January 2021

With a very light breeze out of the west and the mercury sitting at 12*F, I knew what coyote trails I would be watching this morning. Having booked the day off to take care of a few things, there would still be time for a morning hunt.
After parking the truck, I began my 600 yard stroll towards a small hilltop that would offer thick bush behind me, three different coyote trails to watch and a good vantage point overlooking the countryside. On my way to this fine spot, I see one coyote in the field to the west, two near the farmyard and one on the slough to the north.
Once settled in, I watch the two coyotes leave the farm site and head north which is the wrong direction as far as I was concerned.
Fifteen minutes later, I see a coyote directly west of me who just walked out of the same tree row as behind me. Swing the cross hairs onto coyote fur and send a 64 grain Berger hollow point on its way. The coyote does a couple quick spins, then followed with a labored dog tracking trot a few yards before going down for good. This coyote followed the term "dog tracking" to a tee! It looked as if its back legs were going to pass its front legs as it trotted almost completely sideways for 20 or so yards. Ranged where the coyote originally stood at 104 yards.
The red arrow in the picture marks where I was sitting.

The shot kicked a couple coyotes from the slough bottoms but they too went north and I figured this was likely it for coyote activity this morning.
I planned to sit for another 15 minutes and I was glad I did. After a few minutes of dropping the first coyote, I notice another coyote come out of the cattails but at least this one is working its way towards me. Its route of travel didn't include any particular trail but the direction of travel was in my favor. The southbound coyote then decided to cut west and I wasted no time getting the cross hairs onto it. I didn't even need to "bark" at the coyote as it stopped on its own. The crack of the 223AI is followed with a second coyote doing a couple spins before trotting a few yards before doing the wobbly leg lay down.
Ranged back to where I sat (174 yards). A good sized male
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: borkonNice job.
Furs starting to look a bit wooly?

The first coyote was a tad bit wooly on the sides but to be honest, when hunting this spot, I'm just happy to see coyotes with any hair.
smile.gif
There has been a discouraging amount of throw away coyotes from here lately.
 
Originally Posted By: lockrotorCongrats Snowshoes on the double. Have you been using the AI this whole season so far?

I sold my Cooper 223 to fund another rifle. So yes, I have just been using the 233AI this season.
Last spring I got into shooting more .22 LR ( I was going Covid Crazy you might say) I first ordered a CZ 457 American but they were in short supply and I had to wait for sometime. With funds from coyote fur sales still burning a hole in my pocket, I wasn't about to object to buying a couple new 22's.
Not sure how long it would take for the CZ 457 to arrive, I had another 22 catch my eye which was a Anschutz 1416 HB.Purchased the Anschutz on a Monday and the next day my CZ arrived. Ended up getting both guns at the same time.
Ammo testing of various Lapua, Eley RWS & SK kept me entertained to the point I would buy another 22 LR Rifle a couple months later. I sold my Cooper model 51 .223 and funded the purchase of a Anschutz 1710 HB.
I've always enjoyed the rimfires and that love seems to have escalated in recent times. With 6-24X50mm scopes mounted, trigger springs replaced and adjusted to ounces, it all makes for an enjoyable time shooting those 50 & 100 yard ( & beyond) targets for groups.
 
Those are some very nice looking 22's. Glad to hear you were keeping your tigger finger in fine condition for this coyote season. By the way the coyotes have looked this year and what Iv'e heard about prices, glad you got so many last year, for this year toys. Congrats
 
Originally Posted By: SnowshoesThe further I get away from the areas where coyotes group feed ( like dead pits) the better they look. The majority of the crappy looking coyote are usually in close proximity to livestock operations. Does a guy go for quantity or quality? I'm a sucker for quantity
smile.gif


Yep that seems to spread mites and lice real bad with all the coyotes close in like that.
I work at a feedlot and have managed to shoot out the mites for the most part its taken roughly 15 coyotes a year from one small area for 5 years but nowadays almost all of em are pretty decent.
 
For some time now I have been waiting for an easterly breeze in order to hit a promising looking spot and this morning, we had such a breeze.
When I left the truck and was headed to where I would sit, a light breeze saturated with fine snow made for a grey gloomy looking morning. Being almost calm, the 1*F temperature didn’t seem too bad at all.
Visibility was lessened somewhat but the fresh skiff’s of snow gave up where coyotes had been not too long before my arrival.
A small slough bottom to the east hid two coyotes but my close proximity was more than they could handle and both busted out the far end of the cattails. Swung the rifle off my shoulder as I dropped to my knees but when I put the rifle on the bog-gear bi-pod, all I could see was a thick stand of cattails. Stood back up but by now, the coyotes had distanced themselves far enough away from me to get a decent shot.
Continued north and set up in a spot I had previously scouted out. I could only hope the coyotes hadn’t already passed through this area but being the first time here, hopes were still high they hadn’t.
After getting settled in, I turned my heated vest onto “low” and then did a quick scan of the field with the binoculars. Nothing to be seen, so a quick picture of the area looking to the southeast.

Ten minutes later I see a coyote crest a hill directly east of me and this coyote is lazily making its way west. I lose sight of it but another coyote appears and now with two coming my direction, my head pivots back and forth to see which one will get here first. No sign of the first coyote, so I focus on the second one and watch its progress through the scope. At what was later determined 102 yards, I stop the coyote with a vocal bark, followed with a well placed shot to its chest.

Quickly chamber another round, only to see that first coyote trotting towards me. I can see its a crappy furred looking thing and I once again watch its progress through the scope. It trots past the downed coyote paying it no attention and unknown to it, a 64 gr Berger bullet was about to end this coyotes travel plans. ( 76 yards)

An additional ten minutes would tick by before seeing yet another coyote to the east. This one doesn’t seem to have the same bearings as the other two but still headed my way. The coyote looks to be headed to the small slough bottom where I kicked the pair out earlier.
Sure enough the coyote crest the last little hill directly east of the slough and a howl on my part results in a stationary coyote. Cross hairs placed on the chest and a 163 yard shot has coyote number three down for the morning.

Sat for a bit longer but the wind had kicked up and it wasn’t pleasant out anymore. A quick check of the Weather Network on my phone showed it to now be 0*F with a wind-chill of -13*F. Heated vest or not, it was time to leave.
 
Last edited:
Congrats Snowshoes on a Triple. The first one sure does look nice. The weather was a lot nicer then what the weather man had said this morning was going to be down here. Saw 2 coyotes but none came home. Ribs didn't even hurt when I had to get up fast to try for the coyote that came in back door. But at least saw something. Again congrats on your triple.
 
Originally Posted By: lockrotorCongrats Snowshoes on a Triple. The first one sure does look nice. The weather was a lot nicer then what the weather man had said this morning was going to be down here. Saw 2 coyotes but none came home. Ribs didn't even hurt when I had to get up fast to try for the coyote that came in back door. But at least saw something. Again congrats on your triple.

Thank you lockrotor, the first coyote was definitely the best of the three.
Good to hear you were able to get out this morning. If you can get up quick and swap directions, you should be "clear" to hunt coyotes.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: borkonI took a pic today of a coyote I killed but don't know how to post it?
Used to be easy?
There is a few good picture hosting sites out there that should fit the bill. I find PostImage, user friendly and easy to use.
Now you need to get those pictures posted borkon
thumbup1.gif
 
chit, I used to be able to no problem.
Most sites there is an "upload" photo icon. I'm kinda getting away from the forums so not real enthusiastic about learning a do_over.
Oh well, still love this yearly posting about you SS and the stories/pics
thumbup1.gif
 
After a week of cold weather, I planned to see if I could entice a coyote to come to calls that I would send out to inquisitive ears. I hadn’t been to the one ravine north of home in awhile, so I thought I would give it a try. Last time there, I called in a double and managed to get one. I hoped to repeat those results again today.
Even though it was -4*F this morning, there was basically no wind which made for a decent morning to be out. I still was powered up with, heated vest, heated kidney belt, heated socks and heated gloves, so if anything, I was a tad bit on the warm side. Although all my heated apparel was set on the “low” setting, I found it necessary to turn a couple things off shortly after leaving the truck.
There was an abundant number of deer in the fields and quite a few in the ravine itself. I had stopped to look things over before heading down to a thick weed patch, when I notice a brown object on a hilltop to the south. With the naked eye it looked too small to be a deer and the binoculars confirmed it to be a coyote curled up having a snooze. With this coyote on the other side of the ravine, it put me in a bit of a dilemma. Do I find a spot close by to call from or do I try to stalk closer for a shot. Contemplating what to do, I look to the southwest where a half dozen deer were grazing and notice what looked to be another coyote bedded on top the ridge. Sure enough its another coyote curled up in a ball and this one is much closer than the other one. Using the lay of the land I stalk within 145 yards of the snoozing coyote. The deer were only 60 or so yards from the coyote but they picked me out as I made my way to a patch of buck brush where I hoped to shoot from. The deer milled about swinging their heads from side to side trying to figure out what I was. Their actions got the coyotes attention and it sat up to see what those deer were up to. With the cross hairs quickly placed on the coyotes chest, I send a 64 gr. bullet on its way. The bullet catches the coyote square and once again the coyote looks to be curled up just like before.

The other coyote was no longer visible but I noticed the deer hadn’t moved too far away after the shot.
I figured I may as well try calling, so downward towards the weed patch I head. With me now in the open, a few deer made tracks to the safety of the trees but the majority stayed put.
After getting setup, I start off with some distress cries using an open reed hand call. I do two series of distress before switching to coyote yelps using the same call.
I catch movement directly west of me and I see 5 whitetail deer standing roughly 5O yards away. I thought I should take a picture of this but suddenly all eyes swung off me and look to the south. I look the same direction and see there’s a coyote standing on the nearby ridge. Slowly move the cross hairs onto target and send another bullet on its way. A solid hit has coyote number two down. Later ranged at 128 yards.

My view from where I sat, looking towards the second coyote. Turned out, neither coyote was worth loading in the truck!

During the coyote breeding season, I often see coyotes laying down in the middle of the fields and with these two bedded in the wide open, it was a good indication that, “it’s that time of season".
From there I drove to a spot directly 3 miles south and last time there, I did call a coyote to the edge of the trees but missed the shot. After parking the truck, I walk to an east/west fence line where I would call from. As I stepped out of the trees on the fence line, I notice three dark spots in the middle of the field to the southeast. The binoculars confirmed three coyotes curled up roughly 20 yards apart from each other. They are a long ways out and I would need to back track some to stay hid as I moved eastward to a spot to call from. Once I get to where I wanted to be, I slip through the trees and set up on the south side of them giving me an excellent view of the bedded coyotes. Having three coyotes bedded in the middle of the field during daylight hours just confirms my thoughts about it being coyote breeding season.
I couldn’t get a range on the coyotes but I knew they were likely 500 yards out. I start off with a couple howls which raises the heads of the middle and the far coyote. After a few minutes, I send some distress cries their direction which now raises the third coyotes head also. The coyotes sat tight after a second series of distress cries from my open reed call but once I switched to coyote yelps, that got them up and on the move. The closest and middle coyote are trotting my direction but the other coyote hangs back. Things are looking promising but then they cut straight north towards the treed fence line. The first one disappears into the trees and I wait until the second one also enters the trees before I head to the north side of the trees myself. I just clear the trees when I see the lead coyote coming on a fast trot towards me. I drop down to my knees but my motion was detected and the coyote makes an abrupt u-turn. My 150 yard coyote is now adding extra yardages real quick. Some yelps using the open reed does stop the coyote but I’m totally guessing on the yardage. Raise the cross hairs some and touch off a shot. The crack of the 223AI is instantly followed with the coyote doing a couple 360 degree spins before kicking the legs into high gear. It went straight east into a cattail choked slough and I figured that would be where it would go down for the count. However the coyote busts out the other side of the cattails and heads straight into another slough further to the east. The coyote then bust out the far side of the second slough and its showing no sign of slowing down as it goes over a far hill nearly a half mile away. All three coyotes looked to be well furred but I wouldn’t be bringing any coyotes home today.
 
Last edited:
Congrats on getting a double. To bad you weren't able to get one down for the count on the other groups. We had 14 mph wind around here this morning so no going out for me. Never have good luck when it gets above 10 mph. Storm coming this after noon. Hoping to get out tomorrow morning or evening.
Again congrats on the double, and thanks for spending the time to write and post your stories.
 
Back
Top