Decent night/questions

[shadowchaser]

I hit up one of my better spots tonight.  I hunted it last week and had a bobcat come running into the call and something else hung up at about 125yds.  Well tonight as soon as I turned on my spitfire I caught eyes coming in, then another set about 20 yds behind .  Well needless to say they both hung up at about 100yd, but I couldn't ID either target with my headlight or gunlight.  They went back and forth along the edge of the field for about 15 minutes, but wouldn't commit the 25yds I needed to take a shot.  I should add I was using my .223 which is sighted in for 200yds.  I could see the eyes through the scope, but I just didn't feel comfortable not knowing .

Should I position closer to the edge?
Any recommendations on a scope?

[bigben]

its hard to say what it is without being there.  but it could have been any kind of predator.  Is there a barrier there like a fence, road, stream, even a change in the crops such as high weeds to cut fields?  Was the wind going to where they hung up?  is this the first time this has happened in this field?  if it isn't do they come in the same way each time?  Did you change the sound at all on your spitfire after they hung up or did you stick to one sound? 

without knowing your situation I would have tried a squeaker and if they still didn't commit I would wait till they left and then leave myself.  if it would happen again like that I would setup closer to the edge with the call in the same place you had it before and call.  thinking on it a bit it sounds like fox that have coyotes in the area.  or you have overcalled the area.  JMO.  you made the right call not shooting.  reccomendations to a scope are numerous.  I have a bright enough light that I can id animals at the ranges I hunt in.  100-150yds.

[scott]

sounds like they are on to you and it will be their weakness.  set the caller up the same way and sneak closer to where the hang up, make sure you have the correct wind and can get in without being seen. 

[bigben]

sounds like they are on to you and it will be their weakness.  set the caller up the same way and sneak closer to where the hang up, make sure you have the correct wind and can get in without being seen. 

+1

[shadowchaser]

Last year I did miss a grey and a coyote in the same spot.  The field drops off at the point they held up.  It slopes down into a swampy area.  Wind was good and the only thing I did was lower the volume.  I was worried because the bobcat took the same path the other night, but these were much smaller eyes.

Thx for the info.

[uncle buck]

Good for you not to shoot.. Seems like deer will hang around a bit when your calling. So you did the right thing..
I had that happen to me this year...three critters...Now get this they were not even a 100 yards away.. I  had a yellow lens light since I was hunting the full moon.. They acted light coyotes but did not take the chance since they hung around like deer. But when I did hit them with a white light 10 minutes later...they acted like coyotes not deer.  They were gone... Some of their movements were like coyotes and at times I'd catch something a deer would do..To this day I can't say if they were coyotes or deer.  I don't like to use the yellow or amber lens since all critters eyes are the same color..

Because I do most of my hunting in farm country.. I use to zero all my predator rifles in at 2 inches high at 100 yards.. Now I zero them in for dead on bullseye at 100 yards... I do this because many of the rifle shooters on here do that.  This way at night at least I know at 100 yards it's dead on..Night time it's so hard to judge distances. Plus I do use 17 CF and the + and - will still kill from point blank to 250 yards out.