Hammsolo
Lil-Rokslider
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2024
- Messages
- 103
Yesterday it took laughs from my wife as I went in and out of the house for miscellaneous crap to head South of Spokane into the Scab Lands. The Scab Lands were formed by the ice age floods, and similar to the Great Plains, hides adventure. I love hunting them because they look flat, but are anything but.
I completed one set tucked in the shadows of a cliff band just 500 yards from the road, but only saw a pile of turkey, pheasant, deer and assorted waterfowl.
I decided I needed to head deeper into the scabs away from the roads. I went near the spot where I killed a nice mule deer buck this year, and have seen a pile of coyotes.
Analyzing the wind on my way in I tried to adapt to hunting a predator rather than prey. After listening to the Rockcast and reading Steve Smith’s book, One Stand Alone, I decided to climb a plateau and use a seam in a group of cliffs to maintain a crosswind. I chose my set where multiple ravines led I to a hidden broad field of grass. The wind was moving right to left, and I snuck my electronic call ~100 yards below me at the edge of the field hidden in the grass.
I snuck back into the shadows of the cliff and scanned with my eyes for about 5 minutes. I spotted 3 deer, and then another group of 6.
I followed Steve’s call pattern for the second time. I chose a lustful deep female coyote song to activate the fornicate mode. I kept scanning and glassing, too much glassing. I’m still building my predator glassing skills… at about the 8 minute mark I moved my binos from my eyes and instantly spotted two coyotes moving right to left in the tall grass at about a 100 yards. My heart sped up and I uttered fahhhh…
They were clearly hustling downwind trying to scent the lucky female. I gently raised my rifle. When the first dog lined up in my shooting window I kissed. He stopped and locked eyes with me. I gently pushed the trigger and he dropped.
The second yote bolted instantly, and I kept yipping trying to track him in the deep grass. He didn’t stop until it hit a fence line. Luckily I had ranged the fence and felt confident. The dog breathed deep half hidden behind an old wooden fence post to catch his breath and look for danger/friend. He was ready to run.
I was twisted and turned. My cross hairs resembled an X… I watched him tense, and I rushed the shot. At the crack I knew I was high, and he sprinted away.
Lessons learned/reinforced
- crosswinds are key
- hide in the shadows
- male yotes love the ladies
- don’t glass too far and/or too much!!!
Anything else??? Keep Dawgin’!
I completed one set tucked in the shadows of a cliff band just 500 yards from the road, but only saw a pile of turkey, pheasant, deer and assorted waterfowl.
I decided I needed to head deeper into the scabs away from the roads. I went near the spot where I killed a nice mule deer buck this year, and have seen a pile of coyotes.
Analyzing the wind on my way in I tried to adapt to hunting a predator rather than prey. After listening to the Rockcast and reading Steve Smith’s book, One Stand Alone, I decided to climb a plateau and use a seam in a group of cliffs to maintain a crosswind. I chose my set where multiple ravines led I to a hidden broad field of grass. The wind was moving right to left, and I snuck my electronic call ~100 yards below me at the edge of the field hidden in the grass.
I snuck back into the shadows of the cliff and scanned with my eyes for about 5 minutes. I spotted 3 deer, and then another group of 6.
I followed Steve’s call pattern for the second time. I chose a lustful deep female coyote song to activate the fornicate mode. I kept scanning and glassing, too much glassing. I’m still building my predator glassing skills… at about the 8 minute mark I moved my binos from my eyes and instantly spotted two coyotes moving right to left in the tall grass at about a 100 yards. My heart sped up and I uttered fahhhh…
They were clearly hustling downwind trying to scent the lucky female. I gently raised my rifle. When the first dog lined up in my shooting window I kissed. He stopped and locked eyes with me. I gently pushed the trigger and he dropped.
The second yote bolted instantly, and I kept yipping trying to track him in the deep grass. He didn’t stop until it hit a fence line. Luckily I had ranged the fence and felt confident. The dog breathed deep half hidden behind an old wooden fence post to catch his breath and look for danger/friend. He was ready to run.
I was twisted and turned. My cross hairs resembled an X… I watched him tense, and I rushed the shot. At the crack I knew I was high, and he sprinted away.
Lessons learned/reinforced
- crosswinds are key
- hide in the shadows
- male yotes love the ladies
- don’t glass too far and/or too much!!!
Anything else??? Keep Dawgin’!
