Today was a cold and windy day here in good ol' Pennsylvania but I had the urge to do some predator hunting. I have no clue why I decided to, but I wanted to try hunting mid-day instead of night hunting. I headed out to my hunting spots and started with three sets on one property without any luck. I started the FoxPro off with Cagie Cottontail sounds and switched over to some coyote sounds as I know a pack of yote's has moved in, but no luck. After the unsuccessful first sets I move to a different property and tried calling on a dirt road without any luck when I decided to move to new area and as I am walking I stop on a hillside overlooking a stream bottom when I caught movement. There was a yote hunting rabbits 75 yards from me, with my scent blowing straight at him and he had no clue that I was there. He was in some brush but I thought that I could squeeze my .223 bullet in there so I took the shot.... and missed. Much to my surprise the yote ran straight at me. I had my scope set at 9x and somehow found him in my scope at full run at less than 20 yards and my shot connected. When I walked up I found that I shot a big male, but I had hit him mid-body and my .223 made a mess of him. I am bummed to not be able to get a beautiful red pelt, but I am pumped that he won't be killing all the rabbits and possibly some fawns this year. My final thought... You can't succeed without trying. Everything was against me and it paid off. Mid-day hunting in 7degree temps with 20 mph wind shouldn't be effective but it was today.
Nice! SHowing up is half the battle. Back in the days when I still predator hunted, I felt like you, I'd be out on days that no sane person should have set foot outside it, but it didnt feel crazy to do so. Glad you nailed one.
