Another "deck" coyote
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 6:32 pm
Today my wife and I were going to visit her parents about two and a half hours away so I didn't go hunting but kept checking my field for any coyotes. Shortly after 7:00 I stepped out on the deck to go get the car out when I looked out into my field to the south and saw a coyote about 80 yards out in the field looking back to the east. I slipped back into the house and grabbed my Marlin .22 magnum I've had since 68' and eased back out the door. The coyote was walking away by this time and was getting out there but I had to try the shot. I took a rest across the deck railing and gave a howl with my voice. The coyote stopped and turned broadside looking my way. I placed the cross hairs just behind its shoulder and just below its back and sqeezed the trigger. The coyote went down like I had shot it with a bigger gun. I quickly bolted another round in and watched to see if the coyote got up but it didn't move. I stepped back into the house and told my wife there would be a slight delay in our departure while I checked out the coyote.
Here is a picture from the deck out to where the coyote was when I shot it. It was about 10-12 rows out to the right of the post out in the field next to the brush. The post has snow on it.
Here's a view from the coyote back to the house.
There was a bullet hole low behind the shoulder so I'm thinking it may have hit her heart the way she went down. I took the rangefinder with me and took a reading on the house and it was 147 yards, not a shot I would normally take with a .22 magnum. I guess I got lucky this time so I better have the 204 handy for the next time if one presents itself.
Here is a picture from the deck out to where the coyote was when I shot it. It was about 10-12 rows out to the right of the post out in the field next to the brush. The post has snow on it.
Here's a view from the coyote back to the house.
There was a bullet hole low behind the shoulder so I'm thinking it may have hit her heart the way she went down. I took the rangefinder with me and took a reading on the house and it was 147 yards, not a shot I would normally take with a .22 magnum. I guess I got lucky this time so I better have the 204 handy for the next time if one presents itself.
We've had one of the warmest winters on record with only one day of snow in the Portland area! Spring is just around the corner. Gary