For me, coyote hunting is just an excuse to wander around exploring the big lonely high desert areas. Something about the endless two tracks to nowhere that don’t see two vehicles in a year, the vastness, the solitude, the sage brush, it’s in my blood and brings me joy.
So, with great anticipation I made plans for a two day trip to head out there amongst ‘em! I’d been looking at a big remote valley I’ve never been to on the maps for awhile, thinking I’d like to see what the calling is like out there and figured this was as good a time as any.
So after Thanksgiving dinner, I loaded up the Jeep and went to bed Thur. night full of anticipation, so much anticipation I slept poorly and was ready to fly out of bed when the alarm went off at 3:30AM. The Jeep likes the high desert as much as I do, so once I got it lined out in the right direction I just cranked up the tunes and let it run.
Several hours later, I pulled off the blacktop. There was a solid snow cover of about 6”, light breeze and the temperature was 14 degrees below zero.
Saw these guys soon after leaving pavement.
The snow was at least several days old and it allowed me to read the tea leaves as I drove. Not much sign. About 20 miles from pavement, I came to a turn that led to some country that had looked good on the map. I was delighted to find the road I’d chosen was a rarely used two track that nobody had been on at least since it snowed and probably a lot longer than that.
Some miles further I started getting into a decent amount of coyote sign and the country was starting to look good for making stands. It was mid morning by then and the sun was shining with stunning brightness on the white snow. It had warmed up into the positive teens.
I started making stands. And not having any luck! I was seeing just enough coyote track in the snow to give me reasonable hope that coyotes were hearing my sounds, but conditions were not what I’d consider ideal. It had been a brightly moonlit night on snow and now it was the kind of blindingly bright day that makes sunglasses mandatory. A million glittering tiny diamonds in every direction. And while the temperature was only in the teens, with the bright sun shining and not much wind, it felt warm. I imagined the coyotes curled up on a south facing hillside with their tails over their eyes, sleeping off the night before. After making five or six stands the only creatures I’d seen besides jackrabbits and birds were a small band of mustangs.
I was happy as a clam though! Had not seen a person all day. Had been cutting fresh track in the snow most of the day. The country I was seeing for the first time was stunningly beautiful and I was in my happy place. I figured a coyote would have to come to my calls sooner or later. And of course, one did.
- DAA
So, with great anticipation I made plans for a two day trip to head out there amongst ‘em! I’d been looking at a big remote valley I’ve never been to on the maps for awhile, thinking I’d like to see what the calling is like out there and figured this was as good a time as any.
So after Thanksgiving dinner, I loaded up the Jeep and went to bed Thur. night full of anticipation, so much anticipation I slept poorly and was ready to fly out of bed when the alarm went off at 3:30AM. The Jeep likes the high desert as much as I do, so once I got it lined out in the right direction I just cranked up the tunes and let it run.
Several hours later, I pulled off the blacktop. There was a solid snow cover of about 6”, light breeze and the temperature was 14 degrees below zero.
Saw these guys soon after leaving pavement.
The snow was at least several days old and it allowed me to read the tea leaves as I drove. Not much sign. About 20 miles from pavement, I came to a turn that led to some country that had looked good on the map. I was delighted to find the road I’d chosen was a rarely used two track that nobody had been on at least since it snowed and probably a lot longer than that.
Some miles further I started getting into a decent amount of coyote sign and the country was starting to look good for making stands. It was mid morning by then and the sun was shining with stunning brightness on the white snow. It had warmed up into the positive teens.
I started making stands. And not having any luck! I was seeing just enough coyote track in the snow to give me reasonable hope that coyotes were hearing my sounds, but conditions were not what I’d consider ideal. It had been a brightly moonlit night on snow and now it was the kind of blindingly bright day that makes sunglasses mandatory. A million glittering tiny diamonds in every direction. And while the temperature was only in the teens, with the bright sun shining and not much wind, it felt warm. I imagined the coyotes curled up on a south facing hillside with their tails over their eyes, sleeping off the night before. After making five or six stands the only creatures I’d seen besides jackrabbits and birds were a small band of mustangs.
I was happy as a clam though! Had not seen a person all day. Had been cutting fresh track in the snow most of the day. The country I was seeing for the first time was stunningly beautiful and I was in my happy place. I figured a coyote would have to come to my calls sooner or later. And of course, one did.
- DAA
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