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Predators, an animal that naturally preys on others, Coyotes, Fox,Bobcats,andMountain Lions to name a few?

As a lifelong hunter and trapper, I’ve had numerous run ins with predators, in Nebraska as well as in Missouri, South Dakota and Kansas.

On one occasion there were three of us calling coyotes on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, OutdoorsmenProductionsteam members Ben Bearshield, Larry Myhre and myself were set up on a snow covered sidehill with our backs to a grove of Pine trees.

I was filming, Ben was calling and he and Larry were the shooters, I was set up on the left, Ben in the middle and Larry on the right.

WehadjustputoutourICOTEC decoy and where letting things settle down before calling.

After a couple of different predator calls, Ben paused to look over the location below us where out decoy was setting.

We generally call about a half hour, then move on, and as it was nearing our time to move, I heard what sounded like an animal running along the snow on the ridge.

Glancing in that direction, just a few feet from Larry sat a coyote thathadsnuckinwithasecondone making its way towards our decoy.

The others saw them as their eyes were on the field out in front, I attempted to get their attention, I tried to bring the camera right to film, the coyote setting just off Larry’s shoulder spotted me and then both coyotes covered the ground in front of us so quickly Larry couldn’tgetashot,Benthrewafew rounds in their direction as they were going over the hill.

Larry was beside himself and not happy about me blowing the setup, all I could say was when I looked over and saw the coyote setting on its hunches, licking its lips as it eyeballed Larry, I had to sound the alarm or he might have had a coyote in his lap, of course, he didn’t buy that, but that was all I was going to say about that.

Anothertime,LarryandIwere hunting turkeys in Missouri with Ray Eye, we called a few times and then noticed movement at the bottom of the ravine, as two Bobcats were coming our way, moving into the tall grass off to our right.

Being they were coming in; we keptaneyeontheedgethebobcats were coming up.

Ittookabouttenminutesforthe bobcat to appear off to our right, catching us flat footed only about ten feet from where we sat.

He sat down on his haunches and just stared at us, unable to move, until the cat looked down the ravine from where it had come, we weren’t able to get a shotatthebobcat,butbothLarry and I were able to get excellence footage and photos of it.

We had just set up on a ridge line, I with the camera and Larry and a friend from Omaha covering both sides. We hadn’t been there five minutes, when a coyote lopped in from my right. I got to Larry that I got his attention, he moved slowly to his left, brought his 243 up and the rest was history.

Calling predators is a great sport, even when fur prices are low as it gives us an opportunity to get out and decrease the predator population.