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Unproductive but awesome hunt

2K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  DDEL 
#1 ·
I have a spot I discovered a couple years ago, right outside a heavy pressured area but I never have seen a boot print except mine since I started calling it. I often see a big set of prints (coyote)...what a paw. I bet that F'er is just laughing at my lack of hunting talent; he's probably been called by every hunter in north PHX! I've had a coyote trot right by in front of me while driving in. I've had a bobcat sit bored at the end of a 35 minute session staring straight at me...one week past season. At least two dead on the highway right there, they cross just south of the wash, not in it. But I've never been able to put fur to dirt in at least 5 good attempts.

Still haven't. Tonight though was just one of those nights that reminds you of why its so great to get out there. I had a reasonable good approach to my stand, wind shifted once but was pretty cooperative. Got to watch a pack of javelina work the edge of the next hill over. Had a definite visitor to my hard left, maybe 150y or so. I had just moved my hand to mute my caller, and figure maybe I had a cat watching me because as soon as I did that slow but still a movement, it slid smoothly into the next bush.

About 8 minute after I stopped calling I worked my way out of the wash. As it turned from slope to cliff on my right side a coyote just chewed my butt out! Bark bark howl, a second different coyote, bark bark howl, on and on it went! Of course it sounded like more but probably not. Keep in mind it's now dark, and the lead coyote was real close...that's the first time for me to be out in the near total dark getting called out, and it was a bit freaky! Last time I was that close I was in my bed and the coyote was outside my window, a bit different! These Guys were 30 feet up and ? far in? Sounded like 50 to 75 feet which struck me as really brazen! The thicket is so thick there I'm sure they felt safe. They moved slowly east with me, slowly getting further out in front of me, they never did shut up until I approached the highway and I could barely hear it over the cars hitting the bridge.

As I crossed under the highway I spooked a deer and the crashing almost made me wet myself until my light lit it up and it was clear what it was.

The only thing I am wondering was did I call them in or did they have a den there? It hard to hunt because the wind is always wrong to hike in there. I'm guessing they must have been incoming because I was calling for a while and they could have just left if I was pissing them off so badly.

I'm think wait four weeks and try the other side of that hill with a different call?

Cool night. Wish I could go back tomorrow but I know I can't : (
 
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#2 ·
Cool story, DDEL, Its always a little FREAKY to be walking out at night back to camp or truck and the bushes around you start rustling or crashing takes place, Im know its happened to me more then once, very un-nerving to say the least. Unless you tell us were you were, cant help you with your setup, the only thing you can do it try it again. To be honest, every setup, and I mean every setup is different then any other. I try to stay out of the thick stuff Im calling to, stay on the edge with a little shooting room is best I think, especially if your going to be calling towards dark thirty. Thats were a red-green headlamp proves invaluable.
 
#3 ·
Keep at it, eventually you will be successful. It took me years to harvest a coyote in the Robbins/ Powers Butte area, but I managed to do it. Was snuck up on several times by well educated coyotes before I out smarted one enough to get it into shotgun range. The first time I was out there I ran into the game manager and he told me that it was next to impossible to get a coyote there because it is so heavily hunted.
 
#4 ·
I'm still new to predator hunting anyway, and due to opening a small restaurant last fall haven't put the hours in I did the first year I started

This place is hard to approach with our mostly from the south wind here in Phoenix, and I watch the firehouse flag blow from the north all to often on my way to work. BUT I will work it until I get one of those buggers!

I might try it again from a different corner with a different call Wednesday night. Too soon?
 
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