When I started

[1snafu]

My observations;

I started out hunting Red Fox & jack rabbits with my Dad & his two buds. Circa; 1964. We used sighthounds back then. Greyhounds mostly & greyhound cross hybrids thrown in the hound group. The hybrid cross were mostly Greyhound/Scottish Deerhound dogs. A few of those hybrids had Irish Wolfhound in their lineage. We called them hairy dogs. Most of our dogs stood 30-32" high at the shoulder, a few 34-36" high. As most of our hounds were male.

We hunted open rolling hills/cropland. Land sections were mostly 1 mile square with very little timber patches. We do have timber but most of it aligns the creeks & river bottom. We prefer the wide open hills. For spotting bedded canines, both the Reds & the coyotes. When we hunted jacks, we chose flatland.

I learned how to spot/stalk from my Dad & his 2 buds. When I turned 16, I branched off on my own. To make my own hunts & mistakes. What I learned early on was how to spot long range bedded coyotes & fox. Some were pert near completely buried in snow drifts along the hills, ridgelines & drifted fence lines.

I learned back then how both canines utilized their body language as well as terrain features. To keep  the prevailing winds, even slight winds. From blowing on the front of their ears when they were bedded down. As I aged I refined my spot/stalk hunt tactics. That upped my odds of sneaking in on a "sleeper". In a perfect World. I would sneak in on their 10:00 or 2:00 angle. Thus putting me behind
that canine out of sight. As well as putting me cross-wind of it. So it could not scent me.

The only hurdle to then over come. Was to be quiet enough for them not to hear me. I stalk in very slowly like a cat to up my odds. I have also crawled very slowly for many yards. To get my self to an elevated position for a prone shot. Hard to beat a prone shot as I'm rock steady on target.

I've passed on many hundreds of coyotes over the yrs. Just to observe & learn their behaviors. One Winter I seen if I recall 84 coyotes & 1 coyote hybrid. Out of that group. I decided to stalk 20. I ended up killing 14. I figure not to shabby for an old guy.