Snowshoes
Well-known member
A couple days back I was made aware of a dead cow in some pastureland that I frequently hunt. That would be my destination for the first morning of 2021.
Before arriving, I still hadn't decided whether to make a stalk or to sit and wait.
With numerous coyote tracks weaving through a natural drainage, I decided to sit in front a large popular tree that overlooked the drainage. To the east, I could just make out the cow carcass and to the west ( behind me) was a large block of bush. I'm set up halfway between on what looks to be a good coyote travel route.
A few minutes after getting set up, I see one coyote at the carcass and it is soon joined by a couple others. Thick buck brush around the carcass could easily hide a coyote and in short order I spot a total of five coyotes in the immediate area of the carcass.
Now to just wait, as I leaned back into the stadium chair and got more comfortable.
Other than the sounds of a woodpecker tapping on a nearby tree and the guttural squawking of few ravens to the east, all was quiet.
This all changed in a matter of seconds as I suddenly could hear the sound of a side by side from the adjoining pasture. Likely just the neighbor heading to a dugout to water his cattle but the coyotes weren't about to stick around. The UTV which was to the southwest, never was in view but I noticed the coyotes were distancing themselves to the eastward rolling lands. All except for one rebel coyote, who ignores the other coyotes route of safe travels.
This coyote who's coming down the draw towards my location was probably the only scruffy coyote in the bunch but am I surprised? ( not overly)
Watching through the scope, I let this coyote get close before stopping it with a vocal bark. I didn't realize how close the coyote had gotten until after I shot it. At 34 yards, I maybe could have hit it with a rock.
Before arriving, I still hadn't decided whether to make a stalk or to sit and wait.
With numerous coyote tracks weaving through a natural drainage, I decided to sit in front a large popular tree that overlooked the drainage. To the east, I could just make out the cow carcass and to the west ( behind me) was a large block of bush. I'm set up halfway between on what looks to be a good coyote travel route.
A few minutes after getting set up, I see one coyote at the carcass and it is soon joined by a couple others. Thick buck brush around the carcass could easily hide a coyote and in short order I spot a total of five coyotes in the immediate area of the carcass.
Now to just wait, as I leaned back into the stadium chair and got more comfortable.
Other than the sounds of a woodpecker tapping on a nearby tree and the guttural squawking of few ravens to the east, all was quiet.
This all changed in a matter of seconds as I suddenly could hear the sound of a side by side from the adjoining pasture. Likely just the neighbor heading to a dugout to water his cattle but the coyotes weren't about to stick around. The UTV which was to the southwest, never was in view but I noticed the coyotes were distancing themselves to the eastward rolling lands. All except for one rebel coyote, who ignores the other coyotes route of safe travels.
This coyote who's coming down the draw towards my location was probably the only scruffy coyote in the bunch but am I surprised? ( not overly)
Watching through the scope, I let this coyote get close before stopping it with a vocal bark. I didn't realize how close the coyote had gotten until after I shot it. At 34 yards, I maybe could have hit it with a rock.