Let my guard down and it cost me

hunt0168

hunt0168

Well-known member
Edit - In my main post on the Hunter of the Month program, I said:
DesertRam said:
The objective of this program is to encourage participation by and education of our members through interactive storytelling, not only of the successful hunts, but also the failures that we all have. Ultimately, it is not only important to convey the final result of the hunt but also how the success was obtained or how the lesson was learned. Not every hunt will net you the prize of a lifetime, but every hunt should be one that you and others can learn from. Predator Masters encourages and challenges each of you to participate and share your experiences.
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I believe this post embodies that, and drives home a very important lesson that applies not only to predator hunting, but all hunting and even life: Stay focused on your goal. Because of that, this post is:
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Made some sets last night. First was a bust. Hadn’t thought about all the melting snow and the impact it would have on this spot. After about a half mile walk down an old road I was greeted with a crazy amount of standing water and runoff. Gave it a bit but it was a blank. Had no confidence in the spot and that works on my head.

Second spot is one of my prime spots. With a super bright moon and east/southeast winds my only option was to cross 400 yards of wide open field to get to a woodline for some cover. I made it scanning the entire way without seeing anything but a few deer. I got tucked in and had a great view to the north and east. To the west was the road where I had come from.

I ran a series of vocals mixing in this and that with no response. Gave it some quiet time and nothing. More vocals and nothing. Lets get creative here…. Threw out a bit of raccoon chatter and then raccoon over woodpecker for a minute or so. Nope… nothing. Now this is a huge field with good visibility, and I should see anything coming forever. I ditched the raccoon and started MFK Goody Woody going up and down in volume. Quiet to insanely loud. Then I switched to MFK Brown Thrasher distress and did the same, scanning all the while. Nothing. Confidence waning, call still ripping Thrasher, I stop scanning and start preparing to call it quits. I even grabbed my phone to see if I had any texts! Call still playing Thrasher. Lift my scanner and screaming in is a pair of coyotes right in my lap! Panic sets in, grab remote to mute. Drop remote which is tethered to tripod. Screw it, woof at em… no stopping them, they’re charging the call. Gotta mute!….gotta mute… find mute button and kill the sound. Lead coyote is literally at the caller seemingly confused in the corn stubble and stops. Holly shit!… gotta shoot! But after all of this I get crosshairs on it and never even locked in before pulling the trigger and muffed a 60 yard shot. That coyote disappears out of sight so I hit some kiyi trying to get #2 to stop. It goes over the rise out of sight. Pup 3,,. Pup 3 dummy! Get that going and back to scanning. #2 rolls back in towards the west and stands at 250ish but the road is behind it. Just standing there when #1 goes screaming past #2 headed east! Great… They’ve cleared the road! Gotta stop them,.. Kiyi on mouth diaphragm?…Why not? Holy shit it worked! 325 yards in full blown adrenaline overload and I muffed again. :(

Sorry for the weak finish guys. Point of story. Stay focused. Stay calm. Stay in the game. Oh yeah… Shoot straight! Lol…
 
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Hey, you’re seeing coyotes and keeping ammo making employees employed!!
I remember a stand I hit the call playing some rabbit in distress right when I was about 3ft away from my tripod after setting out the call. Looked through the scope to make sure it was all focused just in time to see a coyote with his nose literally in the call and then making a retreat, lol!! It happens!
 
Been at this awhile now Mark. I’ve seen that and more buddy! Generally this late in our season I’m very settled and focused, and I don’t get rattled easily. After the winter we had and not getting out, I feel pressured with only a couple weeks left. I know better than to do the things I did. Rookie mistake! Lol
 
you did good, stuff happens. Staying focused gets hard sometimes. always stay focused while your partner is out placing the call too. ya just never know.

one night as limbhanger10 was placing the call, i was busy watching the combine in the next field over and how cool it looked thru the thermal scanner as it was cutting corn after dark. he comes back after setting the call and says "where did the coyote go" i said "what coyote" he says "the one that ran right in front of you" i said i never saw it.

i told him what i was doing and he said "we're hunting coyotes, not combines" 🤣🤣
 
Just last season I hiked up into one of my spots. Brushy drainage that runs down the center of a big field. Walked up the downwind side of the drainage and set up to watch a crosswind situation where it intersected a hedgerow at the top. Well I got where I wanted to be, setup my tripod and walked uphill about 70 yards to set out the caller. Walked back down to tripod and hit a call and started scanning uphill. Literally immediately I hear something right next to me in the ravine. I scan to my right and my view screen was filled with a heat signature. A pair of coyotes charged out of that drainage 5 yards from me! Not sure which of us came unglued more! Lol… They had to be bedded right there or just happened to be on the other side of the drainage when I called?

Same drainage, different hunt, I set the caller, started some distress and while I was tethering my remote to my tripod (about 5 seconds) a coyote had made it to the caller. I picked up my scanner just in time to see it stick it’s nose in the horn and tear off!

Gotta stay focused 100% with these jokers!
 
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