Bound and Determined

Well, the coyotes have eluded us…again! I went out to a favorite spot with my brother, Todd, yesterday and after some difficulties meeting up (I waited for 45 minutes in one place for him to show up while he waited for 45 minutes at another place for me to show up!) we finally got on our way an hour later than we’d hoped for. Just as we were parking our rig, we spotted three coyotes and to us, it was a good omen of things to come. After a couple setups yielded coyotes being spotted 600 yards off, but not interested, we moved up on top of the butte.

For me, I had the most exciting experience I’ve ever had while coyote hunting then. We moved into a small hollow - the only cover we could find - and as we bellied down, we spotted a buck with six does. The buck started working his way towards us, whether to check us out or what, I don’t know. We watched him for about five minutes and then decided it was time to start calling for coyotes. Just as I got ready to start calling, we heard a bird screech close by and I made the comment half in jest, “Well, there’s a coyote right close!” I started calling, and immediately - seriously within ten seconds - I look up and there is a coyote about twenty yards away. I was expecting a shot at any second from Todd. I continued to call and the coyote is loping right towards me closing the distance. He comes to ten yards and is still coming. I stopped calling as it dawned on me, I sounded like dinner to him and hissed, “Todd, Todd!” I still wasn’t sure if he’d seen him yet. Come to find out, Todd says he was glassing the opposite ridge when all of a sudden a blur of a coyotes head appeared in his scope just briefly. It shocked him as he was as unprepared as I was! Between getting his scope turned down and getting the safety off in a hurry, the coyote had FINALLY realized I was not dinner, but he was still confused and started to lope off at a half run. At about 30-40 yards, Todd shot at him, but in his hurry forgot his scope is dialed in for 100 yards, and we think he shot right over this coyotes back because of the close range. When we collected ourselves, I stepped off the tracks in the snow and saw the coyote had come to within seven normal walking steps - about five yards - before realizing I wasn’t the rabbit I sounded like! To be lying on my belly at eye level with a coyote five yards away thinking I’m dinner was a thrill I’ll never forget! Sadly, I was so unprepared, I didn’t even have the video camera turned on, because I was thinking I would just turn the camera on when a coyote came across the draw in front of us. I just didn’t realize we’d set up so close to a coyote I wouldn’t have time to do that. I did get a little footage of the deer, so I’ll include that footage here. All in all, we saw seven coyotes, but only had the one opportunity. One of these days we’ll make an all day affair of it and come away with something to show for our efforts!

Enjoy the video. The deer were about four hundred yards off, and I only had my little hand held camcorder, so I was not able to zoom in as close as I would had liked.

ShareThis