Part 1:
My buddy TR comes down from the big city a few times each winter to play with the local coyotes. We have had a fair year but the numbers seem to be down, my honey holes aren't producing but we got some new ranches to hunt and when we get them figured out we'll do better.
This story is about something I've never seen in a lot of years hunting coyotes.
TR and I were crossing a large pasture after a couple of blank stands. I think TR said "I know there's a coyote out here somewhere". The pasture was split by a small creek drainage and we were looking for a place to cross and keep dry. The creek bank was about 4 to 5 feet high and we were walking single file with TR in the lead. He got to the bank and looked down to see if we could cross and found he was looking at a big male coyote! The dog hadn't seen us but must have heard or smelled us as he had his head up as if he was trying to figure out what had disturbed him. We later thought he had been lying up in the ditch to keep cool (it was in the 60's) and out of sight. It took about 4 to 5 seconds for the dog to lock eyes with TR and get the OH S@#% look on his face. He took off down the creek and then jumped across the water out into the open (bad mistake) as TR laid him out. We talked about what had just happened while we crossed the creek and agreed that something was wrong with the coyote as he didn't seem to be moving very fast.
When we got to him we found blood matted all over his chest and head. The shot (D-Tech 204 and 40gr Bergers) was behind the shoulder with no exit. The blood we found all over him was from a fight that must have taken place the night before or early that morning.
It must have been a heck of a battle, like something from UFC/Tyson Holyfield. I told TR I would like to see what the other guy looked like. This guy looked like he took a knife to a gun fight.
The hole below the hand is NOT a bullet hole, it was chewed. The left ear was split almost in two and the right ear was just about torn off at the base. He even had dried blood on his tail. I can't imagine a single coyote did all that damage. This was an adult coyote judging from the teeth and full sized, no lightweight pup.
Has anyone else seen anything like this? If it was a couple of farm dogs they probably would have killed him. What do you think, territory dispute or fighting over a female?
Part 2:
We were hunting a new ranch and after a short tour with the landowner we started out up on some mesa country in the cedars. We made several stands with no takers and decided to go find some mother cows and their new babies down in the sage flats and creek bottoms. We drove through a bunch of cows loafing in the warm weather and parked in some cedars. TR took the camera (he films for the Verminator, Rick Paillet) and we set up in some cedars looking west over a flat with a S/W wind. We both howled for a minute and then sat and waited. After about 5 min Tr started calling with a hand call and after 1 series we had a young female come in from the S/E. She might have been coming to the howls but she was quite a ways out when we saw her and may have changed direction when she heard the distress. She kept going away at an angle and wasn't going to come any closer. We decided to try a shot before she got any further and I was able to make the shot at about 250 yards. Hit was a little back but got the liver and she didn't go far. I'm shooting a Rem 700 in 204 with Sierra 39gr BK's, no exit.
We made 1 more dry stand and moved again to set up lookin over a flat to the N/E. We did our howling thing again and waited for about 5 min, then started with distress. I don't think it was about a minute or two when I had a hard charger on my right coming upwind. TR started barking when he thought the young male was in front of me (he likes to help me cause I'm old). When the coyote didn't stop I barked him to a stop and whacked him. He didn't go down with a high lung hit so I gave him another so he wouldn't get dizzy from all that spinning. About 10 seconds later I hear TR barking again and I was going to tell him to shut up when I looked around the bush I was sitting in and see one leaving. TR just kept barking and finally got her to stop so he could shoot. It's nice when they cooperate.
TR's set up.
Here's my bush..
Hero double shot.
View from our stand.
All young coyotes. I think the adults were hanging out at the "Honeymoon Hotel" as all we could call were youngsters. More fun than anything I can think of.
Thanks for looking.