Up and at em early this morning to hit the honey hole. It's been a few weeks, so why not. We've seen a bunch this year already, though this was a solo morning with my camera man on spring break. At just about legal shooting time, I catch a coyote, maybe 75 yds out, running up a road that comes from the farm into the pasture. This thing keeps looking back as if something spooked it toward me. It couldn't have scented me as the wind was pushing me to the south. I don't have time to get on the rifle so I watch it thinking it'll break down the hedgerow into another field to my left. Instead, this thing runs up to the pond edge and does a buttonhook onto the bank I'm laying on. It's 20 yds and looks back from where it came. It starts moving to me and stops at maybe 5 yds...but still doesn't see me in my prone position. I thought for sure she was gonna get to within feet and then catch a whiff of me, but she doesn't. She steps over the edge of the pond and walks right across in front of me at 2 yds. I could have spit on her. She stops right in front of me, and then continues on her way. At this point, I'm thinking I might get a shot in the field to my right. It was legal shooting light, but it wasn't light out. She snuck off as I let out a few howls to try and stop her. I kept scanning to try and find her again, but she disappears and I go back to watching my front.
Five minutes later, at 110yds, a coyote appears. I can't say for sure that this is the same one, but I believe it is. First shot is a hit and sends her into a spin. I hit her in the hind quarters. Two more shots, and she lays down as if she's gonna die. No problem...I go back to scanning, keeping an eye on her the whole time. After about fifteen minutes of her just lying there, she decides it's time to get up and try to leave the field. I get on her quick and send one just over her, quickly chamber another and finally drop her to the ground. I'm using a slightly lighter, faster bullet so I understand being a little high.
Some time later, while looking at the field to my right, I notice what I think is a deer at 500+ yds. I wasn't even gonna take a second look, but curiosity got the better of me so I grabbed my binos to take a look. It's another coyote. I had just spent a day taking this rifle out to 600 yds and was confident if I got a good range that I could make the shot. Problem was...the coyote was on the move and got to the thicket before I could get it in my scope. I grabbed my hand squeaker to try and draw it out, but it vanished into thin air. So...I go back to my front.
I noticed the cows moving down through the right field, so I know I have to be careful if I'm gonna take a shot that way (note the foreshadowing). As I scan back to the right, in darn near the same spot I took a big male a few weeks ago, I see the outline of a coyote sitting there watching the cows. I quickly get in the scope and find her in my crosshairs. I'm shooting directly over cows that are 70 or 80 yds closer to me. Again, I can't say for sure that this is the same coyote I saw at 500+ yds, but it's in the same general direction. Single shot from the 6.5CM and the 120gr Amax bullet puts this one straight to the ground...at 250 yds.
Exciting morning to say the least. I either saw 2, 3, or 4 coyotes. Two of them, females, are now pushing up daisies. I paced off where that first female was standing on the bank with me...4 paces. Couldn't believe she never saw me...
Five minutes later, at 110yds, a coyote appears. I can't say for sure that this is the same one, but I believe it is. First shot is a hit and sends her into a spin. I hit her in the hind quarters. Two more shots, and she lays down as if she's gonna die. No problem...I go back to scanning, keeping an eye on her the whole time. After about fifteen minutes of her just lying there, she decides it's time to get up and try to leave the field. I get on her quick and send one just over her, quickly chamber another and finally drop her to the ground. I'm using a slightly lighter, faster bullet so I understand being a little high.
Some time later, while looking at the field to my right, I notice what I think is a deer at 500+ yds. I wasn't even gonna take a second look, but curiosity got the better of me so I grabbed my binos to take a look. It's another coyote. I had just spent a day taking this rifle out to 600 yds and was confident if I got a good range that I could make the shot. Problem was...the coyote was on the move and got to the thicket before I could get it in my scope. I grabbed my hand squeaker to try and draw it out, but it vanished into thin air. So...I go back to my front.
I noticed the cows moving down through the right field, so I know I have to be careful if I'm gonna take a shot that way (note the foreshadowing). As I scan back to the right, in darn near the same spot I took a big male a few weeks ago, I see the outline of a coyote sitting there watching the cows. I quickly get in the scope and find her in my crosshairs. I'm shooting directly over cows that are 70 or 80 yds closer to me. Again, I can't say for sure that this is the same coyote I saw at 500+ yds, but it's in the same general direction. Single shot from the 6.5CM and the 120gr Amax bullet puts this one straight to the ground...at 250 yds.
Exciting morning to say the least. I either saw 2, 3, or 4 coyotes. Two of them, females, are now pushing up daisies. I paced off where that first female was standing on the bank with me...4 paces. Couldn't believe she never saw me...
