We're done for the year!

[Grayfox]

I went out on Wednesday night and hunted 3 sets and called in animals on all of them.

1st spot I called I was sitting on the NE corner of a cornfield with a hay field to the North. The snow was pretty sparse which made seeing difficult.

I called for about 10 minutes and had a group sound off to the SW of my position and another to the North. I was watching intently to the West thinking they would pop out of the corn when I glanced to the North and one was downwind and heading West at a good clip. I barked it to stop and tried to get on it but somehow missed. I looked for a while but couldn't find any sign that I connected.

2nd spot I called was a location I'd seen them in the past but couldn't get them to commit. I set my decoy on a pond West of me and sat up 48 yards on the shore. I started calling and immediatly heard something walking around in the woods to my East about 30 yards away. I could here it walking but couldn't see anything. I kept hereing it for a while and then it quit. I called a bit more and heard something agian, CLOSE! I turned slowly but didn't see anything. I twisted a bit further and noticed a large skunk standing 10 feet behind me with it's tail up but facing me. I moved my hand in the grass a bit and it took off towards the brush. If I wasn't just starting a set I would have taken him out.

I had a pack start howling to the North then one lit up directly West of me just off the edge of the pond. I also had a lot of dogs in the area all worked up as well. I kept up the howling and saw something running directly at the decoy from the West. I had it in the binocs and it looked like a lab running in with its head down. I got it in the scope but couldn't tell for sure so I let it come in and when it got just downwind it kicked on the afterburners and could see it was a big male. I tried to stop it but it made it to shore and then lost it due to lack of snow. I could see it moving around with the binocs but not in the scope. Called in its mate but couldn't pick that one up either. Should of called it a season after that but decided to try one more and had it show up down wind of me as well and bark at me. Not a good way to end the season but its done.

Well, it was a pretty good year. We saw a bunch of animals and managed to take a few. Our final total was 10 coyotes,7 grayfox and 3 red fox. We should of had more but we missed a few shots and didn't set up right on a few others. We will be doing a lot of shooting during the off season and scouting our current spots and securing others for next year. Mitchell and I had a great time hunting together and made a lot of great memories.

Hopefully everyone had a safe season and had fun out there because after all, that's what it's all about.

[Dave S]

Thanks for sharing all of your hunts with us. It was almost like being there. Looking forward to next season.