Colder morning single

Snowshoes

Well-known member
I am pretty sure I was the only coyote hunter out in this area today. Hard to spark interest in fellow hunters when you mention minus 40!
Colder temperatures were predicted for today and that they were. The actual temperate of -20F( -29C) wasn’t too bad but it was the wind-chill of -41.8F(-41C) that a guy had to be prepared for.
Once again I dressed for the weather conditions and today my calling areas would be spots sheltered from the winds.
First spot I set up, was sheltered by a patch of trees with the heavily treed river valley 165 yards to the north of me.
Start off with a closed reed fawn distress call which brought a fair number of ravens and magpies my way. The birds flew straight over and continued to the northwest where there is a feedlot. With steady traffic and sheer number of birds headed that direction, I figured there was likely a new addition in the dead pit. After 3 series of calling and not seeing any action, I chalked this up to, coyotes feeding elsewhere ( a dead pit, ¾ mile away to be specific )
With another spot in mind, I packed up and made the journey back to the truck. As I marched across the open field of swirling snows, I was thankful for the face mask and fur hat & even though dressed for the conditions, the truck was a welcomed sight.
I drove four miles east and the next location would have me tucked in a slough bottom with a windbreak from a heavily treed hillside to the northwest. As I made the 250 yard walk directly into the wind, I found myself tugging the zipper on my jacket up that little extra, trying to trap any extra possible warmth.
I set up in- front a clump of cattails and once again start off with fawn distress. Even though the call had been tucked back under my jacket from the first set, the reed was partially frozen this go around. A bit different sounding distress but it didn’t seem to bother a quick arriving coyote from the sheltered bush. It runs onto the ice and stops to look for that newly injured prey. I swing the crosshairs onto its chest and send a 64 gr bullet its direction, dropping it where it stood.
I tried ranging the coyote but the cold electronics didn’t want to give me a reading. Stepped off the distance at 151 paces.
Coyote # 52

My weather station never really changed from the time I left this morning, to the time I returned!


Suppose to be cold all week which just might make for hungry coyotes come next weekend.
 
heck ya its cold out there, everything was freezing up at work, even a machine knows when its too cold to be working. I did see one lonely looking coyote in my travels today but im pretty sure all the yotes would be holed up in any place thats out of the wind.
 
Congrats on getting another one on this extremely cold morning. Very nice looking coyote. We had fog and couldn't see 200yds. Congrats
 
Good on ya for braving the wind. I must admit I chickened out this afternoon and went trapping instead where I can be near my warm truck
 
Originally Posted By: .204Danheck ya its cold out there, everything was freezing up at work, even a machine knows when its too cold to be working. I did see one lonely looking coyote in my travels today but im pretty sure all the yotes would be holed up in any place thats out of the wind.
On work related travels today (Monday) I noticed a few coyotes were out and on the move. They were likely taking advantage of the calm conditions.
Originally Posted By: lockrotorCongrats on getting another one on this extremely cold morning. Very nice looking coyote. We had fog and couldn't see 200yds. Congrats
I've never had very good luck in foggy conditions.
Originally Posted By: YotarunnerGood on ya for braving the wind. I must admit I chickened out this afternoon and went trapping instead where I can be near my warm truck
Warm truck and the office is where I will be hanging out tomorrow. With the temperature to be -31F (-35C) and a wind-chill of -49F (-45C) I'll take work over hunting
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snowshoes, what cal are you shooting with what twist and bullet at what speed? are you getting pass through, big exits or no exits? pictures show no damage.
 
Originally Posted By: oakeysnowshoes, what cal are you shooting with what twist and bullet at what speed? are you getting pass through, big exits or no exits? pictures show no damage.
I'm shooting a 223 Rem and a 223AI
223 Rem. 1-12" twist
52 gr. Berger Varmint bullet
3300 FPS MV (Chronograph)
Decent bullet on fur, will get an odd pass through but all in all, good

223 AI 1-12" Twist
64 gr Berger Varmint bullet
3155 FPS MV (Chronograph)
Once again a decent bullet on fur, however, more pass-throughs than the 52gr resulting typically with an 1" exist hole (if it passes through)
 
Originally Posted By: Bob_AtlYore are the MAN => "wind-chill of -41.8F", WTG
Pretty sure when I went out hunting that morning, my wife thought my IQ equalled the outside temperature
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Coldest I've been was an over-night hunt (in Georgia), 20 deg F, with a stiff wind.
We set up with our backs to the wind.
Seemed much colder on the hike out - skunked.. Can't imagine -41F !
 
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