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Hunting => Predator Hunting => Topic started by: weedwalker on January 10, 2011, 05:40:48 PM

Title: Dead End Tracks
Post by: weedwalker on January 10, 2011, 05:40:48 PM
It looked like a good day for a hunt today, so just after daylight I slipped over the hill here and went to my neighbors farm. We didn't get any more snow last. I walked back an old log road into the property and right away it was looking promising. There were coyote and bobcat tracks EVERYWHERE.

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k311/weedwalker/Redbird/Ninevah/Huntin014.jpg)

I was finding a lot of scent post where the coyotes were making their mark.

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k311/weedwalker/Redbird/Ninevah/Huntin015.jpg)

On my 2nd stand, I was using my squeaker bulb and a coyote came in to 20 yds on my right rear and was standing there looking dead at me. I tried to ease around for a shot but he could run faster than I could turn around. :eyebrownod:

On my 4th stand I was sitting on a hillside looking down into a brushy hollow. I started out with the squeaker bulb again. If you look in the center of this pic, there is kind of a clear lane straight in front of me. I spotted a coyote about 100 yds out coming straight to me up that lane. The wind was blowing from my left front to my right rear. When the coyote got to the bench you see about 40 yds in front of me he was temporarily out of sight. He popped over the bench about 20 yds to the right trying to get my scent. I said "I GOT THIS BABY" and at 35 yds I knocked her flat with a load of 12 gauge "BBs". She dropped right in her tracks.

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k311/weedwalker/Redbird/Ninevah/Huntin016.jpg)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k311/weedwalker/Redbird/Ninevah/Huntin018.jpg)

I made a couple more dry stands and called it a day. Here's the hero shot.

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k311/weedwalker/Redbird/Ninevah/Huntin020.jpg)

Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: slagmaker on January 10, 2011, 05:43:16 PM
Now thats how you spen an afternoon in the snow.

Congrats on the fur down!!
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: KySongDog on January 10, 2011, 05:46:03 PM
Quote from: weedwalker on January 10, 2011, 05:40:48 PM
I said "I GOT THIS BABY"

:alscalls:   I luv it!   Nice going, Ed! 
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: Bills Custom Calls on January 10, 2011, 05:49:05 PM
Yep looks like a great day  :congrats: :congrats:
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: coyote101 on January 10, 2011, 06:08:45 PM
Way to go Big Ed.  :yoyo: :yoyo: Yet another one bites the dust.

Pat
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: golfertrout on January 10, 2011, 06:13:54 PM
wat to go Ed looks like you had a gooooood day :yoyo:  i like your snow camo to :eyebrow:  looks like alot of tracks there
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: HaMeR on January 10, 2011, 06:22:54 PM
Cool deal Ed!! Glad you got out & was able to bust a dog. And find it!!  :wink:
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: HuntnCarve on January 10, 2011, 06:38:59 PM
Looks like the "Coyote Magnet" has got his magnetism back! :highclap:  Way to go Ed!
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: kyfuzzyface on January 10, 2011, 06:40:13 PM
WTG WW
Congrats
Good story and Pictures
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: wked on January 10, 2011, 07:08:41 PM
Ed pm'd me this morning and said "Looks like a good morning to hunt yotes."  I said, "Post up the pics so I can remember what they look like." :confused:  He did good!  Way to go Ed! :highclap: :highclap:
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: WldWldWest on January 10, 2011, 08:57:40 PM
Way to go Big Ed!  Diggin the snow camo, Where did ya get it?
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: BigB on January 10, 2011, 09:08:15 PM


Congrats!


Interesting look to that coyote.  They head on it reminds me of a husky, and not much of a coyote.  Maybe it is just the camera angle and colors of the head area.  But the rest of the body is 100% coyote. 



Brian
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: securpro on January 10, 2011, 09:09:33 PM
 :highclap: :highclap: Coyote = 0 , Coyote Magnet = 289756396 this year  :innocentwhistle:
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: FinsnFur on January 10, 2011, 09:48:13 PM
This guy dont mess around :yoyo:
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: weedwalker on January 10, 2011, 11:07:30 PM
Quote from: WldWldWest on January 10, 2011, 08:57:40 PM
Diggin the snow camo, Where did ya get it?

Doug, I ordered the snow camo from Sportsmans Guide 4 or 5 years ago. It's hit or miss when they have it available. You just have to keep checking with them.
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: weedwalker on January 10, 2011, 11:11:33 PM
Quote from: BigB on January 10, 2011, 09:08:15 PM


Congrats!


Interesting look to that coyote.  They head on it reminds me of a husky, and not much of a coyote.  Maybe it is just the camera angle and colors of the head area.  But the rest of the body is 100% coyote. 



Brian

I thought the color was kinda different too. The front half was the regular kinda yellowish grey and the back half was more red.
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: possumal on January 10, 2011, 11:37:39 PM
Mighty fine, Big Ed.  The bobcat tracks are something we've seen before, haven't we?  I think this picture qualifies for the Abominable Snowman award of the year. 
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: Okanagan on January 11, 2011, 12:04:23 AM
Thanks for the good read.  Man there are a lot of predator tracks on that lane in the first photo.  How many hours or days was the snow there to accumulate tracks?
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: linemansteve on January 11, 2011, 04:48:18 AM
Way to go  ED good looking coyote.  Very good write up.  Steve
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: weedwalker on January 11, 2011, 06:03:07 AM
Quote from: Okanagan on January 11, 2011, 12:04:23 AMMan there are a lot of predator tracks on that lane in the first photo.  How many hours or days was the snow there to accumulate tracks?

It had been 2 days since the snow. There are a lot of coyotes in there. But they get called to a LOT. I think they've heard every screaming rabbit sound on e-callers and hand calls that there is. Besides me there are 3 or 4 other guys that hunt it and one of those guys would hunt it 2 or 3 times a week for a while. The coyotes got to where they wouldn't respond to anything.
So I tried a different approach. I took my shotgun and hunted tight to thick cover using VERY light calling with only lip squeaks, coaxer calls, and a squeaker bulb. Both of them came in to the squeaker bulb.
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: pitw on January 11, 2011, 07:22:34 AM
 Way cool Ed.  Looking at that first pic makes me think you need to shoo them away before you sit too :laf: :laf:. 
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: Okanagan on January 11, 2011, 09:05:36 AM
Quote from: weedwalker on January 11, 2011, 06:03:07 AM
It had been 2 days since the snow. There are a lot of coyotes in there. But they get called to a LOT. I think they've heard every screaming rabbit sound on e-callers and hand calls that there is. Besides me there are 3 or 4 other guys that hunt it and one of those guys would hunt it 2 or 3 times a week for a while. The coyotes got to where they wouldn't respond to anything.
So I tried a different approach. I took my shotgun and hunted tight to thick cover using VERY light calling with only lip squeaks, coaxer calls, and a squeaker bulb. Both of them came in to the squeaker bulb.

Good savvy hunting!  You are smarter than the other hunters... and smarter than the coyotes!   :congrats:
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: weedwalker on January 11, 2011, 11:05:01 AM
I went over that way again this morning. Another piece of property about a 1 1/2 mile on down the road. I tried the light calling like I did yesterday. On my 3rd stand I was sitting on a bank with a fairly wide open creek bottom just below me, and in front of me a thick, bushy, grown up bench about 50 yds wide with a lot of game tracks thru it. I set up watching the bench ahead and started lip squeaking. After only a couple minutes I heard the ice crak in the creek below me to my left. I look down and a coyote is already slowly walking away from me. So I don't know how close he might have been. He was about 50 yds out, a stretch for the shotgun. I shot him and knocked him down, then he jumped up running dragging his right front leg. I was tracking him in the snow and at 1st he was bleeding pretty good. But after about 300 yds the blood quit. I kept following his tracks thru the thickest crap he could find to go thru. I found 1 spot where he took a break for a minute and the snow coming down was already starting to cover it up. (Pic below)  He then he went over the hill to another property where I can't go. So I had to give up after following him about 3/4 of a mile.  :madd:
I haven't called in a coyote on those farms in the last 4 or 5 months using standard techniques. But using very light calling I've called in 3 in 2 days. Maybe there's something to it? :wo:

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k311/weedwalker/Redbird/Ninevah/Huntin022.jpg)
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: pitw on January 11, 2011, 11:24:24 AM
  Ed I'm guessing it's got more to do with magnetization :laf: :laf:.  Actually I believe your probably right that by changing it up your giving them something new to investigate. 
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: HaMeR on January 11, 2011, 11:30:12 AM
That sucks when you can't find em after a hard hit.  :rolleye:  On the other hand you're out & exploring new ideas that seem to be working for you.

I can here the conversation between you & yourself right now.

Ed-- He's too far!! Dang it!!
Ed-- No he's not!! SHOOT!!!!
Ed-- He's too far I said!!!!
Ed-- NO HE'S  BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:laf: :laf:
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: weedwalker on January 11, 2011, 11:32:45 AM
You about nailed my conversation with myself HaMeR. :alscalls: I needed my rifle today instead of the shotgun. I didn't expect anything to come in thru the wide open creek bottom.
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: HaMeR on January 11, 2011, 12:04:11 PM
 :alscalls:  It's good to know me & myself aren't the only ones that have those!!  :laf: :laf:  I'll have one of my rifles when I go back there too.  :eyebrow:
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: coyotehunter_1 on January 11, 2011, 04:21:57 PM
Ed, way to go, you sure make it look easy.  :congrats:  :biggrin:
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: possumal on January 11, 2011, 07:45:47 PM
Big Ed, I have argued over and over with some of the guys that too much volume can be a bad thing, especially when there is no foliage and it is good and cold.  I believe they catch on quick to those 100 lb. critter sounds, especially when the ecaller is turned on and left on.  A lot of guys kill coyotes with that technique, but it never did work for me around Kentucky.  Maybe our coyotes are a bit smarter but I'll vote for realism every time.  Keep after them, big fellow.
Title: Re: Dead End Tracks
Post by: Frogman on January 16, 2011, 06:52:58 PM
Ed,

WTG!  Good story and pictures! 

Jim