Mangy Coyote
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:26 am
I went out this morning to a creek bottom I’ve taken a few coyotes in the past couple years. This is the same bottom I shot two doubles the same day about an hour apart last winter. We had a little over an inch and a half of rain a few days ago and with the ground being frozen, created some flooding.
I wanted to cross the creek but the water was too deep so I opted to sit by a fence post next to the creek. Just at the first hint of daylight, some coyotes way to the south of me opened up and then some way off to the northwest answered them. I sat for over an hour and decided to stand up for awhile. About 15-20 minutes later I see a coyote working its way down through the field across the bottom between two patches of trees.
It stopped on the side of the hill and started scratching itself. I was watching it through the scope hoping it would come on down the hill but it finally turned broadside and I decided I would take the shot before it decided to cut into the brush. It was 319 yards to the coyote.
I was here.
Zoomed in.
I held the cross hairs on the top of its back and squeezed of a shot. I was using my CZ 527 American shooting a 39 Sierra B.K. I had cranked up the scope to 14 power and watched the coyote’s reaction as the bullet hit it. The coyote started spinning and yipping and made it into the brush. I took the shot while leaning over the fence post which wasn’t the best rest and I could tell I had hit the coyote farther back than I wanted.
I wasn’t going to be able to follow up on the coyote due to not being able to cross the creek. I stood there for another 30-40 minutes when I heard the farmer coming down the hill behind me on his tractor to get a bale of hay for his cows. I told him what had happened so he said jump on and I’ll get us across the creek.
Finally on the 5th attempt, we made it up the other side. The other side had filled in with mud and sand from the high water and the top 2-3 inches were frozen but muck 2+ feet deep underneath.
I found the coyote lying in the brush licking its side and put a final shot into it. I had shot it in the guts and a good part of them were hanging out on the exit side. It’s the third coyote I’ve shot around here that has had mange in the last year. I didn’t even turn it over to see if it was a male or female. I probably did this coyote a favor by putting it down instead of it starving or freezing to death.
I wanted to cross the creek but the water was too deep so I opted to sit by a fence post next to the creek. Just at the first hint of daylight, some coyotes way to the south of me opened up and then some way off to the northwest answered them. I sat for over an hour and decided to stand up for awhile. About 15-20 minutes later I see a coyote working its way down through the field across the bottom between two patches of trees.
It stopped on the side of the hill and started scratching itself. I was watching it through the scope hoping it would come on down the hill but it finally turned broadside and I decided I would take the shot before it decided to cut into the brush. It was 319 yards to the coyote.
I was here.
Zoomed in.
I held the cross hairs on the top of its back and squeezed of a shot. I was using my CZ 527 American shooting a 39 Sierra B.K. I had cranked up the scope to 14 power and watched the coyote’s reaction as the bullet hit it. The coyote started spinning and yipping and made it into the brush. I took the shot while leaning over the fence post which wasn’t the best rest and I could tell I had hit the coyote farther back than I wanted.
I wasn’t going to be able to follow up on the coyote due to not being able to cross the creek. I stood there for another 30-40 minutes when I heard the farmer coming down the hill behind me on his tractor to get a bale of hay for his cows. I told him what had happened so he said jump on and I’ll get us across the creek.
Finally on the 5th attempt, we made it up the other side. The other side had filled in with mud and sand from the high water and the top 2-3 inches were frozen but muck 2+ feet deep underneath.
I found the coyote lying in the brush licking its side and put a final shot into it. I had shot it in the guts and a good part of them were hanging out on the exit side. It’s the third coyote I’ve shot around here that has had mange in the last year. I didn’t even turn it over to see if it was a male or female. I probably did this coyote a favor by putting it down instead of it starving or freezing to death.
Gary
) I'm just 20 minutes east of St. Louis. I've been seeing more and more mange each year. Some have a severe case while others are just barely showing signs. It's been here for a long time but I'm seeing it more often these days. Here are photos of a couple of the worst cases I've seen in the last couple years. 
