Friday The 13th...(Pics Included)

Ursus21

Active member
As I sat with my back against a large round hay bale, while overlooking a freshly swathed alfalfa field, I wondered what kind of luck I would have on Friday the 13th. I was excited to try this stand because I had an unusual East wind. Normally the wind blows from the West making this stand impossible to hunt. Plus, I was also very pleased to be hunting over a freshly cut field. A fresh cut field to a coyote is like an all you can eat buffet is to a sumo wrestler. The sky was overcast with an impending rain storm not far off. What little sun that did shine through was at my back. The wind was calm at around 5 mph or less and in my face. If ever there was a perfect coyote stand this was it. I glanced down at my brand new Ruger Hawkeye Predator rifle, topped with a Bushnell Elite 6500 Tactical Elite 4.5-30x50mm scope. I made sure it was on its lowest setting. It was the maiden voyage for this rifle/scope set up. Its very first time in the field on its very first stand. After having sighted it in a few weeks prior with Hornady Superformance 50gr VMax 22-250 ammo I was confident it could do the job. With the pleasant smell of the fresh cut alfalfa in the air, I began my sequence with some soft rodent sounds. In such calm conditions sound carries far, and I didn't want to start off too loud. After a few minutes I increased the volume and switched to Cottontail DSG on my FoxPro CS-24B. At about the 10 minute mark coyotes started to howl all around me. I let the DSG sound continue for another 5 minutes expecting coyotes at any second. However nothing showed. I muted the caller and sat for 5 minutes contemplating my next move and hoping something would show. The coyotes had gone quiet and nothing showed up. I then decided to shake things up a bit and went with a fairly loud female howl with some barks thrown in for good measure. I just cut out with a few and then went silent for a few minutes. I then repeated the howls, but howled perhaps twice as long and then went silent again for a while. At around 30 minutes on the stand I let out with one more set of howls and was in the middle of doing so when I caught movement out in front of me and a little to my right. There was a pair of coyotes bouncing around between the cut hay rows working their way in. I shut up and watched them. However they seemed a little lost as to where the howls were coming from so I coaxed them a little with some squeaks. A large male cleared the cut hay and came out into the cleared field with the hay bales that I was sitting in. The other coyote hung back and had disappeared from my sight. The big male turned back to see where his partner was, and provided me with a 65 yard broadside shot. The two stage target trigger on my Ruger broke clean and the coyote hit the ground hard, with a perfect pea sized hole right in the middle of his close side shoulder. He went down like the Hammer of Thor had just smacked him. I switched to KiYi's but no other takers showed up. When I approached the coyote I flipped him over to check how bad the damage might be from a 50gr Vmax traveling at 4000fps. I was pleased to see there was not exit wound. (Very favorable first impression.) I took a few quick photos and then drug him back to my pickup.
CoyoteJuly13.jpg


It was now getting dark fast and it began to sprinkle. I could also see lightening off in the distance and hear thunder quite a ways off. I jumped in my truck and headed for home. I hadn't gone more than a few hundred yards when I came across the main reason I do not call coyotes in the warmer months all that often. It's not for any kind of ethical or moral reason. I have no problem killing coyotes year'round, but I absolutely, positively, unequivocally HATE SNAKES! I hate rattle snakes most of all. I'm just glad I didn't run into him on the stand.
RattleSnakeJuly13Fridaythe13th.jpg


All in all, Friday the 13th wasn't a bad evening. The success on the first stand, with a brand new rifle, was over the top satisfaction. I just figured the rattle snake on the way out was just carma reminding me that it was Friday the 13th...

HOMBanner.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I would have also killed the snake. I then would have both of them done in full mounts in a diagram by a taxidermy as memory to such a fun and interesting hunt.


Congratulations on your hunting trip


Wayne
 
Borkon, I have dermestid beetles I use for a skull cleaning business I have. During the off season I shoot the occasional coyote to keep them fed. Works out good for the beetles and the local deer population. Coyotes on the other hand don't find it so handy.
wink.gif
 
Nice job on the coyote!
smile.gif


Hey Ursus,

I've been kicking around buying that exact same Ruger rifle chambered in 22-250, also. What kind of groups are you getting with it? Any complaints? How's the trigger feel? I'm assuming that you don't reload & only shoot factory ammo ... right?

Any info on your rifle would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Ricky Bobby, the only thing I've run in it so far is Hornady 50gr VMax Superformance. It holds 1/2" to 3/4". I plan on experimenting with some hand loading before summer is over. However the Superformance is way under minute of a coyote, and that I'm okay with it. The trigger is exceptionally good. I like the two stage as I've been shooting an AR-15 for the last several years with a two-stage National Match trigger so the transition to the Ruger feels very natural. I also like the fact that the rifle is a medium heavy barrel instead of a full weight varmint barrel. It swings and packs easy. Feels great to me when I bring it up to my shoulder. I can't really think of anything to ding it on except to maybe skim bed the action and free float the barrel. I may do that next summer, but for now I can live with it just the way it is.
 
You are lucky that rattler was not under the bales you were in front of I think. Good shot & set though, nice break in with your new rig.
 
Great story! Going calling in rattlesnake country on Friday the 13th = risky if you're superstitious. Good thing the rattler was down the road instead of at your feet! Enjoyed the pictures and the story!
 
5spd, funny you should mention that about the possibility of a rattler being near the hay bale. I made sure to walk completely around the bale and check for snakes before I sat down. This ain't my first rodeo. However, one can be cautious and even paranoid (I'm both) when it comes to snakes and still get surprised now and then.
 
nice job on the set. a guy cant be too careful when it comes to snakes. i was out p doggin one time and laid over a mound, was shooting for about 15 min when i heard a strange noise, turned out it was a rattler in the hole i was laying over. needless to say I jumped up(almost messesd my pants) and left the gun laying there for prob 10min till i went back and got it. i no longer lay directly over a mound.
 
Great write up and pics...I really like the color on the Yote and the Snake would have made a great belt or hat band...He looks well fed in the pic..
 
Back
Top