I spotted another coyote coming in at about 200 yards, keeping clumps of sagebrush and rabbitbrush between him and me. He stopped a little over 100 yards out. I could see some of him through the sagebrush, and held where his shoulder would be. The 40gr Ballistic Tip splattered on the twigs in front of the coyote. My Foxbang is set on "coyote pup distress," which stopped the coyote after only a few yards, this time behind a rabbitbrush. Not learning from my immediate past experience, I tried to thread another shot through the brush, again having the bullet explode on twigs in front of the coyote.
Thank goodness for dumb coyotes, though -- he moved a few more steps in my direction, and stopped again, this time in the open at 85 yards. The head-on shot took the yearling male in the center of the chest, and he never twitched.
The coyotes were hungry this morning. The first one came in before sunup to "lightning jack," after trying vole squeaks and nutty nuthatch for a few minutes each. I shot her facing me at 90 yards. The 40gr Nosler Ballistic Tip entered inside her left front shoulder and blew a huge exit wound on her right side behind the diaphragm. I rarely get an exit on a head-on shot. A nice adult female.
The second stand was on the side of a circular depression about 200 yards in diameter, filled with Jim Hill mustard. Luckily the coyote came in over the rim of the depression where the alkali kept the weeds down. I lowered the volume on nutty nuthatch when the adult male appeared, and he paused at 110 yards to get a bead on the sound. The shot took him in the center of the chest. He spun a couple of times and waved his tail. Still, it took me 20 minutes to find him hidden under a big greasewood in a stand of sagebrush. I carried him out into the (relative) open for the photo.
I had to get my hawks flown before it got too warm, so I headed back to the cabin. Here's a photo of my ace jack hawk, Vici, swallowing the heart on her 501st career jackrabbit this morning.
The second stand was on the side of a circular depression about 200 yards in diameter, filled with Jim Hill mustard. Luckily the coyote came in over the rim of the depression where the alkali kept the weeds down. I lowered the volume on nutty nuthatch when the adult male appeared, and he paused at 110 yards to get a bead on the sound. The shot took him in the center of the chest. He spun a couple of times and waved his tail. Still, it took me 20 minutes to find him hidden under a big greasewood in a stand of sagebrush. I carried him out into the (relative) open for the photo.
I had to get my hawks flown before it got too warm, so I headed back to the cabin. Here's a photo of my ace jack hawk, Vici, swallowing the heart on her 501st career jackrabbit this morning.
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No joy at my first stand this morning, and no action on the second stand until I played "adult cottontail." I was standing on a hillside and saw this coyote cross an opening 500-600 yards away, making a beeline for the caller at a gallop. Usually when they are running like that they come all the way to the caller without hanging up, and this adult female was no exception. I was afraid that she would slam the caller and be scared off, so I shot her on the move as she charged the FoxPro. It was a head-on shot at 35 yards, so her movement didn't require me to lead her. Still, I aimed for the center of her chest and her motion caused the bullet to hit her in the top of the chest, exiting through her neck and taking out a chunk of her spine. In the first image you can see how close she was to the caller. The third photo shows the exit wound.
Attachments
I'm headed out to the Bighorn Mountains tomorrow morning with a couple buddies. Two of us have deer tags and the other a Bull tag. I'm bringing my predator gear and after I (hopefully) fill my Buck tag I'm after the dogs. I hope I see 1/4 of what Toby's been seeing and killing. Great job Toby. Barlow
Gorgeous country. I just got back from a week in the Cody area, deer and rabbit hunting. I made a couple of coyote stands but nothing came in, though I heard a few coyotes. With last year's huge rabbit population I was expecting more coyotes in the Bighorn Basin. Lots of professional/govt predator control to protect livestock in that area makes it tougher on the sport hunter.
We saw many hundreds of deer and pronghorn, and more than 100 elk, along the Greybull River. Good hunting and have a safe trip!
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Thanks for the info and well wishes. I'll be pulling out in about 10 minutes. Barlow
It was 24 degrees (F) this morning, with fog and hoar frost. About 45 minutes before sunrise I sneaked out to the edge of a pivot that has been holding a bunch of coyotes, hoping to catch one when there was enough light to shoot. Visibility varied from 200-400 yards, and the only coyote I saw was too far away for a good shot.
I walked halfway back to my truck and set up the tall Bog-Pod in an open(ish) area of sagebrush and greasewood. Vole squeaks, bay bee cottontail, and lightning jack didn't produce, even though there were 3 or 4 groups of coyotes howling within earshot as the weak sun tried to penetrate the fog.
"Never leave a stand without trying Pup Distress 3." The adult male showed up within seconds -- probably he was close by, listening to the other calls, but was too suspicious to reveal himself. The .222 worked its magic at 68 yards, with a frontal shot and big right side exit. I flipped the coyote over for the picture to protect the squeamish.
Now off to chase some jackrabbits with the hawks.
I walked halfway back to my truck and set up the tall Bog-Pod in an open(ish) area of sagebrush and greasewood. Vole squeaks, bay bee cottontail, and lightning jack didn't produce, even though there were 3 or 4 groups of coyotes howling within earshot as the weak sun tried to penetrate the fog.
"Never leave a stand without trying Pup Distress 3." The adult male showed up within seconds -- probably he was close by, listening to the other calls, but was too suspicious to reveal himself. The .222 worked its magic at 68 yards, with a frontal shot and big right side exit. I flipped the coyote over for the picture to protect the squeamish.
Now off to chase some jackrabbits with the hawks.
The weather has been wet and windy for the past few days. I went to a new spot one morning but was busted by 5 different coyotes which either circled downwind before departing, or crossed my inbound track and scurried off.
But I can only go so long without doing some coyote hunting, so ... this afternoon I hiked out to the pivot that has had up to 10 coyotes in it every day for the past several weeks. Today there were none -- probably a truck had driven past, which generally sends the coyotes packing. Since I had all my gear with me, I walked another half mile out into the sage and found a decent opening. I set the caller 100 yards away, crosswind, with the majority of the opening on the downwind side, expecting the coyotes to circle before coming in, and hoping that they would come from the side the caller was on so that they wouldn't catch my scent.
Three minutes into "nutty nuthatch" (which I could hardly hear in the howling wind) this fine fellow appeared. He didn't charge the call but he walked in without hesitation. I shot him at 110 yards, 10 yards from the caller. The shot broke his back, dropping him instantly, but I had to put a finisher into him after the photo was taken.
But I can only go so long without doing some coyote hunting, so ... this afternoon I hiked out to the pivot that has had up to 10 coyotes in it every day for the past several weeks. Today there were none -- probably a truck had driven past, which generally sends the coyotes packing. Since I had all my gear with me, I walked another half mile out into the sage and found a decent opening. I set the caller 100 yards away, crosswind, with the majority of the opening on the downwind side, expecting the coyotes to circle before coming in, and hoping that they would come from the side the caller was on so that they wouldn't catch my scent.
Three minutes into "nutty nuthatch" (which I could hardly hear in the howling wind) this fine fellow appeared. He didn't charge the call but he walked in without hesitation. I shot him at 110 yards, 10 yards from the caller. The shot broke his back, dropping him instantly, but I had to put a finisher into him after the photo was taken.
After several days of wind and rain showers, before dawn this morning it was cold (20F) and windless, with fog and hoar frost -- ideal coyote calling conditions. The sound of the FoxPro really carries on mornings like this, and coyotes tend to come straight in rather than circling. Bay bee cottontail, kitten distress, and lightning jack didn't draw a crowd, but pup distress brought this adult female within kissing distance of the caller (50 yards from me).
No joy on stand #2, but on stand #3 old reliable lightning jack (loud!) lured this beautiful 1- or 2-year-old female from behind me. She stopped 15 or 20 yards from me, looked straight at me while I stood perfectly still, then walked towards the caller. I whooped, she looked back from 38 paces, and the 40gr BT took her in the throat and spine.
Now off to MT in 2 weeks for pheasants, sharptails and, of course, coyotes.
No joy on stand #2, but on stand #3 old reliable lightning jack (loud!) lured this beautiful 1- or 2-year-old female from behind me. She stopped 15 or 20 yards from me, looked straight at me while I stood perfectly still, then walked towards the caller. I whooped, she looked back from 38 paces, and the 40gr BT took her in the throat and spine.
Now off to MT in 2 weeks for pheasants, sharptails and, of course, coyotes.
I didn't get a chance to call coyotes in MT, but got out today for the first time in nearly a month. Calling conditions were excellent -- light west wind, overcast, high temperature below freezing. I made a "stand-up" stand along a fenceline with a good view of a large open area adjacent to some draws with thick sagebrush. "Nutty nuthatch" enticed a coyote within 10 minutes of calling, but it wouldn't stop moving, so I passed up the 200-yard shot hoping that another coyote would come in. Sure enough, a minute later this fully-furred adult male walked up the same trail, and I shot him at 211 yards. You can see the fenceline in the background.
The next stand was near the top of a steep, wide draw. The first photo is a view of the sit-down stand; the second is the view from the stand.
The coyotes weren't hungry for nuthatches or jackrabbits, but this lonely fellow raced in to check out "long female howls." This is the first coyote I've ever killed with any coyote sound other than pup distress. He was 57 yards out, just a few steps from the FoxPro. The adult male was facing me when the 40gr Ballistic Tip caught him in the center of the chest.
The next stand was near the top of a steep, wide draw. The first photo is a view of the sit-down stand; the second is the view from the stand.
The coyotes weren't hungry for nuthatches or jackrabbits, but this lonely fellow raced in to check out "long female howls." This is the first coyote I've ever killed with any coyote sound other than pup distress. He was 57 yards out, just a few steps from the FoxPro. The adult male was facing me when the 40gr Ballistic Tip caught him in the center of the chest.
I only had time to make one stand this morning. I found an opening in a juniper-sage flat where the sagebrush was spaced widely enough to perhaps get a shot at an incoming coyote. I set up my tall Bog-Pod next to a juniper to give me some cover/background. After a few minutes of playing "nutty nuthatch" softly on the FoxPro, I cranked up the volume. Within 5 minutes I saw a coyote bounding toward the call. I tried to turn down the volume but hit the mute button by mistake. The coyote stopped in her tracks at 76 yards. All I could see was her head and neck, but that was enough to place the shot where the neck joins the body. An absolutely gorgeous adult female -- the prettiest coyote I've taken this year.
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TheOtherZilla
Pull my finger
I too shoot the Nosler 40 in my 222. It's devastating on coyotes...
The wind over the past several days let the coyotes make a fool out of me. I called in at least one coyote on almost every stand. Sometimes I saw them, circling far downwind, catching my scent, and departing unscathed. On other stands I never saw the coyote, just his/her fresh tracks in the snow downwind of my stand. One of them even left by walking along my inbound track. I was surprised it didn't piss on my truck tire when it went by.
But yesterday it was calm, 5 degrees below zero (F), with fog and spectacular hoar frost. I tried nutty nuthatch, adult cottontail, lightning jack -- zip. After 5 cycles of pup distress I caught a glimpse of 2 coyotes behind me, sneaking through the heavy sage. For several minutes I played vole squeaks, kitten distress, pup distress, etc. without getting the coyotes to reveal themselves or charge the call. Finally I spotted the adult female, sitting 110 yards away, with just her head showing over the sagebrush. She wasn't going to come any closer, so ...
But yesterday it was calm, 5 degrees below zero (F), with fog and spectacular hoar frost. I tried nutty nuthatch, adult cottontail, lightning jack -- zip. After 5 cycles of pup distress I caught a glimpse of 2 coyotes behind me, sneaking through the heavy sage. For several minutes I played vole squeaks, kitten distress, pup distress, etc. without getting the coyotes to reveal themselves or charge the call. Finally I spotted the adult female, sitting 110 yards away, with just her head showing over the sagebrush. She wasn't going to come any closer, so ...
jcm24m
Silver $$ Contributor
Nice yote stories. Love to read them all over and over again. What are the exact FOXPRO call numbers you are using (like c-24) ? THANKS
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
That collection of pictures and stories is priceless.
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