I Shouldn't Have Shot the Coyote

drhart

New member
I went out this afternoon to a place that I called in three bobcats last winter. I shot two but only got one because the other one got into a deep sinkhole that I couldn't get into.

The first stand produced nothing. I only walked about 400 yards over a big ridge and set up again. I was on a steep gumbo hillside and could see a lot of really rocky, rough country. I started calling with a Wounded Weasel because I had read on here that they are effective on cats. I had been calling about 10 minutes with only a magpie or two showing up.

I saw a coyote coming from the bottom of the steep hill. I got turned toward him when he was out of sight. He came into view and stopped at about 200 yards.I got on him and then he started running up the hill toward me. At about 100 yards, I woofed to get him to stop but he was coming hard. I knew that if I let him come too close, he was going to get out of sight and be right in my lap when I could see him again. I shot him at about 60 yards running. He spun around and went down the hillside.

As soon as I shot, I saw something move between me and him. It was a bobcat and he was leaving fast. I tried to get on him and call again but he made it over the hill. I ran after him to see if I could see him going away but I never saw him again. When I walked back over the hill, another coyote was standing at the bottom of the hill but he saw me when I saw him and he took off before I could shoot him. The bobcat couldn't have been more than 40 yards from me when I shot the coyote but he was just over the curve of the hill so I couldn't see him. I must have shot almost directly over his head.

I had to crawl into a hole and use a loop on a cord to get the coyote out of a sinkhole he fell into. I sure hate missing the chance at a cat but it was pretty exciting there for a little while.

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There is a Tony Tebbe howler, Kerry Carver open reed, Dustin Ford closed reed and the Wounded Weasel all on Tony's Stealth Lanyard.

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drhart, It is hard to pass on the coyote,while waiting for a bobcat. On deer hunts it kills me to let a coyote walk by. Some times they get shot and to [beeep] with the hunt!


That is a great picture, you look happy. Good job.
 
Wounded weasel call? What is that?

At least you made one good stand for the day. Most guys don't have that kind of action, I know I don't. Keep up the good work and go back in a week or two and show us some glory shot with you and the kitty cat.
 
A Wounded Weasel is a closed reed custom call made by a custom call maker from Utah that used to be on this forum all the time. I think his name is Weasel Chaplin. They are nice little calls. I've called in a few other coyotes with it.

I don't have any photos of the sinkholes. They are in the gumbo badlands and are where water has washed from one level of the hill and usually came out someplace down below. They are really dangerous especially when there is snow on the ground. They can be very deep and usually taper down and get smaller until you can't get into them. If you got in, you probably wouldn't get out. Kind of like a cork in a bottle. I've had stuff go into them like the bobcat last year but this coyote just rolled down the hill and fell into this one. I was fortunate to get him out.
 
good shooting!! great job on that stand!! too bad on the bobcat. i really like the cats. nice looking coyote. great picture. what kinda rifle is that?
 
It's a Ruger Ultralite in 204. I don't think they make them anymore but it does shoot really well which really surprised me in such a light rifle. I usually carry the 204 when I'm hoping for a cat because it has been pretty fur friendly most of the time.
 
nice gun. i thought it was a ruger. i have a M77 in stainless and black stock in .243, looks alot like your rifle. i like the camo wrap you've got on yours. i probly need to do the same with mine. only stainless rifle i've ever owned. it's a fine weapon, especially since i had the trigger polished, but i think i'd like a matte or camo finish alitte better. good luck with the rest of your season. keep posting those nice pics.
 
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