Snowshoes
Well-known member
Yesterday morning when I drove to the office the countryside was white with snow, however +45F and some rain made short work of the snow by mid afternoon.
Rain gave way to snow through the night and come morning the ground was once again snow covered.
First location had me set up at the edge of a small slough with a clump of willows at my back. A large block of bush directly east of me was where I anticipated coyotes to be.
Start off with a couple howls using a diaphragm reed which got the attention of a coyote in the trees. Some aggressive howls were returned to let me know I wasn’t welcome here.
I sit tight and watch the edge of the bush for roughly 4 minutes but nothing shows. A few yelps on my part is the next order of business and as I was tucking the diaphragm reed back into the case, I see a coyote skirting the south end of the bush. I move the rifle into position but then see a much closer coyote and decide to take it instead.
The closest coyote who now was at the edge of the same slough as I, stops in a spot that has it hid by tall grass. The crosshairs are then swung back on the first coyote. A 82 yards shot has the wet furred coyote down on the ground.
The other coyote vacates in a hurry unscathed and I later step off the distance where it stood at 35 yards.
( In the above photo, you can just make out the coyote laying in the field to the right side of the bush )
After picking up the coyote I head ¾ mile north and park the truck along a fence line. Walk in a quarter mile and set up on the same fence line with a willow bush once again at my back. A treed ravine to the east of me has shown me pretty good results in the past so hopes were high. The same sequence of calling was the plan but this time after a couple howls, I see a coyote peaking over the bank. It then starts trotting across the field and I let it come as far as I dare before it would catch my scent. The coyote stops in a bit of a low spot and is looking directly towards my location. Crosshairs on the chest and a touch of the trigger sends a big puff of fur floating through the air. The coyote tears off but tumbles a couple time before reaching the ravine. I wait for a few minutes before packing up and walking to where the coyote had stood. Found the tracks and range back to where I sat (159 yards)
A good blood trail was easy enough to follow and I figured to find the coyote somewhere just over the bank of the ravine. Well that was not the case as I followed the tracks down to the bottom and then across a beaver dam. From there the coyote traveled through bush so thick that man should never have to walk though. With snow down the back of the neck numerous times as I tried to pick the easiest route of travel was not helping the situation.
The blood trail was getting fainter and fainter as the distances increased and eventually stopped all together.
Eventually the tracks exited the bush and traveled across an open field. I followed the tracks across the field a quarter mile to a hill top where I could see for almost a half mile and there was no coyote to be seen. Only a coyote who wasn’t hit hard would leave the safety of the trees and head across open county so I called defeat and made the long walk back to the truck empty handed.
The temperatures are suppose to drop below 0F over the next couple days so hopefully the coyotes keep responding.
Rain gave way to snow through the night and come morning the ground was once again snow covered.
First location had me set up at the edge of a small slough with a clump of willows at my back. A large block of bush directly east of me was where I anticipated coyotes to be.
Start off with a couple howls using a diaphragm reed which got the attention of a coyote in the trees. Some aggressive howls were returned to let me know I wasn’t welcome here.
I sit tight and watch the edge of the bush for roughly 4 minutes but nothing shows. A few yelps on my part is the next order of business and as I was tucking the diaphragm reed back into the case, I see a coyote skirting the south end of the bush. I move the rifle into position but then see a much closer coyote and decide to take it instead.
The closest coyote who now was at the edge of the same slough as I, stops in a spot that has it hid by tall grass. The crosshairs are then swung back on the first coyote. A 82 yards shot has the wet furred coyote down on the ground.
The other coyote vacates in a hurry unscathed and I later step off the distance where it stood at 35 yards.
( In the above photo, you can just make out the coyote laying in the field to the right side of the bush )
After picking up the coyote I head ¾ mile north and park the truck along a fence line. Walk in a quarter mile and set up on the same fence line with a willow bush once again at my back. A treed ravine to the east of me has shown me pretty good results in the past so hopes were high. The same sequence of calling was the plan but this time after a couple howls, I see a coyote peaking over the bank. It then starts trotting across the field and I let it come as far as I dare before it would catch my scent. The coyote stops in a bit of a low spot and is looking directly towards my location. Crosshairs on the chest and a touch of the trigger sends a big puff of fur floating through the air. The coyote tears off but tumbles a couple time before reaching the ravine. I wait for a few minutes before packing up and walking to where the coyote had stood. Found the tracks and range back to where I sat (159 yards)
A good blood trail was easy enough to follow and I figured to find the coyote somewhere just over the bank of the ravine. Well that was not the case as I followed the tracks down to the bottom and then across a beaver dam. From there the coyote traveled through bush so thick that man should never have to walk though. With snow down the back of the neck numerous times as I tried to pick the easiest route of travel was not helping the situation.
The blood trail was getting fainter and fainter as the distances increased and eventually stopped all together.
Eventually the tracks exited the bush and traveled across an open field. I followed the tracks across the field a quarter mile to a hill top where I could see for almost a half mile and there was no coyote to be seen. Only a coyote who wasn’t hit hard would leave the safety of the trees and head across open county so I called defeat and made the long walk back to the truck empty handed.
The temperatures are suppose to drop below 0F over the next couple days so hopefully the coyotes keep responding.
