Bobcat at 15 yards...no shot! Consolation coyote.
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:59 pm
The weather finally lined up for some calling today. First three stands were busts. Stand number four was two or three hundred yards from where Verminator2 shot the first of our two bobcat doubles four weeks ago. The wind wasn't very good for a coyote set and I knew there was potential for another 'cat to show up so I had to make kind of a hybrid coyote/bobcat set. I was by myself and if I set up ideally for bobcats it was pretty much going to kill (Can we say that if we aren't on CNN?)any chance for a coyote. So, I set up as best I could. At 20 minutes I see a 'cat that is already at 15 yards. It moves up the hill to within six feet of the decoy but disappears behind a rock and sagebrush. Long story short, it leaves without my getting so much as another glimpse of it! Argh!
The tempature was coming up and the road was starting to get muddy so rather than lose favor with the rancher I headed back out to the highway. I tucked the Tacoma in below a cut-bank and worked my way up the ridge. I set the Fury and Jack Attack decoy about 200 yards below the rim. I moved 80 yards down below the caller into the edge of the brush but with a good view of the hillside this time. Fourteen minutes into the set a coyote comes around the hill from the north and stops to check Jack out. I pivot slightly to line up with it and he continues down the hill straight for Jack. He checks up again at 147 yards and that's close enough. My consolation coyote hits the ground! Not a huge coyote but a nice mature male.
As a side note, the 35 grain Berger exited out his back behind his shoulder. I seem to have a few more exits than normal going on with my pelt load. Suppose the bullets are slightly tougher in this lot of bullets or just bad luck? Anyone else have some variable results with the same laoding?
Anyway, nice day. Only had time for the five stands but it was nice to break the little dry spell I seemed to have been having.
Good luck out there.
Tim
No Off Season
Predator and Varmint Gear and Hunts
"No crowds, no limits, no seasons...no bad days!"
The tempature was coming up and the road was starting to get muddy so rather than lose favor with the rancher I headed back out to the highway. I tucked the Tacoma in below a cut-bank and worked my way up the ridge. I set the Fury and Jack Attack decoy about 200 yards below the rim. I moved 80 yards down below the caller into the edge of the brush but with a good view of the hillside this time. Fourteen minutes into the set a coyote comes around the hill from the north and stops to check Jack out. I pivot slightly to line up with it and he continues down the hill straight for Jack. He checks up again at 147 yards and that's close enough. My consolation coyote hits the ground! Not a huge coyote but a nice mature male.
As a side note, the 35 grain Berger exited out his back behind his shoulder. I seem to have a few more exits than normal going on with my pelt load. Suppose the bullets are slightly tougher in this lot of bullets or just bad luck? Anyone else have some variable results with the same laoding?
Anyway, nice day. Only had time for the five stands but it was nice to break the little dry spell I seemed to have been having.
Good luck out there.
Tim
No Off Season
Predator and Varmint Gear and Hunts
"No crowds, no limits, no seasons...no bad days!"
I'm not even sure it made a difference on this stand. The 'cat did get six feet from the call and remote. 