Not only is it the first coyote I've killed, it's only the 2nd one I've ever seen from the stand after hunting this property the past 30 years. And if I were to be doubly honest, I really thought I missed it.
I was in the stand Thursday evening. There wasn't a whole lot of action. A small doe passed behind me earlier in the hunt. About a half hour or so later, I saw two nice does about 200yds in front of me. I was using my Vortex 10x monocular to watch them. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like thrashing in the 4 to 5 year old pines on my left. Then quiet. I went back to watching the does and the thrashing happened again. I turned to my left in time to see a decent buck jump out of the pines and haul butt down the road and behind the creek and disappeared. A second later, I saw the coyote. I guess once in the open, it realized the buck was long gone.
I lost sight of it briefly, but then it doubled back and was heading back to where it came out. I barely had enough time to throw my rifle over my left shoulder, get the crosshairs on it and squeeze one off. It was dusk enough that I couldn't see it jump or fall, and I assumed because of the rush, that I missed. Dad and I found the buck's tracks, but only made a halfhearted attempt to look for the yote, because again, I really felt like I missed. Also, we found no blood or hair and chalked it up to pure luck for the critter.
After my hunt this morning, I walked leisurely back to my truck, taking in the cool weather and looking at all the animal tracks in the road. I came upon the tracks the running buck made, looked towards the ditch, and there it was. The coyote, all folded up and looking like only a blond ball in the ditch. We had literally looked over it that night.
I haven't looked to see what it is, male or female, nor have I weighed it. Guess I'll do that as soon as I'm off the toilet.
I'm finally off the toilet. This was a 24lb female.
I was in the stand Thursday evening. There wasn't a whole lot of action. A small doe passed behind me earlier in the hunt. About a half hour or so later, I saw two nice does about 200yds in front of me. I was using my Vortex 10x monocular to watch them. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like thrashing in the 4 to 5 year old pines on my left. Then quiet. I went back to watching the does and the thrashing happened again. I turned to my left in time to see a decent buck jump out of the pines and haul butt down the road and behind the creek and disappeared. A second later, I saw the coyote. I guess once in the open, it realized the buck was long gone.
I lost sight of it briefly, but then it doubled back and was heading back to where it came out. I barely had enough time to throw my rifle over my left shoulder, get the crosshairs on it and squeeze one off. It was dusk enough that I couldn't see it jump or fall, and I assumed because of the rush, that I missed. Dad and I found the buck's tracks, but only made a halfhearted attempt to look for the yote, because again, I really felt like I missed. Also, we found no blood or hair and chalked it up to pure luck for the critter.
After my hunt this morning, I walked leisurely back to my truck, taking in the cool weather and looking at all the animal tracks in the road. I came upon the tracks the running buck made, looked towards the ditch, and there it was. The coyote, all folded up and looking like only a blond ball in the ditch. We had literally looked over it that night.
I haven't looked to see what it is, male or female, nor have I weighed it. Guess I'll do that as soon as I'm off the toilet.
I'm finally off the toilet. This was a 24lb female.
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