Big Dawg almost scores!

[msmith]

I just finished feeding the cows and asked my son if he wanted to go with me to hang a game cam. I thought I might be able to get some pics of turkeys or perhaps even some coyotes. I figured on making a stand or two then hanging the game cam, but we were running late so I opted to just make one stand just before dark.

We left home and motored over to our other farm about 3 miles down the road and parked at the mouth of a hollow. This is a good time to hunt this property. We started up the hollow and the late afternoon thermals were in our face taking our scent down the hollow. The supposed coyote bedding area is on the ridge to our right in some very thick pines. As we got to the head of the hollow and started up the hill, the prevailing is 180 degrees opposite of the thermals taking our scent up the hill and over the top. This works good and I have hunted this that way during deer season many times.

As we neared the top, we stopped at the head of a draw where the logging road we are on splits into three. Here we hung the FoxPro in a tree and I bent a small maple over and clamped the Whirling Woodpecker to a branch getting it about eight feet off the ground. I needed to do this as it was in kind of a low spot. I had given the Big Dawg the AR and put him directly up the hill, downwind of the caller. He is watching the Whirling Woodpecker, the intersection, the draw, and brush off to his left. I put him there because I figured any coyote coming in would probably come in from his left. I positioned myself off to his right looking almost opposite. I covered up the hill and the flat off to my left since it was thicker and I had an 870. We had all 360 covered.

We started the stand off with some low volume rodent distress for a few minutes then turned the caller off, waited a few then did an interrogation howl and went into some low cottontail. About ten minutes into the stand I heard something and rolled my eyes over at my little buddy. He was aiming at something. I watched for a few seconds and he eventually settled back in to the hunt.

About 15 minutes later it was getting too dark to see, so I shut the caller down and we waited another ten. I walked over to him and he was so excited. A coyote had come in to his left at about thirty yards. Evidently the woodpecker was too low as it made him. He said he had the crosshairs on it, thumbed the safety, but just wasn't quick enough to get a shot off before it hightailed outta there. I think I would have been just as thrilled as him if he had been able to put a V-max in it. Oh well, perhaps that dog is educated now, but he is still out there for another day.

Here is an after hunt shot.

[wv_yoter]

Sounds like y'all had a good time. Maybe Big Dawg will get another crack at him. 

[HaMeR]

How cool is that?? If BigDawg wasn't hooked before he certainly is now!! 

[alscalls]

Hey! I am the king of almost and I tell ya its still a thrill everytime. And .......I get just as exited to see kids in our sport! Way to go keep after them.
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html

[KySongDog]

Great story!  Spending time with your son is priceless.  They grow up way too fast so make the most of it.   

There always be another coyote on another day.

Semp

[coyote101]

Sounds like a great time.  Thanks for the story.

Pat

[FinsnFur]

Awesome
And I love that hat.

[golfertrout]

good story dude

[msmith]

He was hooked before, now he wants an AR.    He loves to hunt and fish.  It certainly is a great time to be out with a little one whether you see anything or not. A few years ago, my daughter wanted me to take her deer hunting. She was 4. I didn't even load the rifle, but we had a great time, her falling over logs and tripping on rocks. I answered a lot of questions that day and wouldn't trade it or any day afield with any of my kids for anything.

We went back today to hang the game cam and I had him go back to his stand and guide me to where he saw the yote. I wanted to see things from the yote's perspective. I forgot to mention that we were set up at the edge of a saddle and the yote very well could have come across the saddle from the other siide of the ridge. Things were too dry right there and the only thing I could see was that the leaves were fluffed a little where he said he saw the critter. From there, the coyote definitely could not see our decoy and he was headed downwind of the caller right into Josh's lap. We went on out the ridge following the main logging road checking out any mud that we came across. At each one, we found a track or two a day or so old heading toward where we were set up. We set the game cam up between where we were set up and where I believe the denning area to be. We'll probably scout this area this spring and summer then hit it again next September.

[Frogman]

Great story! 

Jim