Big Lou
Well-known member
I couldn’t muster the energy to get out of bed this morning. I turned off the alarm at 06:30 and next I knew, it was 09:00. Conditions are great. It’s cold. A steady breeze. Overcast. Why am I still in the house? I made breakfast. Enjoyed a couple of coffees with my wife and found myself staring at my calling gear.
“Why don’t you just go out? You know you want to go”.
“I do. I really do. We’ve got to head in for Aiden’s (my son) football game soon enough. I don’t know. I’ve got time for one set”.
“You only did one yesterday and you said it was great. Just go. It’s actually your last chance this time”.
I didn’t need any more convincing. I started the truck and got on the road. The wind was perfect for a spot I had called earlier in the winter. I had called 6 here all at once and got one. I hid the truck and hiked in a bit better than a half mile. Utilizing the same hide, I set the caller and coyote decoy about 45 yards from me.
I opened with pup howls. No responses. A female howl. No responses. A pair howl. No responses. “Odd. These coyotes were super vocal the first time I was in here”. I was just about to fire up some Stanky Leg when a flash of movement in the willows caught my attention. More flashes. In almost no time at all, there were 5 very pale coyotes, locked in on the decoy. We don’t see a pile of coyotes this colour around here, much less 5 at once and they all looked to be about the same size. There wasn’t a small one in the group.
I was content to let them decide their course. They’d either all close or swing to get the wind. One made the move to swing and everyone followed suit. I’d wait until they crossed the fence into the corn and pick my moment. I found myself pondering what I wanted to do. I had wounded a few over the last two weeks and that feeling was still lingering. They were all beautiful and I was leaning towards not being a pig.
“Let’s wrap up on a high note. Stop them all. Pick one out and do it clean”.
They were all between 175-225 yards type of range. Right at my zero range. “Stop them now”. I have a soft but drawn out Woooooo. As if on cue, they all came to a stop in unison. I scanned quickly and settled on what appeared to be the largest in the group. As the E3 reticule settled once more on the point on the shoulder, the trigger gave and the rifle rocked gently into my shoulder. BOOM! CHOP! The other four were in motion and streaking. I never even chambered another round. Just picked one and gave lead as if I was intending to shoot until they were all out of sight. I collected him for a picture. What a pretty coyote. Another one that I’d have loved to get a couple of months ago. I know where I’ll be going this next winter for a prime fur or two.
That’s exactly as he fell and a perfect way to wrap things up. A text book kill and a Corn Dog to boot.
“Why don’t you just go out? You know you want to go”.
“I do. I really do. We’ve got to head in for Aiden’s (my son) football game soon enough. I don’t know. I’ve got time for one set”.
“You only did one yesterday and you said it was great. Just go. It’s actually your last chance this time”.
I didn’t need any more convincing. I started the truck and got on the road. The wind was perfect for a spot I had called earlier in the winter. I had called 6 here all at once and got one. I hid the truck and hiked in a bit better than a half mile. Utilizing the same hide, I set the caller and coyote decoy about 45 yards from me.
I opened with pup howls. No responses. A female howl. No responses. A pair howl. No responses. “Odd. These coyotes were super vocal the first time I was in here”. I was just about to fire up some Stanky Leg when a flash of movement in the willows caught my attention. More flashes. In almost no time at all, there were 5 very pale coyotes, locked in on the decoy. We don’t see a pile of coyotes this colour around here, much less 5 at once and they all looked to be about the same size. There wasn’t a small one in the group.
I was content to let them decide their course. They’d either all close or swing to get the wind. One made the move to swing and everyone followed suit. I’d wait until they crossed the fence into the corn and pick my moment. I found myself pondering what I wanted to do. I had wounded a few over the last two weeks and that feeling was still lingering. They were all beautiful and I was leaning towards not being a pig.
“Let’s wrap up on a high note. Stop them all. Pick one out and do it clean”.
They were all between 175-225 yards type of range. Right at my zero range. “Stop them now”. I have a soft but drawn out Woooooo. As if on cue, they all came to a stop in unison. I scanned quickly and settled on what appeared to be the largest in the group. As the E3 reticule settled once more on the point on the shoulder, the trigger gave and the rifle rocked gently into my shoulder. BOOM! CHOP! The other four were in motion and streaking. I never even chambered another round. Just picked one and gave lead as if I was intending to shoot until they were all out of sight. I collected him for a picture. What a pretty coyote. Another one that I’d have loved to get a couple of months ago. I know where I’ll be going this next winter for a prime fur or two.
That’s exactly as he fell and a perfect way to wrap things up. A text book kill and a Corn Dog to boot.
