Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

[DSheetz]

I would think that sucking one into the intake would put a whole new meaning to the term red mist . Not so good on turbines . The air port at Billings is kind of interesting being so high above the city it's self . A whole lot better then most dirt roads or ranch strips though .

 

[nicholasjohn]

Those are two great stories nicholasjohn. Curiousity kills more than just cats lol. I think they too must just have an attraction to any kind of machinery. A lot of coyotes around my parts like to follow our farm machinery in the fields looking for an easy meal we may run out. The hawks and eagles follow us too. With the advent of autosteer in most of the newer equipment it gives us more time to look around for them instead of having to constantly look where we are going. If they are dumb enough to come take a look and dumb enough to just stand there while we stop the tractor, get off and load gun then I guess they're just DUMB. There's a lot of farmers and or farmhands that are also sportsman and we all "pack" for the situation. It has always amazed me how you can go out and work your tail off setting up and calling and have tough goes at it but then you see them do the dumbest stuff and wind up getting them in a much easier fashion. Anyway not as cool as getting one with an airplane which I think is quite the achievement, probably not many can say they did that but nonetheless always good to hear the more unique ways to get a coyote. Even my favorite cartoon when I was a kid was Wiley Coyote and the Roadrunner lol.

74 honker,

You're right - every time a big machine happens by, there's going to be something to eat left dead or wounded in its path - easy pickin's for a predator. A half a digger squirrel that they don't have to work for is far better than a whole one that took all afternoon to catch. That's a nice bonus for them. They're just like we are, in that they like to pick the low-hanging fruit first.

Also, I think they just look dumb when we see them from some kind of big machine, because they don't recognize that thing as being a threat to their well-being. They aren't feeling the need for caution, like when they're sneaking in to the call. They're not concerned about being munched on by a big cat because they had their attention focused on that squeaking sound. Often, they will stand around looking at a big machine like it's somebody's grain bin or something. They see those all the time, and they've never had a problem with one. The only thing different about this one is that it's moving. I don't think they are at all aware that there are people inside those things.

My buddy Jeff once told me that if shot every big whitetail buck he's seen while running a combine through his sunflowers, there wouldn't be any deer left in Minnesota. I once asked him about coyotes, and he said "Oh - I stop the machine and go shoot those damned things every chance I get." He's got an AR clamped into a stand-up gun rack right in front of the cab, and he's READY all the time. Wish I could have kept one in the cockpit of a Boeing - it would have come in handy for lots of things. Mostly those long-eared jack-rabbits, but about half the time when we saw one of those hopping along on the airport, there was a 'yote not far behind it. I've even seen a few get jumped by a fox or a 'yote while we were taxiing along watching. It's just like Marlin Perkin's Wild Kingdom out there sometimes.

There are several airports that I used to go to regularly that are infested with bunny rabbits. One was Mather Field in Sacramento. Syracuse, NY had a lot of woodchucks that attracted the predators. Birds of all flavors seem to congregate around airports, too. Hawks & owls are a problem for aircraft - I've hit a fair number of those on final approach. ( I think they were there mostly to pick up the pieces of the other birds that had been knocked down by aircraft.) Most airports are in river valleys, and ducks & geese are pretty hard on jet engines. They are flocking birds, too, so you usually don't hit just one. I hit about a dozen seagulls one time coming out of Mumbai. They will also put a sizeable dent in the leading edge of the wing. Nothing like sucking in a thirty-pound coyote, though - or hitting a deer. That, Sir, will spoil your whole day. I recommend that you avoid that whenever you can.


Nick

 

[nicholasjohn]

I have watched them lay down in a cow trails and hid from the air plane when I was ground crewing for USDA . It didn't take them long to figure out not to run from the plane and most likely they wouldn't get chased and shot at . I've been in the chopper a few times when the pilot and gunner couldn't see coyote that just laid down as they were looking for movement not something laying low . The pilot called me one time to see if I could locate a coyote for him that he had been trying to get for two weeks . I went out and got the coyote to howl at me from a long ways out . I moved about a mile farther north and got him to bark at me from near the same place so I called Steve and he flew in to pick the rancher and me up . It was early in the morning and we had a lot of clouds the light wasn't real good to see coyote but we gave it a good shot . I told Steve where he had answered from we flew a good grid for nearly half an hour with out any sign of him . Steve told me it was getting pretty old looking for that one lamb killer and not finding him and was taking me back to the truck . We flew past where I had told him the coyote was there was a wind mill and water tank with some cows drinking and one patch of tall sand grass about 10 feet in diameter near the tank . As we passed the grass I saw his face looking up out of the middle of the grass . Steve put into a hover but he or the rancher couldn't see it . He moved the chopper closer and closer telling me not to shoot until he could see the coyote for himself . It finally broke and ran . Steve followed it for quite a while then ran it into a stock pond . It swam across the pond climbed out and locked up stiff as a board . I shot him we landed and checked him out his teeth were all worn down to just stubs . Steve was happy as was the rancher one hard to get coyote finally taken care of .

That's a great story. You guys finally nailed that old trouble-maker. One cagey coyote can kill a boat-load of livestock. I knew a family when I lived in Billings who had a ranch just out of town along the Yellowstone. They had a barn-ful of flying machines, and all of their kids were pilots. ( I worked with a couple of them when we were all flying for Big Sky Airlines. All were EXCELLENT pilots, especially the girl.) The Super Cub was for finding them; the helicopter was for killing them. They had this old Bell 47 helicopter. It was red, and you could tell if you looked at it closely that it had been painted with a brush. ( It has probably been sprayed with a camo pattern by now, for all I know.) I do know this for sure : it was a 'yote-killing machine. I would not have wanted to be a coyote on their ranch - bad location if you want to live a full life-span.

Just before the calving season got started, the boys would fire up these aircraft and go out and take a ride around the ranch, looking for the coyotes. When they spotted one, they would get on the radio and call in the gun-ship. The lads in in the helicopter would then come over and give 'em the business. They would take a buddy along, and the old Browning Auto 5 shotgun. They had a harness they would strap the guy into, to keep the shooter from falling out and going splat. He would also have a double layer of Carhart overalls to keep him from freezing to death, sitting there on the edge of the seat with his feet out there on the skid. When they saw the coyote, it would typically be bouncing along through the sage, and they always wanted to get over by a fence-line where it was easy running. BIG MISTAKE - it was also easy to shoot them when they ran in a straight line, no longer zigging and zagging in the sagebrush.

Those kids used to stack them up like cordwood, and that meant more successful deliveries when the mama cows dropped their calves. Their father liked that, and it was so much fun that he didn't have to twist their arms to get them to go out and do it. I never got in on any of that action, but I had a buddy who went with them several times. He said that if you don't mind freezing your keester off, it was a barrel of fun. I don't think it was nearly as much fun for the 'yotes, though.

 

[DSheetz]

These guys had a bell jet ranger and a bell 53 . They had the window modified on the starboard side so it slid down on the ranger and folded down and latched on the 53 . We used a Remington pump in them . When we used the wolf high wing , the rear window slid back and you had a block that wouldn't let you swing forward enough to shoot the wing strut . That makes for a bad day also . We used left hand benellie's in the wolf so that the pilot didn't get hot shell casings in the back of his head or down his neck , as we shot out the left side of the air craft . It's a rush doing it . But you have to have an excellent pilot . Kelly was sent down to Utah for a while and didn't come home under his own power . He got to watching the coyote and not the ground turned left and caught the wing tip on the ground both he and the gunner died .

 

[74honker]

I think you are exactly right nicholasjohn about the sense of security around certain things. Here in IL we just as well be east CA with the laws we have. We can't have an uncased let alone loaded gun in any motorized vehicle. If we could there would be many more coyotes go down by my hands. Many times they will walk right next to you in the machines. I have to admit to all who have written here that I'm just full of envy and jealousy. You all have had some amazing adventures that just make my mouth water. I live in the wrong part of the country apparently lol. Don't get me wrong I've been part of some wild stuff too but nothing like any of this. You all are my heros lol.
DSheetz, it's a shame that your fellow hunters lost their lives in such a way. Not much room for error doing that sort of thing. Just to be a part of that type of program would have been so interesting. Quite the coordination amongst everyone to pull some of that off.
Everyone keep the stories rolling so I can keep soaking it all in. You all are making my days reading them.

 

[nicholasjohn]

These guys had a bell jet ranger and a bell 53 . They had the window modified on the starboard side so it slid down on the ranger and folded down and latched on the 53 . We used a Remington pump in them . When we used the wolf high wing , the rear window slid back and you had a block that wouldn't let you swing forward enough to shoot the wing strut . That makes for a bad day also . We used left hand benellie's in the wolf so that the pilot didn't get hot shell casings in the back of his head or down his neck , as we shot out the left side of the air craft . It's a rush doing it . But you have to have an excellent pilot . Kelly was sent down to Utah for a while and didn't come home under his own power . He got to watching the coyote and not the ground turned left and caught the wing tip on the ground both he and the gunner died .

That, Sir, is very sad. I'm sorry that you lost a couple of friends. There are lots of hazards in this type of flying. Some have to do with the airplane; some have to do with the gun. It's a very demanding operating environment for sure.

 

[nicholasjohn]

I think you are exactly right nicholasjohn about the sense of security around certain things. Here in IL we just as well be east CA with the laws we have. We can't have an uncased let alone loaded gun in any motorized vehicle. If we could there would be many more coyotes go down by my hands. Many times they will walk right next to you in the machines. I have to admit to all who have written here that I'm just full of envy and jealousy. You all have had some amazing adventures that just make my mouth water. I live in the wrong part of the country apparently lol. Don't get me wrong I've been part of some wild stuff too but nothing like any of this. You all are my heros lol.
DSheetz, it's a shame that your fellow hunters lost their lives in such a way. Not much room for error doing that sort of thing. Just to be a part of that type of program would have been so interesting. Quite the coordination amongst everyone to pull some of that off.
Everyone keep the stories rolling so I can keep soaking it all in. You all are making my days reading them.

I lived in Illinois for a while back in the 80's, and there weren't a lot of coyotes around then. Lots of foxes, but no 'yotes to speak of. I've heard that this has changed pretty dramatically. That's pretty much the story darn near everywhere else, too.

 

[Reemty J]

Back in the old Country, where I attempted to grow up, Renville County, Minnedamsota...my brother inlaw shot the 1st coyote seen in that area in 1981-82...we were hunting fox one day and at the very end of the day we came across a set of tracks that we knew darn well it wasn't a fox. Paws were too big and when it walked slow it was more side to side instead of a line like a fox walks.....very next day we got back on those tracks and took turns following them up, put one guy on the track and the other in the pickup and get to the other side of the section. 1st walk was mine, he had gone through that section into the next, brother inlaw took off on the track and he caught up with the coyote, sleeping at around 200 yards put a 25 grain 17 caliber bullet into it, where the neck meets the head and become the 1st person to kill a coyote in Renville county, MN to our knowledge.........1 year later I moved to Mondamtana, coyote capitol extraordinaire and it has been a lot of learning and fun ever since. When I am calling and watch one come in, still gets the heart pumping with anticipation, keeps you coming back for more......come on you guys and gals, stories lease..............tag your it!!

 

[nicholasjohn]

Back in the old Country, where I attempted to grow up, Renville County, Minnedamsota...my brother inlaw shot the 1st coyote seen in that area in 1981-82...we were hunting fox one day and at the very end of the day we came across a set of tracks that we knew darn well it wasn't a fox. Paws were too big and when it walked slow it was more side to side instead of a line like a fox walks.....very next day we got back on those tracks and took turns following them up, put one guy on the track and the other in the pickup and get to the other side of the section. 1st walk was mine, he had gone through that section into the next, brother inlaw took off on the track and he caught up with the coyote, sleeping at around 200 yards put a 25 grain 17 caliber bullet into it, where the neck meets the head and become the 1st person to kill a coyote in Renville county, MN to our knowledge.........1 year later I moved to Mondamtana, coyote capitol extraordinaire and it has been a lot of learning and fun ever since. When I am calling and watch one come in, still gets the heart pumping with anticipation, keeps you coming back for more......come on you guys and gals, stories lease..............tag your it!!

I used to live in Montana ( excuse me …… MonDAMtana ) and I had a buddy who just lived to call & shoot coyotes. One day he and I went out, the morning after a heavy snow, thinking they must be pretty hungry by now. Their hunting had been shut down by a three-day snowstorm, so it seemed like it would be worth braving the minus 10 degrees to give it a try. We called & called until we were blue in the face, and wondered what was wrong with our picture-perfect set-up. Well, when we got up to leave, we took about ten steps and crossed a smokin' hot cat track in the snow. It was a little bigger than the top of your coffee cup, and we figured we were both pretty lucky we didn't get jumped by that thing. Good thing we were backed up against the rimrock, or he would have had a clean shot at us. That one kinda made us re-think the idea of using a hand-blown predate call in an area that has lions. It's kinda like "askin' for it."

 

[DSheetz]

I think that Cats come in behind you more them most people know .

 

[74honker]

I lived in Illinois for a while back in the 80's, and there weren't a lot of coyotes around then. Lots of foxes, but no 'yotes to speak of. I've heard that this has changed pretty dramatically. That's pretty much the story darn near everywhere else, too.

At least you were smart enough to get out of this place lol! Not very often do you see a fox anymore around here. Coyotes took over and what they don't ruin the dnr started releasing bobcat several years ago and they wreaking havoc on everything else. Bobcats destroying our turkey population and hard on fawns too.

 

[nicholasjohn]

I think that Cats come in behind you more them most people know .

I'll bet that you're right. I think that cats are sneakier than coyotes or foxes, and the only way I would know if one had sneaked in behind me was because I saw its tracks in the fresh snow. They've probably pulled that stunt on me way more times than I would ever guess.

I believe that cats' senses are keener than dogs, and they don't need to use the wind to the same degree that a coyote does. This means that they can come in "from the wrong side" on you, because they can see & hear well enough that they don't worry about not being in the best position to smell you at all times.

I've spent more time calling animals without snow than I have with snow. I prefer calling in snow, because the white background also makes it easier to them see coming, and not getting surprised by the one that pops up ten feet away looking right at me. Nothing like having a little time to get calmed down from the initial rush of excitement when I first see the animal approaching, not to mention getting the gun pointed at the opening where I expect to take my shot..

 

[74honker]

Back in the old Country, where I attempted to grow up, Renville County, Minnedamsota...my brother inlaw shot the 1st coyote seen in that area in 1981-82...we were hunting fox one day and at the very end of the day we came across a set of tracks that we knew darn well it wasn't a fox. Paws were too big and when it walked slow it was more side to side instead of a line like a fox walks.....very next day we got back on those tracks and took turns following them up, put one guy on the track and the other in the pickup and get to the other side of the section. 1st walk was mine, he had gone through that section into the next, brother inlaw took off on the track and he caught up with the coyote, sleeping at around 200 yards put a 25 grain 17 caliber bullet into it, where the neck meets the head and become the 1st person to kill a coyote in Renville county, MN to our knowledge.........1 year later I moved to Mondamtana, coyote capitol extraordinaire and it has been a lot of learning and fun ever since. When I am calling and watch one come in, still gets the heart pumping with anticipation, keeps you coming back for more......come on you guys and gals, stories lease..............tag your it!!

Another great story Reempty J! That's where persistence pays off. You guys must've really wanted that one bad to track one down like that.

 

[DSheetz]

Cats are kind of like pugs flat faced and don't have the sense of smell that a coyote does , they can hear and see any movement it seems like . I was out running traps one morning when I noticed a cave entrance and decided to check it out . It didn't go back very far and didn't look like it had been used in a long time by any people . I only had a 9 shot revolver and had used 6 shots that morning and hadn't reloaded it . As I stepped up to the entrance I heard a low murmur of a growl above me . As the hair on you neck stands on end and your skin starts to crawl you instantly recognize that it's a lion and it's not feeling very secure about you . My truck and rifle were about 100 yards out in front of me . I stood there for a few minutes considering my options . I remembered being told not to run and to make some loud noise . So I yelled and started the trip to my truck thinking at any time I was going to get jumped by it . I got back to the truck opened the door and was in it in record time . I sat there awhile just getting my composure and looking for it. I never did see it and feel very lucky not to get a closer encounter with it then I did . I now reload every round after I use it also .