Been waiting on the right wind to get into this ridge and it happened Tuesday night. The main ridges in this particular area run E/W and this one has a finger ridge that runs S about 3/4mile that has a series of 3-15 to 30 ac hayfields along the top. I had called the 3 small fields (1-1/2 to 5 ac) on the N sidehill of the main ridge with no takers but from my second set did get a serenade response from far to the South.
Decided from the response to set up in the middle field. Set the call about 50y upwind and hit the woodpecker. A few minutes in I see a flash of white at my 11:00 and it disappears in the terrains then reappears on the ridgetop at my 12:00. I let it come a ways, then bark it stopped and shoot.
Decided to wait 10 min to start the set again. But only 3-4min later I see #2 crest the ridge following the same line the first did. In the gun I go and fidget with the uphill tripod leg to get a better position than the first shot. It stops about 10y short of #1 and dies. Again, I think "start a set in 10 min". I do so with a series of lone pup howls and get a serenade from the hollow at my 10:00 about 2-300y in the woods. As this is happening, I think I hear a single howling behind me at my 4-5:00 but can't be sure.
Concentrating on my left-they could show up close because of contour, I wasn't paying much attention to my right. I make a quick scan to see one already passed me heading into the hollow the serenade was from. I make a quick reposition, bark, and shoot without video but did record the legs flailing above the contour of the ground
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Again, I waited before calling again. Now I hit a fight followed by me kiyiing and a kiyi playing on the call. What happened next is the stuff (in alphabetical order) Jeremy, Kino, and Kirsch have posted. Coyotes came running into sight out of that hollow so fast that I couldn't keep track! WHAT A RUSH-NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN BEFORE WITH SO MANY. I quit counting at 3, got the call off, and got positioned to try to shoot but I know there was more 3.
I could not get the first and closest stopped and shot at it in self-defense at ~30y. I saw hair fly from a grazing shot off his left shoulder. He ran so fast I couldn't get it in my scope to know where it went! A quick pass with the gun revealed they had all retreated so I kiyied and got back on the scanner. Immediately there is one at my 9:30. As I swing the gun towards it, I see another beyond it. Bang, #4 drops, swing to the other and the dummy is still there. I shoot, hear the hit and think I see it react but turn and run. I could not find it after looking almost an hour and needing a blood transfusion from the multiflora and briars that covered said hillside, but I have never killed 5 in a set and really wanted a pick!
1st at about 4min, 2nd about 5 min later, 3rd 15min after that, and the last about 25min after #3. 3 adult males and a YOY female and they all had white tail tips.
Decided from the response to set up in the middle field. Set the call about 50y upwind and hit the woodpecker. A few minutes in I see a flash of white at my 11:00 and it disappears in the terrains then reappears on the ridgetop at my 12:00. I let it come a ways, then bark it stopped and shoot.
Decided to wait 10 min to start the set again. But only 3-4min later I see #2 crest the ridge following the same line the first did. In the gun I go and fidget with the uphill tripod leg to get a better position than the first shot. It stops about 10y short of #1 and dies. Again, I think "start a set in 10 min". I do so with a series of lone pup howls and get a serenade from the hollow at my 10:00 about 2-300y in the woods. As this is happening, I think I hear a single howling behind me at my 4-5:00 but can't be sure.
Concentrating on my left-they could show up close because of contour, I wasn't paying much attention to my right. I make a quick scan to see one already passed me heading into the hollow the serenade was from. I make a quick reposition, bark, and shoot without video but did record the legs flailing above the contour of the ground
.Again, I waited before calling again. Now I hit a fight followed by me kiyiing and a kiyi playing on the call. What happened next is the stuff (in alphabetical order) Jeremy, Kino, and Kirsch have posted. Coyotes came running into sight out of that hollow so fast that I couldn't keep track! WHAT A RUSH-NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN BEFORE WITH SO MANY. I quit counting at 3, got the call off, and got positioned to try to shoot but I know there was more 3.
I could not get the first and closest stopped and shot at it in self-defense at ~30y. I saw hair fly from a grazing shot off his left shoulder. He ran so fast I couldn't get it in my scope to know where it went! A quick pass with the gun revealed they had all retreated so I kiyied and got back on the scanner. Immediately there is one at my 9:30. As I swing the gun towards it, I see another beyond it. Bang, #4 drops, swing to the other and the dummy is still there. I shoot, hear the hit and think I see it react but turn and run. I could not find it after looking almost an hour and needing a blood transfusion from the multiflora and briars that covered said hillside, but I have never killed 5 in a set and really wanted a pick!
1st at about 4min, 2nd about 5 min later, 3rd 15min after that, and the last about 25min after #3. 3 adult males and a YOY female and they all had white tail tips.
