Dog Days Experience: By Chief!!

We got on the road Saturday morning early. After forgetting a cell phone for time recording purposes we made our way to the first stand behind a ranch yard where cattle were being fed for the winter. As we entered the pen a coyote shot out of a hay stack yard and busted us before we even got out of the pickup. We still parked by the stack yard and made our way to the first set. After approx 20 minutes with nothing coming to the call expect the wind we decided to move on. As we were driving out past another set of cows and hay stacks a 2nd coyote ran out like a bullet and into a good cover draw. After being spotted twice we decided to head across the road to some larger draw areas. As we were still driving and trying to find a suitable site to call from (with a south wind that did not work well for us) we were once again busted by yet another coyote. That is three coyotes that we saw before we even got out of the pick up. The decision was made to start walking. We gout out and walked on the path a half mile or so to the bottom of a draw/dam that looked like a good spot. The wind was at our backs and not the best situation but it blew our scent across the draw. What the heck…you don't get to call if you don't make a stand. Mark Stevens was running the Fox pro digital caller. It didn't take but about 10 minutes of Mark's fine skills to get two coyotes running in from behind us and to our right at about 40 yards. I tried to bark to get them to stop. They had no idea where we were at or where they were coming too. We both got the scopes on them and shot. Mark dropped his at about 80 or so yards and mine….well lets just say he ran away scared. Mark went and got the truck and I went to retrieve the kill. It was a nice shot. No blood, no entrance wound, no exit wound. I think it was scared to death….sorry Mark had to throw that in there. It was a nice 26 lb female. We walked off to the west across the hill top to make the next two stands. They produced nothing. Our third stand was at the far south of the draw we first called out of and got the pair to come running. We sat at the very top of the hill facing south with the sun directly in our faces….not the best stand but it was all the wind was allowing us at this point. Mark once again started making the Fox pro sing. It must have sounded good because 5 minutes into that call set a ratty looking coyote popped up and headed straight for us. Remember we are at the top of the draw here. It is a slide area that was about 75-100 yards straight down. The coyote came in trotting the whole way. He got about 150 yards out and stopped looking around. He could not figure out what he heard. He was not looking up at us. Mark took the shot and missed. He ran off to look for another meal. He never did look up and see us.
Then we headed to town to grab some sandwiches and refreshments. On our way back to town we saw a coyote in a pasture we had permission to hunt. He laid down on a hill side until we got past and must have ran out. I have never seen a coyote do that. Either he is really smart or extremely dumb and lucky. We went back and tried to call him in to no avail. I think this one was a smart one. It was still fun. You never know when or where those devils show up.
After a cold sandwich and some water we were headed to our next stand. There was another coyote alone in a stubble field. We drove around to our stand and Mark got an idea. He contacted the land owner and we got permission to hunt behind some corrals down wind from where this coyote was headed. Sounded like a sound plan. As we were getting packed up to head out to call Mark said…wait….listen. It was the sound of a vehicle running hard, slowing down and running hard again….then gunshots. Yep…somebody was running coyotes. We headed out to see if it was somebody that was in the contest. We all want to play fair here. No running coyotes allowed in this contest…called dogs only.
We did not see anything. We headed back and walked out behind the corrals to our set. Mark turned on the call and time was on our side. Here comes a coyote way out in the distance (800 yards or so) out. Coyote was hunting and looking for mice. It didn't appear it was coming in to the call. As I was watching in the binoculars I told Mark to turn the volume up. That worked. The coyote heard the call and was making its way towards us. I got set up to shoot down the draw in hopes it came that way. I couldn't see anything and Mark says there it is. Bottom of the draw headed up towards us. Right at that time again….motor revs up and gun shots…..coyote runners again. Our coyote heard that and started to turn around and leave. I asked Mark quickly how far it was and he guessed about 300 yards…..BOOM…..and she dropped. My Remington 25-06 loaded with the 117 grain Hornady interlock bullet did the trick. She didn't move. I got down there and she was literally dropped dead right in her tracks. No struggle or movement what so ever. It was beautiful.
We tried another 4 or 5 stands that day and nothing was moving or coming in. The south wind made it a difficult for us but still managed to see 7 coyotes and getting shots at 4 of those. We ended up with two at the end of the day but still had a fun hunt. A bad day hunting is better than a good day at work. We had a good time hunting so it doesn't get much better than that.