I have been trying to get a Coyote since I got my .204 which is no easy task here in central PA. The song dogs here are not high in numbers yet and are VVVEEERRRRYYY cautious. Well I finally scored, It was about 4 P.M. I set up in a small island of trees overlooking a large field, The left edge of the field is bordered by a patch of woods, to my right was all field for 300+ yards, The far edge is a fence row about 250 yards out with more fields on the other side. The wind was from left to right. I set up my homemade Weasel Ball decoy and my foxpro 70 yards straight out crosswind in front of me then waited 15 min.
I started calling at a fairly low volume with various distress calls, first was cottontail, then groundhog, then more cottontail, gradually increasing the volume, nothing. I did this off and on for about 45 min. still nothing. I cranked the volume up and cut loose with female barks and howls followed by male challenge howls, waited about 5 min. and repeated the howls, I just turned the caller off and layed the remote down and when I looked back up I saw a Coyote coming out of the woods to my left about 75 yards out past the decoy. He trotted straight downwind glancing at the decoy from time to time as I followed him in the scope waiting for him to stop. He never did stop, he started to bear to his right to get downwind of the decoy, I figured it wouldn't be long till he had my scent so I lip squeaked to stop him but he kept on trotting so I led him a little and touched off a shot at around 140 yards, He rolled when the 35 grain Berger hit him. He got up and stumbled another 10 yards and collapsed. One shot right in the boiler room.
The end result is a DOG DOWN!!!
My .204 is a Rem. 700 sps with a Boyds thumbhole stock, A Nikko Stirling 6 x 24 x 56IR Platnum Nighteater scope, Caldwell bipod, and an Optronics GL-50M4 scope light. The load I was using was 35 grain Berger hp in Win brass, Rem 7 1/2 primer, 28.1 grains of 4895.
.Jamie
