Late getting out the door again. My wife had decided that she would like to uh, celebrate our relationship - physically. I don’t mind getting out the door late for such activities all that much but, I was still late.
For my first set, I had wanted to call this spot all season and had yet to do so. One of my good friends is part of this family farm and they really lay into the coyotes. There’s a dead pit and they have averaged 2/day throughout the entire winter. It’s staggering how many coyotes they kill annually just popping them out of the feed truck. Anyway, it hadn’t worked out to call it with my friend and this morning was no different. He told me to just go without him. And, that he could see three coyotes sunning themselves. I was inbound.
Getting to a tree line that I like to hide in, I had a great view and expectations were high. I deployed the caller 30 yards away and got nestled into the shadows and base of a big poplar. I let rip with a howl and had answers SW, W and NW of my position. Then another serenade broke out quite a ways E of me. I clammed up for a few minutes and then broke into some greeting whines, then rolled into Cornered Hottie. I spied three coyotes on the edge of the bush NW of me. They seemed content to just watch. Firing up Humpty Bumpty, I saw 4 coyotes streaking to the SW of me. They would be hitting a tree line and as they did, I took the opportunity to shift a touch and ready myself. I didn’t see anything for a couple minutes and then caught movement in the trees. I got on the rifle and found my target peeking around a tree, its body completely blocked. It shifted a touch and I was able to see the neck and front of the shoulder. BOOM! CHOP! The V-Max struck home at 115 yards. I immediately fired up pup screams and maybe 30 seconds later, I heard RUFF RUFF RUFF and saw a coyote streaking in from the same direction. It was coming so hard, puffed up and mad. I probably could have shotgunned it but, I was already on the rifle. “WOOO!” It piled in the brakes at 34 yards and I knew it was in a world of trouble. BOOM! CHOP! Down it went in a heap. I saw another streaker retreating behind the trees but it was heading for an opening. Getting Pound Town going, it slowed and stopped. I couldn’t shoot where it was but would be clear for a shot next it moved in that direction. As it got going again and hit the open, I gave a loud WOOOO. Coming to a stop, I held just over the top of the back. BOOM! CHOP! Another dirt nap.
The other three coyotes were still on the edge of the trees and had hardly moved. I then caught movement to my west and saw a different coyote moving parallel to me. I felt like trying and figured it to be 650 or so. BOOM! I think my elevation was good but I didn’t hold enough wind as my bullet splashed the snow in front of its shoulder. I then decided to lob one at the three NW of me. I figured 800 and touched off. Not enough elevation or wind hold. “Oh well. This will be the only time you call it. May as well have tried”. I was quite content to start out with a triple. The one that had come in ready to fight was quite the specimen. Lots of scars on his face and a big chunk of his left ear missing. Badly chipped teeth. Definitely a grumpy old cuss.
My next set, I was sure that I’d be killing at least one. Fresh tracks everywhere. I really like the set but, not a one showed except for a half dozen magpies. On to the next.
I hiked in about 3/4 of a mile and set up on the north edge of a dugout mound. The top was littered with weed clumps and provided good cover. Letting rip with a lone and then pair howl, I had a pair answering me probably a mile or more to the NE of me. I was working through the progression and suddenly had a swarm of magpies around me. I looked around and saw nothing. Deciding to sit quiet, I still saw nothing in my scans. Figuring the set to be a bust, I put my remote in my pocket and started collapsing the bipod. I glanced up and saw a coyote streaking, then three more. I was in full redeploy mode with the rifle. I have no clue where they came from or how I had not seen them. I started hollering and they came to a stop. Settling the crosshairs just over the back of the closest one, the trigger collapsed. BOOM! CHOP! The rug was pulled out from under it at 330 yards. The other three broke into hard runs and I let them depart. Turns out, they had all come to the south side of the dugout mound where I could not see, made me and were departing. That was hard to see the tracks but, at least I got one of them and it was a big male.
I decided to keep heading east and see if I couldn’t suck in the pair that had answered earlier. Another 3/4 of a mile had me setting up right along an old lease road with the caller just 20 yards away. I worked through a whole sequence of territorial type sounds and was 12 minutes in when I spotted movement. Two coyotes were working in on me and I clammed up. They came pretty slow but, confident. At 80 yards, the both started scraping and pissing all around the base of a big poplar and rubbing all over one another. The Bitch then broke off and started closing. I stayed laying low and waited. As she broke 20 yards, I popped up and crunched her with the shotgun at 24 yards fleeing. I was on the rifle in a flash but that male was like a missile, low and hauling ass. I had one spot to shoot before he made cover. BOOM! CRACK! And he vanished. I wasn’t sure if I had hit him or not but, walking out to where I had shot, the evidence was there of me hitting a tree and not him with bark exploded all over the snow. Took a picture of the female and I was headed back to the truck.
Deciding to relocate, I was headed to a spot I hadn’t called yet this winter. As I glassed, I spied a coyote slinking in to the bush and realized my play would not work from this side. I decided to go all the way around and I’d do a set north of there while I let the coyote settle in to the bush. My set to the north was a blank and I scooted across the road to try for the coyote I had seen.
I don’t really call this spot from this side so after a quick hike in and selecting a good vantage, I deployed the caller and got tucked in. Working through some howls and then into some light fight sounds, I caught movement and saw a pair loping in from the east. They were both all puffed up and meant business. They were at about 80 yards and moving parallel to me. I rose up and shouldered the rifle without either seeing me, fell into a smooth lead and touched off. BOOM! CHOP! The males drive train gave out as he chin slapped the turf. The bitch broke into a full run and I lost sight of her. Switching to pound town, maybe 45 seconds later I saw her emerge from cover to my SW. I figured her to be about 300, settles the crosshair just below the top of her back and the 6mm AI rocked gently as it barked. BOOM! CHOP! Like lightning had struck it, all life left its body. “Great double!” I collected them for a photo and that would be my last set of the day. Turned out the loping male was at 88 yards when I killed him.
It was a great day of calling despite my educating a few. I’ll try and get the next thread done yet today. The wheels are about to come off the bus. If you’ll recall me saying that my shooting has been on point, it’s about to be very much off point. 11/15 down. All I need tomorrow is 4…..
