Snowshoes
Well-known member
October 31 2020
Last weekend we were snow covered and seen a low of 0*F with the highs only reaching 23*F. This weekend our lows are barely going below the freezing mark and our highs are to hit 59*F to 63*F.
The snow is now all gone and it doesn’t really feel like coyote hunting weather.
Saturday morning I went out to see if I could entice a coyote to the call but brown coyotes amongst brown grasses can be tough to see.
Set up over looking a ravine and I started off with a couple howls. A mule deer buck wandered out of the draw below me and slowly worked its way up the ravine to the north but that was it for activity. I then switched to the e-caller and let cottontail distress play for 20 or 30 seconds. Cloudy skies combined with an endless landscape of brown’s required binoculars to differentiate between grass clumps and four legged furry things. On my last scan, I see a coyote at the fence line to the south of me. This coyote is also scanning the area but without the aid of binoculars and I would think we were on equal ground now.
After a minute, I once again play a short burst of the cottontail distress but the coyote doesn’t budge. Switched to pup distress a couple minutes later didn’t work either. After a half minute, my intended target was up and looking like it was about to leave the area. I took a quick range ( 264 yards) and adjusted the turrets accordingly. The shot felt good but the results didn’t match! Watched my coyote lope away! Maybe hit some grass or maybe just plain missed, I don’t know.
Shortly after the shot, I watch a decent sized whitetail buck meander along the fence line where the coyote had stood a few seconds earlier.
From there, I drove 2 miles southeast and set up on the fence line which has a large block of bush close by. Historically I’ve had good luck calling in this spot and anticipation was high for a repeat performance. I thought I did a stellar job calling but after 15 minutes, I realized I was the only one who thought so.
Sunday November 1 2020
This morning, I thought I would just do some scouting a couple miles west of home. I parked the truck in my usual spot and from there began my westward journey across the field. The field had been worked and the uneven terrain made for tough walking. First thing I would do after getting back to the truck, would be make a trail for the ease of future walks.
After setting up in my usual spot, I use the binoculars to aid in my scouting efforts. With the canola field being cultivated, it too made for tough spotting of coyotes.
I pick up movement to the northwest and see one coyote who looks to be mousing. Another coyote is soon picked up in my limited field of view of the binoculars but this one is headed north and away from the area. Five minutes later, the original coyote, starts to head south which shifts my heart rate up a gear. The excitement is short lived as I watch the coyote cut west and into the trees.
Another five minutes pass before catching movement once again to the north. This time however, its two fox. The one looks to be chasing the other and I soon lose sight of them in the rolling hills. A half minute later, I see one of the fox trotting back and it seemed to be holding its head a little higher than usual. It looked to be proud of showing that other fox, who is who in that neck to the woods!
Another 5 or so minutes pass before seeing another coyote leaving the the slough bottoms but it too was making a northerly journey.
I was a little disappointed to not have any coyotes come my direction but after all, I was here scouting. A quick glance at my watch and would give myself another ten minutes before leaving. Roughly 5 minutes passes and I then see a coyote to the west of me. Its slowly walking along a slough and with a quick range I get a reading of 204 yards. The coyote picks up my movement as I shuffle around to get into position. My target is now looking directly at me but nothing zooming up the scope won’t take care of. A touch of the trigger has my first coyote of the season.
November 7 2020
We had a decently warm week but that all changed overnight. This morning the snow had returned and the temperatures dropped a few degrees.
An east wind would really limit my options of where I could go and visibility was very limited also.
The drive on a snow covered hi-way put a reconsideration of my initial choice of destination. A change of plans and I decided to check the same area as last Sunday but this time I would go to the north of the numerous slough bottoms.
Shortly after leaving the truck I observe fresh coyote tracks on the trail and I kept a watchful eye for the culprit who made them.
On my journey towards a good lookout spot was halted when I see a coyote laying on the ice of a small slough next to the trail I was following. The snow was really coming down now reducing visibility but yet the coyote picked me out instantly. I’m not sure it knew what I was and it never moved from its resting spot. With a couple attempts to find a clear shot through tree branches and not wanting to move around too much, I did find what looked to be clear path. Cross hairs placed on the coyote and the bullet flew true to its target. From where I was, the coyote looked to be close to the far shore but that proved to not be the case. After walking over to the far shore, I could see the coyote was still 30 feet out on what would be very thin ice. There was still open water just a few feet away from where the coyote laid. The coyote looked to have poor fur quality on the back and I easily convinced myself, that to be the case.
I took a quick picture and then went back to the truck as the snowfall was getting more intense. The coyote hunting would be put on hold until the weather smartens up.
To be continued
Last weekend we were snow covered and seen a low of 0*F with the highs only reaching 23*F. This weekend our lows are barely going below the freezing mark and our highs are to hit 59*F to 63*F.
The snow is now all gone and it doesn’t really feel like coyote hunting weather.
Saturday morning I went out to see if I could entice a coyote to the call but brown coyotes amongst brown grasses can be tough to see.
Set up over looking a ravine and I started off with a couple howls. A mule deer buck wandered out of the draw below me and slowly worked its way up the ravine to the north but that was it for activity. I then switched to the e-caller and let cottontail distress play for 20 or 30 seconds. Cloudy skies combined with an endless landscape of brown’s required binoculars to differentiate between grass clumps and four legged furry things. On my last scan, I see a coyote at the fence line to the south of me. This coyote is also scanning the area but without the aid of binoculars and I would think we were on equal ground now.
After a minute, I once again play a short burst of the cottontail distress but the coyote doesn’t budge. Switched to pup distress a couple minutes later didn’t work either. After a half minute, my intended target was up and looking like it was about to leave the area. I took a quick range ( 264 yards) and adjusted the turrets accordingly. The shot felt good but the results didn’t match! Watched my coyote lope away! Maybe hit some grass or maybe just plain missed, I don’t know.
Shortly after the shot, I watch a decent sized whitetail buck meander along the fence line where the coyote had stood a few seconds earlier.
From there, I drove 2 miles southeast and set up on the fence line which has a large block of bush close by. Historically I’ve had good luck calling in this spot and anticipation was high for a repeat performance. I thought I did a stellar job calling but after 15 minutes, I realized I was the only one who thought so.
Sunday November 1 2020
This morning, I thought I would just do some scouting a couple miles west of home. I parked the truck in my usual spot and from there began my westward journey across the field. The field had been worked and the uneven terrain made for tough walking. First thing I would do after getting back to the truck, would be make a trail for the ease of future walks.
After setting up in my usual spot, I use the binoculars to aid in my scouting efforts. With the canola field being cultivated, it too made for tough spotting of coyotes.
I pick up movement to the northwest and see one coyote who looks to be mousing. Another coyote is soon picked up in my limited field of view of the binoculars but this one is headed north and away from the area. Five minutes later, the original coyote, starts to head south which shifts my heart rate up a gear. The excitement is short lived as I watch the coyote cut west and into the trees.
Another five minutes pass before catching movement once again to the north. This time however, its two fox. The one looks to be chasing the other and I soon lose sight of them in the rolling hills. A half minute later, I see one of the fox trotting back and it seemed to be holding its head a little higher than usual. It looked to be proud of showing that other fox, who is who in that neck to the woods!
Another 5 or so minutes pass before seeing another coyote leaving the the slough bottoms but it too was making a northerly journey.
I was a little disappointed to not have any coyotes come my direction but after all, I was here scouting. A quick glance at my watch and would give myself another ten minutes before leaving. Roughly 5 minutes passes and I then see a coyote to the west of me. Its slowly walking along a slough and with a quick range I get a reading of 204 yards. The coyote picks up my movement as I shuffle around to get into position. My target is now looking directly at me but nothing zooming up the scope won’t take care of. A touch of the trigger has my first coyote of the season.
November 7 2020
We had a decently warm week but that all changed overnight. This morning the snow had returned and the temperatures dropped a few degrees.
An east wind would really limit my options of where I could go and visibility was very limited also.
The drive on a snow covered hi-way put a reconsideration of my initial choice of destination. A change of plans and I decided to check the same area as last Sunday but this time I would go to the north of the numerous slough bottoms.
Shortly after leaving the truck I observe fresh coyote tracks on the trail and I kept a watchful eye for the culprit who made them.
On my journey towards a good lookout spot was halted when I see a coyote laying on the ice of a small slough next to the trail I was following. The snow was really coming down now reducing visibility but yet the coyote picked me out instantly. I’m not sure it knew what I was and it never moved from its resting spot. With a couple attempts to find a clear shot through tree branches and not wanting to move around too much, I did find what looked to be clear path. Cross hairs placed on the coyote and the bullet flew true to its target. From where I was, the coyote looked to be close to the far shore but that proved to not be the case. After walking over to the far shore, I could see the coyote was still 30 feet out on what would be very thin ice. There was still open water just a few feet away from where the coyote laid. The coyote looked to have poor fur quality on the back and I easily convinced myself, that to be the case.
I took a quick picture and then went back to the truck as the snowfall was getting more intense. The coyote hunting would be put on hold until the weather smartens up.
To be continued