24 replies to this topic

[dabob]

When we started calling coyotes with cassette callers in open country in the early 1980s we used bi-pods on our rifles and layed prone. This worked pretty good but we had quite a few hard charging coyotes get away from us after running right up to our cassette caller.

So we decided to have a shotgun shooter lay down 15 to 20 yards from the cassette caller. It did not take very long for me to figure out that my head even with a little brain in it got pretty heavy after just a few minutes of holding my head up so I could see.

So I made a camo pillow out of some firm packing foam to hold my head up so I could see better, be more comfortable and I could hold still for longer periods of time.

The pillow is not needed in areas that have some cover to help you hide but it will make it more comfortable to prop the pillow up against rocks or brush so you can lean in against the pillow. If you can get your profile lower by reclining against the pillow coyotes can't spot you as easy.



In the above picture you can see the shotgun shooters head sticking out above the grass on the left side of the picture. My Foxpro caller is in the middle and the coyote is on the right side of the picture.



In this picture you can see that the shotgun shooter has sat up and he is about to shoot the coyote at less than 30 yards away in wide open country. I was laying prone about 60 yards away with my camera and my 243 Win.

In wide open cattle country with no cover coyotes are not that concerned with objects that are less than 2 feet tall.

While laying down with a pillow under your head sometimes you can't see that far, or to your left or right real good. With a shotgun you don't need to see very far. Quite often while laying down 15 yards from my Foxpro I hear the coyotes feet hitting the ground before I see them. Also while laying down a 25 pound coyote looks much bigger at 15 yards away than they really are.



In this picture my son Wes has just sat up from laying down with his head on the pillow.



In this picture the shotgun pellets just reached the coyote.



In this picture I propped the pillow up against a rock and layed down with my Foxpro about 15 yards in front of me. I got to see this coyote run right up to me from about 400 yards away. I shot the coyote about 10 yards to the right of the caller and then set the coyote by the caller to take this picture. My friend jp7mag was laying prone on a little higher ground about 50 yards behind me with a bi-pod on his 243 Win.



This is a picture of jp7mag with 3 coyotes that we got on one stand. jp7mag killed 2 coyotes laying prone with his 243 Win. I killed the other one with my shotgun laying down with a pillow about 15 yards from my Foxpro. I am pretty sure that if we had both used rifles on this stand we would of only got 2 coyotes not 3 coyotes.



In this picture the shotgun shooter is leaning against the pillow that is propped up against a bush. You can see the green Remington 12 ga hull in the air about 2 feet to the right of the shotgun shooter.



The shot finally got there.





Here are two pictures of a shotgun shooter using a pillow in open country. I like using shotguns with 26" barrels or longer. It is much easier to keep the end of longer shotgun barrels pointed out past my foot.

Now even when we are calling coyotes in open country we have a shotgun shooter on at least 90% of the stands we make when we have two shooters or more.

If you can get your profile down lower in open country you should have coyotes come in closer.

[OrneryOlMofo357]

Great pics and tutorial Bob! I try to incorperate some of those tactics that you showed Me while hunting with you, but only the rifle part. Im thinking I should get a shotgun this summer.

Thanks for posting this!

[Yateswell]

Very good write up and excellent illustration, thank for sharing your technique with us.

[mtn dog]

Outstanding. This needs to be published in a hunting magazine or made into a predator hunting video. Thanks for giving it to us for free.

[homeslice]

I second what mtn dog said, this is an excellent write-up and the pictures are fantastic. This, in my opinion, is far better than some of the "tutorials" we see in magazines and videos! Great work and thank you for sharing!

[Frank]

I agree, this needs to be sent to Varmint Hunter or Predator Extreme or other (predator) hunting magazine. Your pics and explanations are outstanding and could be a huge help to hunters. Plus, I'm sure the magazine companys would love it also. Btw, have you ever thought about a photo journalist job?

Great write up and Pics, Bob... As usual! Thanks for sharing.

[Bisley]

I don't know which is better, the pics or the write up? But one thing's for sure, with both of them you could not put a more defining idea of what you are saying together. Absolutely astounding. Short, to the point, dead on accurate, and enlightening. Thanks.

[zippy1970]

Awsome write up & great pics . best part of all there were no commercials /pop ups

pardon my asking but can you do a tutorial for all of us " crippled / handicapped / less mobile " people ?

Some of us shooters have a limited feild of body movement .

Thanks for the lesson ,

Andy

[Bennie]

Great info and pictures for every one here. Nice job!

[KNOCKED UP]

Absolutly fantastic,
Ditto what everyone else said.
But be careful shooting with your toes at the end of the barrel.
Tom

Attached Files

•  afaaa51e-e9d6-4f23-83a7-c255b622f387.jpeg   36.4K   1 downloads

[.22guy]

I can vouch that this technique works, I've seen dabob in action. I was the rifle shooter laying prone and had a great view of him sitting up to blast a coyote; I clearly saw by that coyote's reaction it either hadn't seen him or didn't care.

[Thumper Dunker]

Great stuff. Supper great pictures and explanations.

[Braz]

I"d klinda like to see some pictures of your pillow, up close like. thanks.

[seebass]

Great thread with tons of pertinent information once again!

Thank you for all of you're contributions to this site dabob, I personally know I've become a better coyote hunter using many of the techniques you've posted about.

24 inches is a great rule I never thought about, yet makes a ton of sense when I do!

Another lesson learned from dabob!

Thanks again!

[lenny]

Thanks DaBob Heres a Question you say you use to play a casette, did it sound all the time or did it sound then stop,the reason Im asking is I leave my ecaller on and just play with the vol up and down,just read a artical in predator mag and they said you can call to much?????

[dabob]

When we used the cassette callers they were putting out sound the whole time and they were on full volume.

Now that I am using VERY LOUD Foxpro callers with a remote I don't have them on full volume all the time but they are putting out sounds all the time unless I am using coyote vocals.

I don't believe that all the coyotes out there are always in a perfect spot to hear your calling sounds. They may be in a ditch or small canyon, or on the other side of a hill or ridge. If you don't have the volume up high enough or you mute the sound so you are not putting any sound out you may not be calling anymore, you may be just sitting out there being quiet. If nothing is headed your way and you turn the sound down or off and a coyote a mile away walks up out of a canyon or out of a ditch to where he could hear your sounds you won't be calling that coyote in because your not putting out any sounds.

Quite a few times when I do crank up my Foxpro caller to full blast, within minutes we will have a coyote or coyotes headed our way.

I would rather have every coyote within two miles of me hear my sounds with high volume and continous sound than call too softly and have long pauses in the sounds and have the coyotes not hear my sounds at all.

[lenny]

Im with you on this,I went out Sunday and did 5 stands with not one customer and the time before,guess it just bad luck

[Jason]

The pillow is a good idea. Prone always makes my neck get tired from holding up my head.

[rustygun]

At this point in my life do not think I should use the pillow. My snorring would most likly spook the yotes. Loved the write up and the pic's.

[Frank]

At this point in my life do not think I should use the pillow. My snorring would most likly spook the yotes.

Yep, that would definitely be my problem for sure... Especially at my age! (old man's best friend) LOL

[Braz]

Now you guys are singing my song.

[Thumper Dunker]

I have trouble not falling over while sitting on my knees holding my bow. Wake up and the bow laying out in front of me.
I like to get up close to the tree and blend into the trunk. With a rifle I just lean back on the trunk on the shaded side They dont see ya .

[Bisley]

At this point in my life do not think I should use the pillow. My snorring would most likly spook the yotes. Loved the write up and the pic's.

If you snore anything like I do, you could use the pillow and call in bears for someone

[Frank]

With a rifle I just lean back on the trunk on the shaded side They dont see ya .

And nor do the mtn lions... (true story)

[Braz]

I remember that story.