Well, one of these coyotes or maybe both really had me earn them. I'm just glad I decided to stay at the cabin last night. One or both of these coyotes have been hitting the bait for a while, but they were one-night-standers in that they would visit the site one night and then be gone until who knows when. That had me spending a lot of time by staying at the cabin numerous nights without any action. Last night it finally came together though I didn't expect two.
I was shooting the Dtech 6x45 with 70 gr. Sierra Blitz Kings. Both dropped where they stood and didn't take a step. The bullets did exit both however, but the exit was so small that I had to dig in the fur and look hard to find it. The exit was more like a 20 caliber size in the second coyote, and the first one was something like a 22 caliber or 6mm size hole. Not sure what the bullets did or what part exited, but they sounded loose inside. If I were saving fur, this bullet would be a good one - from these two at least.
The first coyote came slightly before 0100 but wouldn't commit to the bait site. I lit it up first with the 940nm spotlight to see what was there. I then turned on my DVR and then I then deployed the 850nm light mounted on my rifle. The coyote walked out away from the bait site and was going up hill, when suddenly it jumped and ran the other way. Something scared it. I figured I had better take the shot while I could for fear it might not return. There was a slight white-out when I shot. Unbeknown to me at the time, the second coyote ran across in the upper view of the sight picture, but can barely be seen so I didn't notice it until later when I reviewed the video.
The second coyote returned just before 0520 and tripped the sensor, but it left and when I used the 850nm light to search for it, I found it was near the dead one in the field. It then ran up the hill and out of sight over the ridge top above my cabin, but I kept watching the hill top and suddenly it returned. That's when I downed it.
The first coyote was 80 yards and the second was 66. Both were males to my surprise, and rather large. I figured all the time that they were a mated pair, maybe even the dominate ones in the area, but when I checked them this morning I was surprised to see that both were males. That's probably why the first one was so nervous. The first coyote weighed in at 34 pounds and the second one was only slightly heavier with 34 pounds, 5 ounces.
The first two photos are of the first coyote, an 80 yard shot.
The next three photos are of the second one at 66 yards.
This view is of the two coyotes and where they fell in relation to each other and the cabin. The 4-wheeler is at the second coyote.
Here's the pair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h2hoF3utRk&feature=youtu.be
