I rolled into the woods to hang a stand in a fencerow at 4:30 am. By 4:50 I was set and waiting for shooting light here in Illinois at 6:20ish. At 6:55 am I stood up to get ready for any movement. A minute later a doe was headed for me.. and passed at 20 yards.. followed by.. another doe.. another doe.. and a small buck. Then another small buck.. and another.. all passing at 20-25 yards spaced apart by 30-40 yards. All the bucks stopping at a licking branch briefly that was 33 yards from my stand but hidden some by the branches of the trees within the fencerow. Then another buck.. this one a 100" 2 yr. old. I was just hoping a bigger was still to come. IT DID! A 135 8 pointer that was just perfect. He comes up to the licking branch.. does his thing as I put my release on my bow string. The 135 takes 2 steps.. 2 more and he's mine.. and stops COLD and ALERT.. staring at the does who are now headed out of the woods they just entered and into the middle of the field trailed by 1 of the small bucks.:mad1: I look back at my 135 and HE B-LINES STRAIGHT TO THE DOES! (about 70 yards straight out). He chases off the little buck and checks the does (head down.) THEN THEY ALL FREEZE AGAIN..!! Looking back into the small woods the does shot out of. I look and here comes a tiny little yote.. who stops cold in his/her tracks when he/she realizes like 9 deer are looking at him/her! Everybody's frozen for like 30 seconds and the yote takes a step... AND THEY ALL RUN BACK THE WAY THEY CAME!!! (only the 135 with white tail up.)!!! TWO steps is all I needed.. and a yote ends up completely ruining it ALL.:mad1: I was sick the rest of the morning.. but just hoped the deer would return back to me. But they never did. I hate yotes and will show no mercy anymore the rest of this season. I'm so ticked! I would have had my chance if that yote never scared the does back out of those woods. UNBELIEVABLE!
Kill em all!! lol That sucks with the 8 point, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise, i predict a 150" deer now (unless you have a two tag state, in which case it sucks no matter what)
Duke- Was this in Illinois or Wisconsin? I had them the other morning where I was hunting, didn't see them but heard a few in the dark and think one was near my stand. We got to get a group together after deer season and take some out!
Illinois. I see and have within range an absurd amount of yotes every year. Don't know why.. but I could take out as many as 7 or 8 every year for like the past 4 years now. They are always around me. (I blame my scent control extremes). But I've usually just watched.. I have no use for the animals but I find no reason to kill without mercy to anything. (thats just me). Last year I took 2.. and told myself I would forever have a 2 yote personal limit. They've messed up a few things for me over the years.. but until today I've never really cared. NOW I DO! Any yote within shooting range gets the axe.. from here on out. I'm so tired of looking at the mange animals all the time. The population has gotten way out of wack here in Illinois. The worst part is.. I couldv'e got rid of this one (90% sure it's the same one) last year.. TWICE!
I have never liked them. So far I am I have had two within range and killed one, the other was on the run and I missed. They are getting way outta control and I once watched three of them take down a yearling while hunting from 80-100 yards, they are brutal when they kill and nipped at the legs until they got it down. I'll end the story there but I think it's time we all get together and start hunting these critters!!
The yotes got to go!! I have never liked coyotes and probably never will. Whenever I get a chance at one, I take it.
now does'nt that just suck? take out a yote the first chance you get. bummer, but sounds like you've got a well traveled spot, & hopefully he or something bigger will be back.
I agree Duke, you gotta beat them yotes like the Dodgers beat the Cu.... ....wait a minute, that isn't right. No need to kick a man while he is down. You gotta kill'em all.... kill'em all I tell you!!
I have never had one in range, but I heard a pack of them on Saturday morning, must of been 5 or 6. I would love to stick one. No worries Duke, the season is young.
Yotes can sure mess up deer movements. Funny thing though, I once watched a coyote and 8 pt. buck heading toward each other from opposite directions. Once they noticed each other(at 20 yards) they avoided each other by veering slightly away at a slow trot each! That yote wanted nothing to do with the buck and the buck didn't seem too alarmed.
That sucks. At least you know they pass that stand and you can get back in there the next time the wind is right.
Quit your bellyaching! You got 2 really nice ones last year. Give someone else a chance! JK! Look forward to next weekend!
I guess I am unclear why spooking a few deer would completely change your approach to coyotes. You knew before this event that they can, do, and will scare and prey on deer (though be that much less often), so is it just because that particular one scared your buck away, or was this just the proverbial straw??? For the record, I am for killing every one you possibly can, but you were so against that last year that I am having a hard time piecing together why one instance like you shared would all of a sudden make you want to eliminate them as much as possible.
