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Another trip to the Burns area for coyotes and this time my daughter Chelsea was along as the shooter. Things did not work out as well as my last trip to Burns....
Monday morning Madras area on a 600 acre ranch covered with thick sagebrush and juniper with meadows. We hiked over to SW side in the sage and started calling. Five minutes into calling a coyote comes in on a cow trail at 150 yards; Chelsea sights on him but doesnt shoot! It smells us and starts to run through the sage. She takes a shot and misses. She didn't shoot because she thought it was to far away.
Monday afternoon 16,000 acre ranch south of Burns, sagebrush with meadows. After checking in with rancher we go over to the steel storage area and start calling. A yote comes in at 150 yards with the sun behind him in thick sage. Chelsea cant see him and he keeps going.
Tuesday morning we walk 200 yards behind the tents and call in an opening in the sage. 5 minutes later a yote almost runs into us from downwind!! If sees us and takes off into the thick sage.
We tried a couple more spots with no success so we hiked into a big canyon and set up on one side with a willow choked draw on our left and the ecaller and decoy approx 10 yards on our right in open grass. 5 minutes into calling and coyote #1 appears out of the willows, runs right in front of us and attacks the decoy. He then takes off running full speed into the canyon and up the opposite side. Chelsea hits him in the head at 100 yards and he does a complete summersault.
We then head to a big sage flat and hike in a mile before we find an opening that is 75 yards across. 10 minutes later a coyotes comes running in but turns on a dime when Chelsea clicks the safety off. She tries a running shot but misses. We were using a CZ 527 which has a drop lever safety. I dont like it.
We hike back to truck and drive around a butte and hike into another opening. 10 minutes into calling Chelsea spots a yote slowly walking our way approx 600 yards away. We follow him in but lose him in the gathering darkness.
Wednesday morning dawns with a howling wind so we cant call the flats. We hike into the canyons to get out of the wind. First place we find a hundred yard long opening but the wind is very squirrely. 2 minutes into calling a yote comes into the opening and just as fast runs away when the wind turns toward him.
We hike into a big fan shaped canyon and start calling in open sage. 7 minutes later coyote #2 comes running in from the bottom of the canyon!! He will not stop for anything and Chelsea drops him at 56 yards.
Next canyon over very steep with big boulders at bottom, we set up on one side and 5 minutes into calling coyote #3 appears on rim opposite from us and trots towards us. Chelsea drops him at 150 yards and he rolls to boulders in bottom.
Next canyon over it has a side canyon coming in. We set up looking across the side canyon and right up the main canyon. 5 minutes in a yote comes trotting down the main canyon. Chelsea shoots at 125 yards and it looks like a hit but the yote runs up the canyon. We look for blood but cant find any.
Winds starts to let up so we head back to the flat lands for one last try for the day. Chelsea says Dad you shoot and I will video. We set up on the edge of a 80 yard opening in the thick sage. 5 minutes later Chelsea says Dad there he is Well I could not see it until coyote #4 walks into opening and sniffs the decoy. This spooks him so I shoot and miss! He takes off running right to left just outside of clearing I drop him at 75 yards. I am thinking wow that was on camera!! Chelsea says I did didnt film because he was so close I didnt want to scare him Oh well.
Thursday was all wind again so we tried to stalk a yote that was 800 yards out in the cheat grass. We got to 300 yards when he saw us or smelled us because he took off for the hills.
The fur buyer in Burns said these were nice looking coyotes and wants us to bring him a hundred more. Looks like another road trip.....
Monday morning Madras area on a 600 acre ranch covered with thick sagebrush and juniper with meadows. We hiked over to SW side in the sage and started calling. Five minutes into calling a coyote comes in on a cow trail at 150 yards; Chelsea sights on him but doesnt shoot! It smells us and starts to run through the sage. She takes a shot and misses. She didn't shoot because she thought it was to far away.
Monday afternoon 16,000 acre ranch south of Burns, sagebrush with meadows. After checking in with rancher we go over to the steel storage area and start calling. A yote comes in at 150 yards with the sun behind him in thick sage. Chelsea cant see him and he keeps going.
Tuesday morning we walk 200 yards behind the tents and call in an opening in the sage. 5 minutes later a yote almost runs into us from downwind!! If sees us and takes off into the thick sage.
We tried a couple more spots with no success so we hiked into a big canyon and set up on one side with a willow choked draw on our left and the ecaller and decoy approx 10 yards on our right in open grass. 5 minutes into calling and coyote #1 appears out of the willows, runs right in front of us and attacks the decoy. He then takes off running full speed into the canyon and up the opposite side. Chelsea hits him in the head at 100 yards and he does a complete summersault.
We then head to a big sage flat and hike in a mile before we find an opening that is 75 yards across. 10 minutes later a coyotes comes running in but turns on a dime when Chelsea clicks the safety off. She tries a running shot but misses. We were using a CZ 527 which has a drop lever safety. I dont like it.
We hike back to truck and drive around a butte and hike into another opening. 10 minutes into calling Chelsea spots a yote slowly walking our way approx 600 yards away. We follow him in but lose him in the gathering darkness.
Wednesday morning dawns with a howling wind so we cant call the flats. We hike into the canyons to get out of the wind. First place we find a hundred yard long opening but the wind is very squirrely. 2 minutes into calling a yote comes into the opening and just as fast runs away when the wind turns toward him.
We hike into a big fan shaped canyon and start calling in open sage. 7 minutes later coyote #2 comes running in from the bottom of the canyon!! He will not stop for anything and Chelsea drops him at 56 yards.
Next canyon over very steep with big boulders at bottom, we set up on one side and 5 minutes into calling coyote #3 appears on rim opposite from us and trots towards us. Chelsea drops him at 150 yards and he rolls to boulders in bottom.
Next canyon over it has a side canyon coming in. We set up looking across the side canyon and right up the main canyon. 5 minutes in a yote comes trotting down the main canyon. Chelsea shoots at 125 yards and it looks like a hit but the yote runs up the canyon. We look for blood but cant find any.
Winds starts to let up so we head back to the flat lands for one last try for the day. Chelsea says Dad you shoot and I will video. We set up on the edge of a 80 yard opening in the thick sage. 5 minutes later Chelsea says Dad there he is Well I could not see it until coyote #4 walks into opening and sniffs the decoy. This spooks him so I shoot and miss! He takes off running right to left just outside of clearing I drop him at 75 yards. I am thinking wow that was on camera!! Chelsea says I did didnt film because he was so close I didnt want to scare him Oh well.
Thursday was all wind again so we tried to stalk a yote that was 800 yards out in the cheat grass. We got to 300 yards when he saw us or smelled us because he took off for the hills.
The fur buyer in Burns said these were nice looking coyotes and wants us to bring him a hundred more. Looks like another road trip.....
