Misses & hits

Snowshoes

Well-known member
This morning, I was once again set up on the flats of the creek valley watching some coyote trails. With a farmyard to the north and a strong northwest breeze, I hoped to be set up in a good location.
A few minutes after getting set up, I hear coyotes howling from the bushes to the south of me. Sounded like three large family groups who were fairly close. This likely meant there wouldn't be much for coyote activity from the north today.
Twenty or so minutes pass and I see my first coyote heading south from the above hills. I let this scruffy one pass in hopes of a nicer looking coyote may venture past. The temptation to shoot this coyote as it stops broadside numerous times is fought off and roughly ten minutes later I see “the” coyote I was hoping for. Its a decent looking specimen and is following the same trail as the first one. It goes behind a small knoll and I get re-positioned before it reappears, I notice two others following the same trail and glass them quick. The second coyote looks a tad rough but the back one looks decent. Soon the lead coyote is on the flat to the west of me and with a vocal bark it stops, presenting me with 150ish yard broadside shot. Swing the crosshairs over and send a bullet its direction. The coyote reverses direction and within a few feet, is once again hid by the knoll. I chamber another round and get the crosshairs onto the back coyote who now is making tracks directly to the west. A few vocal barks and howls finally stops it but my shot proved to be harmless.
I was pretty confident the first coyote would be piled up on the other side of the knoll but that too proved to be a negative! Found where the coyote spun around and there was absolutely no sign of a hit. Ranged back to where I sat, 143 yards.
Not a single drop of blood showing in the snow but I still followed the tracks for almost a half mile in hopes of finding a piled up coyote. I guess a guys has to hit them in order to find them! Clean miss on both counts. The walk back to the truck always seems further after missing a great opportunity and today was no exception.

From there I drove to a spot that has a long narrow slough which has been known to hold coyotes in the past.

Start off with distress from an open reed call. These were some very sorrowful sounding cries. Even I felt bad for that poor phantom rabbit!
Within a few seconds I have a coyote coming across the slough ice and it stops facing me. A frontal chest shot has coyote #48 down. I knew this wasn’t a good coyote.

The shot kicks another coyote out and it decides to clear the safety of the cattails, stopping at the edge to look back my direction. A shot to the chest drops coyote # 49 ( another ugly coyote!)

Walked over to the last coyote shot and ranged back to where I sat, 164 yards.
Walked to the first coyote shot and ranged back and once again get a reading of 164 yards.
Thought, is this rangefinder stuck on 164 but of course it wasn’t.
Can’t hit a nice coyote at 143 but can knock down crappy looking coyotes at 164
smile.gif
. Oh well that’s hunting!
Suppose to be very windy tomorrow, so who knows how that will affect the morning hunt.
 
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Originally Posted By: lockrotorWell 2 more ugly one gone is a plus. Congrats on your double.
Ugly, that they were. I see a few more need to be dispatched.
Originally Posted By: SVBCongrats on your KILLs-------------

svb
Thanks, svb
 
Originally Posted By: mantorvilleyoteLook at the tail on #2. That has to be painful to have the issues some of these dogs have.
It looked to have about the same amount of hair on its belly as its tail (Nil). It would be a tough go to survive the cold snap we are now experiencing.
 
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