5 Dog Day - 4 Fell to The Shotty

[Big Lou]

Morning began with coffee and finishing up cleaning a rifle. I wanted to be out early but, my daughter was home from school due to exams this week and I promised we would enjoy bacon and eggs when she rose. My days of being able to enjoy such things with her are growing less frequent by the month it would seem as she gets older so, seldom do I choose otherwise when opportunity presents. With the dishes licked up, I was off!

Set #1

This is one of my regular spots seasonally. It’s a good producer but hardly ever will it produce multiples. Still, it’s a good one to have in the pocket. Normally I set up on the side of a dugout mound where I have commanding view to the west and south. The sun was quite bright with little cloud cover, so I tucked into the north edge of an isolated clump of trees that was connected to a small slough bottom with lots of young, Red Willow. This is normally where the coyotes will appear from when calling from my normal hide. Shotgunning hopes were very high. Starting with coyote vocals, the silence was shattered. After a few minutes with no answers, I threw out some distress calls. 17 minutes in now, I was considering doing some pup distress when movement caught my eye to the left of me. I could see the head and neck of a coyote just above the young willow. I was well screened from it, so I readied the shotgun. Gave the decoy a flick and the coyote broke into kill mode. Covering the last 30’ or so quite quickly, my quarry was in front of my looking intently at the decoy. With the bead nestled on the coyotes neck at 18 yards, I gave a soft lip squeak. As soon as two yellow eyes and a black nose were in front of the barrel, 27 pellets of #4 buck found its mark. “Right on! Big male down!” I’m pretty sure I blew this coyote out a couple weeks ago leaving a stand about a mile away.


Set #2

I went back to a spot I killed a double on my 3-2-1 day. It had plenty of time to cool off from my last intrusion. Again, I’ve never been blanked here and usually it produces multiples. It just might be my favourite spot. I parked the truck and started down my normal route in. Again, with the sun being so bright, I opted for a slightly different hide so as not to be lit up like a Christmas tree and given how the coyotes came last time, this position not only provided shadows, but an excellent kill alley for the shotgun. Started once again with coyote vocals but different than the last time, I once again had no answers. Not overly concerned, I broke into a series of distress, again, different sounds than the last. 20 minutes into the set, I was starting to get concerned that this would be my first blank ever in this spot. I’m not overly familiar with what anxiety feels like, but I think I was feeling it. Movement! More movement but in a different spot. More! I’m pretty sure there are three. They are in the edge of some old willow and I still can’t confirm. I gave a couple coaxes on the caller and I’ll try to describe the next few moments in a manner it deserves. It was as if I was watching warriors on horseback, rallying in the trees before they charge onto a battlefield. It was absurd. They all did probably 3 or four circles with each other before two and then the third broke into the open. I had the caller only 20 yards away from me. Another squeak of a coax and they all started coming hard. “OH BOY!!!” At 50 yards I started lip squeaking which caused a shift in the two lead coyotes’ course of approach to DIRECTLY AT ME. There was about 30 yards of distance between them. “You guys are dead already. You just don’t know it.” This is going to be very up close. With the lead coyote only 10’ from me, death from the shadows descended upon them. In a smooth motion, I rose and shouldered the shotgun. The lead coyote got low and wheeled but my head had already found the chest of the follower. At the report of the shotgun, it crumpled at 30 yards. Finding the now fleeing lead coyote on the path it had approached from, a quick double tap stoned it only feet from the first. Seeing the third coyote now hauling for the trees, I was unable to get on it with the rifle before it made cover. Quickly firing up pup distress, I let the cadence echo through the trees and creek bottoms. What seemed like only seconds later, I caught streaking movement through the trees and the coyote materialized. It started closing on a bit of an angle and I followed it in the scope as it progressed. Coming to a stop behind a snow bank, I could clearly see its head and neck. I probably could have waited for a body shot, but, at 75 yards, it was all over but the crying. BOOM! CHOP! The 40gr Berger found its mark. “Triple Baby!”

This was how far apart the double died. Big Male and his b****.


Set #3

This spot, I bat around .500 from. It’s weird. Only once, have I ever had a coyote come really hard here. There’s some nuance to it that I just haven’t sorted out as of yet. I called it once about a month ago. No traffic had been down the road for days and abundant coyote tracks cross crossed every couple hundred feet it would seem. Hiding the truck in an old shelter belt and getting geared up, I was inbound. I wasn’t overly hot with my hide as I was blind to the south but, I needed to stay in the shadows. Placing the caller 20 yards away, I tucked into the edge of the trees and vanished. The songs I had been playing were garnishing dance partners so, more of the same. At about 11 minutes, I noticed a pair of Magpies bombing and chattering at something to the west of me. Seeing this many times before, I knew something was inbound. Watching intently in that direction, to my delight, I picked up a pointy set of ears moving just above the stubble about 200 yards away. Giving a coax, I now had a coyote standing head on about 150 yards from me. Pondering getting on the rifle and taking it there, I opted to be a pig and try to suck this one in close too. I brought my hand up and started squeaking as loud as I could muster. True to form in this spot, it started closing but, ever so slowly and I mean slow. There were a half dozen instances I almost got on the rifle but, it did continue closing the gap. At about the 50 yard mark, it looked to the south several times. I can only assume there was another coyote but I could not see that direction. At 22 yards, I couldn’t contain myself any longer and delivered another load of #4 Buck into a fuzzy face. My fourth shotgun coyote of the day.


I was really hoping to be able to share more but, my last two stands for the day were blanks. Work called and I am going in tomorrow, so I hope to be out again on Thursday but, we shall see. Anyway, hope you enjoy the read and pics once more. Happy calling.


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[Smokinyotes]

Sounded like an awsum day Lou. Can’t get enough of your coyote adventures.

[roper1]

Sure enjoy the pics & write up when I'm still busier than **** at work. Beauty prose & pics. Thanks!

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Sounded like an awsum day Lou. Can’t get enough of your coyote adventures.

I was indeed, an excellent day. That’s great you like em. I’ll keep delivering when I have opportunity. I’ve got to get serious one of these days and pound out 10 or 12 sets. Try hard for a big day.

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by roper1

Sure enjoy the pics & write up when I'm still busier than **** at work. Beauty prose & pics. Thanks!

Thanks Roper! Work can certainly be an obstacle, challenging to overcome. Glad you enjoy.

[waldedw]

Beauty day Lou and a great read, I've been tied up with appoints and stuff the last couple day's but tomorrow looks like I'll have some time to go sing to the dogs.

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by waldedw

Beauty day Lou and a great read, I've been tied up with appoints and stuff the last couple day's but tomorrow looks like I'll have some time to go sing to the dogs.

Glad you enjoyed Ed. Best of luck tomorrow if you end up out and about.

[Savage Bacon]

Dang Lou if those dogs ever go extinct I'll know who to blame. Great adventure and write up, as usual.

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[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

Dang Lou if those dogs ever go extinct I'll know who to blame. Great adventure and write up, as usual.

Sent from my SM-S901W using Tapatalk

Haha…. I’d happily be your scapegoat, were that to transpire. Thanks SB.

[Smokinyotes]

Gawd no. That’s the last thing we want. As much as coyotes **** me off I kind of wish there were twice as many.

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Gawd no. That’s the last thing we want. As much as coyotes **** me off I kind of wish there were twice as many.

Fear not my good man. When man kind is gone, the Earth will be populated with cockroaches, mosquitos and coyotes. And most likely ravens in there too.

[Mb-MBR]

Damn another great write up and hunt. Congrats.

How about a little blurb on your tools of the trade Lou? What do you haul out with you when you step out the door to reign terror on the yotes?

Thanks,

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by Mb-MBR

Damn another great write up and hunt. Congrats.

How about a little blurb on your tools of the trade Lou? What do you haul out with you when you step out the door to reign terror on the yotes?

Thanks,

Thank you. Glad you’re enjoying.

Sure. I can do that with some pics. Full disclosure though, I feel the gear you use has the least influence on the outcome. Stand selection and access to are paramount above all other things.

[colvert]

A question: what do you do with the bodies, any value for the skins?

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by colvert

A question: what do you do with the bodies, any value for the skins?

Not much value these days. A few years ago, 50 nice coyotes was a pretty nice little pay day for a guy out calling. Heck, 30 was a nice touch. Quite the opposite now.

[Twisted Canuck]

Another great write up Lou, always enjoy your story relling and pictures. You sure pile em deep.

[tikka250]

Love the write up! Just wish I could be getting out as much as you!

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Another great write up Lou, always enjoy your story relling and pictures. You sure pile em deep.

Originally Posted by tikka250

Love the write up! Just wish I could be getting out as much as you!

Thanks TC. It’s been good so far. With the Festivus of breeding season upon us, things are about to get western real soon.

Appreciate it Tikka. I’m in a different place than you in life. My little ones are teenagers and you’re changing diapers. More time for “us stuff” does return. I’ve been chomping at the bit to get my Son out but there hasn’t been much time for Dad as of late.

[2 Tollers]

Excellent write up. Really enjoy reading these. Thanks for taking the time to pull these together

[fishnguy]

I agree with all of the above. Great stuff.

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by 2 Tollers

Excellent write up. Really enjoy reading these. Thanks for taking the time to pull these together

Originally Posted by fishnguy

I agree with all of the above. Great stuff.

Thanks fellas. Appreciate the compliments. I’ll keep em coming as time allows.

[threeforthree]

Thanks for taking the time to allow us to join you u on these great hunts!!

[bucksnbears]

Great hunt/ story Lou.

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by threeforthree

Thanks for taking the time to allow us to join you u on these great hunts!!

Originally Posted by bucksnbears

Great hunt/ story Lou.

Thanks guys. My pleasure sharing.