Snowshoes
Well-known member
December 10 2021
With a couple appointments booked for late morning, I would have time for one stand before being city bound. Drove a couple miles from home and after parking the truck I hiked a quarter mile west to a spot that would give me a good view of the fields to the north and northwest.
My view to the west
After getting settled in, a quick scan of the field shows a coyote a half mile away leaving one of the slough bottoms and traveling westward to where I see two other coyotes sitting on a hill top. The single joins the others and I am about to try call them over when I see another single heading south roughly halfway between the triple and myself. The three start trotting east towards the single who looks like it wants to avoid the others. It switches to a more easterly direction which could work out fine for me. Things were looking good but once it hit the bottom of a draw it turned directly south towards the bush. That was my cue to see if some distress calls from a bite call could change its direction once again. The coyote stops briefly and looks my way but is soon on the move to the south as the other three coyotes were fast approaching. I lose sight of the single and change my attention to the threesome. A few more distress cries from the bite call stops the group as they are looking to pinpoint the direction of the sound. I catch movement directly to the west and see the single trotting directly towards me following the edge of the field. It stops at roughly 150 yards but a few lip squeaks has it on a fast trot once again. A few minor adjustments on my part has my scopes cross hairs now on coyote fur. A vocal bark stops my curious newcomer and with a 68 yard shot, I drop the coyote amongst the wheat stubble. A younger male coyote.
Quickly chamber another round before getting back on the bite call as I watch the threesome trot southward into the trees. They pay no attention to my efforts but I am hopeful they too will follow the same route as the single had. Time ticks by and my expectation of seeing these coyotes again had diminished.
Back to glassing the fields to see if there is any other coyotes still out and about but that also proved to be uneventful.
I glance to the west and here is the threesome once again. They are heading north on a leisurely pace but the sounds from the bite call stops them in their tracks. The lead coyote jumps into action which looked encouraging but within a few seconds I realize that coyote is trotting the wrong direction. I give another short burst of distress cries towards the remaining two coyotes who were still stationary. The one coyote is on the move and I confirm it to be towards me. This coyote needed no more coaxing as I watched it close the distance in short order. At what was later ranged as a 100 yards, I stop the coyote with a vocal bark and quickly send a 64 grain HP from the 223AI on its way. A fair sized older male coyote.
With a couple appointments booked for late morning, I would have time for one stand before being city bound. Drove a couple miles from home and after parking the truck I hiked a quarter mile west to a spot that would give me a good view of the fields to the north and northwest.
My view to the west
After getting settled in, a quick scan of the field shows a coyote a half mile away leaving one of the slough bottoms and traveling westward to where I see two other coyotes sitting on a hill top. The single joins the others and I am about to try call them over when I see another single heading south roughly halfway between the triple and myself. The three start trotting east towards the single who looks like it wants to avoid the others. It switches to a more easterly direction which could work out fine for me. Things were looking good but once it hit the bottom of a draw it turned directly south towards the bush. That was my cue to see if some distress calls from a bite call could change its direction once again. The coyote stops briefly and looks my way but is soon on the move to the south as the other three coyotes were fast approaching. I lose sight of the single and change my attention to the threesome. A few more distress cries from the bite call stops the group as they are looking to pinpoint the direction of the sound. I catch movement directly to the west and see the single trotting directly towards me following the edge of the field. It stops at roughly 150 yards but a few lip squeaks has it on a fast trot once again. A few minor adjustments on my part has my scopes cross hairs now on coyote fur. A vocal bark stops my curious newcomer and with a 68 yard shot, I drop the coyote amongst the wheat stubble. A younger male coyote.
Quickly chamber another round before getting back on the bite call as I watch the threesome trot southward into the trees. They pay no attention to my efforts but I am hopeful they too will follow the same route as the single had. Time ticks by and my expectation of seeing these coyotes again had diminished.
Back to glassing the fields to see if there is any other coyotes still out and about but that also proved to be uneventful.
I glance to the west and here is the threesome once again. They are heading north on a leisurely pace but the sounds from the bite call stops them in their tracks. The lead coyote jumps into action which looked encouraging but within a few seconds I realize that coyote is trotting the wrong direction. I give another short burst of distress cries towards the remaining two coyotes who were still stationary. The one coyote is on the move and I confirm it to be towards me. This coyote needed no more coaxing as I watched it close the distance in short order. At what was later ranged as a 100 yards, I stop the coyote with a vocal bark and quickly send a 64 grain HP from the 223AI on its way. A fair sized older male coyote.