I hadn't been seeing any coyotes around my neck of the woods this year. I wacked a couple out in the desert, but hadn't had any luck close to home. Only a couple of sets of fresh tracks in places where there are usually many. Anyway, some snow moved in for a while and made it tough to get around but it's gone now with the warm weather we have been having over here. So last friday I ventured out. Tried one of my favorite spots that usually produces at least one per year. I had tried it a couple of times in nov. with no luck, and I didn't see any sign on the hike into the stand, so I was a little less than optimistic. However, after a few loud calls, I saw a yote somehow pop up right in front of me at about 40 yards. I went ahead and swung the rifle over not wanting her to wind me and disappear into the trees, but as I did she of course started running and I missed. I got into a better position and howled at her. She stopped right at 200 yards. I was lucky she ran out into the open, instead of back into the forest. I was a little less than stable, but shot aiming right behind her shoulder. Missed her shoulder, but nailed her in the head between her eye and the corner of her mouth (factory fed. with 39 blitz). You can't see the entry in the picture and there was no exit. Her head was complete mush. I threw her over my shoulder thinking she wouldn't bleed all that much only to find my backside was completely soaked with blood, bone fragments and brain that was coming out of every orifice in her head. Wife was not impressed. I got to do some laundry for a change.
Then, monday morning, as I was getting some firewood I noticed a deer laying near the fence. Nothing new as about a dozen of them frequent my backyard on a daily basis. But upon further investigation I saw this young mule deer buck (fawn) was dead. And had been for a couple of days. None of the authorities wanted to do anything with it, so they gave me permission to throw it in the woods. I threw it and the yote carcass in the national forest and set up my trailcam. Upon leaving the site with my 2 year old, I saw 2 yotes running off, and then a third about a mile away in someones field. That got me pumped so that night my brother in law and I went to the same area put up the perfect coyote stand. Only thing that came in however was an owl.
So we decided to find another stand to waste the last of the day light in but kept running into hikers and such, so we finally settled for a quick stand that had the wind at our backs and limited visability...but better than nothing. About 15 minutes into the stand this young female came in. I shot it at about 90 yards as it stood on a rock for a better view. We called for a few more minutes, then went and retrieved the dog. The whole that you see is the entry, not the exit. This one was a 40 grain vmax. The dog died upon impact, but the vmax really made a mess. It must have splashed a bit then penetrated enough to kill. Think I will use up the rest of the bk's before I use anymore vmax on yotes. I have some 40 grain noslers bt's to load up as soon as I have some time and a few more supplies. Hoping those will be good yote bullets.
Hopefully I'll figure out where those other dogs are hiding!
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.
