yote stared me down this morning

[MGHunter66]

I know right! I couldn't believe it. I've always heard as soon as they even sniff you, they are gone. This thing just stared at me and wasn't moving. Almost like he was sizing me up (kinda freaked me out a little bit :-) And yeah, that won't happen to me when I actually have something that can take it down.

Could have rabbies, critters with rabbies are aggresive

[Slayer1962]

A .22 caliber air rifle depending on velocity can be dam powerful. I have a Daystate air ranger that would group in a quarter at 50 yards and shoots around 900 ft per second. 

I also have a .45 caliber air rifle that sends a 240 grain lead slug over 100 fps. The Daystate will out shoot any gun I own at 50 yards. You need a range finder to air gun hunt

[mazzgolf]

UPDATE!! Short version: I suck.   

 

DAMMIT!!!!   OK, here's the long version.

 

Rather than go out at night, I decided to get there before first light this morning so I can figure out a good place to put my remote decoy and caller given the wind conditions. I found a great spot on the edge of a field - woods on the left is where I saw the yote yesterday. Wind at my back, the field has a low spot where I put the caller and decoy - I figure, best case scenario, a yote shows up beyond the decoy downwind (like the "book" says they do) right in front of me at the top of a small rise and he'd be looking down at the decoy and wouldn't be looking at me. That was the plan. I took the range finder out and marked some spots so I knew yardages. If the plan worked, he would come to a spot 180 yards directly in front of me.

 

I waited about 20 minutes for shooting time to start, loaded my bolt action .223 and started the caller and decoy. I swear it was within SECONDS that this yote appeared off in the distance. SECONDS! I barely had time to even think about it when he showed up! I could not believe how fast this thing responded. He must be denning in those woods. I'm staring at this grey blob moving in at a fast trot and I'm thinking to myself, "OMG, OMG, is that a coyote???? ALREADY?! I canNOT believe this worked!! And just as I planned it - that NEVER happens to me!" I raise the gun and put the crosshairs on him - I had even ranged that exact spot he was at, it worked exactly as I planned it in my head. He was about 180 yards out.

 

Well, he trotted in hot but right at the top of that small rise he stopped quick. Damn, did he see me? He seemed to be staring at the moving decoy as the caller is sending out baby cottaintail distress. But he was looking fidgety - first he came in directly head-first, then he turned looking like he was going to bolt. This is the first time I've ever had crosshairs on a coyote, I have no idea how they actually behave in this situation and I didn't know what to do... wait to see if he comes in closer and risk that he gets spooked and runs away? Take the shot now at 180 (I was more comfortable at 150 and in)??

 

Rather than risk him getting spooked, I took the safety off and I shot. (Mind you, all of this happened within 1 to 2 minutes of me turning on the caller - my mind was racing. Had I more time to think, I think I would have watched him more and see if he would have come closer - that's what I will do next time.)

 

As you can guess, it was a miss. Yote ran about 30 yards to the right to the middle of the field then he quickly turned the opposite way and ran back into the woods. Can't believe I missed. I thought maybe he was wounded and that's why he ran the way he did. I went to the spot where he was to look for blood and nothing. Walked the woods for about a half hour looking for any sign - blood, maybe the body if I did hit him... nothing. I think it was a complete miss. The only thing I can think of is in the excitement I just jerked the trigger and pulled it.

 

Depressed I had a shot at my first yote and I missed. And it happened so fast didn't have much time to enjoy it! But, man, it was a thrill just to see one like that come in on a string to a caller and decoy. Really gets the heart racing. I've been out a few times with this caller setup but never had one come in.

 

The yote looked like the same one I saw yesterday - nice looking coat with both light and dark fur.

 

Anyway, I have no idea if I should go back one day and try again. I'm sure this yote has been educated. Maybe set up in a different spot with a different sound.

[Ducken]

There must be a den nearby. Probably it's from the direction he came in. Give it a week and go back to the same area but different setup. Play the wind and wait a little longer. What decoy were you using?

 

Get those yotes..........

[mazzgolf]

There must be a den nearby. Probably it's from the direction he came in. Give it a week and go back to the same area but different setup. Play the wind and wait a little longer. What decoy were you using?

 

Get those yotes..........

 

I agree about the den - it has to be close. As for the decoy, its a remote FoxPro Black Jack Predator Decoy  Connected it to my  FoxPro WildFire 2 caller. I actually got about a 100 yard range for the remote control, which was nice.