Arizona Bushman
New member
This month just keeps getting hotter and better for hunting the coyote dogs in the Valley of The Sun. One hundred plus degree days, monsoons rolling in and the local sheeple are all locked away for the summer in their air conditioned McMansions. Perfect time to get outdoors and start calling all of the spots that get overwhelmed with fair weather snowbirds, weekend warriors, and Tacti-Cool Teddy’s during the winter months. The day started off HOT, I met up with Weever82 at 4:00 PM and we hit the road.
I had scouted out five spots that we could pull 15 minute stands plus travel and set up time before the sun was scheduled to set. As we are pulling into spot number one, Weever and I were discussing how noise discipline is crucial to a successful stand. I had just told him how I jumped a coyote one time by simply snagging on a fence. No more than five minutes later we are crossing a barbed wire fence and guess what….I am greeted by a coyote running the other direction! Dammit, practice stand blown already.
Second stand was dry and hot. Weever called in a few woodpeckers as I am removing my sweat filled contacts. I won’t need those I think, the longest kill shot ever for me was like 80 yards. I can see 80 yards, eff it!
Six minutes into the third stand, we catch two coyotes on a leisurely stroll. About 125 yards out, the lead dog stops and trots the other direction. I let the call go silent for about 20 seconds and then switch to pup distress 3 on the Wild Fire. Here they come again, this time at a faster rate. Nice, at about 80 yards out just as my vision clears up I draw a bead on the lead dog and bark him to a stop. CRACK!!!! Weever is quick on the trigger but hits low. The dog instantly accelerates to 3900 feet per second in two strides and narrowly outruns my 35 gr Hornady NTX. Now we know how fast a coyote can run!!
Fourth stand, dry and hot again. I think that the temperature has actually risen at this point.
Fifth stand, looking good, the temp is falling and a nice cool cross breeze. We walk in to a lady jogging in front of us. Dammit, plan B takes us slightly out of the way but things are still looking good. We set up with a few rolling hills around us and begin with some cottontail distress. 30 seconds in and thirty yards to my six o clock a dog starts to challenge bark at us. Grrr, wish I could hunt with a frag grenade right about now. Weever throws every sound in the Fox Pro playlist at it. Nothing, now we are just gonna put a stalk on it. Still nothing and it is the fourth quarter with a two minute warning. The team is down 4-0 at this point and we need a Hail Mary to win this thing!
We rush back to the truck and put a half mile between us and the challenge dog. The sun is setting as we are hastily setting up the huddle. No gear, no shooting stick, just standing there with a rifle and two minutes of legal sunlight. Just after the call starts I see movement in the distance. I glass a tiny coyote outline about 500 yards out on the edge of a cliff. Weever is on the rangefinder and gives me the sign with his fingers (three) seven (zero) I begin to low crawl to a nearby bush and use the branches as a makeshift stabilizer. Just as the silhouette of the dog begins to turn to walk away, I take a deep breath and ease back on the trigger. CRACK!!!! Total silence, I see the dog do a double front flip through my scope and then hear the spent brass hit the rocks next to me.
For the record: June 1st to date. 21 dogs down and longest confirmed kill to date.
I had scouted out five spots that we could pull 15 minute stands plus travel and set up time before the sun was scheduled to set. As we are pulling into spot number one, Weever and I were discussing how noise discipline is crucial to a successful stand. I had just told him how I jumped a coyote one time by simply snagging on a fence. No more than five minutes later we are crossing a barbed wire fence and guess what….I am greeted by a coyote running the other direction! Dammit, practice stand blown already.
Second stand was dry and hot. Weever called in a few woodpeckers as I am removing my sweat filled contacts. I won’t need those I think, the longest kill shot ever for me was like 80 yards. I can see 80 yards, eff it!
Six minutes into the third stand, we catch two coyotes on a leisurely stroll. About 125 yards out, the lead dog stops and trots the other direction. I let the call go silent for about 20 seconds and then switch to pup distress 3 on the Wild Fire. Here they come again, this time at a faster rate. Nice, at about 80 yards out just as my vision clears up I draw a bead on the lead dog and bark him to a stop. CRACK!!!! Weever is quick on the trigger but hits low. The dog instantly accelerates to 3900 feet per second in two strides and narrowly outruns my 35 gr Hornady NTX. Now we know how fast a coyote can run!!
Fourth stand, dry and hot again. I think that the temperature has actually risen at this point.
Fifth stand, looking good, the temp is falling and a nice cool cross breeze. We walk in to a lady jogging in front of us. Dammit, plan B takes us slightly out of the way but things are still looking good. We set up with a few rolling hills around us and begin with some cottontail distress. 30 seconds in and thirty yards to my six o clock a dog starts to challenge bark at us. Grrr, wish I could hunt with a frag grenade right about now. Weever throws every sound in the Fox Pro playlist at it. Nothing, now we are just gonna put a stalk on it. Still nothing and it is the fourth quarter with a two minute warning. The team is down 4-0 at this point and we need a Hail Mary to win this thing!
We rush back to the truck and put a half mile between us and the challenge dog. The sun is setting as we are hastily setting up the huddle. No gear, no shooting stick, just standing there with a rifle and two minutes of legal sunlight. Just after the call starts I see movement in the distance. I glass a tiny coyote outline about 500 yards out on the edge of a cliff. Weever is on the rangefinder and gives me the sign with his fingers (three) seven (zero) I begin to low crawl to a nearby bush and use the branches as a makeshift stabilizer. Just as the silhouette of the dog begins to turn to walk away, I take a deep breath and ease back on the trigger. CRACK!!!! Total silence, I see the dog do a double front flip through my scope and then hear the spent brass hit the rocks next to me.
For the record: June 1st to date. 21 dogs down and longest confirmed kill to date.
