Big Lou
Well-known member
I opened my eyes and immediately, the smell of a fresh brewed pot of coffee greeted me. Opened up my phone to check the forecast. It was supposed to be windier today than yesterday. Despite my trying to will it otherwise, it was still going to be windy. “Wait, going to be?” I got up and went to the door. Seeing things reasonably calm, I knew I had to take advantage.
I went to the spot I had decided not to call yesterday afternoon. My route in would take me through some already grazed corn. The walking was easy and quiet. I wasn’t quite at my normal hide but, I could hear several magpies and took pause. Locating them, I could see them perch and then bomb down at something I could not see. “There’s got to be a coyote there”.
I looked around and saw a cluster of corn stalks on a nearby hillside. This would have to do as I high stepped towards it. Fearing that there was a coyote and it may see me at any moment, I tucked in and pulled out one of my old Skeery’s. “Towah towaah toowaaahhh to to to”. I watched as several Magpies glided towards my location. They hadn’t even reached me and I spied ears and a head peeking over a little rise. “There was one there”. A grin spread across my face as I gave a few more soft calls and had the coyote trotting in. As I dipped under a fence only 70 yards away, I took the opportunity to get up on the rifle. A lip squeak stopped it broadside and the crosshairs settled. BOOM! CHOP! A perfect heart shot. I went through an entire sequence with mouth calls but, that was the only one that wanted to play.
My next set had lots of howling responses. I had two pair in opposite directions and a close single answer me. I saw one pair exit the trees momentarily, about 700 yards out but, they retreated as quickly as they had appeared. I know one of the neighbour kids calls around this spot. Maybe they are onto the program or, maybe they just weren’t interested in buying what I was selling. Either way, it wasn’t happening there and the wind was starting to pick up.
My next pick was a new spot & had me trudging through knee deep into a big block of timber with some larger clearings. Figured I best get out of the wind as best as I could. I was stil breezy but, not terrible. Again, I had a group of coyotes answer howls but, not a one would break cover. I gave it 45 minutes on that stand. I really liked the set up. Today just wasn’t the day.
Off to my next. Had never called this spot either. I hiked in just shy of a half mile and set up. Ripped a howl and had two groups light up in response. One quite a ways north of me and the other, I had apparently walked by on my way in.
I kept the volume low and worked through a sequence seeing as I was there. Nothing showed so, I gathered everything and scooted back the way I had come. I had to cross through a treeline to get to a large slough where I had heard the coyotes howl from. The snow was deep in the trees and got deeper yet in the bottom. I have a 34” inseam and this snow was darn near nut deep. After about 200 yards of fighting it, I said screw it and this will suffice.
I deployed the caller and tucked into a willow. It wasn’t perfect. It was tighter than I like but, I wasn’t about to risk a jammer for a perfect set up. I opened with a couple howls and then rolled into some Cornered Hottie. After about a minute, I caught movement towards the downwind side and saw one, two, then three coyotes come into view. “Oh god. They’re going to wind me. They’re so close to cutting it”. I had hardly thought this when one wheeled, then the second. The lead coyote had just turned to leave and I was up on the rifle. Falling into a good lead, the trigger broke. BOOM! CHOP! And I had a second victim laying motionless 175 yards away. I apologize for not getting a picture but, I wasn’t about to endure any more of that snow depth than I already had. I like sharing my coyote pictures but, not that much.
The wind was really ripping now. 40km/hr and gusting to mid 50’s. I wasn’t interested in any more deep snow at all. A pasture I’ve called a couple times this year beckoned me. It’s easy walking and almost as if God had created it just for calling coyotes. I just love the spot and I’d killed 8 coyotes there so far this year. I slithered in through the low spots and wanted to change up my hide again. As my head was just cresting a rise only 30’ from where I wanted to set up, I saw something out of place and hit the deck.
Belly crawling up, I looked through the scope and saw three coyotes bedded off the edge of a slough. Just my luck, they were all bedded facing away from me. Scanning, I saw another 4 coyotes. “Got to be something dead here”. I had been seeing between 20-30 Whitetails here all winter on the regular. “Those deer killing bastards”. I stayed on my belly while I got the guns laid out and the caller just arms reach in front of me.
Opening with some Platinum Grey Fox, I watched as everybody looked my way. One coyote was immediately uninterested and started leaving. Another pair got up and started on a path parallel to Mr position. I figured they’d hit the fence and come to me but, no sir. They just kept going. I hit pup distress and got the rifle on them thinking I best drop one at 300 yards. I glanced back towards the SW and saw a coyote standing about 150 yards away and another coming behind it. As the rear coyote got close to the stander, they had a brief scrap and then it continued in. I had forgotten to turn down my scope in the excitement and all I could see was a blob of fur. BOOM! CHOP! Down goes the first. The stander had retreated briefly but then came charging back and stopped. BOOM! CHOP! Second one down. I looked back at the first and it is up but, not doing good at all. BOOM! CHOP! It’s down for the count. I look around quickly and see a mess of deer fleeing the area. Then spy another coyote sitting on its haunches on the edge of the slough grass. The shots weren’t alarming to them at all with the wind. I figured it 300-325 yards. “About 4-5” of wind hold and this should drop right in there”. BOOM! CHOP! The 75grainer had dropped right into the chest where I had wanted it. Not even a tail wag. “Tripled up Baby!” It wasn’t even close to how I’d scripted it in my mind. Such is coyote hunting sometimes.
Turns out the shot on the sitter was 324 yards. Lucky guess. I made one more stand while a squall was blowing through. I knew it was a waste of time but thought, just maybe. Anyway, I pulled the pin and went home. I’m soaked. I’m pooped and, I think I just might load some ammo tomorrow. I’m getting low and it’s supposed to be even more windy. Sounds like a great day to stay dry, drink coffee and load rounds.
Hope you enjoy the read.
I went to the spot I had decided not to call yesterday afternoon. My route in would take me through some already grazed corn. The walking was easy and quiet. I wasn’t quite at my normal hide but, I could hear several magpies and took pause. Locating them, I could see them perch and then bomb down at something I could not see. “There’s got to be a coyote there”.
I looked around and saw a cluster of corn stalks on a nearby hillside. This would have to do as I high stepped towards it. Fearing that there was a coyote and it may see me at any moment, I tucked in and pulled out one of my old Skeery’s. “Towah towaah toowaaahhh to to to”. I watched as several Magpies glided towards my location. They hadn’t even reached me and I spied ears and a head peeking over a little rise. “There was one there”. A grin spread across my face as I gave a few more soft calls and had the coyote trotting in. As I dipped under a fence only 70 yards away, I took the opportunity to get up on the rifle. A lip squeak stopped it broadside and the crosshairs settled. BOOM! CHOP! A perfect heart shot. I went through an entire sequence with mouth calls but, that was the only one that wanted to play.
My next set had lots of howling responses. I had two pair in opposite directions and a close single answer me. I saw one pair exit the trees momentarily, about 700 yards out but, they retreated as quickly as they had appeared. I know one of the neighbour kids calls around this spot. Maybe they are onto the program or, maybe they just weren’t interested in buying what I was selling. Either way, it wasn’t happening there and the wind was starting to pick up.
My next pick was a new spot & had me trudging through knee deep into a big block of timber with some larger clearings. Figured I best get out of the wind as best as I could. I was stil breezy but, not terrible. Again, I had a group of coyotes answer howls but, not a one would break cover. I gave it 45 minutes on that stand. I really liked the set up. Today just wasn’t the day.
Off to my next. Had never called this spot either. I hiked in just shy of a half mile and set up. Ripped a howl and had two groups light up in response. One quite a ways north of me and the other, I had apparently walked by on my way in.
I kept the volume low and worked through a sequence seeing as I was there. Nothing showed so, I gathered everything and scooted back the way I had come. I had to cross through a treeline to get to a large slough where I had heard the coyotes howl from. The snow was deep in the trees and got deeper yet in the bottom. I have a 34” inseam and this snow was darn near nut deep. After about 200 yards of fighting it, I said screw it and this will suffice.I deployed the caller and tucked into a willow. It wasn’t perfect. It was tighter than I like but, I wasn’t about to risk a jammer for a perfect set up. I opened with a couple howls and then rolled into some Cornered Hottie. After about a minute, I caught movement towards the downwind side and saw one, two, then three coyotes come into view. “Oh god. They’re going to wind me. They’re so close to cutting it”. I had hardly thought this when one wheeled, then the second. The lead coyote had just turned to leave and I was up on the rifle. Falling into a good lead, the trigger broke. BOOM! CHOP! And I had a second victim laying motionless 175 yards away. I apologize for not getting a picture but, I wasn’t about to endure any more of that snow depth than I already had. I like sharing my coyote pictures but, not that much.
The wind was really ripping now. 40km/hr and gusting to mid 50’s. I wasn’t interested in any more deep snow at all. A pasture I’ve called a couple times this year beckoned me. It’s easy walking and almost as if God had created it just for calling coyotes. I just love the spot and I’d killed 8 coyotes there so far this year. I slithered in through the low spots and wanted to change up my hide again. As my head was just cresting a rise only 30’ from where I wanted to set up, I saw something out of place and hit the deck.
Belly crawling up, I looked through the scope and saw three coyotes bedded off the edge of a slough. Just my luck, they were all bedded facing away from me. Scanning, I saw another 4 coyotes. “Got to be something dead here”. I had been seeing between 20-30 Whitetails here all winter on the regular. “Those deer killing bastards”. I stayed on my belly while I got the guns laid out and the caller just arms reach in front of me.
Opening with some Platinum Grey Fox, I watched as everybody looked my way. One coyote was immediately uninterested and started leaving. Another pair got up and started on a path parallel to Mr position. I figured they’d hit the fence and come to me but, no sir. They just kept going. I hit pup distress and got the rifle on them thinking I best drop one at 300 yards. I glanced back towards the SW and saw a coyote standing about 150 yards away and another coming behind it. As the rear coyote got close to the stander, they had a brief scrap and then it continued in. I had forgotten to turn down my scope in the excitement and all I could see was a blob of fur. BOOM! CHOP! Down goes the first. The stander had retreated briefly but then came charging back and stopped. BOOM! CHOP! Second one down. I looked back at the first and it is up but, not doing good at all. BOOM! CHOP! It’s down for the count. I look around quickly and see a mess of deer fleeing the area. Then spy another coyote sitting on its haunches on the edge of the slough grass. The shots weren’t alarming to them at all with the wind. I figured it 300-325 yards. “About 4-5” of wind hold and this should drop right in there”. BOOM! CHOP! The 75grainer had dropped right into the chest where I had wanted it. Not even a tail wag. “Tripled up Baby!” It wasn’t even close to how I’d scripted it in my mind. Such is coyote hunting sometimes.
Turns out the shot on the sitter was 324 yards. Lucky guess. I made one more stand while a squall was blowing through. I knew it was a waste of time but thought, just maybe. Anyway, I pulled the pin and went home. I’m soaked. I’m pooped and, I think I just might load some ammo tomorrow. I’m getting low and it’s supposed to be even more windy. Sounds like a great day to stay dry, drink coffee and load rounds.
Hope you enjoy the read.
My nickname before Big Lou was assigned to me was The Real Deal. Worst nickname ever but I can assure you, my cuts and bruises and stiff joints are very real. 
