I went out last Monday morning (company holiday) in the fog and wished I would have stayed home. I couldn’t see 300 yards and the fog was so thick, water was dripping off my gun and fogging over my lens. I went back out in the afternoon and it wasn’t much better.
I was going to sit in a fence row by a large tree and put the FoxPro out in the field into the wind from me. I started walking out into the untilled corn field and was sinking down to my ankles in places and it made me think I might be setting up in the wrong place because the coyotes might not want to get out in the mud for an artificial rabbit sandwich.
I got the FoxPro set up about 45 yards out and then settled into my spot by the tree. The fog was starting to thicken and a light mist was coming down. I waited about 15-20 minutes and then gave some female howls on the FP and heard some coyotes howl to the north about a half to three quarters of a mile away. I waited awhile and then gave some rabbit distress only to have nothing respond.
I sat for a little while longer watching the field and decided to try some more howls. This time I had a group open up to the east of me of across a large creek bottom on the far side. They no more than shut up when I had a group start howling in the creek bottom to the northwest of me about 600-700 yards away and I could tell they were getting closer.
I got my rifle pointed in their direction and waited but nothing showed in the next 4-5 minutes. I gave some high pitched howls with a hand call and caught a glimpse of something at the top of a grassy hill near the end of the field. I cranked the scope up and took a look just as a light colored coyote crested the hill. Behind it came a very dark coyote and an average colored coyote. They looked and milled around but would not come on in. They finally turned and disappeared over the hill. I put the rabbit distress on and started giving some yips on the hand call and all three popped back up over the hill.
They still wouldn’t come on in and one of them lay down and watched my direction. I shut the caller off and kept watching them through the scope. The one laying down got up and all three started stretching and milling around. It was getting foggier and losing light so I decided I was going to take a shot. I had my gun on shooting sticks and settled into the scope to wait till one of them gave me a broadside shot. The lighter one walked away from the other two a few yards and stood broadside. I settled the cross hairs on the top of its back and squeezed the trigger. The coyote dropped on the spot and raised its head one time and died, didn’t even get a tail wag. The other two ran off so I sat for about 15 minutes hoping they might come back to check on their buddy, but they didn’t.
It was getting darker out by now and I decided I better go check out the coyote while I could still see.
The coyotes were on the light colored grassy hill to the left of the gun barrel. I ranged the coyote at 270 yards.
I was shooting my CZ 527 American in .204 with the Sierra 39 gr. B.K.
The coyote had a very light color to it. Here are a few pictures of it.
Here is the exit side of the coyote. The bullet took out both lungs and made an exit wound a dime would cover. It was an average size male.
Keep the stories coming.
