After missing a slam-dunk shot a few weeks back, I was back in the saddle today for another go at Wile E. Coyote.
I teamed up with a buddy and I let him man the rifle today. He’s a good shot, so I was confident that if anything came out at a distance, he would be all over it.
I loaded up the Stoeger autoloader with 00 Buck and off we went.
The first stands of the morning were promising with tons of coyote tracks everywhere, but no pay off.
In the early afternoon, we set up along a north/south fenceline that overlooks a narrow field field. On the far side of the field is a ridge where the coyotes are often seen running and hunting rabbits.
The wind was blowing at about 350 (NNW)at 5 guests to 12. Jeff was to the north of me on the line and I moved 25 yards further south. I put the Foxpro on top of a fence post and get back to my seat just into the brush along the fenceline.
I started calling and expecting that the coyote would come from the far side of the narrow field, so I was mainly watching directly in front of me, to the east of my position. After about 10 minutes, it occured to me I’d better look down the fenceline to the south and see if anything was coming, so I leaned forward slightly to better see down the line.
Coyote! Coming at a fast trot, 50 yards out.
Uh oh! I realized that in about 10 steps he was going to trot right into my scent cone. Recall the wind is blowing from the North Northwest. I no more than got the thought through my mind and he locked up like he hit a wall.
Up until this point his gaze was fixed on the e-caller. I clicked off the safety and took a bead on him and he saw my movement and turned broadside and 35 yards. BOOOOOOM.
The blast of Federal 00 laid him over, but then he popped right back up. Thinking I’d shot over the top of him and that he’d just slipped, I touched off two more. Dirt, snow, and fur flew.
I stood up just in time to see him disappear off the fencline. Fearing I’d missed, I took another poke at him through the brush.
Jeff came down the line wondering what all the excitement was about as he hadn’t seen the coyote.
It turned out to be a small male and he had the mange pretty bad, most of the fur was missing from his mid-section so he was going to have a toughe time surviving the winter.
Oh well, no pelt to be had, but the tail is on the wall of the garage and the score is now three called, one down. Even better, a fine day of hunting with a good buddy. The landowners were also pleased as they have been under siege from coyotes and wolves the past 3 weeks, with 4 wolves sighted harassing calves just last week. They are happy to be rid of any predators the can before the calving season starts.
Grouse
