Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

[WYO300RUM]

-24 in North Cheyenne this am. That's true temp. Don't know the wind chill. House is cold and all I hear is my propane rank hissing under demand.

Dam Don. Keep those tanks full.

Don (also

 

[WYO300RUM]

I now have a great propane vendor. They were at my - and all my neighbors places - to make sure no one ran out. Didn't give much - about 300 gallons each - but at least enough for a couple of weeks if the shtf. Great service.

4 years ago wifey and I were so drifted in we couldn't walk or drive - or dig out for - 3 1/2 weeks. I was terrified about the propane situation. Power was out for 4 days with the whole-house genset gobbling fuel. No way could/would the old vendor deliver due to the 20'+ drifts that covered access to the tank. When they could finally get to us we had 50 gallons left! (In a 1,000 gallon tank. 4 weeks later I bought and installed another 1,000 gallon tank and siamized them together on a manifold. I sleep a lot easier now. That one had me shook up!

 

[DSheetz]

BigDon; I'm glad that you are prepared for the weather events that we get here in our wonderful state. Some people learn from what happens and some don't for me it's refreshing to know of those that do. WYO300RUM . They have opened interstate 25 but with all of the crowd rushing to get to where they couldn't get to before I am going to wait for them to get off of the road my bet is a lot will still be trying to run 80mph on roads that should be 60 mph or less due to icy places and drifting snow. It's interesting how this state is setting up a speed limit system for the different road conditions so then you have times when the speed limit might be 80 mph on good dry roads, but it will then be posted on electric speed limit signs when the road conditions are such that the speed needs to be reduced.

 

[WYO300RUM]

BigDon; I'm glad that you are prepared for the weather events that we get here in our wonderful state. Some people learn from what happens and some don't for me it's refreshing to know of those that do. WYO300RUM . They have opened interstate 25 but with all of the crowd rushing to get to where they couldn't get to before I am going to wait for them to get off of the road my bet is a lot will still be trying to run 80mph on roads that should be 60 mph or less due to icy places and drifting snow. It's interesting how this state is setting up a speed limit system for the different road conditions so then you have times when the speed limit might be 80 mph on good dry roads, but it will then be posted on electric speed limit signs when the road conditions are such that the speed needs to be reduced.

They have the metering signs here also. Going up North Fork by Buffalo Bill Resivoir up to Wapiti and Hwy. 120. I've many times gone slower than posted. Blowing snow, etc.. I drive at what I'm comfortable like most I'm sure.

 

[M77Fan]

Thank you M77Fan !
It's still pretty sore. I have my first therapy this morning 10:30am. Thank you for the kind words and info swelling insane . I posted pics but removed. Not proper for this thread

I can PM you a description of what my rehab progress was if you want. Yeah, mine swelled a lot to start with. I had a little bit of prep for the knee recovery, having had both hips replaced the prior year. Knee takes more commitment and work though. I am not good as new since I am not new any more, but way better and still hunting elk, etc. For a while it improves in 3 day increments, then it is a lot better after a while.

 

[M77Fan]

Once again, a lot of the country is facing a winter storm with high winds, heavy snow falls and subzero temperatures. Most of Wyoming's highways are closed due to winter conditions I hear a lot of people complaining about the road closures they are closed for people's safety. It's not so much that if you want to go and put your life on the line as it is that when you make bad decisions and travel on closed, slick roads with bad visibility as it is that you are then putting other people's live on the line to come and save your sorry butt. Yes, I have been caught out in below zero high winds with zero visibility stuck in a snow drift that you couldn't dig out as fast as it blew in. There are times when you are traveling, and the weather isn't bad but as you travel the sun is shining, there isn't hardly any breeze then you get out between towns and the wind starts to blow a once dry road now has snow blowing across it that melts then freezes turning the road surface to an ice skating rink, the winds continue to increase in speed till now you have snow blowing up to 6 feet above the ground and zero visibility you can't even see the edge of the road let alone from one decliner post to the next do you stop or do you continue to try and drive? I knew a guy that chose to continue to drive till he hit a simi that had stopped in the road. I once worked for a company that told the workers they had to follow a D-9 cat into the job site and back out again after the work shift was done or find a new job, I found a new job after a few trips in and out. I saw cars pushed into the piles of snow that had gotten stuck trying to get to work. The job site was 62 miles out of town this was in 1978 I have learned a little since then please stay home if you can be warm dry and safe someone else cares for you and wants you to be around for them in the spring.

You must have worked out at Blizzard Heights north of Douglas, WY!

It was -43 here with at least a foot of snow if you could measure it level.

 

[WYO300RUM]

I can PM you a description of what my rehab progress was if you want. Yeah, mine swelled a lot to start with. I had a little bit of prep for the knee recovery, having had both hips replaced the prior year. Knee takes more commitment and work though. I am not good as new since I am not new any more, but way better and still hunting elk, etc. For a while it improves in 3 day increments, then it is a lot better after a while.

I have a list of exercises to do at home twice a day and have therapy 3 times a week . First day was yesterday. She said swelling lasts several weeks. I said could you of just said a few ? Last year's hunting was the last on that knee. Very painful. Especially downhill. I shot a decent Muley buck up North Fork about 8 miles from Park boundary last 11/6. Last day of season. Lots of Griz around. You cut up deer/elk fast and get out . I was only up canyon about half mile thank God. I had my off loading knee brace on and two trekking poles. I'd of never made it out with out them. When I got home I weighed my pack . It was 95 pds. Not counting Heavy jacket, rifle, binos, rangefinder, etc. On my shoulders and neck. Going back down I know I'd of fallen at least 5 times if not for poles. The last 300 yds....
Look at my face. Tells it all. I was lucky with cow elk. Only had 4 pack trips about 200yds. to truck. Whitetail buck and doe. Close to truck also. Thanks M77Fan !

 

[M77Fan]

M77Fan: no, I haven't had that happen. I jumped one up once that ran down a trail, I had a snare set in and watched him hit the snare. When he got to the end of the 8 feet of cable, he did a back flip. that was pretty amazing to watch. By the time I got to him he had used up all of the cable and was wrapped up pretty tight. I too am a fan of the M77, my older model 70 Winchester is nearly the same action as them, with the three-position safety. They can be made pretty accurate.

That would have been a sight too. When you are out there, you do see things. I did see a pronghorn buck running flat out trip once when he went to jump a gully. Not sure if he misjudged or a sagebrush got him. You just don't expect to see that, thinking humans are the only klutzes.

I would love to know all you know about coyotes; you sound like an encyclopedia on them. I worked for years at a secure nuclear facility as a wildlife biologist, doing many walking surveys each month. I got to see a lot of stuff while doing that. One day I happened across a litter of coyote pups right at the roly-poly uncoordinated puppy-ball stage. They were cute and funny and engaging as puppies right up until one noticed me. Then they instantaneously morphed into adult coyotes and vanished in a heartbeat. It was educational to watch that transformation in the very young!

I would find coyote treasure piles in certain places that must have been favorite daybed spots. Not just souvenir bones, but they would collect pop cans, my brand new plastic pinflags from marking transects, a brand new pair of safety glasses, and other things that would have had some interesting scent. They also stole our aluminum livettraps from our small mammal traplines and would chew them.

Bill Ruger knew what he was doing with the M77. For me, the stock is a perfect design (once I have cut them down to fit me), and the action design and safety work for my hand design. I only have one rifle not an M77 (older style 70s to early 80s). All identical for my tendency to react with muscle memory. My thumb makes the right response the first time. Seconds can make a difference at times. The oddball belonged to a late friend.

 

[M77Fan]

Lots of Griz around. You cut up deer/elk fast and get out . I was only up canyon about half mile thank God. I had my off loading knee brace on and two trekking poles. I'd of never made it out with out them.

Yup, I squeaked by for a decade using an unloader brace. Downhill is absolutely the worst, especially loaded. Walking sticks have saved me more than once, for sure. I have an idea where you could have got that great mule deer, not too many accesses up there. We had Griz pretty much everywhere elk hunting this year from Togwotee to Gros Ventre to Buffalo Fork. Bears everywhere. (I actually the first year after replacement - during hunting season - used that unloader brace set back to neutral just to protect the knee, being a little paranoid about messing it up on my elk hunt. Some extreme terrain and bad mud. The one I have is the same type they use for ACL, they just don't set to unload)

The knee does not stay like a balloon for weeks, but it will be swollen as it continues to heal. What they do is a lot of insult to the soft tissue, too, so it takes healing. I purposely did not watch videos beforehand, but I know anatomy too well not to imagine how it had to work.

 

[WYO300RUM]

Yup, I squeaked by for a decade using an unloader brace. Downhill is absolutely the worst, especially loaded. Walking sticks have saved me more than once, for sure. I have an idea where you could have got that great mule deer, not too many accesses up there. We had Griz pretty much everywhere elk hunting this year from Togwotee to Gros Ventre to Buffalo Fork. Bears everywhere. (I actually the first year after replacement - during hunting season - used that unloader brace set back to neutral just to protect the knee, being a little paranoid about messing it up on my elk hunt. Some extreme terrain and bad mud. The one I have is the same type they use for ACL, they just don't set to unload)

The knee does not stay like a balloon for weeks, but it will be swollen as it continues to heal. What they do is a lot of insult to the soft tissue, too, so it takes healing. I purposely did not watch videos beforehand, but I know anatomy too well not to imagine how it had to work.

Yes. A lot of griz between North and South Fork and all around the area. I had that brace made for me in 2008. I never wore it until last year. I worked better than other braces I had. I may wear mine this year also. Hadn't thought about it. I said no way to watching video on knee replacement also ! Maybe now. Surgeon described it to me pretty good beforehand.

 

[DSheetz]

I was working out there at a uranium mine and milling operation. I have had bobcat kittens collect a lot of odd for them things as well.

 

[DSheetz]

Coyotes have been a passion of mine all of my life, even when I was a kid, they fascinated me. I studied them both by reading what others had to say about them and by setting and observing them myself. Not much in the world can be pursued the way they have been and still not be extinct. Love them, hate them, or be impartial if you know them you surely must respect them for their ability to survive.

 

[DSheetz]

I had my wife with me one day running snares, we came over a small hill in the road looking down the road a couple of hundred yards my wife said to me what's that in the fence. I had a coyote in a snare that was standing on the fence with his front feet on the top wire and his back feet on the next wire down from the top wire. They do some strange things sometimes.

 

[DSheetz]

I was out to locate for the helicopter one morning about a mile from where the rancher was going to locate for it. I got there set up and waited for the rancher to run his siren then I was going to answer it with my howls and then some kiyi's. He ran it and coyotes answered it close to where he was when I answered I had one female answer me close to me. With him having two coyotes the helicopter went to him first, they hunted and hunted but never saw the coyotes so after nearly half an hour they came my way. They came over my location I told them where the coyote had answered me and as they were heading toward where I told them it was, they turned came back my way and down in the draw just about a hundred yards from me they shot and killed the coyote it had come into me but was still out of my line of sight in a deep draw with high cut banks. I went over to where the rancher was and said that I would set up some snares for them. The rancher left to do his work and I started to go set some snares when out of a draw two coyotes jumped and ran, I got one the female she was dry no pups. I called the next morning with just a long lone howl that was higher pitched waited and did a couple of barks then two short howls. He didn't say a word just jumped out of a draw and ran my way. He wasn't the oldest coyote I ever shot but was pretty close to it, his teeth were well worn and rounded, his ears had some tares in them and were pretty thick with age, his face had some scars from fights, but he wasn't an overly large coyote he was a reddish color and I most likely wouldn't have skinned him even if he had been prime.