I got to the farm just before first light. With a large bush to my left (400 yds away) and a larger bush to my right (250 yds away)I figured today I would hunt the center of the two bushes. Normally I hunt one end or the other but today’s strategy was to sit in the drainage ditch that runs in the middle of the two bushes (just my neck and head would be exposed) so I can watch for any coyote traffic crossing from one bush to another.
I sat down and got setup. I let out a few howls and waited a minute before I started screaming with dying rabbit. It did not take long before I see movement to the north of me. I see a coyote running across the cut corn field toward my open field. Soon I could see two of them; once they were in my field and started running down toward me I saw the third one. Now I am getting super excited as all three of them are headed toward me.
They all stopped at about the 120 yd mark, so I gave a few lips squeaks and sure enough two of the three started coming in. As the first one reached the 50 yd mark, I yelled out wolf and he stopped. I took the shot from a rest and he went down. Not sure what happened next but somehow the empty case got caught up and I couldn’t get the next shell in. Finally what seemed like 5 minutes but most likely 30 seconds I get it out and rack the next bullet in. I look up and the second coyote is still there, (maybe 70 yds out). Third one is gone (way out there)…..
Now this is where experience should have kicked in but it didn’t instead the excited little school girl in me came through… With me in the drainage ditch, trying to get that shell out, losing my balance, heart racing I look up and that second coyote is still standing there, the experience part of my brain says use the rest (tree branch) but no I listen to the little excited school girl voice that says can’t wait shoot it now you waited too long already……so with my heart racing and trying to keep my balance I rush it and take the heart racing excited off-hand shot and miss What should have been an easy double (hard triple) gets away…
This has come up before but I will say it again....It doesn’t matter how well you shoot paper from the bench, shooting game under field (real life hunting) conditions is totally different…
Well at least I got the one and have an exciting hunt to remember….
