Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote
- Thread starter DSheetz
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Back in the old country (minni-dam-sota) people hunted hausenpfeffer with a .22 rifle, I was 5 or 6 years old walking with Dad. Well one took off running and Dad popped it, it was flopping around and he told me to go pick it up. I went over there and picked it up like you would a baby, he proceeded to show me how to finish it off and how to hold it by the back feet, head hanging down.....heck, I didnt know. 
One of the first things I remember about hunting....... I felt like a Big Bwana carrying that rabbit.
One of the first things I remember about hunting....... I felt like a Big Bwana carrying that rabbit.Great story DMP! I was jsut a little tike and don't personally remember this one but was told to me by my father. I was probably 3yrs old at the time and my brother 2yrs older. My dad had shot a doe and brought it home to hang in the garage to butcher with the help of his friend. My brother was fascinated with it. Until.....my dads friend told my brother that dad shot RUDOLPH! My dad said it was a week before my brother would even speak to him let alone without tears. Not until my dad explained to him that this was a doe and Rudolph was a buck so there was no way he had shot him. Scarred for life lol. So many memories of growing up in the outdoors hard to pick one to post lol.
Going out on a limb here DSheetz, not wanting to be one the plane flew over but I'm guessing by this one what your MOS was over there. Regardless I thank you for your service.
Straight Shooter
Well-Known Member
Dave, I have shot about 6 coyotes with my 6.5 creedmoor and no big exits except on a YOY that I almost blew in half at 40 yards. Everything else was bullet hole in and bullet hole out from 100 yards to 350 yards with a 140 grain Hornady Amax or ELDM.
I got a call one evening from the USDA Wildlife Services Trapper wanting to know if I could ground crew for them the next day on a ranch that I had gotten 60 coyote in a month just a few years before when I was working for the county . I said I could so he let me know what pastures that were getting hit hard . We used to have to use a compass and mark out the grids on a map but with the advent of gps life got better . I ask him what time they would be air born so I could figure out the time to get started . I got there before sun raise and started locating the coyote by the time they were air born I had five pairs located and the gps locations written down with a good land mark for each . We used some very good radios to communicate the only ones that were supposed to hear us talk were the ones that had them and the main office incase something happened and we needed emergency responders . On occasion the sheriffs dept . would have a scanner and listen in and have broken in and talked over us . I got in touch with the plane and gave them the first set of numbers then headed that way so I could pick up the coyote and find the dens . We took all five pairs plus two males running together that didn't talk to me . The plane has a chaff system where they will drop a ribbon that has a 4"x4" square of heavy card board attached to an orange 4" wide by 10 feet long marker so you can pick up the coyote . I took 4 dens that day before it got dark on me . I went back out the next morning and took the last den it had 10 pups in it some of them were out eating grass by the time I found the den , they were pretty hungry by morning . They only stood about 7" or 8" at the shoulders . Some of them would have died but some of them would have lived . The USDA guy said why are you bothering to take the dens the pups will die . I told him that wasn't the way I wanted them to go even if they were coyote pups they didn't deserve that kind of treatment . And that some of them would survive but would be stunted because of the lack of food . I had seen that happen before by others just killing the adults and leaving the pups . I found 4 pups living on grasshoppers and cow dung one year that didn't have adults . And have seen where they only got to about the size of a red fox due to the lack of food . I have also seen where another pair would adopt them . John and I were flying one day when We saw a female coyote with some pups and one little red fox kit in the bunch . That kind of made me feel bad to take them especially the red fox kit as it had already had a hard life at that young age . And they say I'm a heartless ba#%&*% .
I took my wife out to take a red fox den once and only once . We got to the den and there were some kits out setting in the sun . I shot one with my 22 and it started to flop and kick so another one jumped on it and started play wrestling . That was the end of that my wife thinks I am a heartless person about the pups now too .
Its winter here in Mondamtana, 4-6" of snow, Saturday was a decent day for calling, called in a pair and two singles, killed 3 of the 4, two females and a male, all fat as a ticks......took some of TRnCO's advice(thank you)......after I get lined out this morning, will give more details. Just saw 3 this morning, in a spot where I can go out at lunch and possible call them in, looked like a family group and I may not have seen all of them..........
Straight Shooter
Well-Known Member
Reemty, I am in Lincoln at a friend's cabin. We will be going to Power tomorrow . Can you even get around on the county roads?
