# MY FIRST really good, but really bad day.



## catfishin42 (Jan 27, 2008)

Alright so I am new to predator hunting, this being my first season callin, and I have had zero luck on my first 15 outtings. Well we had a nice snow come through Southern Indiana here and by that I mean 3-4 inches. Which is alright considering thats more than we've had all winter. So, I decided to go Coyote Huntin' the next morning (this was 2 days ago). I went out to a guys house I know in Jefferson County Indiana, and I was hunting some old railroad tracks that are surrounded by forests and fields, ideal predator huntin spot, first time huntin it too. I got out there around 8:45 a.m. and settled down in my huntin spot around 9:00. The morning was great, snow covered ground, no wind, and about 25 or 30 degrees. I started callin with a rabbit in distress call that I feel most comfortable using and I used it for a good 40 min. (off and on 20 sec. wait 3 min.) no signs of predators. So I decided to wait about 5 min. then let out a howl to see if that would work before I left. Not one minute after howling, a big nice coyote ran up onto the tracks about 100 yards in front of me. I was nervous a hell, I finally called one in. My heart pounding, I raised the 22-250 had him in my sights and I pulled the trigger... I missed him. It was a really bad shot and I was, well I was ****** at my self. I couldn't beleive it, finally get one into perfect range and miss. So, did your guy's first hunts where you got one to come in turn out as bad as mine? Oh, and do you think I should go back to that same spot since I educated the yote pretty well, cause I wanna go back but I dont know if I should right away, then again Feb. is almost over, what should I do? Thanks for any help!!!


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## YoteSlapper (Mar 12, 2007)

Catfish, sounds like you did pretty good... Too bad you missed him though. It would have been great to get the first one you called in.
I was fortunate to shot a fox on the very first stand I ever went on. But believe me that I have made more stands than I care to remember that I didn't see anything. I made 5 stands tonight, nothing...

You're more persistant than I am, setting for 40 minutes on a stand. So many times they will show up in less than 10 minutes that I have a hard time setting for even 20 minutes and then I am itchen to get to the next spot. Good job on trying another sound before giving up. I don't do that enough. Bloodyblinddoors started a thread about how many sounds do guys use on a stand. That would be a good one to read if you haven't read it yet. You obviously did the right thing...

As far as going back to that spot, well I don't think you will know for sure unless you try it. Maybe there will be a differnt yote there next time. If the same one is there he may or may not come in. Several years ago I had a fox come in at night and I messed up and missed. About a day and a half later I went back to the same spot at sun up and a fox came in and I shot him at about 40 yards. Most of the time it is probably best to let the spot go for a week or so before going back. This year I have a spot that I have called 4 times and have called in 3 yotes. There was at least 2 weeks between each of the stands on that spot. At the same time I have spots that should be perfect and I havn't called anything in on those spots in years. You just never know...

Keep after um, and let us know how it goes.

Good luck.

YoteSlapper


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

Congrats on the call in, my first true stand called in 8 yotes at the same time, was shooting a 220 Swift, picked the best one out, pulled the trigger; the coyote ran 20 yards, spun and dropped. Gave the rifle to my uncle, he picked one out, shot, but missed. Walked up to where mine went down-gone! fresh incj of snow and no blood-not one speck to be found! Still dumfounds me to this day


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## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

Thats just about how my first succesful spot went to. I called 2 into about 250 yards and I under shot one.


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## catfishin42 (Jan 27, 2008)

Thanks for the feedback guys, I might give that same spot another try here in a few days.


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## kdog (Mar 13, 2007)

Hi catfood,

Here's hoping that you never lose that "coyote fever" that seems to rear its ugly head at the mere sight of a called in coyote!  That's what hooks us all, and keeps us comin' back. Now you just have to harness that energy the next time it happens  As for the calling, the lesson you can move on with is that you don't need to wait 40 minutes to switch sounds. Had you howled after 5 minutes - or even right away, your call would have come to this conclusion much sooner. Some guys are trying for a fox as well as a coyote, so they are not inclined to use coyote sounds. If that is the case, then I would suggest calling (rabbit or whatever) for 10-15 minutes, then switch to a coyote sound and give that or the combination another 10-15 minutes. Either way, 20-30 minutes on a call is plenty (unless you are calling bobcats - another thread).

As far as going back, my experience is that it will be extremely hard to call the same coyote back - with the same hand calls. This is where electronic calls can improve your odds. You would have a much greater chance of success on this same coyote if you could call from a different setup, and use a totally different set of coyote vocalizations. :2cents: 
If I were limited to the same hand calls, I may choose to call somewhere else (uneducated coyotes), and go back to the railroad track spot next season.  If it was good this season, it will be good next as well. 

Good luck to you (and take something for that "fever")!


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## DVXDUDE (Apr 3, 2007)

Don't feel too bad. Atleast you got a shot off at your first called coyote! I dunked my barrel in the snow when i went to take my backpack off ( coyote caught me off guard when i was walking home) Just got the snow out and gun reloaded to watch the coyote jump into the brush. Made me pretty ****** off.

I don't think you "educated" the yote. Do you think he seen you? if not he probably didnt even know what made that sound or what was going on. He just spooked by the sound and took off. I'd try to stay away from that place for atelast a week if possible. But if its the only stand you got, by all means go for it. Just try to sit in a differnet spot and try a differnet sequence of calling.


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## goosehunter20 (Oct 19, 2006)

Your not the only one with bad luck. I am also new to coyote hunting probably only being out about a dozen times and after this day I am set on getting my first called in coyote. We had just gotten about 4 inches of snow here in NE Sodak and I decided to go out and try a few spots to see if I couldnt call in some coyotes. I was heading to a spot where I had shot a coyote during pheasant season and knew that there were some more in the area. It was a rock pile in the corner of a corn feild that was on top of a hill that overlooked my neighbors pasture and section of CRP. So I set up at about 10 behind a snow bank that was beetween me and the CRP with my neighbors pasture being behind me. I started calling with a few howls and then moved on to some rabbit distress and after about 45 minutes of not seeing anything besides pheasants decided it was time to leave. As I stood up I looked around to see if there was anything off in the distance and wouldnt ya know it at the other end of my neighbors pasture theres a coyote running away from me. So I quick hunker down and howl at it. It stops looks in my direction and then takes off over the hill into one of my pastures. Well im thinkin that since it was running away from me it must have saw me or something so I pick up my gear and try to find some tracks in the snow. I take maybe 8 or 10 steps and find where the sucker walked up, sat down and watched me from behind. Then I follow the tracks ro find out that he stood up walked around the rock pile, still where I couldnt see him, and then take off running the way he came. I was so mad at myself for not looking around more often but I was also pretty proud I had called in my first yote.


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## cwoparson (Aug 23, 2007)

Read a article the other day by another hunter that promotes staying on a stand a little longer than most do. One of the things he mentioned that goes along with your story was that, often after 20-30 minutes of using varmint calls he will give out a howl. His thinking is a coyote may not be hungry enough to investigate, but after hearing the squeals of a rabbit and then that howl he can't stand the thought that a intruder has stepped into his kitchen. Might be something to that.


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## catfishin42 (Jan 27, 2008)

Well I hope everyones luck gets better. Im gonna try again in the same general area in a bout 4 days, which makes it exactly 1 week after the horrible missed shot. Thanks for all the replies. I'm finally startin to get over the quick and idiotic shot I took on that yote and I am goin to a brand new stand in 2 days (if the weather is right/ im not sure) hopefully I will get one in, that way I can learn from the old mistake and take my time on the shot. Ill post on it if I get one. THANKS FELLAS


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