I've mentioned it before, but I'm an avid predator hunter.
Yesterday, I decided to make a day of it in North East Kansas.
Eventually my DD, J?ger, will be hunting with me, but at 6 1/2 months, he's not quite ready. He's plenty capable of sitting the stand, but not for the possibility of going head to head with a coyote or for close proximity centerfire shots.
As soon as I see him "fired up" over gun fire and associating it with birds and ducks, then he'll be ready.
Having said that,...I brought him along to introduce him to freshly shot furred game, possibly some more wild bird exposure, and maybe even some tracking help.
First stand of the morning, I was tucked into a cedar tree overlooking a big short grass bowl that's surrounded by CRP.
After about 20 minutes, (which is getting late in a calling stand), I see a coyote straight out, waaaaay out there.
Instead of just coming right in for breakfast, he put a great big wide sweeping circle on me to get the wind and scent in his face for the approach.
He'd made it down into a little creek bed out of my view, so I used that opportunity to shift to that area and predict where he'd show up again. He popped back out right where I'd guessed, but it was right under the rising sun!
It was blinding bright!! He was only about 75-100 yards, but it was a tough shot. I just knew he was going to pick up a reflection from my scope, but he never did.
Most likely a 2 year old male, but judging by the scars on his face, he was a scrapper.
I decided to use him for some training. I tied a rope to his legs and drug him through the tall grass then tucked him into some bushes. I worked J?ger around into the starting spot and let him track him up. I was hoping for a little more enthusiasm once he found the coyote, but he tracked it superbly!!
I was kind of hoping he'd bite at it and "wool" it a little, but I think I was expecting a little much.
I won't bore you with all the "dry" stands or misses, but inbetween stands, I'd let J?ger out to air and "hunt".
He thought he had something pinned down under this tree, but I never saw it.
About mid day, I'd set up on some rough pasture that they'd clear cut all the cedars off of. Luckily, they'd left the dead cedars for cover instead of burning them and turning the entire section into short grass.
About 1/2 way through my calling sequence, for some reason, I cranked my head around behind me and if I hadn't, I never would have seen her crossing under the fence.
She was hungry and on a B-line for the call! I "kissed" at her trying to get her to stop for a shot, but she wasn't having it.
I had to pull the trigger while she was on a fast "trot" and she died about 12 feet from the call.
3 more seconds, and she'd have smelled that call and....adios!!
I didn't get any pics of J?ger working this one, but I'd tucked it into some of those dead cedars and brought him into the area and commanded "DEAD"...he made short work of it and found it in no time.
Still, kind of "stand-offish" with the coyote though.
I took a tail home for some training. I tied a string to it and drug it around the yard enticing him to grab it. He was loving toying, pawing, and chasing it, but didn't want it in his mouth....
Until Penny (JRT), thought she might want it! Game changer right there!
That was HIS tail now!! He grabbed it up and shook it and paraded all around the yard with it!
I think he'll come around.
But,...I think he was trying to tell me what he thought of me leaving him in the truck during stands!
Yesterday, I decided to make a day of it in North East Kansas.
Eventually my DD, J?ger, will be hunting with me, but at 6 1/2 months, he's not quite ready. He's plenty capable of sitting the stand, but not for the possibility of going head to head with a coyote or for close proximity centerfire shots.
As soon as I see him "fired up" over gun fire and associating it with birds and ducks, then he'll be ready.
Having said that,...I brought him along to introduce him to freshly shot furred game, possibly some more wild bird exposure, and maybe even some tracking help.
First stand of the morning, I was tucked into a cedar tree overlooking a big short grass bowl that's surrounded by CRP.
After about 20 minutes, (which is getting late in a calling stand), I see a coyote straight out, waaaaay out there.
Instead of just coming right in for breakfast, he put a great big wide sweeping circle on me to get the wind and scent in his face for the approach.
He'd made it down into a little creek bed out of my view, so I used that opportunity to shift to that area and predict where he'd show up again. He popped back out right where I'd guessed, but it was right under the rising sun!
It was blinding bright!! He was only about 75-100 yards, but it was a tough shot. I just knew he was going to pick up a reflection from my scope, but he never did.
Most likely a 2 year old male, but judging by the scars on his face, he was a scrapper.
I decided to use him for some training. I tied a rope to his legs and drug him through the tall grass then tucked him into some bushes. I worked J?ger around into the starting spot and let him track him up. I was hoping for a little more enthusiasm once he found the coyote, but he tracked it superbly!!
I was kind of hoping he'd bite at it and "wool" it a little, but I think I was expecting a little much.
I won't bore you with all the "dry" stands or misses, but inbetween stands, I'd let J?ger out to air and "hunt".
He thought he had something pinned down under this tree, but I never saw it.
About mid day, I'd set up on some rough pasture that they'd clear cut all the cedars off of. Luckily, they'd left the dead cedars for cover instead of burning them and turning the entire section into short grass.
About 1/2 way through my calling sequence, for some reason, I cranked my head around behind me and if I hadn't, I never would have seen her crossing under the fence.
She was hungry and on a B-line for the call! I "kissed" at her trying to get her to stop for a shot, but she wasn't having it.
I had to pull the trigger while she was on a fast "trot" and she died about 12 feet from the call.
3 more seconds, and she'd have smelled that call and....adios!!
I didn't get any pics of J?ger working this one, but I'd tucked it into some of those dead cedars and brought him into the area and commanded "DEAD"...he made short work of it and found it in no time.
Still, kind of "stand-offish" with the coyote though.
I took a tail home for some training. I tied a string to it and drug it around the yard enticing him to grab it. He was loving toying, pawing, and chasing it, but didn't want it in his mouth....
Until Penny (JRT), thought she might want it! Game changer right there!
That was HIS tail now!! He grabbed it up and shook it and paraded all around the yard with it!
I think he'll come around.
But,...I think he was trying to tell me what he thought of me leaving him in the truck during stands!
