My son Ben and I headed out Friday to make a couple of stands with a friend from church then help him with some fencing. He had seen some coyotes on the ranch when he looked at the fencing job so we thought we'd try calling before we got to work. We made two stands and had some howlers but no committers. Our friend did get a shot from the Ranger in between the two repairs but didn't connect. Well, the fencing didn't take long and in visiting with the rancher, he mentioned a wild horse that had died near the road. It was dark-thirty when we came in so we hadn't seen it. On our way out we saw a coyote leaving the carcass but no shot.
I'm usually a bit of a purist about calling them in but since I put a long range rig together, the idea of sniping coyotes was drawing me. We went on past the carcass and made a stand to see if it would allow time for a coyote to get back on the horse. On the stand we had a pair show up in the first couple of minutes but the wind switched on us and they busted us before we could get a shot.
After the stand we went back by the horse (nothing on it) and went down a road opposite where the carcass was laying. Again, we decided to make a stand in the next draw to let things settle down. This time we had a beautiful male come in at 10 1/2 minutes. Ben dropped him at 100 yards with his .17 Fireball. It was even prettier than the male I took Wednesday--nice long guard hairs. (We didn't get a Hero shot of this one but it's the one on the left with its feet in the air in the back of the truck.)
We went around the ridge to try another stand and jumped a coyote. No shot but within 50 yards another coyote took off! Ben tried a running shot on it but didn't connect. I figured, "What the heck, with this many coyotes we might as well do a stand." Howlers but no takers again. (This area gets quite a bit of pressure.) So, we head back to the truck to change out our calling rifles for our .243 AI's.
We snuck up the ridge as quietly as we could and sure enough a coyote was on the carcass. We ranged him at 352 yards. It was my shot but I wanted Ben to spot and to see the shot so I had him sneak up behind me. Before he could get up there, the coyote decided that he'd had all he could fit in his belly and left the carcass. We watched him swing around us on the flat but could never get him to stop in a position for a shot. Darn!
We laid on our bellies in the snow for another 30 minutes and a second coyote showed up on the carcass. This time I didn't mess around. When he looked like he may be thinking about leaving, he only got to stop once! The 105 grain Berger was pretty decisive. Now I'm thinking I kind of like this coyote sniping!
Here's the first victim.
We soaked through to the bone waiting for another coyote to show up but we had to leave to get Ben to a school function before another coyote arrived. When we got home, Ben realized he'd lost his wallet somewhere. Darn, I guess we'll have to go back out and find it in the morning. Maybe we should leave early enough to do some more sniping!
This morning we arrived well before daylight and waited for a while to let the coyotes settled back in for breakfast. We were in our hide as it was getting light and a coyote was back on the carcass. Ben's shot this time and the coyote didn't even twitch. Sweet. Maybe 45 minutes later a second coyote showed up. My shot and he laid down about three feet from Ben's coyote. So, three shots, three coyotes at 352 yards. We waited until 9:00 but no one else showed. (Fortunately, we found Ben's wallet where we had parked yesterday afternoon.)
Here's where they fell. The red arrow is pointing out the hide.
This morning's offering.
We made three more stands and called one more pale coyote but alas, no shot.
Here's the fur from the last few days.
Pretty long winded as usual. Hope you all are having a good weekend and piling up the fur!
tt
I'm usually a bit of a purist about calling them in but since I put a long range rig together, the idea of sniping coyotes was drawing me. We went on past the carcass and made a stand to see if it would allow time for a coyote to get back on the horse. On the stand we had a pair show up in the first couple of minutes but the wind switched on us and they busted us before we could get a shot.
After the stand we went back by the horse (nothing on it) and went down a road opposite where the carcass was laying. Again, we decided to make a stand in the next draw to let things settle down. This time we had a beautiful male come in at 10 1/2 minutes. Ben dropped him at 100 yards with his .17 Fireball. It was even prettier than the male I took Wednesday--nice long guard hairs. (We didn't get a Hero shot of this one but it's the one on the left with its feet in the air in the back of the truck.)
We went around the ridge to try another stand and jumped a coyote. No shot but within 50 yards another coyote took off! Ben tried a running shot on it but didn't connect. I figured, "What the heck, with this many coyotes we might as well do a stand." Howlers but no takers again. (This area gets quite a bit of pressure.) So, we head back to the truck to change out our calling rifles for our .243 AI's.
We snuck up the ridge as quietly as we could and sure enough a coyote was on the carcass. We ranged him at 352 yards. It was my shot but I wanted Ben to spot and to see the shot so I had him sneak up behind me. Before he could get up there, the coyote decided that he'd had all he could fit in his belly and left the carcass. We watched him swing around us on the flat but could never get him to stop in a position for a shot. Darn!
We laid on our bellies in the snow for another 30 minutes and a second coyote showed up on the carcass. This time I didn't mess around. When he looked like he may be thinking about leaving, he only got to stop once! The 105 grain Berger was pretty decisive. Now I'm thinking I kind of like this coyote sniping!
Here's the first victim.
We soaked through to the bone waiting for another coyote to show up but we had to leave to get Ben to a school function before another coyote arrived. When we got home, Ben realized he'd lost his wallet somewhere. Darn, I guess we'll have to go back out and find it in the morning. Maybe we should leave early enough to do some more sniping!
This morning we arrived well before daylight and waited for a while to let the coyotes settled back in for breakfast. We were in our hide as it was getting light and a coyote was back on the carcass. Ben's shot this time and the coyote didn't even twitch. Sweet. Maybe 45 minutes later a second coyote showed up. My shot and he laid down about three feet from Ben's coyote. So, three shots, three coyotes at 352 yards. We waited until 9:00 but no one else showed. (Fortunately, we found Ben's wallet where we had parked yesterday afternoon.)
Here's where they fell. The red arrow is pointing out the hide.
This morning's offering.
We made three more stands and called one more pale coyote but alas, no shot.
Here's the fur from the last few days.
Pretty long winded as usual. Hope you all are having a good weekend and piling up the fur!
tt
