Snowshoes
Well-known member
What a difference one day can make with our weather. It was above freezing with rain showers on Jan. 01 and today its minus 22C ( -8F) with 4 inches of fresh snow (wind chill of -28C …. -18F). The plan this morning was to try some calling near the gravel pit but on the walk in I noticed a fair number of coyote tracks. Plans changed and I set up at the end of a dirt pile to watch coyote trails that would lead to & from a poultry farm. There is a slough bottom just to the west of me that runs a couple hundred yards to the north. From my slightly elevated position I had a good view of the area including the whole slough.
Twenty minutes pass before seeing my first coyote and its shortly joined by another. They are on the north side of the slough and are angling to the southeast. The coyotes are on a slow trot and when they get to the east side of the slough I move into position for a shot.
They keep on their intended course and Im about try stop them with a bark but I don’t have to. A small flock of gray partridges bust from the stubble in front of coyotes and glide a few feet past me before diving into the safety of the tall grass. The coyotes are both now standing broadside and I pick the closest one. A 142 yard shot puts it down.
I was sitting at the dirt mound that is over the coyotes shoulder… the slough is between the coyote and dirt mound.
I quickly chamber another round but the coyotes partner is gone and I never get a chance for a shot. Something to my left catches my eye and I see a different coyote on the west side of the slough trotting away. I swing over to it and just as I pick up the coyote in the scope it does me the favour of stopping. A squeeze of the trigger sends the coyote into a frantic spin before piling up. (later ranged at 170 yards)
I guess I missed seeing this coyote in the field as my focus was on the pair. In this pic., I would have been sitting on the mound roughly above where the coyotes front paw is.
The mercury is suppose to dip down this evening which will make for a cool morning hunt tomorrow. The weather channel is saying, -29C ( -20F) with a wind chill of -41C (-42F). There will be an extra layer of clothing required for those temps. Yikes!!
Twenty minutes pass before seeing my first coyote and its shortly joined by another. They are on the north side of the slough and are angling to the southeast. The coyotes are on a slow trot and when they get to the east side of the slough I move into position for a shot.
They keep on their intended course and Im about try stop them with a bark but I don’t have to. A small flock of gray partridges bust from the stubble in front of coyotes and glide a few feet past me before diving into the safety of the tall grass. The coyotes are both now standing broadside and I pick the closest one. A 142 yard shot puts it down.
I was sitting at the dirt mound that is over the coyotes shoulder… the slough is between the coyote and dirt mound.
I quickly chamber another round but the coyotes partner is gone and I never get a chance for a shot. Something to my left catches my eye and I see a different coyote on the west side of the slough trotting away. I swing over to it and just as I pick up the coyote in the scope it does me the favour of stopping. A squeeze of the trigger sends the coyote into a frantic spin before piling up. (later ranged at 170 yards)
I guess I missed seeing this coyote in the field as my focus was on the pair. In this pic., I would have been sitting on the mound roughly above where the coyotes front paw is.
The mercury is suppose to dip down this evening which will make for a cool morning hunt tomorrow. The weather channel is saying, -29C ( -20F) with a wind chill of -41C (-42F). There will be an extra layer of clothing required for those temps. Yikes!!
