Mustang
12-18-2009, 01:44 AM
Went out on a full day of calling yesterday with my bud Alan.
Gear: I took my CZ 527 American in 204 topped with VX-III 3.5-10x40 shooting Hornady 45 gr SP, FoxPro Fury, Mossy Oak Brush outfit. Alan was using his Savage 12 22-250 with a 6-20x50 scope (I forget which brand). I always have my Dan Thompson PC-2 on hand.
The temperature was around 29 when we left the house and winds were light and variable (for the time being). Our first stand was an exciting one. We were in a decent size canyon with sparse cedar and live oak peppering the sides of the canyon and tall grass in the bottom. We found a good size clearing and put the FoxPro in the middle of it amongst the tall grass then found a nice perch looking down on the clearning. At about the 16 minute mark (snowshoe in distress) I hear some rustling in the grass and leaves behind us and think nothing of it...bird messing around or whatever. Then it gets a little louder. I turn my head to the left and a coyote is standing not 10 yards from me. When he looked away I ever so slowly brought by rifle up and he took a few steps back (did I mention he was only 10 yards away) and put a thick bush inbetween us. I saw him in the scope and needed him to take one step either way for a clear shot then all of a sudden he ran back up the mountain in "rediculous speed". Alan, who was sitting a couple of feet to my right never saw it but heard all the commotion. Even though no shots were fired it was an exciting stand. 10 yards is no exageration.
That was the last action we saw on a stand until 4 that afternoon.
Coyote #1 (Big Male):
Time of Day: 1600
Temp: 60 Deg
Wx: Winds from the SW @ 15-20
Time on set: > 12 min
Distance of shot: 12 yards
Location: overlooking a large draw (draw is 300 yards wide in places and mostly tall grass)
We find ourselves hunting the same large draw that we hunting last week where I shot the big Tom bobcat and two coyotes. This time we were set up about a mile to the south of where I shot the Tom. I put the FoxPro in the bottom on an old fencepost and attached a feather with fishing line to another old fence post. We were a good ways up the bank (down wind of the call) sitting in the tall grass and was an great vantage point. Nothing could sneak up on us. Not so much... 12 minutes into the stand I glance to my left and see a coyote running down the hill from behind us (into the wind) and stops 15 yards from me, just about even on the hill with us. I slowly raise my 204 and drop him. I'd had my scope on 10x anticipating a long shot to the bottom of that draw and when I raised my rifle on him there was nothing but hair in the scope. When I shot it went through both front shoulders tearing them up and he hit the ground and flopped for a good minute. He then got up and hobbled a couple of steps and I shot him again in the neck. I found it interested that he came from the down wind and didn't wind us. The wind must have been blowing hard enough to channel our scent and he had to have been one step away from that scent channel. It happened so fast I didn't get excited until after me and Alan started talking. This coyote had some weight to him.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/IMG_2111.jpg
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/IMG_2113.jpg
Gear: I took my CZ 527 American in 204 topped with VX-III 3.5-10x40 shooting Hornady 45 gr SP, FoxPro Fury, Mossy Oak Brush outfit. Alan was using his Savage 12 22-250 with a 6-20x50 scope (I forget which brand). I always have my Dan Thompson PC-2 on hand.
The temperature was around 29 when we left the house and winds were light and variable (for the time being). Our first stand was an exciting one. We were in a decent size canyon with sparse cedar and live oak peppering the sides of the canyon and tall grass in the bottom. We found a good size clearing and put the FoxPro in the middle of it amongst the tall grass then found a nice perch looking down on the clearning. At about the 16 minute mark (snowshoe in distress) I hear some rustling in the grass and leaves behind us and think nothing of it...bird messing around or whatever. Then it gets a little louder. I turn my head to the left and a coyote is standing not 10 yards from me. When he looked away I ever so slowly brought by rifle up and he took a few steps back (did I mention he was only 10 yards away) and put a thick bush inbetween us. I saw him in the scope and needed him to take one step either way for a clear shot then all of a sudden he ran back up the mountain in "rediculous speed". Alan, who was sitting a couple of feet to my right never saw it but heard all the commotion. Even though no shots were fired it was an exciting stand. 10 yards is no exageration.
That was the last action we saw on a stand until 4 that afternoon.
Coyote #1 (Big Male):
Time of Day: 1600
Temp: 60 Deg
Wx: Winds from the SW @ 15-20
Time on set: > 12 min
Distance of shot: 12 yards
Location: overlooking a large draw (draw is 300 yards wide in places and mostly tall grass)
We find ourselves hunting the same large draw that we hunting last week where I shot the big Tom bobcat and two coyotes. This time we were set up about a mile to the south of where I shot the Tom. I put the FoxPro in the bottom on an old fencepost and attached a feather with fishing line to another old fence post. We were a good ways up the bank (down wind of the call) sitting in the tall grass and was an great vantage point. Nothing could sneak up on us. Not so much... 12 minutes into the stand I glance to my left and see a coyote running down the hill from behind us (into the wind) and stops 15 yards from me, just about even on the hill with us. I slowly raise my 204 and drop him. I'd had my scope on 10x anticipating a long shot to the bottom of that draw and when I raised my rifle on him there was nothing but hair in the scope. When I shot it went through both front shoulders tearing them up and he hit the ground and flopped for a good minute. He then got up and hobbled a couple of steps and I shot him again in the neck. I found it interested that he came from the down wind and didn't wind us. The wind must have been blowing hard enough to channel our scent and he had to have been one step away from that scent channel. It happened so fast I didn't get excited until after me and Alan started talking. This coyote had some weight to him.
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/IMG_2111.jpg
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/IMG_2113.jpg