Took my 12 y/o son out to turkey hunt today,his first time.we set up before light in my favorite spot. gobblers started as soon as the sky started to brighten up.3 different birds about 75 yds off in their usual spot,the kid was bug eyed and grinning ear to ear. they were answering me , flew down and we watched them bob off toward their usual feed spot.(a bird feeder at a house about 400 yds away). tried every thing i had and they were not interested. 2 hens came nearby later on the same route. the boy was pretty happy just seeing them.i told him we woudl stay put for a while till the sun got up fully to see if a tom was coming back to the usual strutting area.next thing i know the kid says "hey a coyote".sure enough dang coyote is trailing the hens.i purr a little and he spots the decoys and comes trotting our way.about 60 yds off he puts on the brakes and studys the decoys for a short 30 seconds and dosn't like what he sees and off he goes. we sar until about 830,and picked up. walked up on 3 deer on the way back to the truck, then 2 hens and 2 jakes were 50 yds from the truck when we got back to the road.
well we decide to hit another spot on the way home. we get to the farm and head out to one of the rear pastures,there are 3 more deer there so we stop and glass them for a while. we work our way around the edge stop and crow call ,nothing so i get the box call out and cut a little an wouldnt you know another coyote comes bounding out into the field from the opposite side maybe 200 yds. we kneel down ,still in the grass but on the edge.and i call the dang thing in to 30 yds. with the box call.he stops and has a stare down with us and then!
well coyote season closed here in march so i wispered to the kid we have todo the right thing. we came home with out a bird but it was a very eventful day. and i think he learned a lot.
