Snowshoes
Well-known member
It was -6F with a wind-chill of -22F this morning. I guess that could be considered warm due to the forecast for tomorrow morning being -17F and a wind-chill of -38F.
I had a spot in mind which would have me setting up on the south side of a large block of bush. With the northwest breeze, any shelter from the icy grips of that crisp arctic air would be welcomed.
As I walked on a packed tractor trail across the pasture, I could just imagine how far each step echoed into the trees from the squeaks of my cold boots on an even colder iced surface.
A quarter mile in, I could see roughly 40 cows laying down in the straw bedding next to the bush and of course a couple decide to get up and come out to see what I was up to.
Now there was three of us making a westward journey, that being me and my two bovine buddies. My two followers soon lost interest and headed back to rest of the herd.
Once I got to the slough bottom where I wanted to set up, I was greeted with a pair of fresh coyote tracks in the snow. The tree I planned to sit at, had evidence of a coyote marking its territory all over it, I picked a different tree
Started off with a couple howls and I get one deep howl response from the bush to the north. Scan the edge of the bush for the next 4 or 5 minutes but see nothing.
Time for some distress cries from one of my favorite open reed cow horn tip calls. After 30 seconds of crying the blues, the call gets tucked back under my jacket and I once again scan the bush to the north. Within a minute or two, I see the figure of a coyote coming towards the slough bottom where I happen to be. The coyote stops a couple times but other than that, the progress is steady. The third time it stops, I have the cross hairs on its chest and send a 64 gr Berger from the 223AI on its way. Coyote number 50 lays in the snow. Never ranged the shot but likely around 80 yards. ( Nice female)
I fumble through my back pack to get my cow horn howler in order to send out a message of “yelps” to whoever might be interested.
The first couple yelps were far from perfect sounding (frozen reed) but I continued anyways. While setting the howler down, I see another coyote coming in hard to my left. I swing the gun into position at the same time the coyote swings hard to the right. The coyote must have picked me out and I never did get the crosshairs anywhere close to it. Tried another series of yelps but I guess my fun for this spot had been fulfilled.
Tried one more spot a few miles away but only a Golden Eagle, two ravens and a few magpies came to see, what was up!