my first six pack and a box of beef

[TRnCO]

Finally decided yesterday that I was going to start calling, hot weather be damned. This Oct. has been very warm, and between that and other things, just hadn't gotten a chance to get out.
Well, first stand of the season turned out to be a doozie. I was over looking a large sage flat that is about 400 yards wide and a mile long. This stand has a history of delivering action every year and as I was walking in I could see many coyote tracks in the dust on the cow trail.
I started with pup howls and immediately I had vocal responses from several coyotes. They seemed to be spread out and weren't doing a group howl, but I had a bunch of them talking. I went with pup howl for a minute or two and decided no coyotes sounded as if they were getting closer, so I switched over to long female howl and no more got it started when I saw the first coyote coming. I muted the call, the coyote stopped at about 100 yards, so I gave it another single howl, which brought it another 25 yards and that's where I decided close enough. Bang and down #1. I went right back to long female howl to finish the sequence. No more spotted so I switched to rabbit and in a moment saw another coming hard. I muted the call and the coyote finally stopped just 12 yards from the call and I dropped it #2. Knowing I had other ears within ear shot, I let rabbit sing the blues some more. In a moment, I spotted another coming, so once again I muted the call. This coyote happened across the first that I had shot and that brought it to a halt, so I shot it. This coyote yipped and took off, so I bolted another round in and began to follow through the scope and was about ready to hit it again when it became obvious it wasn't going far and in short order it piled up. #3 down. Back on the call, I decided to switch over to one of the coyote fight sounds. About a minute or so into coyote fight, I spotted the next suspect coming. It stopped just short of dead #1, and decided that was good enough, so bang flop. #4 down. Turned fight back on and a quick scan I see one that had stumbled across #1 and didn't seem to like what it found and it was leaving, but not quickly. So I began to follow it in the scope when all of a sudden it stopped, so BANG flop. #5 down. SO now with empty gun and out of control adrenaline, I kill the call and realize I had just killed my first 5 pack. What a way to start the season. I didn't even think to look around for any more coyotes, instead I got up and headed out to round em up. I sat my rifle, call, seat, and bi-pod down by the nearest coyote and walked out to collect the nearest two. I had them picked up and was walking back to my rifle when a sixth coyote started howling not but a couple hundred yards away. I'm thinking, NO WAY, and I stop to scan with my binocs and couldn't see the coyote, so I figured it couldn't see me either. So I hustled back to my rifle, call, and sticks and quickly loaded one more round in the rifle, turned on the call and let er rip on rabbit. Not 30 seconds later I see another coyote coming my way. I let it get to about 50 yards where it stopped and I let er rip. Flop. #6 on the ground.
I've killed a few quads over the years, and this was, well, just as good, plus two.
And if that wasn't good enough, when I stopped by the ranchers house, he decided that I needed some beef. Told him I really didn't need any, but he insisted. How can ya beat that. A six pack and a box of steaks and burger. What a way to start to the season.

[ray1970]

I opened this to see why there was a thread about beer in the hunting forum.

[Irving]

Your threads always inspire me to try calling in a coyote. I know nothing about it though.

[TRnCO]

well Irving, calling coyotes really isn't hard. My saying is "calling coyotes is easy, killing them is slightly harder." This is prime time of the year to call coyotes. The pups are gullible. I only did the one stand because I believe their fur is good and I wanted to get them to the freezer before they bloat. Plus had that beef to get to the freezer as well

[Irving]

Well my area is only 1 mile x 1/2 mile, right next to a highway, with no plants taller than a cactus. Can I just show up in the dark and start calling as it gets light? Also, I only have one mouth call. I don't mind learning the ropes of course, I just don't know if I have a good area. That and I've never taken a shot past 100 yards before. All that stuff can be learned though.

EDIT: I was able to get the attention of a coyote while we were elk hunting with a Cow call. I believe I could have called it in closer, but we were just messing around and the truck was right next to me so I didn't put in much effort.

[TRnCO]

Sounds like a good "first stand" spot, right at first light. Much of the land I hunt doesn't have any vegetation taller than a soap weed. Lots of soap weed is good, good coyote habitat. But all you need is enough to sit next to with good camo to blend in. Get in your spot before shooting light, get the wind in your favor, and a dieing rabbit should work. I killed a lot of coyotes over the years with nothing more than a mouth call or two. I've come to believe that I can't compete with good electronics, especially when it comes to vocals, which is something I'm learning more about and how to use them. BUT, electronics is not necessary to have success.
My longest shot this morning was 150 yards. Rarely do I shoot at a coyote over 300 yards. I shoot a .17/204 so I don't have a long range killer, but rarely do I feel like I need more.

[Irving]

Well, this certainly gives me enthusiasm to get out there are try, thanks.

[Great-Kazoo]

Well, this certainly gives me enthusiasm to get out there are try, thanks.

Luckily i have a few suppressed long guns that can and will take game out past 500 - 1K yds.

[Irving]

You're always so busy though...

[Great-Kazoo]

You're always so busy though...

For you, i clear my calendar.