How Close have you called one in?

[snowcamoman]

How close have you had an animal come to you while out predator calling? I haven't had any walk on me, but at times I could almost swear they were going to step on me from behind. I had a coyote walk within 7 paces of me last week. The sad thing was my rifle was pointed the other direction and he caught wind of me and hit the afterburners in a zig zag pattern that I couldn't even follow. It was a bob-tailed coyote too...strange. :lol:

 

[trailblazersteve]

I have had several lynx come in and pass with in a few yards of me bee lining to my speaker. Had a lynx one time trot right by me, stop about 10 yards from the speaker and then sit on his rear and just stare at it. Until I sqeezed the trigger...

 

[snowcamoman]

That's pretty funny about the lynx camping out by the speaker. I had one put the "hunt" on me last year at a pretty close range. They're not the sharpest critter around...just tricky to see them if they stop moving. Great story though, was it a big lynx?

 

[trailblazersteve]

Yes, a very big reddish tom. I also have trapped 3 so far this year and all have been large adults on the reddish side. Also ALOT less rabbits in my area so that along with all the older adult cats I am seeing I expect their #'s to start to drop alot in the next year or so. K9's though have increased sharply!

 

[tailwind]

I have been able to call in a couple canines near my line, though they never came in close enough for me to get a shot.

 

[Bsj425]

I called a lynx to about 9 feet funny thing is I didn't know he was there and he didn't know I was there until I stood up bc I thought the Stand was a bust. Those lynx are so dang sneaky and quiet they just appear sometimes . When I stood up I don't know who was more scared me or him he bolted and I didn't know he was there obviously so it scared the crap out of me not gonna lie that one made me jump

 

[Stanly]

When I was stationed in Arizona I went out to call and set up on the edge of a small dry wash. I set up looking in the direction I thought they would most likely come from. I started calling and it didn't take but a couple of minutes and I could hear their feet hitting the ground and they were haulin butt. They came in from my right between 2 and 3 o'clock, I was sitting facing 11-12 o'clock. Because they were full out running I could hear them getting closer, well they dropped into the wash about 30 yards from me. They were going so fast that I didn't have a chance to even react, they were going to run me over, literally. I flung my arms up and yelled, they slamed on the breaks, swaped ends and were gone as fast as they showed up. They stopped probably 4 feet from me and when they took off they kicked gravel and sand all over me. It was truly the most exciting stand I've ever had. I could see their eyes, it was amazing!

 

[snowcamoman]

The hunter became the hunted it sounded like for you Stanly.
Did you get a shot at them?
On some of the stands where I was sitting holding a rifle, I'm wishing that I would've had a shotgun. That's the joy of predator hunting, you never know how it'll turn out.

 

[Brian M]

On some of the stands where I was sitting holding a rifle, I'm wishing that I would've had a shotgun. That's the joy of predator hunting, you never know how it'll turn out.

Do you ever carry both? I've only been out once this year so far, and on that hunt I carried both a rifle and a shotgun since I was in relatively thick cover. I had my rifle set up on its bipod and the shotgun across my lap. A bit cumbersome and a heavier pack for sure, but I wanted to be ready if I couldn't get my rifle on one at close range.

 

[geoff156]

I wasnt predator hunting but I was duck hunting on the banks of the upper kenai, was hunkered down in the tall grass blowing my duck call and about 5 yrds to my left I had a coyote sneak in on my duck decoys. I watched him for about 10 minuites while he stared at my decoys and then he snuck down to the water line and stared at them for a minuite or 2 then he trotted off.

 

[snowcamoman]

Brian,
I don't carry both, but I'm going to start doing just that in a couple areas I hunt. I'll hold the shotgun and if I see something from a ways out, I'll grab the rifle. That's where I think a small ground blind would be priceless, because it would hide that movement. I made a very simple blind that I'll take and try out tonight.

geoff,
I had a coyote come out on the Tanana and watch me put my decoy spread out one year. He wasn't one bit afraid of me moving around. I guess 100 yards of river between the two of us made him comfortable enough. Coyote are open during duck season and I've always thought about using a distressed duck sound to call a coyote...hmmmmm......Maybe I need a MOJO Coyote to go beside the MOJO Duck.

 

[Ak River Rat]

Years back I was calling in the tailing piles up past Fox, past the tracking site. I sat in a depression, thinking that the best route was for them to come up the "valley" between the piles of tailings. I'm blowing away on the call when a cross fox comes over the top of the nearest mound and stops faster than a truck with ABS brakes. There he is about 10 yards away, looking down on me. Both of us are in the wide open. Oops.
Another time, I'm down in the woods after a fresh snow. I figured I'd walk until I cut tracks, and did. I finally found a spot with a couple of shooting lanes, and set up. Here I am, hunkered down under a spruce, well camo'd, wailing away, focused on my "lanes". Do you think for a second that that fox did what he was supposed to? NOPE! He showed up under a bush about 8 yards away staring at me like I was a freak. Guess he was more right than I was.
It is amazing how they can appear and disappear like an apparition. Fun too.

 

[otterman]

MOuth squeaked a red fox to within about 5 feet of me one day then I popped him I think he would have come all the way had I let him

 

[snowcamoman]

I'm sure glad to hear that other guys get them in close and don't always shoot them too. Even with the E-caller, I've had them come in and bust me. I'm thinking that I should put it out farther, but I'm real hesitant to track a longer scent trail. That, and in the thicker stuff, they might hold up even farther out and I plain won't see them. What to do...what to do???

 

[elmerkeithclone]

I don't know how it works up there but here in the midwest a dying rajjet call will bring in the red tail hawks from afar. The closet call I have ever had was with one of them dive bomb me. He must have been hovering above and behind me and when I move my hand on my gun sitting on my lap he must have caught that bit of movement and thought it was dinner. We had a mutual parting of ways and no harm no fowl! Pun intended!

 

[joefish00000]

my first predator was a beautiful red fox. he wasnt the brightest bulb in the box though, i turned and saw him sitting 5feet from me staring at the caller. thankfully i got him.

 

[Rising_Creek]

Great stories. Thanks for getting this one started.

 

[Ak River Rat]

Gee SnowCMan, they seem to bust me more often than I get a shot. They are forever coming from someplace I never figured on. One coyote I did get came from a direction I'd been. I was facing a bit more than 90 degrees to the right, yet here he comes from my left. Go figure. Guess I need to look at each spot, make my best guess, throw it out, and look the other way.
Can't recall how many times I've "known" I was in a hot spot, just to have nothing show up. Then on the way out, find tracks in my boot tracks.
That's what keeps it fun for me. I can't wait till the day I have something jump over me, or, like happened in a bear bait stand, sniffs my ear.
Great thread, fun stories, nicely done folks
ARR

 

[snowcamoman]

AK River Rat,
I know what you're saying. I was out last night until 2AM and called in a big Zero. Saw a beautiful silver fox jump across the road and had what sounded like a fox yodeling at me, but that was it. Was a bit chilly last night, but those clouds rolled in and warmed it up. Heading back out in a few minutes...maybe I'll have a good "up close" story when I get back.

 

[Vince]

Black bear in the spring... 5 yards... those are my fav to call in...