Not meaning to give those boys a shameless plug but, there you go Geoff & Rick. Even though I don’t use any of the gear that they do, the title is fitting.
I started today with high hopes. Post storm. Fresh snow. Calm winds. Cool but not cold. They should be on.
After getting blanked my first stand, I made a second. Completely misread the contour of the land and ended up with a big low spot directly downwind of me. I got to watch one lope away from me. It probably got sub 100 yards before winding me for crying out loud. “Right on. You’re really playing to win today hey.” I figured I’d switch it up and moved about 8 miles west. A spot I had called earlier in the season was ready for another go and the wind was perfect. I hiked the mile in and got settled.
Not enjoying any earlier success with the caller, I let wail with the mouth calls. 9-10 minutes in, I saw about 30 whitetails blow out of a slough bottom to the north of me. “Something is inbound” I thought and readied myself for the impending action. A pair of coyotes came into view about 250-275 yards away. It was at this time, the one started acting a touch nervous and I heard the loud, low drone of a big diesel. Looking east, I could see a testing crew of some sort coming up the half mile line. “You’re kidding me”!! Looking back to the pair, I saw one make the trees, then the other. They started yapping in the trees but the stand was shot. They didn’t make me, so I’ll get back to them later in the week. I was sour with the crew, but they didn’t know any better and are just out earning a buck. I hoped they were having a better day than myself. Okay, we’re switching areas again. 10miles north.
I hadn’t called this spot yet this year. Another blank. Well, let’s hit another spot. Blanked even though at least 5 coyotes answered my howls in the set. It was 4:18 when I got back to the truck. Time for one more stand. 70mph to my entry point, I hurriedly gathered my gear after parking in a hidden location and started high stepping in.
The Last Stand
After getting the caller situated and myself, atop a little mound; I let rip with a single howl. It was immediately answered by one, then another and another until I lost count. No joke, there was at least a dozen howling but it sounded like there was 50. The closest being sub 400 yards. I was set up nicely for some shotgun action so I started singing with the mouth call. Nothing. Tried again. Nothing. Again. Same result. Maybe venison as deer trails abound around my hide. Fawn distress on the caller produced nothing. Light was fading fast. “Guess we’ll try some pup distress and hope to evoke a pack response.” I got a hand on the grip of the shotgun and let fly. Maybe 30 seconds after letting loose with the sounds of a crying pup, flashes of movement in the trees caught my eyes. Lots of movement - multiples. Mute the caller.
A pair broke from the trees initially, then a single and finally another pair. There are 5. I need to play this smart. The first pair were the closest to me and I needed them to get further away from the trees so that when I shot, it wasn’t in the direction of the other three. With all 5 coyotes now within 100 yards, things were going to happen fast.
I swung into motion on one of the first pair and it came to a stop at about 45 yards. The shotgun barked and a load of #4 Buck found the head and neck of my target, folding it instantly. Getting on the second coyote of the first pair, I ripped twice and saw it roll, or so I thought. Dropping the shotgun and mounting the rifle, it was chaos in front of me. The crosshairs settled on the arse of a fleeing coyote. BOOM! CHOP! The air was filled with the cry’s of the coyote I had just struck. Cycling another round in, I was unable to get on the other two. A quick glance back towards the coyote I had just shot showed it streaking for the trees. I fell into a nice lead after a quick adjustment on the bipod. BOOM! CHOP! And I saw a big spray of snow. I quickly switched to dying coyote on the caller and saw more streaking in the trees. A silver ghost appeared in a small window through the branches and stopped. I settled the crosshairs on the base of the neck and sent the 40gr Berger. BOOM! CHOP! I watched it hunch up and fold in the scope. With the caller still wailing, movement once more caught my eye as another coyote materialized from the timber. My rifle was not in the correct position at this moment and the coyote was staring intently in my direction. Thinking I already had 4 down, “let’s risk it for the biscuit” and I made my move. The coyote wheeled immediately and made for the trees. It stopped just inside the tree line when I woofed at it. As a head, neck and shoulder appeared in the crosshairs whilst peeking back from behind a big poplar, the trigger broke once more. BOOM! CHOP! “Is that 5! Did I just get 5”? Looking back out to where the shotgunning had occurred, I saw just a single laying there. I walked out to investigate and the second one had indeed gotten up and peaced out. “Damn.” On my stroll to collect the other three, I looked over and saw tines poking up through the snow. “NO WAY! A shed too!” Thinking it was a big whitetail shed, I was slightly let down when it turned out to be a mule deer. First quad of the year and it was darn near five.
It was a bit of a tough day overall but, I’m glad I stuck with it. Really wish I would have got that 5th too but it wasn’t to be I suppose. I hope you enjoy the read and pics. It wasn’t a big numbers day like I had hoped but, that was a hell of a last stand.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk