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12-14-2016 | 03:43 AM

#1

alleyyooper

Nontypical Buck

Joined: Dec 2005

Posts: 2,568

Likes: 0

From: MICHIGAN

Oh boy

OH BOY.
John, Eric and I had decided to hunt coyotes on Tuesday sincethey had stuff to do on Monday and I also was still cleaning up after all thesnow we got Sunday and Sunday night. The morning was not all that productivewith just calling in one coyote to see for a brief moment. Along about 11:00 AM we decided to call itquits and went to Eric’s place for a bit. Eric pulled some Elk burger out ofthe fridge where he had it thawing just for this occasion and got us involved inchopping some onions and garlic while he browned the burger adding it all to abig pot with spices for a great elk burger chili. After the meal and clean upwe retired to Eric’s man cave I wish mine was as big and as well-appointed with big screen TV, stereo and books and other things. About 3:30 pm we hit the road to make the first eveningset by 4:00 pm. Nothing showed at thatset after 30 minutes with two callers running even. Got to the second place atjust after 5:00 pm. Farmer told us he had seen two just before noon crossing ahay field going to a real brushy wood lot next to his farm. Went back to thefield about 300 yards from the trucks and I have to say my legs are still weakand I was on the tired side after skiing back there after the last place sosoon. We had one coyote show up in about ten minutes from a grassy swale thatJohn took with his 222 Mag. In about 25 minutes 3 show up and Eric got anotherdouble and John got his second one. Unrollthe plastic sheet sled and load them up the fur was nice on them believe thecolder weather has finally got the fur nice enough to sell. Go back up to thefarm and load them in Johns truck as the farmer comes out and thanks us fortaking care of them before they multiply and try to get his lambs in the spring.After talking to the farmer it is dark and the moon has come up a big orangeball. As we are driving back to John’s place we decided it was going to be agreat night to hunt the bright moon and snow cover to make it seem like a heavyover cast day. I run home and grab my Charles Daily 12 OU extra full and fullshot gun and a box of coyote buster shells. While Eric and I are getting ourshot guns John calls a few of the places were going to hunt and lets them knowand we will be parking just off the road to their hay field and wood lot. Whilehe is calling he is loading the bunks with round bales for his cattle. I getback just as he is finishing up and Eric soon arrives. We get to the firstplace and ski across the hay field to a hill overlooking a brushy drainageditch. We see where deer have come out and pawed the snow to get at the hay wealso see what we are sure is a pair of coyote tracks as the farmer doesn’tallow his dogs to just run when and where they want. We set up In a good grassy area of the fenceline and set out the weasel ball about 40 yards from us and off to theleft. Get the call going and let it run thru the cycle once and was about toturn up the volume some when a coyote appears. He gets almost to the weasel ball and since it was in my area ofcoverage I shot it right in the face and down he went just a couple kicks. Wewait a bit longer and nothing else showed up so we are out of there in 40minutes. Darn a 35, 40 pound coyote is a heavy bugger to drag out with still healingknees. We set out for the second place while I am enduring insults about being oldand crippled and drinking hot coffee. It has sure turned cold read out on John’struck said it was only 10F, we could see snow blowing across the road as wedrove too. Get to the second place and get set up In a brushy patch around astone pile on a field edge next to a hill side covered with thorn apples and awoods behind it. Again we set the weasel ball about 40 yards out, get the callergoing with a squealing pig something not heard too often we think and why the coyotesrespond to it. We are just shutting thecaller down at 30 minutes and thinking we were not going to see anything here. Whenall of a sudden 4 pop out of those thorn apples, John opens up with his browninggold 10ga. and knocks 2 down and Eric gets another one with his 1187 12ga. The3d spun and was gone leaving a trail of melted snow in the wake of its afterburnerskicking in. I never had a shot at any of them which happens from time to timedepending on our set up. Gather the decoy and caller and head out. I am glad Idon’t have a coyote to drag out of there as it is mostly uphill, Ya a long easyslope but never the less a hill in 10 inches of snow. It is close to 10:00 PMso we decide to hit one more place and go to the truck stop for a quick pick meup and coffee. The last place was a bustnothing showing up so we got to the truck stop and Had coffee and a burger. Thewaitress knows us and saw us in the lot stripping off our painters suits soknew we had been after coyotes. She asked us how it had went and when we hadthose grins from ear to ear she knew we were not lying. I got home just aftermidnight, felt wore out and glad we were not doing another morning hunt. Truckshowed 7F as I pulled up and parked, inside the weather station showed 8F witha minus –3 wind chill.
We are planning on going out again tonight as long as theclouds do not block the moon.

Al

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