DoubleUp
Well-known member
Last night was blustery with 15-20 mph winds from the NE and heavy moisture in the air. My partner decided he would rather watch the Super Bowl, but I gave up on the NFL when the knee-bowing started. Moon was about 93% full so I looked for the right wind and moon shade combination. I had a main ditch line that had some growing trees and brush in it as well as some open places to my south. The wind was blowing straight toward me down the ditch line. There was also a large oak that sat alone in the field adjacent to the ditch and a 600 acre field to my north. I put the call 65 yds. to my north in the field. First series of female lonely howls and I saw three deer take off running to my north at about half a mile on the edge of a woods line. In about a minute a coyote popped out where they had vacated, but I never could break him loose to come across the field and he disappeared like he was just an apparition. The wind was picking up and really howling and shaking my tripod pretty good.
There was a much larger field, about 2,500 acres, to my south and it is not infrequent that coyotes will respond from out of that big open field. That was the reason I made my setup so that I had an opening through the growth on the ditch line. Sure enough, I spotted a coyote out in the south field about 200 yds. and moving NE parallel to my position. That made my shot a full value windage attempt. I switched to 6 power and held as steady as I could for the crosswind shot. At the shot, I knew he was hit hard, but I didn't give it enough Kentucky windage to keep it in his chest. He ran another 50 yds. or so, and as he stopped to bite at the wound, I held off a little more and added a touch off elevation. The shot connected, probably mostly luck, and he was down for the count.
There was a much larger field, about 2,500 acres, to my south and it is not infrequent that coyotes will respond from out of that big open field. That was the reason I made my setup so that I had an opening through the growth on the ditch line. Sure enough, I spotted a coyote out in the south field about 200 yds. and moving NE parallel to my position. That made my shot a full value windage attempt. I switched to 6 power and held as steady as I could for the crosswind shot. At the shot, I knew he was hit hard, but I didn't give it enough Kentucky windage to keep it in his chest. He ran another 50 yds. or so, and as he stopped to bite at the wound, I held off a little more and added a touch off elevation. The shot connected, probably mostly luck, and he was down for the count.
