Coyote Hunt 12 Dec 14

Larry R

Old Mossy Horns
Been awhile and I have added lots of deer intestines and carcasses to my coyote bait pile in the last week or so. I just couldn't stand the temptation any longer. So I loaded up my "camping supplies" for an over night hunt in my condo. LOL. All I can say is that backpack gets heavier and heavier each trip as well as that mountain gets taller and taller, steeper and steeper each trip. LOL.

I got into the condo well before dark and began to set everything up and to get on all my heavy clothes and body heater suit before dark. I have a Buddy Heater in the condo but it sputters and I'm not certain that the coyotes can't hear it even from 50 yards away. If I can hear it as bad as my hearing is I'm afraid coyotes can also. Anyway, I dress for the 19 degrees and forgo the Propane heat. As I'm getting bundled up for the night I see movement above my condo. When I take a closer look I can see it is a deer. There is still plenty of daylight and well before the end of shooting time but I think that deer already knew I wasn't a threat. He knew I was after coyotes and wouldn't mess with him. Just wondering if game wardens teach deer this fact or that they teach deer to do that just to mess with us hunters?

God hadn't more than turned off the lights for the day when I saw movement. It came from the most often used direction of the coyotes so my heart rate went way up and I got on the scope although I already knew by the eyes. False alarm, it's that grey fox. He comes right to the bait pile and gets a few mouths full of scraps then leaves. Maybe 15 minutes later he returns and within a minute his girlfriend shows up. He's playful tonight so he plays and chases her around a bit. Probably trying to get on her good side for later, anyway they get their pictures taken and they leave after about 20 minutes.

Not long after eyes. Easy to tell this one is a false alarm to low to the ground and slow and the eyes sparkle. It's a young possum but just a short time ago it was tiny, now it's well over half grown. It climbs up on top of the bait pile and gets it's picture made. Soon afterwards more eyes, again low and slow and the first one disappears down inside the pile of bones. This is a much bigger possum, easy to tell that it has been eating well. It hangs around for awhile then waddles off up the hill. The first one climbs back out on top of the bait pile for a look around to make sure everything is OK. Not long afterwards another big possum shows up also. Obvious this one hasn't missed any meals lately also. The smaller one again takes refuge down in the bait pile. After about 20 minutes the possum takes off like a bat out of Hades up the mountain side and my heart rate goes off the Richter scale. After 10 minutes and nothing shows so I relax.

The second big possum puts in another appearance and hangs around for maybe 15 minutes when it takes off down the mountain like the hounds of hell are after it and again my heart rate takes off at a full gallop. More disappointment, after 10 minutes nothing happens so I relax again.

At 1 10 a.m. I see eyes and this time I know it's what I'm looking for so I get on the scope and ease off the safety. The coyote lingers a couple of times before it makes a bee line for the bait pile. I'm tracking it in the scope. I have the forearm on a sand bag and the butt stock on a shelf, rock solid. When it gets about 5 yards from the bait pile it stops and smells a pile of intestines on the ground. I think that's good enough as I have the cross hairs right on the throat. I pull the trigger and see the coyote knocked sideways but then takes off down the mountain and behind a stump then trees before I can get a follow up shot. A long wait until daylight before I can check on the "damages done" or lack thereof.

Long, long time before one of the possums is brave enough to make an appearance. That little fellow finally crawls up out of the bait pile, falls/tumbles off the bait pile and waddles off down the mountain.

Several times in between I'm entertained by a couple of flying squirrels. Still not convinced of what they are getting from the bait pile unless perhaps calcium from the bones or from a set of spike antlers one of the "coyote bait pile donors" had shot.

Daylight finally comes and I peel out of my cocoon, pack up my night vision and rifle and go to where the coyote was at when I shot it. I'm needing to get home to let Shorty out because he had been inside for about 14 hours. To much deer hair around the area to quickly determine if any might be coyote. No blood sign but also I was unable to find the bullet impact in the dirt so I know I hit the coyote but obviously not enough to stop him in his tracks. He, well I'm just guessing because of the size, isn't anywhere to be seen. After a quick look around I head to the house. I slept three hours and then went back. Took some apples and deer corn for the deer and then went to the coyote bait pile.

Spent the next hour searching for hair, blood or any sign where the coyote might be. I walked a few trails I could find in the leaves where something had traveled for 50 yards or so and still no sign. Finally gave up and came home. I was wondering about the zero of the rifle because by all rights that coyote should be grave yard dead. Sand bag under the forearm and a solid shelf under the buttstock at 55 yards, I couldn't miss, had to be the scope. Once before I had shot a coyote aiming at the front shoulders and hit it just behind the last ribs. When I took the rifle to my shooting range it was off to the right a good 10 - 12 inches. I don't have any explanation for that.

So today back to the rifle range. Using the Caldwell Shooting Sled and sand bags I put three bullet holes touching each other in the target 1/4 inch to the left and 1/4 inch low. Uh Oh it ain't the scope, wonder what the heck it could be blamed on? As I pondered I thought dang that thing has one heck of a lot of trigger travel. I shot three more rounds, covered the same three previous bullet holes and this time I concentrated on that mile and a half trigger travel. Thinking back to the shot I don't recall any travel of the trigger before at all. So I shot three more rounds at another target, same exact group and area. Conclusion it ain't the scope. LOL. I did some more thinking (I can do that sometimes but I try not to very often because it is tiresome at my age LOL) and I came up with the reason (at least that is my excuse and I'm sticking to it). My varmint rifle has a set trigger with 3 Oz pull. My .308 deer rifle has 3 lbs and neither of them have ANY trigger creep. I'm sure that trigger creep is what caused me to miss an instant killing shot. I'm convinced that I did hit the coyote because I never did find any sign of where the bullet hit the dirt and there are no leaves around the bait pile nor are there any leaves in the logging road behind where the coyote was standing and where the bullet would have to have hit.

Oh well, you can't win em all. Did I mention that it was C O L D? Nineteen degrees but luckily no wind where I have my condo located. I highly doubt that that one will return at least not any time soon. Another educated yote.
 
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smith-n-stokes

Old Mossy Horns
Come on Larry, I don't like reading your stories without "good" yote pics attached.

Just picking, you'll connect next time I'm sure.


Sent from wherever I was at the time...
 

Larry R

Old Mossy Horns
QBD I guess I should have used my age disadvantage as my excuse. LOL.

And I promise I'm going to try to do a better job in another few days.
 
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