I wrote this recently. A little long, but sums it up for me.
I had a long learning curve when I first started hunting coyotes. It took me probably 6 months to get my first, and a lot of that time was spent hunting with an experienced friend. When it finally came together and my Tikka .243 spat out that 85-grain non-lead California approved bullet and I heard that distinctive smack that we all love, I was hooked. When I shot my third coyote, this one with a shotgun, I was even MORE hooked. That’s become my true passion, shotgunning; getting them in close and “in the shoelaces”, as I like to say. It’s just more invigorating that way, to me anyway. I had a bit of a lull after going through a divorce 7 years ago but the last few years I have been after coyotes with a vengeance.
So why do I do it? For one, it clears my head in a way few other things can do. And I just love being out in the outdoors and I almost always see things I would never see if I didn’t go on these adventures. I’ve found state historical markers in the literal middle of nowhere, seen a roadrunner battling it out with a snake, had 300 ravens circling my head, found old boats in the middle of a desert, hawks and owls dive-bombing my Foxpro and on and on. I never know what I’m going to see when I’m out.
Last, but definitely not least, is the hunting itself. Tricking the coyote in their natural habitat is a very surreal feeling. Probably my favorite part is how quickly it happens. I often tell my friends that coyote hunting is “pretty boring, until it isn’t!” And I stand by that. I’ve spent hours and hours of my life staring at dirt and sage. Sometimes, I want to see something so bad I think my eyes play tricks on me. And of course there is always the shadow from a crow or raven passing overhead, or a jack-rabbit suddenly running to make your heart pound. But when the stars align and I get a coyote coming in, I usually go into a weird state of calm after that initial jolt. I do my best to get a good, quick, clean shot and my mind is 110% focused for those precious few seconds.
All in all, I just love the challenge, the experience and the mental and physical toughness that it all takes. Leaving my warm bed before dawn, driving out into the middle of nowhere and freezing half to death sometimes feels crazy to me, but I don’t see myself stopping unless I’m crippled or dead.
I don’t have much experience with other types of hunting but I think this thing we do is probably one of the hardest hunting challenges around. So get out there, shoot straight and stack some fur!