Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

[TRnCO]

Well it's become obvious to me that numbers are down in my stomping grounds. My best guess is the double whammy of on-going mange and the severe drought really put a hurtin' on this years pups.
I killed #21 for the season Sunday morning. It along with 5 others this season, were left lay to feed the buzzards. More mange.
My best day so far was 6 in the truck. My worst day, twice, was just a lone coyote. This past Friday I walked some where in the neighborhood of 11 miles, wind kickin' me in the teeth the whole way, and finally I got lucky on the last stand of the day and killed a runner, after I missed the first Moving shot. Earlier Friday I dinged the only other coyote that I called in. Gave chase for 1.5 miles with tracking snow. Not a lot of blood, best I could tell I must've grazed his shoulder on the quartering away shot. I did catch up with it, but only got to see it for a glimpse and it saw me too, so figured the chance of me catching up again were not good at all, so I through in the towel on that one. He was bleeding, not a lot, and never laid down, so I'm sure he'll be there for me to chase on another day down the road.
This past Sat. I finally made it to one of my favorite ranches. Big sandhill sage country. More coyotes always, and that is still true. Managed to kill 5 with a buddy of mine along. I missed one that I shouldn't have. 230 yards broadside. Grrr….that's 4 now this season that I've missed that I really shouldn't have.
Encountered a couple of smarty coyotes Sat. too. Had one peek over a hill on our upwind side, then we caught a few glimpses of it as it made a 180 degree journey all the way around to our downwind side. Never did see it long enough for a shot. It's only smarter now. It probably wasn't the only one that pulled that on us in those sandhills.
At the rate I'm going, I'm going to kill half of what I usually do. Between warm and windy weather, a late start do to warm windy weather and the low numbers, I'm suckin' hind tit!

 

[Reemty J]

thanks for the update Tim, come this weekend I am heading back to that " Coyote Vahalla" it may be windy but if I cant call, I will glass and then put the sneak on them.............I did replace the batteries in my remote. I hope to have an interesting update, maybe a record day......6 is personal best so far, IF memory serves me right..... I will tell you "my opinion" after shooting 27 coyotes with the .204 since spring, I really like it, havent lost one "yet"..and it sure knocks the soup out of them...............Ka-Pow!!!!!

 

[DSheetz]

I think it's so easy to miss the shots we should have no problem making because we get complacent then let our guard down and don't really think about what we should .

 

[Reemty J]

Dave your right, not paying enough attention to detail, some days are real easy, others.....well not so easy.

 

[DMP25-06]

So I took a window mount and drilled and taped a picteny rail to mount on it then mounted my 30 mm tubed Leupold 8.5 - 25 target scope on it to use as a spotting scope . I like it I have eye relief can use both eyes open zoom it easy , flip caps and goes in the house with me at night . .

Hello DSheetz ,

That is a GREAT IDEA !!!
I have been wondering what to do with an older Leupold VX3 8.5x25x50 LR , 30mm tube scope that I have sitting in my safe , as well as an old picatinny rail that is gathering dust .
I bet that yours made an excellent window-clamp spotting scope for your vehicle .

DMP25-06

 

[DSheetz]

It does work well . It's not as bulky as most spotting scopes has good eye relief , good clarity zooms well and wasn't being used for a scope as like you said it was older .

 

[DMP25-06]

David your fingers must be hot cool them off under some cold water well done......... only thing you "may" have missed is how important that shot is, all that work up to the shot, the anticipation, the thought you did everything right and now you close the deal...... ka-Pow..... all that build up but yet you remain in calm, control.......right? Thanks for that story, it is revealed in a way that I thought I was there with you you are on track to be in the league of Peter Hathaway Capstick and that sir is a " no better compliment can be had"

Reemty J, ,

Your last sentences say it all .
" Thanks for that story , it is revealed in a way that I thought I was there with you. You are on track to be in the league of Peter Hathaway Capstick , and that sir is a "No better compliment can be had""

Great stories from ALL of you that have taken the time to share your memories and knowledge .

DMP25-06

 

[DMP25-06]

When You start out for a hunt I like to be ready before I leave the house . I keep all the stuff in my truck so that it doesn't roll around , bang and clang in the truck or the bed of it . When I go in the dark I turn the lights off well before I get to the area I'm going to stop , I have rocks placed in the road that tell me where to stop so my truck will be hidden at my stands , I like to know the area where I will be hunting so if I can I will make a drive through before my hunt . I've worked most of these ranches for over 30 years so I now know for the most part where the problem coyote , fox or bob cats will be living . It seems like here if you kill the problem animals that the ones that fill the gap will use the same general areas as they did year after year . But they may or may not cause problems but you know the general areas to start looking if they do . The dome light is always turned off in my truck I know where every thing is in my truck so that I can just reach out and touch it in the dark if I want or need it . I've sold trucks that the dome light had only been on maybe 12 times in the life of the truck . All my gear that I carry is always in the same pockets so I know where it is if you must have a pocket closed try to have buttons instead of snaps , hook and loop ect. type of closures so they can be opened and closed quietly . If you carry a pack or any thing put it all on the way you will be wearing it step out in your lawn and do a few jump up and downs if it makes more noise then your feet hitting the ground fix it so that it doesn't . If you wear a watch turn it so that the dial or face is on the inside of your wrist . I grit blasted my metal band and the watch case then painted it with grey primmer . A lot of years back the service used to have leather watch bands that had a flap over the crystal so that it didn't shine and if it was luminescent it didn't show up at night . I set in the shade as often as I can , now that I wear glass' that is even more important then ever , that helps to cover any necessary movements you will have to make . When I make my stand I watch out if any thing that might bite or sting me before I set up . As I'm setting up I slowly move any rocks , sticks ect. that I may set on or will be where my feet will be . I don't want to break any twigs that may be where any part of my body will be or rub against them . I don't like any type of clothing that makes noise if it rubs on something such as nylon does . If I have to be out with rain or snow I don't use any type of plastic rain gear on the outside layer if I must use it I put it one layer in under your outer layer but my Carhartt outer wear is scotch guarded and has been used long enough that it is soft and quiet to wear . I find that where I live the brown duck color when faded some blends in well with the grass rocks and dirt . I truly enjoy the hunt but I'm not there for the enjoyment alone my main reason for being there is to kill the problem makers the enjoyment is just an added bonus .

DSheetz ,

This is some EXCELLENT information for all of us that hunt , or just view and photograph wildlife , should follow . We , the novices , need to organize and follow a list of gear preparations before we leave our house , or camp , and especially follow those procedures before taking that first step away from our vehicles towards the area that we are setting up to hunt .

Thank you again for your online classroom that you have been teaching for the last several months .

Dmp25-06

 

[DSheetz]

You sir are very welcome . I truly enjoy sharing my experiences with people who want to hear them and can only hope to teach a little along the way .

 

[TRnCO]

Friend of mine and I killed these two coyotes a few years ago on the same day. Any guesses as to what damaged their hind legs? If you look closely you can see the long fur hairs growing between the pads, so they'd been carrying that leg for some time.
006 by Tim Richard, on Flickr

 

[DSheetz]

Did you skin them ? looks like a couple that took some BB's from above and behind then lived to see another day . It could have also been a form of polio that canines get . The one on the right doesn't look like it has an upper thigh bone . Sometimes when you hit them with a shotgun the pellets will break the bones close to the joint and the joint will lock up with calcium as the bone heals . I skinned two one year one with a front leg and one with a back leg that were locked up and they both still had BB's near or in the joints . The right hand coyote could have been hit with a center fire round taking bone out then healing over . I've killed some that had legs shot off completely near the shoulder and healed up that were fat and otherwise healthy .

 

[TRnCO]

I didn't skin them so didn't get a close look at the cause.

Found it a little fascinating that we killed them on the same day.

I've got a couple of pics. of 3 legged coyotes also. One of which I know for certain what happened to it, approx. one year before I shot it. The rancher of the ranch that I was hunting knew exactly which leg was gone without even looking at the coyote because he was the one that shot it off, about a year earlier about 1 mile from where I killed it.
It was completely healed over and in otherwise good condition.

 

[DSheetz]

The coyote's will to live is impressive isn't it . But yet they will give their lives for the pups . A weakness I have taken advantage of often . I got an old coyote once that didn't have any teeth in it's mouth at all and still wasn't in very bad shape . I've tracked pups that were left by another guy when he killed the adults that were living on cow crap and grass hoppers . It's such an interesting study when you look at their lives .

 

[Reemty J]

you have to remember, between mice, which are everywhere and carrion a coyote can get and stay fat. I have seen a handful of 3 legged coyotes, one I did myself and killed it a month and a half later withing a 1/2 mile of where I first shot it.