Snowshoes
Well-known member
A tad crisp this morning with the mercury sitting at -24C (-11F) and a wind-chill of -34C (-29F). Extra layers of clothing along with my heated vest and heated gloves would be welcome additions while sitting in the elements.
With the wind at my back, the quarter mile walk from the truck to the creek bottom didn’t seem too bad but once I got sat down and settled in, the icy winds made their presence known.
Turned the heated vest on and then sat back to glass the hills to the north. Twenty minutes later I noticed my scope, my rifle and the binoculars were all coated in a lite layer of frost but at least I was still comfy warm.
A few more minutes pass by before seeing any coyote activity to the north of me. A frosty furred looking pair of coyotes left the farm yard and were headed westward to the shelter of the bush. At roughly 300 + yards out, I had no plans of taking a shot at these coyotes in hopes of something may venture past much closer.
Ten minutes later I see a different one coming from the west and heading east towards the farm yard. Not a good looking coyote as I let this one pass by 175 yards from the end of my barrel.
After an additional fifteen minutes is added to the clock, I’m now thinking that maybe I should have taken a poke at those first two.
I was starting to get impatient as no coyotes traveled the trails I hoped and was already making plans of where to sit the next time I visited this location. A few minutes later I catch movement to the southwest of me which was on my downwind side. A coyote was heading southeast across the flats and for some reason, hadn’t caught my scent yet. I reposition the rifle and give out a howl to stop my steady pace target. The coyote stops and I settle the crosshairs high on its shoulder before sending a bullet its way. The bark of the 223 AI is instantly followed with a coyote laying flat out in the snow. Coyote #51, later ranged at 234 yards.
With one coyote down, I had very little interest in braving the element for any longer. Suppose to be much colder tomorrow and it will be a morning for calling rather than sitting.
With the wind at my back, the quarter mile walk from the truck to the creek bottom didn’t seem too bad but once I got sat down and settled in, the icy winds made their presence known.
Turned the heated vest on and then sat back to glass the hills to the north. Twenty minutes later I noticed my scope, my rifle and the binoculars were all coated in a lite layer of frost but at least I was still comfy warm.
A few more minutes pass by before seeing any coyote activity to the north of me. A frosty furred looking pair of coyotes left the farm yard and were headed westward to the shelter of the bush. At roughly 300 + yards out, I had no plans of taking a shot at these coyotes in hopes of something may venture past much closer.
Ten minutes later I see a different one coming from the west and heading east towards the farm yard. Not a good looking coyote as I let this one pass by 175 yards from the end of my barrel.
After an additional fifteen minutes is added to the clock, I’m now thinking that maybe I should have taken a poke at those first two.
I was starting to get impatient as no coyotes traveled the trails I hoped and was already making plans of where to sit the next time I visited this location. A few minutes later I catch movement to the southwest of me which was on my downwind side. A coyote was heading southeast across the flats and for some reason, hadn’t caught my scent yet. I reposition the rifle and give out a howl to stop my steady pace target. The coyote stops and I settle the crosshairs high on its shoulder before sending a bullet its way. The bark of the 223 AI is instantly followed with a coyote laying flat out in the snow. Coyote #51, later ranged at 234 yards.
With one coyote down, I had very little interest in braving the element for any longer. Suppose to be much colder tomorrow and it will be a morning for calling rather than sitting.
