prairiefire
Member
Best part about your stories is that I feel like I'm there and part of the hunt - just not part of the cold! Your accounts are very enjoyable!
21 coyotes in a week. Confessions of a coyote hunter. Final chapter
- Thread starter mikegranger
- Start date
mikegranger
Active member
Tim,
Bubba had to stay home on this trip and Dash is no longer with us. I've discovered over the years that dogs intimidate the young dispersing coyotes and as soon as they see a dog they come no closer or immediately turn and leave. We're going on another excursion tomorrow and he gets to come along this time. He's excited.
Bubba had to stay home on this trip and Dash is no longer with us. I've discovered over the years that dogs intimidate the young dispersing coyotes and as soon as they see a dog they come no closer or immediately turn and leave. We're going on another excursion tomorrow and he gets to come along this time. He's excited.
W. Chad Shultz
Member
Great stories and photos Mike, I enjoy reading them. I have been in pursuit of mulies of late but plan to start the real hunting season in a week or so. What bullet are you liking in that swift for pelts? I have been using the 50gr Ballistic tip with ok results. Playing with a 6XC with 70 gr bullets to see if that will work also. Talk to you soon.
First time I have read "Mike". Entertaining to say the least but what got me the most was that HE keeps things a long time as I do. 32 yr wife + courting is probably closer to 35 (44 for me) 11 yr old camper (my 10x14 tent was bought in 1981) & the honda trail 90--that was the clincher (had to give mine & all other bikes up per Drs. orders in 1993 because of back problems. Now I walk. Thanks for the entertainment, Mike Eddy
mikegranger
Active member
Chad, I've been all over the board with bullets for the Swift. Tried 53g Hornady Vmax last year and they were fantastic until it got cold. Then they would not stabilize in the 14 twist barrel. Picked up a box of 55g Nosler BT and they were WAY too explosive at Swift velocities and on this hunt I was shooting 55g Vmax on the recommendation of folks at Hornady. Well, they might be great in a slower shooting rifle but at 3800-3900 fps, just as explosive as the Noslers. Just loaded up a bunch of my tried and true Swifts coyote loads, 52g BTHP Match Hornady. Before the naysayers jump on here and say "that's only for targets", might be but I've killed hundreds of coyotes with the load and after testing other bullets, I'm going back to them. But, if my Swift were a 12 twist barrel, I'd shoot the 53vmax and never look back! I was flinging them out at 3900 fps last year and they worked great. Little hole in, blow up "inside body cavity", and never exit. I was hoping the 55 Vmax would do the same but something about the bullet configeration makes it too explosive. I'm getting huge blowback on entrance and not much, if any, penetration.
mikegranger
Active member
Jmeddy,
I see you picked up on one of my "character traits". I keep things forever. I like old things because they were built better back then, and the wife of my youth will be with me till the end. We started dating when she was 15!
I walk too. The Trail 90 is there in case my old trusty truck finally breaks down. It just rolled 190,000 miles and going strong. Some of the places I take it are many miles from the nearest house. An additional form of transportation is good insurance.
I see you picked up on one of my "character traits". I keep things forever. I like old things because they were built better back then, and the wife of my youth will be with me till the end. We started dating when she was 15!
I walk too. The Trail 90 is there in case my old trusty truck finally breaks down. It just rolled 190,000 miles and going strong. Some of the places I take it are many miles from the nearest house. An additional form of transportation is good insurance.
mikegranger
Active member
Chad, I'm envious. I've been wanting a 6XC for sometime but just can't justify the expense right now. Please keep me informed on how it works for you.
mikegranger
Active member
Thanks prairiefire. I like your screen name. I'm a fire guy and have lit and put out, a heck of a lot of them.
Ok, where were we? Oh yes, the big storm had hit and the winds were still blowing. I don't know what the wind chills were but the contrast from two days before and then were something fierce! My pickup is old enough that it doesn't have a temp display, which is fine by me because if I knew how cold it was I just might wimp out, maybe! I had cell coverage that night at the trailer and got a few texts of folks wondering if I was going to "hang in there".
Heck ya, after the cold and blow usually comes the still and sunny. I just had to suffer through the blow. Monday morning rolled around and the trailer was rocking before sun up. Nothing takes the drive out of me like the wind. I honestly didn't want to go out for another day of hoping I was close enough for a coyote to hear me. But, like my signature says, I endeavor to persevere. There's a reason I have the saying on all of my posts and this day would prove it!
The first stand had me looking into the wind with my eyelashes freezing up as I was blinking constantly. It was cold and brutal! Nothing responded and my resolve sank a little further.
I walked to the top of a distant hill on the following stand and had a commanding view of the area. Below me was a large black figure which turned out to be a lone angus bull laying with his back to the wind and his head tucked into this mid section. No doubt he was much smarter than me! I let the call do it's thing and was glassing everywhere, hoping to see anything that resembled a coyote. When it's cold and windy like this, I have a very hard time sitting in one spot for 15 minutes and was just about ready to turn the call off at minute 10. I took one more look at the bull and caught site of a coyote charging in at a dead run! The wind was blowing hard enough that I wasn't going to take a frontal shot when he stopped at 200 yards and hoped he would stop one more time before cutting my scent. He didn't and at 25 yards went into overdrive. My rifle is set up for prone shooting. It's heavy, cumbersome and doesn't swing worth a darn. The first shot didn't even come close, the 2nd was over his back and the 3rd was a hail Mary before he went out of sight. She was good to me because I heard a whap and no coyote running over the next hill. I'll take luck anytime. I've noticed the harder I work at this, the luckier I get.......
Long walks in the snow are always more enjoyable dragging back a coyote. I was on the hill to the right and the arrow is where #7 ran into a bullet.
I'm always amazed how one minute you are feeling like it's going to be a bad day for calling, and the next you're pumped and reading to take on the world! Just one coyote early in the morning changes one's outlook completely.
The very next stand I've called for 15 minutes, stood up and walking to the caller when I see a coyote pop over the hill. I'm positive it sees me but hasn't figured out what I am (good camo is invaluable). I flop on the ground, turn the call back on and watch him come right on in. I'm slowly tracking the coyote in the scope when he stops broadside, smells a trail in the snow, and #8 dies. I jump up, pat myself on the back and notice something 15 feet from me that had been there the entire time. It was so darn cold a porcupine had back up to a small bush as was stone cold still the entire time the call was blaring 15 feet away. Of course I had to take pictures.
The coyote is the dark spot on the ice, porcupine is right in front of me and call to the left. This is a classic example of seeing what you want to see. I sat at the rifle for 15 minutes and never saw the porcupine. The coyote had smelled its trail, that's why he stopped!
Mr. pork u pine got to live another day.
The wind continued to blow but I was on cloud 9 and couldn't be dissuaded. Two coyotes on a wind day is mighty fine in my book so when a third coyote was circling me at 310 yards late in the afternoon, I was ecstatic because I knew the Swift was up to the challenge.
Coyote #9 made a perfect ending to a windy, cold day. To be honest, I almost quit calling after the first stand but by sheer perseverance, was able to make it a fantastic day.
Ok, where were we? Oh yes, the big storm had hit and the winds were still blowing. I don't know what the wind chills were but the contrast from two days before and then were something fierce! My pickup is old enough that it doesn't have a temp display, which is fine by me because if I knew how cold it was I just might wimp out, maybe! I had cell coverage that night at the trailer and got a few texts of folks wondering if I was going to "hang in there".
Heck ya, after the cold and blow usually comes the still and sunny. I just had to suffer through the blow. Monday morning rolled around and the trailer was rocking before sun up. Nothing takes the drive out of me like the wind. I honestly didn't want to go out for another day of hoping I was close enough for a coyote to hear me. But, like my signature says, I endeavor to persevere. There's a reason I have the saying on all of my posts and this day would prove it!
The first stand had me looking into the wind with my eyelashes freezing up as I was blinking constantly. It was cold and brutal! Nothing responded and my resolve sank a little further.
I walked to the top of a distant hill on the following stand and had a commanding view of the area. Below me was a large black figure which turned out to be a lone angus bull laying with his back to the wind and his head tucked into this mid section. No doubt he was much smarter than me! I let the call do it's thing and was glassing everywhere, hoping to see anything that resembled a coyote. When it's cold and windy like this, I have a very hard time sitting in one spot for 15 minutes and was just about ready to turn the call off at minute 10. I took one more look at the bull and caught site of a coyote charging in at a dead run! The wind was blowing hard enough that I wasn't going to take a frontal shot when he stopped at 200 yards and hoped he would stop one more time before cutting my scent. He didn't and at 25 yards went into overdrive. My rifle is set up for prone shooting. It's heavy, cumbersome and doesn't swing worth a darn. The first shot didn't even come close, the 2nd was over his back and the 3rd was a hail Mary before he went out of sight. She was good to me because I heard a whap and no coyote running over the next hill. I'll take luck anytime. I've noticed the harder I work at this, the luckier I get.......
Long walks in the snow are always more enjoyable dragging back a coyote. I was on the hill to the right and the arrow is where #7 ran into a bullet.
I'm always amazed how one minute you are feeling like it's going to be a bad day for calling, and the next you're pumped and reading to take on the world! Just one coyote early in the morning changes one's outlook completely.
The very next stand I've called for 15 minutes, stood up and walking to the caller when I see a coyote pop over the hill. I'm positive it sees me but hasn't figured out what I am (good camo is invaluable). I flop on the ground, turn the call back on and watch him come right on in. I'm slowly tracking the coyote in the scope when he stops broadside, smells a trail in the snow, and #8 dies. I jump up, pat myself on the back and notice something 15 feet from me that had been there the entire time. It was so darn cold a porcupine had back up to a small bush as was stone cold still the entire time the call was blaring 15 feet away. Of course I had to take pictures.
The coyote is the dark spot on the ice, porcupine is right in front of me and call to the left. This is a classic example of seeing what you want to see. I sat at the rifle for 15 minutes and never saw the porcupine. The coyote had smelled its trail, that's why he stopped!
Mr. pork u pine got to live another day.
The wind continued to blow but I was on cloud 9 and couldn't be dissuaded. Two coyotes on a wind day is mighty fine in my book so when a third coyote was circling me at 310 yards late in the afternoon, I was ecstatic because I knew the Swift was up to the challenge.
Coyote #9 made a perfect ending to a windy, cold day. To be honest, I almost quit calling after the first stand but by sheer perseverance, was able to make it a fantastic day.
Kollincoyote
New member
Saaaweet!!
dan brothers
New member
Countrystrong
New member
It keeps gettin better and better keep it up!
nyttrain5150
New member
WTG!!!
wicka
Member
Looks like the coyotes will get a reprieve from me this year as I had rotator cuff surgery and will be in a sling for another 4 weeks and then to rehab. Am chomping at the bit to try my new to me 6br I bought a few weeks back. Shooting Nosler 80gn BT with 30.1 gns of varget. The rifle is a Savage 110 with 28" McGowen Precision 8 twist topped with Leupold 6.5-20x40.
thanks for sharing your story
thanks for sharing your story
Hawk-eye
New member
I'm enjoying reading of your adventures out there very much Mike! Keep up the great work. I know exactly what you mean about how killing a coyote on a morning where you don't have much motivation can completely turn around your whole attitude for the rest of the day. Those pale coyotes are beautiful!!! Can't wait to read of the next adventure!
mikegranger
Active member
One of the good things about my job is I get to take a lot of time off in the winter. Not many forest fires in our hemisphere this time of year. I just arrived at one of my hunting spots and am going to spend Thanksgiving week chasing coyotes.
I'm going to continue with this story and will hopefully have another yarn to spin soon. In the meantime, I better get going with the finish for this one.
Thanks again for the comments. I know a lot of our members will never get to experience hunting in the frozen plains of Montana so I try to give y'all a taste of what it's like up here. I know I am blessed and feel an obligation to share the blessing as best as I can.
Finally, the snow and blow was over and I woke up Wednesday morning to dead calm and 0*F. Was I ever excited
I love days like that and wasted no time choking down a muffin and was out at the crack of dawn.
Almost immediately I saw two coyotes crossing a hay field and while I was looking for a place to hide the truck, saw one more. Once the truck was hidden. I snuck back over the hill and tried calling the pair. Finally, ten minutes into the call sequence they cautiously come over the hill. They knew something was up and would not come closer than 200 yards to the call. Problem was I positioned myself another 150 yards further away in order to see. Well, as I've said many times already in this thread, the Swift is up for the shot. I gradually squeezed on the trigger and at the shot the male goes down. I immediately swing on the female but she was over the hill in no time. I looked back to the dead coyote but he wasn't dead at all! Nope, he was up and running away. I wasn't worried as there was fresh snow to track him. Once on the track I knew he wouldn't be running far and he didn't. Only problem was he ran right to the road I'd just driven down and found the only culvert in 3 miles!
It was plenty big enough for him but way to small for me, oh and he was stone dead in the absolute center of a 40' long culvert. There was no way I could get him. Never in my 30+ years of coyote hunting has that ever happened. I was so mad that I forgot to take any pictures of my culvert coyote. Oh well, he'll be there all winter, I'll take a few of #10 next time.
Onto the next stand. Another beautiful spot but nothing responded, or so I thought. The sunrise was fabulous and I just had to take a few pictures with the Nikon. I'm snapping away and catch movement out the corner of my eye. To my amazement, a coyote is 50 yards away and coming hard! I barely have enough time to drop the camera and grab the rifle.
Coyote #11 is only 30 yards from the "photographer" . What a perfect spot, notice the great skinning posts right behind the rifle?
Two more coyotes make the same mistake during the day and I finish the fifth day of hunting with 13, but I missed two as well.
, shot low on both of them. More about this later.
I'm going to continue with this story and will hopefully have another yarn to spin soon. In the meantime, I better get going with the finish for this one.
Thanks again for the comments. I know a lot of our members will never get to experience hunting in the frozen plains of Montana so I try to give y'all a taste of what it's like up here. I know I am blessed and feel an obligation to share the blessing as best as I can.
Finally, the snow and blow was over and I woke up Wednesday morning to dead calm and 0*F. Was I ever excited
Almost immediately I saw two coyotes crossing a hay field and while I was looking for a place to hide the truck, saw one more. Once the truck was hidden. I snuck back over the hill and tried calling the pair. Finally, ten minutes into the call sequence they cautiously come over the hill. They knew something was up and would not come closer than 200 yards to the call. Problem was I positioned myself another 150 yards further away in order to see. Well, as I've said many times already in this thread, the Swift is up for the shot. I gradually squeezed on the trigger and at the shot the male goes down. I immediately swing on the female but she was over the hill in no time. I looked back to the dead coyote but he wasn't dead at all! Nope, he was up and running away. I wasn't worried as there was fresh snow to track him. Once on the track I knew he wouldn't be running far and he didn't. Only problem was he ran right to the road I'd just driven down and found the only culvert in 3 miles!
Onto the next stand. Another beautiful spot but nothing responded, or so I thought. The sunrise was fabulous and I just had to take a few pictures with the Nikon. I'm snapping away and catch movement out the corner of my eye. To my amazement, a coyote is 50 yards away and coming hard! I barely have enough time to drop the camera and grab the rifle.
Coyote #11 is only 30 yards from the "photographer" . What a perfect spot, notice the great skinning posts right behind the rifle?
Two more coyotes make the same mistake during the day and I finish the fifth day of hunting with 13, but I missed two as well.
spotstalkshoot
Well-known member
All that barbed wire at the roadside, you can run the wire in the culvert and twist it into the fur and pull right out. Even wounded coyote and fox can be pulled out of holes and culvert.