Predator hunting alone

nwwoodsman · Mar 23, 2013

I've never been afraid of bears, cougars or especially coyotes when out in the woods. I used to look forward to encounters with animals besides deer and elk. I once picked up a half dead fawn I found in a skid road to move it out of the way of our truck, only to have the biggest, fattest, tallest, meanest, growliest and now hungriest black bear I've ever encountered explode out of the bushes a few feet in front of me. When it realized I wasn't a force to be reckoned with it ran off as fast as it could...or it could have simply been afraid of humans. It put a smile on all of our faces and we went right back to work in the area where that bear was now roaming around with an empty stomach. Didn't bother us a bit knowing it was still running around.
I've recently decided to try my hand at coyote hunting knowing full well it can draw in bears and cougars. I usually hunt alone as too many people I know would rather watch hunting videos or hunt "monster bucks" on video games rather than actually go hunting or their wives won't let them play on the weekends.
Problem is I get out there, start calling and the realization hits me that I'm making myself sounds like something that is begging to be torn apart alive and I'm trying to get those animals that have the ability to make me their dinner get as close to me as I can. Today I'm out and start calling over a 2 year old clear cut, using a fawn in distress electronic caller. Thick timber behind me and to my right. After 10 minutes I hear something I'm guessing 30 yards behind me. Too big to be a coyote, too loud to be a deer and if it was an elk, well elk are kind of hard to not see. I start thinking that if it's Bigfoot or a hungry sow with cubs I only have 5 rounds from a .223 and by the time I'm able to get my 357 unholstered it's probably already gnawing on my intestines.
If I had someone hunting with me this wouldn't bother me as much. Two set of eyes and two trigger fingers are better than one. My question to those who's stones are a little bigger than my own and actually wait out this situation rather than beating feet back to the truck, how do you keep your back side covered when your focus is on the area in front of you and you're trying to remain as still as possible? Also wondering if anyone has had bear or cougar sneak up from behind while coyote calling?

ron22250 · Mar 24, 2013

Hey nwwoodsman, I hunt coyotes alone and have had a bobcat come in behind me on two different occasions. Yeah, it's pretty spooky, but after wetting my pants I felt lots better !

On a serious note, I use a remote caller for most of my sounds because it gets the sound away from my position. And my handgun is laying beside me for quick access. Being aware of your surroundings just like you're doing and be prepared for what pops out of the bushes. I think you have to be more aware and more careful when hunting alone. Enjoy the adventure and happy hunting !

mjbskwim · Mar 24, 2013

I have a friend in Idaho that hunts alone. Well he did.
He was calling when he seemed to feel something on his ear.
No biggy,just a cougar wondering WTF he was.
I guess the shotgun went one way,the cougar another and him a third.
A guy up here that makes calls and hunts cougars a lot keeps his handgun on his lap for this reason.

coyote223 · Mar 24, 2013

I've had coyotes come in behind me, nothing else. I usually try to keep something behind me, a tree, stump, or thicket.

salmonriverjohn · Mar 25, 2013

I used to hunt predators solo, until one time when I had that turn around feeling hit me in the back of the neck. When I did I was looking directly into a big moon pie face of a cougar at about 10 yards that was on the same wind row as I. I was in full camo and hammering away on a fawn distress call (sound familiar?) the only part that wasn't covered was the back of my hairy neck. My 25-06 was facing all the wrong way as it was resting on the blowdown in front of me to save movement if old yoty came in.
I DID NOT take my eyes off the cat, I reached the rifle by braille and swung it around to shoulder with my eyes glued on the cat. In the time it takes to read "this" the cat sprang left off the wind row. I fired three rounds, one where he was, and two into the pile to let him know he had just crossed paths with the noisiest meanest fawn he had ever seen.

It absolutely scared the bajiminies out of me. When I call now, it's with another set of eyes and weapon. Still, as an archery hunter I often get a little edgy while blowing a bugle or cow call, were not the only hunters out there that know the bulls defenses are off track during the rut. I don't know nwwoodsman, that's, a pardon the expression "individual call" a person makes, but for me when I'm knowingly screaming at animals that like to eat meat, I think I want someone with me. Call me a coward, but I do now.

John :s0131:

mosinguy1 · Mar 25, 2013

I would see i there was a way to set up a line of cans or somesort of trip line set up behind you to make noise if you want to hunt alone.

nwwoodsman · Mar 26, 2013

Thanks for the responses. After I posted that I thought about changing my name to Nancy and joining the knitting forums. Glad to see I'm not the only one who sees a certain risk when calling predators.

Bob D · Mar 27, 2013

I used to hunt coyote from the loft of the hay barn at the horse ranch I worked at when I was a kid, and it seemed incredibly safe. So safe that I didn't even consider other predators the first time I went out to call them on their own turf. After several minutes of ignoring what seemed like phantom noises in the brush behind me, I heard a branch break in a tree ten feet back, and turned around in time to see something large, low, tan, and catlike streak off upwind.

I'd almost rather call coyotes in from crosswind. Cougs love to approach from directly upwind, and if you're looking the other way for doggies, silent ninja kitty has an easy time coming up close enough to decide if they're hungry enough to eat you.

coyoteman5 · Mar 27, 2013

I have coyote hunted in the Vernonia area by myself quite a bit I've never had a problem.
The coyote on the other hand did have problems 75gr problem

coyoteman5 · Mar 27, 2013

I take that back I did have one problem one time I heard a noise behind me and I turned around a hawk was about to set his talons into my head. Lucky I'm ugly and Scared him off.

ron22250 · Mar 27, 2013

Most hunters are hunting a prey animal, we're hunting the hunter........yeah :s0155:

ZigZagZeke · Mar 27, 2013

I put the canyon at my back and my call 50 yards left or right...

Swedish K · Mar 28, 2013

Speaking of big cats sneaking up on you, my neighbor down the hill was out smoking his pipe after raking the new gravel in his driveway when his dog jumped up and started barking and running at him from the garage 20-30 yards away when he heard what sounded like a truck skidding to a stop on gravel. he turned to see a glimpse of the cougar jumping into the brush and the freshly raked gravel was disturbed a short distance behind where he was standing. This was without calling and only a few minutes after he had finished raking gravel. That happened about this time last year. Tonight on the way home I was driving up the hill and just as I passed his property I saw a cougar run across the road and vanish up the hill in seconds. - not trying to hijack the thread, but I think it may be a good time to call for big kitties before the end of season. If we don't get the cat to come in maybe those pesky coyotes that keep grabbing the neighbors chickens will...
Oh - by the way - yes it is a good idea to either have your back covered, either by terrain or a second shooter when calling in predators. Of course I hear far fewer cases of attacks up here than I did down in Folsom - it seemed a few joggers or bike riders were attacked every summer on the bike trail along the American river or near Folsom lake. Guess joggers and bicyclists look like prey running away, and those ear buds blasting music sure makes sneaking up on them easy!