hunt0168
Well-known member
My younger brother isn’t much of a predator hunter. Every once in awhile I can get him to make a few stands, and last night was one of them. He lives about 25 miles south of me, and because I have hit my area pretty hard lately, I selfishly suggested we hunt around his place! It didn’t work out great.
Set 1 found us at our cousin’s property which is on the 9 mile swamp. I went through my typical routine, plus a bunch more. 2 responses from both sides of the swamp, up on the hills east and west of the lowlands. Got me thinking that the swamp is more than likely too wet with all the recent snow melt. Coyotes don’t dig dens in muddy swamps was my theory, so we needed to focus on higher ground.
Set 2 found us at a large broken property of woodlots and large rolling hill corn stubble fields. The wind was proving to be tricky here. Blowing from southwest at the truck we made a plan to get to the top of the hill by following a hedgerow up. About halfway up the 300 yard climb I scan and there’s a coyote milling around in the field opposite the hedge we’re sneaking up. Can’t shoot that direction for houses in the background. I tell my brother we could back off to the east and continue up to the crown and I would put caller downhill on the north side and try to pull it that way. And we might still pull something up from the bottom on that side. Get to crest and wind blowing 100% opposite from southeast. Not familiar with this property, there are a lot of shooting concerns with farms and houses still towards the west where the coyote was spotted. I said we should back out. My bro said screw that! He didn’t just run a 600 yard, uphill dash through corn stubble to turn around! So we tried a Hail Mary and banked on a coyote coming from the northeast. I start calling and the surrounding area fires off with coyotes from 3 different directions. All too far off to even imagine they would come. I kept scanning back over my shoulder to the northwest and sure enough, guess who pops into the downhill field and sits at 175 directly downwind of us? Directly inline with the farm 500 yards beyond. It took off of course, back from where it came. Nothing else showed. I gave my bro the “I told you so” treatment, but he didn’t care. Amateur!
3rd set was at a friend of my brother’s place. More rolling fields surrounded by blocks of woods. Wind had picked up but was steady from west. As we were choosing a place to setup a coyote started howling across the road a few hundred yards to the southwest. My brother asked if we had s chance? I said we’re certainly going to try! After the first lone howl went out there was silence. We saw or heard nothing after that. He was cold and tired so we packed it up. On the way out he asked why I thought it went quiet? I said perhaps it had been called to before. My brother, whom I love dearly, looks at me and says, “Yeah, Jordon has a couple guys that call this place. They shot a few this year.” If we didn’t have his truck I would have left him there to walk home! Lol…
It was pushing 1:00 AM when we parted and I had one more set in me. I stopped at a spot I wanted to try but the wind was wrong. No worries, I’ll setup across the road. As I start into the field I pick up a heat signature about 180 yards out crossing a break in the brush and trees. Grey Fox. But to the right of it there’s something else. It was very dark so I just setup right where I was. I’m trying to figure out what I’m looking at , and I’ll admit I was puzzled! It was sitting like a canine but it didn’t seem right. Neck and head seemed odd. Than another appeared from behind the brush Deer. Wait!.. Deer? Sitting like a dog? WTH? Sure enough, the deer stood up from a doglike sitting position and walked out into the field I was in. Never in my life have I seen that. It was a young one that appeared to be watching the fox. I had no takers after throwing out a few calls, but that was pretty cool. I wish I had recorded it.
Set 1 found us at our cousin’s property which is on the 9 mile swamp. I went through my typical routine, plus a bunch more. 2 responses from both sides of the swamp, up on the hills east and west of the lowlands. Got me thinking that the swamp is more than likely too wet with all the recent snow melt. Coyotes don’t dig dens in muddy swamps was my theory, so we needed to focus on higher ground.
Set 2 found us at a large broken property of woodlots and large rolling hill corn stubble fields. The wind was proving to be tricky here. Blowing from southwest at the truck we made a plan to get to the top of the hill by following a hedgerow up. About halfway up the 300 yard climb I scan and there’s a coyote milling around in the field opposite the hedge we’re sneaking up. Can’t shoot that direction for houses in the background. I tell my brother we could back off to the east and continue up to the crown and I would put caller downhill on the north side and try to pull it that way. And we might still pull something up from the bottom on that side. Get to crest and wind blowing 100% opposite from southeast. Not familiar with this property, there are a lot of shooting concerns with farms and houses still towards the west where the coyote was spotted. I said we should back out. My bro said screw that! He didn’t just run a 600 yard, uphill dash through corn stubble to turn around! So we tried a Hail Mary and banked on a coyote coming from the northeast. I start calling and the surrounding area fires off with coyotes from 3 different directions. All too far off to even imagine they would come. I kept scanning back over my shoulder to the northwest and sure enough, guess who pops into the downhill field and sits at 175 directly downwind of us? Directly inline with the farm 500 yards beyond. It took off of course, back from where it came. Nothing else showed. I gave my bro the “I told you so” treatment, but he didn’t care. Amateur!
3rd set was at a friend of my brother’s place. More rolling fields surrounded by blocks of woods. Wind had picked up but was steady from west. As we were choosing a place to setup a coyote started howling across the road a few hundred yards to the southwest. My brother asked if we had s chance? I said we’re certainly going to try! After the first lone howl went out there was silence. We saw or heard nothing after that. He was cold and tired so we packed it up. On the way out he asked why I thought it went quiet? I said perhaps it had been called to before. My brother, whom I love dearly, looks at me and says, “Yeah, Jordon has a couple guys that call this place. They shot a few this year.” If we didn’t have his truck I would have left him there to walk home! Lol…
It was pushing 1:00 AM when we parted and I had one more set in me. I stopped at a spot I wanted to try but the wind was wrong. No worries, I’ll setup across the road. As I start into the field I pick up a heat signature about 180 yards out crossing a break in the brush and trees. Grey Fox. But to the right of it there’s something else. It was very dark so I just setup right where I was. I’m trying to figure out what I’m looking at , and I’ll admit I was puzzled! It was sitting like a canine but it didn’t seem right. Neck and head seemed odd. Than another appeared from behind the brush Deer. Wait!.. Deer? Sitting like a dog? WTH? Sure enough, the deer stood up from a doglike sitting position and walked out into the field I was in. Never in my life have I seen that. It was a young one that appeared to be watching the fox. I had no takers after throwing out a few calls, but that was pretty cool. I wish I had recorded it.
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