Snowshoes
Well-known member
With a retirement party, followed later with a birthday party to attend, yesterday was booked with commitments but I did have enough time for a quick scouting trip before we needed to be on the road.
With the forecast calling for a southeast breeze, which we seldom get in this area, I wanted to get out to see what I had to deal with come Sunday morning.
The plan was to be back watching some coyote trails in the valley for the morning hunt. Having a SE breeze would change where I would sit and park the truck.
Saturday mornings scouting trip confirmed I couldn’t get the truck all the way down the trail I wanted due to it being drifted over with snow.
This would require a lot more walking but at least I knew what I was in for when I pulled out of the yard this a.m..
With a mile walk ahead of me, the much lighter Cooper Classic 223 Rem would be the gun of choice today and it even seemed a tad heavy at the ¾ mile mark.
Arrived at my destination with time to spare which gave me the opportunity to sit and enjoy my surroundings. Cloudy skies combined with a light haze in the air made for a later than normal arrival of coyotes heading to their bedding grounds.
First two coyotes to come along were a fair ways to the east and I held off as it would have been a fair long shot.
Five minutes later another coyote shows but this one is much-much closer, I didn’t even have to bark , as it kindly stopped giving me a broadside shot ( #38 ranged later at 132 yards)
The shot kicks a coyote out of the creek channel and it runs a few yards my direction before stopping to look things over. I can see its a mangy coyote as the crosshairs are swung onto it.
A 52 gr. HP hits it square in the chest putting it out of its misery.
(#39 shot at 99 yards)
A few minutes pass and here comes another one but the binoculars show it to be a scruffy looking character. The coyote stops and looks behind it, at what turns out to be a decent looking coyote who was following the same trail. The lead coyote then continues onward and I let it pass by me. I even fight off the temptation to shoot it when it stops broadside a mere 80 yards from me.
Holding off for the back coyote proved to be fruitless. For some reason only known to it, it decides to cut east leaving me a little disappointed as I watch it slowly leave the area unscathed. I could have tried a 300 plus yard shot but thought better of it.
Who knows, we may just meet again.
With the forecast calling for a southeast breeze, which we seldom get in this area, I wanted to get out to see what I had to deal with come Sunday morning.
The plan was to be back watching some coyote trails in the valley for the morning hunt. Having a SE breeze would change where I would sit and park the truck.
Saturday mornings scouting trip confirmed I couldn’t get the truck all the way down the trail I wanted due to it being drifted over with snow.
This would require a lot more walking but at least I knew what I was in for when I pulled out of the yard this a.m..
With a mile walk ahead of me, the much lighter Cooper Classic 223 Rem would be the gun of choice today and it even seemed a tad heavy at the ¾ mile mark.
Arrived at my destination with time to spare which gave me the opportunity to sit and enjoy my surroundings. Cloudy skies combined with a light haze in the air made for a later than normal arrival of coyotes heading to their bedding grounds.
First two coyotes to come along were a fair ways to the east and I held off as it would have been a fair long shot.
Five minutes later another coyote shows but this one is much-much closer, I didn’t even have to bark , as it kindly stopped giving me a broadside shot ( #38 ranged later at 132 yards)
The shot kicks a coyote out of the creek channel and it runs a few yards my direction before stopping to look things over. I can see its a mangy coyote as the crosshairs are swung onto it.
A 52 gr. HP hits it square in the chest putting it out of its misery.
(#39 shot at 99 yards)
A few minutes pass and here comes another one but the binoculars show it to be a scruffy looking character. The coyote stops and looks behind it, at what turns out to be a decent looking coyote who was following the same trail. The lead coyote then continues onward and I let it pass by me. I even fight off the temptation to shoot it when it stops broadside a mere 80 yards from me.
Holding off for the back coyote proved to be fruitless. For some reason only known to it, it decides to cut east leaving me a little disappointed as I watch it slowly leave the area unscathed. I could have tried a 300 plus yard shot but thought better of it.
Who knows, we may just meet again.
