32 Coyotes in 3 Days - A TLS Filming Record

32 coyotes in three days of daytime calling is what dreams are made of! Not only do you need the right country with plenty of coyotes, but you also need the right access and a solid plan of attack. On top of that, you have to get three straight days of favorable weather to maximize your opportunities, and, of course, the bullets have to fly straight!

Getting all those pieces to come together is no easy task. In fact, our recent filming trip to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota marked the first time we've accomplished this in nine seasons of filming for The Last Stand. It was also only the second time in the show's history that we've taken more than 30 coyotes on a single trip. To make the trip even more special, the Day 1 episode marked the 100th episode of The Last Stand!

During our trip, we experienced typical mid-October conditions. Mornings started a little cool before temperatures gradually climbed into the upper 60s and low 70s by afternoon. Early-fall coyote hunting can be hit or miss for several reasons.

First, some coyote pups aren't quite old enough to fully engage with the sounds coming from the e-caller. With late litters and some pups being kicked out of their family groups later than others, there are still coyotes in October that haven't quite figured out what to do when they hear a distant distress sound.

Second, the weather is still relatively mild, and plenty of natural food sources remain available. These conditions can leave coyotes less motivated to respond to calling from longer distances.

Third, much of the crop country is still standing, providing plenty of cover for coyotes in many areas. This is in contrast to later in the fall and winter, when the crops come out and coyotes are pushed into pasture and timber country, often making them easier to locate and more consistent to find.

Another factor that can work both for and against you during early-fall coyote hunting is that family groups haven't always completely dispersed across the landscape. This can mean stretches of unproductive stands before you finally locate coyotes. However, when you do find them, there's a good chance you'll have multiple coyotes responding to the call at once.

Day 1 was the slowest of the trip, with five coyotes taken. We connected on four different stands that day, including a double.

On Day 2, the action picked up considerably, with 12 coyotes hitting the ground. After starting the morning with a double on our first stand, we knocked down a couple of singles before lunch. The afternoon really got rolling with a mid-afternoon quad, followed by a couple more singles and another double to finish out the day.

Day 3 was nonstop action! We started the morning with a quad on our third stand, followed by a couple more singles before lunch. Just like the previous day, the afternoon kicked off with a bang as we called in and killed five coyotes on a single stand. A few stands later, we added another double to the tally. We finished the day with one bonus coyote, spotting it while driving into our final stand. With the sun setting, we were able to connect on a 400-yard shot on our final stand of the trip, bringing our three-day total to 32 coyotes and setting a new filming record for The Last Stand!

This was definitely a trip for the ages, and one we're excited to share with you in the upcoming episodes. You can catch all the action from South Dakota throughout November on The Last Stand, exclusively on the Lucky Duck YouTube channel. Don't miss it!