Re: Official 2021 Predator Thread
I started with 3 female howls spaced a minute or so apart. Then into jackrabbit distress , going from Mid volume to almost max within the first couple minutes of the distress, wanting to really reach out a ways to perk the interest of a distant coyote, With the hard packed snow, they now can cover a lot of distance in a hurry. I then back down about 60% volume, playing distress for 30-45 seconds and muting for 2-3 mins and repeat. I’m glassing around slowly, then with naked eye I see something that looks like it wasn’t there just before. Sure enough, it’s a coyote! 600 yards out to the NW, It looks really grey. It’s slowly working it’s way in and is soon out of sight behind an island of timber in the pasture. I turned volume down a bit and keep glassing my side of the island of Bush, Expecting coyote to appear 300y from me. Almost 20 mins had gone by since I first seen it, when All of a sudden the coyote is right in front of me broadside walking at around 100 yards. The field I was looking across is full of gulleys and dips. The Coyote is soon again gone . Seconds later it reappears, heading towards the muted Foxpro. I line up on it and it catches my movement and turns and walks towards me and stops frontal at 65 yards . WHOMP , 6mm Creed 105gr Amax made its legs go stiff. Nice male
The next morning I head out at first light. I hike in along a treed fenceline seperating two fields. I’m lit up with morning sun. Good spot but hard to hunt as you access from The north and you’re looking into the sun . I start again with female howls, 2-3 over a couple miniutes. Then I start the jackrabbit distress. Same routine, volume fairly high for a short burst then back down to a medium wail. Sun is blinding me, and I am cursing myself for picking this side of the fence to sit on. I am looking off to the north, thought I seen something out of place way across the field. Woof woof woof woof, my brain is slowly processing what I am hearing. Sounds like a dog wuufing softly, hmmm that's weird sounds closer than what my eyes are locked on way across the field. I look ahead, which I have been avoiding due to the low sun position ahead of me. ****! haha coyote, 75 yards and coming in. ****! I get on it , coyote looking at me and trotting In still. **** she won’t stop Now I can’t shoot left handed , tripod is jammed into hard snow and I can’t shuffle it. So I move 6mm to right shoulder and I’m forced to shoot her RH with my bad eye. She stops, I just about get reticle on her when she starts trotting broadside again at 50 yards. She’s going to wind me. I bark. Barrkkkk . She won’t stop. Then she gets my wind and turns and runs away I get on her RH and drill it quartering away just as it stops to look back at 82 yards. Huge cloud of coyote drifting in the breeze. Female
Next stand, I had a good feeling about this spot. I get in the shadows on this stand. Lone howls, then snowshoe hare distress. 14 minutes in, I heard a grouse flush behind me, so I rubberneck and see a pale coyote coming down the hill. When it went behind some trees I swung around and it came trotting down the trail right beside me It takes a few steps my way and stops frontal . ****ing close . I’m looking at it through scope, I take the second to soak it in. Both eyes open, Then squeeze frontal at 19 yards. WHOMP - Coyote starts kiyi’n loud, in spin cycle . I should of Reloaded. I kinda expected it to just fall over I lower rifle, work bolt with my right hand, somehow got it half jammed up. Got round in chamber, coyote had spun its way to the Bush across the trail. I had time to shoot again. Not sure why I didn’t, I guess I thought he was hit harder than it was . Coyote gathered itself and trucked out of sight into the bush. I gave it 15 minutes then followed the trail, for 700 yards as the crow flies. Eventually blood ran out and I lost the trail. I must of hit it low in the brisket
Sucks to lose one, first one I have drew blood on & haven't been able to recover in 18 years
"If you ever go into the bush, there are grizzly bears lurking behind just about every bush, waiting to pounce, so you need a powerful gun, with huge bullets" - Gatehouse ~ 2004