Snowshoes
Well-known member
Another cold morning (-24C) but at least it was calm. The breeze direction was ideal for me to watch a coyote trail that I came across last Friday, so that would be the plan of attack for this morning.
To hunt this spot, I normally park the truck in a low spot 80 yards off the road but with all the fresh snow, I was forced to park on the approach!
From the truck, I would walk south 500 yards on the road and then west into a field for 200 yards. A small willow bush along an east/west fence line is where I would set up. The coyote trail was roughly 125 yards north of my location which runs from a farm's dead pile northwest of my location to a large bush patch to the east of me.
The walk into the field of knee deep snow made me wish I was wearing my snowshoes but I powered through in good time anyways.
Fifteen minutes after it was legal shooting light is when I see the first coyotes. There is three of them on the north/south fence line to the west of me but nothing traveling on the trail so far. ( Ranged the trees by the 3 coyotes at 745 yards).
Ten minutes later I do see activity on the trail as there is a group of five coyotes traveling single file towards me. As I get ready for their arrival, I’m thinking why couldn’t they have come one at a time instead of all five together.
I notice the lead coyote is scruffy but the middle two look good, the forth one is also scruffy but the back one also looks good. The coyotes are making good time but the lead coyote suddenly stops at roughly 175 yards out. They are all stopped and looking to the northeast. Although I can’t see my truck, I’m wondering if they can. The lead coyote turns around and starts trotting back the way it came, so I quickly get the crosshairs onto the second coyote, who is still standing. Fearing the group would all leave right away, I rushed the shot and the result was seeing the back end of 5 coyotes vacating the area in a hurry.
Sat for another half hour but nothing else showed, so I packed up but instead of walking back to the road, I walked out to the coyote trail. I was curious if my truck was the culprit for the coyote stoppage.
Sure enough, once I got closer to the trail, I could see my truck plain as day. Another coyote hunting lesson learned the hard way!
The coyote trail I was watching. (looking to the west) The first 3 coyotes were at the far trees to the left of the trail.
We had fresh snow again yesterday, so these were fresh tracks from last night.... almost all were headed west towards the farm!
This snow is making for some very tough hunting indeed,
To hunt this spot, I normally park the truck in a low spot 80 yards off the road but with all the fresh snow, I was forced to park on the approach!
From the truck, I would walk south 500 yards on the road and then west into a field for 200 yards. A small willow bush along an east/west fence line is where I would set up. The coyote trail was roughly 125 yards north of my location which runs from a farm's dead pile northwest of my location to a large bush patch to the east of me.
The walk into the field of knee deep snow made me wish I was wearing my snowshoes but I powered through in good time anyways.
Fifteen minutes after it was legal shooting light is when I see the first coyotes. There is three of them on the north/south fence line to the west of me but nothing traveling on the trail so far. ( Ranged the trees by the 3 coyotes at 745 yards).
Ten minutes later I do see activity on the trail as there is a group of five coyotes traveling single file towards me. As I get ready for their arrival, I’m thinking why couldn’t they have come one at a time instead of all five together.
I notice the lead coyote is scruffy but the middle two look good, the forth one is also scruffy but the back one also looks good. The coyotes are making good time but the lead coyote suddenly stops at roughly 175 yards out. They are all stopped and looking to the northeast. Although I can’t see my truck, I’m wondering if they can. The lead coyote turns around and starts trotting back the way it came, so I quickly get the crosshairs onto the second coyote, who is still standing. Fearing the group would all leave right away, I rushed the shot and the result was seeing the back end of 5 coyotes vacating the area in a hurry.
Sat for another half hour but nothing else showed, so I packed up but instead of walking back to the road, I walked out to the coyote trail. I was curious if my truck was the culprit for the coyote stoppage.
Sure enough, once I got closer to the trail, I could see my truck plain as day. Another coyote hunting lesson learned the hard way!
The coyote trail I was watching. (looking to the west) The first 3 coyotes were at the far trees to the left of the trail.
We had fresh snow again yesterday, so these were fresh tracks from last night.... almost all were headed west towards the farm!
This snow is making for some very tough hunting indeed,
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