My Coyote Hunting Journey, the Fails, and Finally the Success.
Am I Cursed to Fail? Or Do I Drive Harder to Succeed?
Since 1998, I have spent time calling and hunting coyotes. After 18 years and with help from a pro, I finally sealed the deal.
First dog I harvested after half heartedly hunting coyotes for years. I learned a lot on how to set up and not get busted on this hunt.
It was a surreal ride into Nevada, in November of 2016. The Walking Dead was riding high, my profession as a coal miner was under heavy assault from the current administration, the next day could bring an even more evil, or whatever Trump would bring. For some reason the crows were all heading east into Utah, apparently, they knew weed would be legal the next day in Nevada, they must not like hippies.
We saw a pretty nice mule deer buck and on our way into my buddy's hole, we joked about the nasty buffalo heifers at the local brothel and took a shot at a road dog. I hit him but the lethality of the rounds I used are in question. No, I won’t use any names, they tend to be sensitive about their name.
I have no doubt the dog is chasing spiritual rabbits but I didn’t get to put hands on so it was a questionable count on my first dog. Yes, I admit it, my first dog. I can sound just like a dying rabbit with my mouth calls, I’ll even talk with dogs for several minutes using howlers I had but I just wasn’t speaking their language.
Let's face it people can get down with plastic and it is easy to afford, but nature doesn’t play by the same rules.
Learning from the Pros of Hunting Coyotes.
8 years after going on my first coyote hunt, not knowing what was in store, I met a man who started working at the same coal mine as me. His name is Casey Carver, yes if you're serious about coyote hunting you know that last name.
He is the son of legendary Kerry Carver, the man behind Carver Predator Calls, https://carverpredatorcalls.com/, Yes he now builds his own calls, the same unbeatable quality in design and material with a new flare, https://www.instagram.com/caseycarverpredatorcalls/, follow him on Instagram to find aesthetically beautiful calls that are second to none.
After a few years, we became quick friends, sharing a sense of humor and passions. So he finally took me out hunting. Wouldn’t you believe it one of my problems was with the way I set up, I was too worried about the technicals not preparing beforehand.
When he goes out he goes where he knows years of scouting and driving takes him to the same place he always sits. Casey knows where he wants to be when he wants to be there, also knowing that the dogs can have a different idea from year to year that can’t be guessed.
We went on a trip to one of his honey holes and before you ask the answer is no I will take this place to the grave with me not even my wife knows the exact place. Of course, she knows the area I’m not a monster and she worries.
This was it using his hand-built calls he called a dog in front of me, he did his job, the rest was up to me. Man, I’ll never get that moment out of my mind. It was my biggest failure as a predator hunter, debatable maybe, but I overshot the dog an inch.
Know What You Have and Use It Wisely.
I was behind Casey’s custom-built AR 15 with a 20-inch bull barrel and a .556 chambering shooting Hornady 50-grain varmiter bullets. These bullets are built for shooting fast, flat, and effective. With the platform I was on I couldn’t fail.
The problem was, I was the bad factor. I’m used to holding over at 300 yards, a paper plate was good enough. Casey operates with everything fine-tuned like the high-quality polymer calls without the plastic vibration sound from box store calls give you.
We learned a lot that day, mostly that I’m cursed to never shoot a dog, I don’t know why but that curse is there. Casey didn’t shy from this, he took it on as a quest for the holy grail. He will get me to kill a dog.
Sending me a few of my own calls and some lessons on how to use it the challenge was on. I practiced a lot and learned from him even 5000 feet underground in a cold dark hole risking all so the people reading this can charge their I-Phones.
Sealing the Deal.
Back to November 2016, we woke up to Casey making me glad that I prepared for the end of days by telling me Hillary won. Wheww it was just another rousing from the king of tom foolery. Trump won, and the morning was brisk, cold, and beautiful, not that you could tell. It was still dark, and dogs move early.
Last night’s freeze-dried ham fried rice, complements of the legend Kerry himself and his freeze dryer, was setting very well. Perfect fuel for a perfect day. The sun was just rising, Jack Frost was making love to my face, man it was perfect. Casey started his calling, we were sitting halfway down a roadway on a side hill heading down to a creek bed.
The creek bed has good cover but the hillside we were on was sparsely populated with brush but mostly open. The dog was making his way up the open hillside while we watched him coming right for the dying rabbit. I was following him with crosshairs for a minute as he closed in on us, this time aiming right at him no hold over this time.
“You ready”? Casey asks, in a whisper. “Yes”, I said. With a small whoof out of Casey, the coyote stops to see what's up. “Pew”, my rifle rings out into the cold morning breaking the solo calls of a dying rabbit.
A Curse has ended.
Our haul after the end of the day. After getting my first coyote I was able to bag a few more, thank you Casey Carver.
I had bought that AR upper from Casey and spent time behind the trigger on the lower that I purchased to go with the rifle. I knew what I could do within 650 yards so this time I was ready.
The dog is down and this time he’s not getting away. Pictures were taken and we spent the rest of the day calling together as a duo bagging six more coyotes. The curse is broken or so we thought. That is the last day I’ve killed, I don’t go often but the challenge is still there. A challenge that will be answered once again by the Carver Family.
https://carverpredatorcalls.com/ https://www.instagram.com/caseycarverpredatorcalls/