Need More Snow!

flintrock

Well-known member
The forecast was for 3-5 inches. We got about 1 1/2. I know, be careful what you ask for!

I sat around the house this morning until the thermometer reached a balmy O degrees. It was -8 F early. That's about a 30 deg. departure from normal here. I made a short jaunt around the section to see if anything was moving and there weren't any tracks yet, so they were evidently waiting for a little warm up also. The last 2 days before the arctic plunge the coyotes have been moving around noon so I thought that would be a good time to start. It took about 10 minutes to load my gear (funny how you can throw it all on and head for a stand in a short time but it takes 10 minutes to load and unload it).
Headed North out of my driveway and no sooner got into the road and a coyote crossed a couple of hundred yards North of me. There has been one crossing there pretty regular and running up to the second terrace in a hay meadow (about 150 yds.) and then stopping to watch the vehicle go by. I've seen him once and a couple of neighbors have seen him several times but nobody had a gun with them, until now. Big, heavy, dark fur ball of a male.

Got to the first stand and walked a pretty good ways in through some cows and got set up on a big hill with a very brushy draw in front of me. This stand has been very good in the past when it was cold. Called for 1 minute and shut the caller off. 30 seconds later I could see a coyote coming through the brush. It cleared the first brush at about 150 yds. and I was on it and could of/should of shot it there. Instead I decided to wait until it cleared the second area of brush and it would be 100 yds. out. Before it could clear the second brush one of the cows spotted it and ran it off. I hardly ever wait to take a shot if I've got a solid hold. After a short lecture to myself and a little more calling to see if I could call it back, I packed up my toys and headed off to the next one.

Again, my set up was on a hill, overlooking a draw with heavy brush.
These were in the drainage leading in to the top of the draw!



This was my view.



Called for 1 minute again and shut the caller off. Almost immediately after shutting the call off, 2 show up in the low brush in front of me and sit down at 300 yds. A very short time later I find out why. Two more are approaching from my right. The first one stops in some tall grass but with it's head and neck exposed. I don't wait for a better shot this time and pile it up right there. The second one takes off fast from right to left, in and out of tall grass and brush but I'm finally able to get on it
going straight away at 225. I looked through the scope for quite awhile trying to identify some landmark I could use to find it in a sea of grass. I nearly stepped on it before I could see it. Unfortunately, things happened too fast on the first one and after a long look was unable to find it. On to the next.

Same type of setup.



Same 1 minute calling, shut the call off and had one to my hard right at about 25 yds. shortly there after. It was close enough that I was locked up and couldn't move. It veered away a little, to the cedar trees in the right of the picture. When it was hidden from view I adjusted my gun to the edge of the cedars, turned the caller back on at low volume and waited. It peeked out but I couldn't get a clear path for the grass and brush. It played a little game of peekaboo for a couple of minutes and then made the mistake of stepping out.






All of the called coyotes were in the thick draws and showed up to Nutty Nuthatch being played for 1 minute. I think they probably would have responded to about anything though.
Bring on the next cold snap and snow!!!


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