Bad setup and panic, vs good setup and patience

204 AR

204 AR

Well-known member
Made a few stands in the first good cold snap of the year tonight, we called in a couple and it just struck me the importance of thinking through your setup.

This first video, we were set up 150 yds from a draw we expected them to come from upwind. The call ended up 90 yds downwind, which I wondered if that was a good idea. It wasn't, as of course a coyote comes from across an open field and ended up downwind of us. On top of that, I rushed, didn't range it, didn't zoom in, didn't wait for a better broadside shot. My partner said it was over 250 yds, which it didn't look that far to me. Ended up missing left.



Contrast to 2 stands later. We set the call not too far from the truck, then set up 100 or so yds downwind of the call. This coyote showed about the time we were about to call it quits. It was coming in good but disappeared a couple times behind rises, I was concerned it was going to circle downwind even further behind a rise we had no choice but to leave as a blind spot. As luck would have it, we were set up perfectly and ended up with an 80 yd shot.

 
That first vid would have had me thinking I was at the beach looking out over the ocean if not for the coyote. Looks like you could see the end of the earth from the top of a 6ft ladder :giggle:
 
Yeah it was a big stubble field about a mile square. For as cold as it was, it wasn't a very good thermal night in my 384. Also I just wifi the videos off the scope because if I plug the computer into the scope it dies immediately.
 
I’ve noticed with y’all guys that can see a long ways out there…y’all will send it in a heartbeat, lol.
Do y’all’s coyotes just hang up that far and won’t come closer? Or do y’all take the first opportunity shot y’all can get?
Down here I figure the whole purpose of having a caller is to “call” them in. Granted I can’t see that far here and a 125-150yd shot is a stretch. Most shots end up between 50-100yds with most within 25yds of the caller. My farthest shot was right at 190yds and I walked up on a group in a field, no calling involved.

Most of mine are like your second video, you “might” see them a ways out, but then they disappear in the brush or rolls of the land and pop out close!!
That first video it looked like you was on him.
 
Some hang up, and some will see you out in the open like that. I figure 200 and in should be dead and if they give me a good shot I usually send it. Past about 225 with my 3x 384 scope it's a bit iffy and I don't practice further than 200 just due to not having a good range setup past 200. Last night was fairly dark but star lit and that last one didn't see us. Moon lit nights are a whole other matter.

There's a new nocpix scope that's 3x 640 with built in lrf and drop compensation that is exactly what I've been waiting for but it's hard to justify 5k+ for a hobby when it seems like everything I own has been falling apart this fall and needing expensive repairs. As I sit here our water source geothermal heat unit quit working last night and is about 2 months out of warranty so that should be fun to pay for. Ok I'm done crying lol.

Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Yeah I can understand that. We’re lucky enough to have shade of some sort or even higher brush I can set up in even on just starlit nights.
And like you mentioned, I swear sometimes the coyotes look like they’re looking at me through the thermal, but they keep coming. Had one run by on video that even turns her head to look at me at about 20yds but still makes a beeline to the caller sitting in the wide open field.
 
Back
Top