Thursday:

We chose not to participate in the egg shoot since Lance told me his rifles probably weren't competitive enough and besides, we were there to get some critters for Dakotah.

We had hired Farrel Goode and Sons Guide Services and had purchased our licenses the evening before. Chris Goode, Farrel’s 20 year old son was to be our guide, so we met him in the morning at the hotel and headed out to hunt. He took us to a spot in the flats that he had called before and at the very first stand, we called a coyote into about 50 yards. It only took about 3 minutes for him to come in. Dakotah couldn't get the scope on him, so he quickly turned and high tailed it out of there. We barked him to a stop a long way out and I ranged him at 328. I told Dakotah it was too far and not to shoot. The guide convinced me to let him try a shot. I told him to aim at the top of the back, but to stay no fur. He dropped the hammer and the coyote dropped. He quickly got up and ran right, and either piled up or disappeared into the wash. We all knew he nailed it, but because of where it was, where the truck was, and the difficulty in getting there, we called it dead and moved on. Dakotah got got his first coyote. No photos taken.

Later that day, we moved to the desert, and put a jack-in-the box decoy at the bottom of a hill where two washes merged into one large one, and then settled in just below the top of the hill facing the decoy and the caller. We had been calling for some time and were getting antsy, when a nice yote popped out just below us. It stood there staring at the decoy for what seemed like forever, but was more like 30 seconds....at least! All I know is we were moving, fussing, talking, and trying desperately to get Dakotah on target where he could see it get a shot. When he did find it in the scope, he didn't waste time. Bang! The yote dropped and kicked. Dakotah had hit it square in the shoulder at 99 yards. That little 221 Fireball lance gave us really tears 'em up!!

First the smile of one happy kid:



Then the serious, “I’m too sexy for my yote.” pose.



After photos we did another set, and right after starting to call, Dakotah spotted a grey fox run up and stop below us to the right. Once again, he had trouble finding it in the scope, even at 2.8 power. I think this is because the scope was a little far forward for him, making the field of view pretty small. It ran off then came back, and stopped even closer. Chris the guide told me to shoot it, and since Dakotah had shot two critters today already, I pasted it. Okay, so I missed dang it! At 67 yards!! After getting ribbed by Chris “the guide” and my son <grrrr!!>, Chris and I ranged a big rock at ~100 yards, and sure enough.....it was dead on! Gerrrreat! More ribbing! Too dark for another set so back to the hotel for stories and bedtime.

Friday:

Our guide Chris wanted us to pick him up at home, but we had driven out there in the dark (with me as a passenger), and likewise when coming back home the night before. We got lost getting there and so lost the best hour of the day for coyotes. A little disappointed, we headed for Point of Pines (or whatever) and after a long ride, started climbing the snowy road up the mountain. Seeing all the tracks up, I wondered what the point was of going where everyone else had already been. Then we got to the top... Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE had turned back. The snow was nothing for us because of where we we're from. Even my guide was a little freaked out, but we whipped through the deep stuff with ease in our cheesy little jeep.

We trucked along in fresh powder and stopped near a nice little valley. We got out and set up, and put the decoy and caller out. It took four minutes for the first coyote to run in. It came straight to the decoy, then turned around and ran back the way it came without stopping. As we watched it disappear behind some pines, a second, then third popped into view. The lead dog ran to the decoy, then cut to our right. Just as it stopped, I noticed the third dog coming back to join in on the action. I didn't have time react, as Dakotah popped the leader at 40 yards. Once again he nailed it square in the shoulder. Good shot Dakotah! This one got up and ran again but piled up about 20 yards away. I tracked the second dog back towards the lines, but the memory of the licking I took from the last prevented my finger from squeezing off a shot at a moving dog. Call me chicken.

Dakotah with his Pine yote:



Second set of the day, we were in a shallow reek bed, just off the bank. The caller and JB going at it with a Blacktail fawn distress call. A mulie doe and fawn come bouncing in with ears forward and a real concerned looks on their....faces. We videotaped them prancing around for a while until they finally circled us and winded us. They made a quick exit after that!

The crows were making a fuss and I knew something else was coming, but the guide was 20 and had no patience for anything more than 15 minutes. Plus, as I soon discovered, he was cold, so we headed back to the truck.

Chris “the guide” and Dakotah chillin’. Dakotah is cozy, Chris is NOT!



There he explained that he had a funeral to go to and had to be back home for 2:00pm. It was 10:45am. But he had to go now... He complained about the cold, and I could tell he was not used to the snow and not happy to have been hauled up into the snow covered hills with some crazy a$$ canuck and his canooky kid.

I drove him ALL the way back to San carlos, then drove back to do some calls along the highway to the point of pines, where everyone else was....

We made one good set where we walked WAY out onto a ledge that formed a point between two huge canyons. There was a river running at the bottom and it was a spectacular view that was more than worth the walk and the circumstances that brought us there. We called again and brought out a string of coues deer from the river bottom. We took a bunch of photos and Dakotah took a few "I'm bored" shots from the top down to the river bank. He hit everything he aimed at perfectly out to around 250 yards.

See Part Three...

Back to Part One...