Great day in the woods this morning 4/18/11

[BOFF]

Woke up early and headed to a spot where I knew a big bird was hanging out at times. I've hunted this bird several times, and no luck so far, so I decided to approach him from the other end of the property.  Was set up and waiting right at daylight 5:40. NOTHING!!! As usual, I believe this bird doesn't gobble, he just strutts and drums in the open pines. I stay until 7:30, but the quietness of no gobbling, make me itchy to move, and I do.

I went to another area and got set up around 8:00 am and heard a gobble as I was finishing with the decoys. I sat in the direction of the gobble, called and got ready to wait, as there was no reply. Well about 10 minutes later I heard a noise behind my left shoulder on the road, and all of a sudden there was a brown flash 5 steps to my immediate left. A COYOTE!! He was quickly going to the decoys up hill from me, and all of a sudden when he hit my scent trail he did a quick leap to his right, and ended up about 10 steps in front of me.  Once he jumped in front of me, he realized that atrocious scent he was escaping, all of a sudden swallowed him whole.  (Out of the frying pan and into the fire is definitely appropriate for his situation.)  He puts the burners on his wheels, going back in the direction he came from, in order to escape.

I shouldered the gun partway to my shoulder and basically just pointed at him and fired, as he was around 5 steps to my left. NOTHING!!! I was expecting him to go down, but he kept running down the hill behind me. I was able to fire a shot at about 30 yards down the hill, and 50 yards down the hill. NOTHING!!! AUGHHHH!!

I watch him get about 100 yards down the hill and he makes a sudden turn to the right and goes out of sight.  Mind you, this all takes place in about 8 and a half seconds from the flash of brown to out of sight. I'm frustrated and kicking myself for not getting the sight picture of the EOTech on him. Still trying to figure out how I missed, I see a round place on a pine tree 9 steps away, on the other side of the coyote where I first fired. I figured it was where my shot took the bark off, and couldn't reason why it was only the size of a bottle cap. I pulled my rear out of the gobbler seat, and took a few short steps over to the tree to examine my H13 #7 shot damage.


Well what do you know, blood and hair!! Only a little blood on the ground. I start to ease down the hill, searching for blood in the direction the coyote went, and NOTHING!! Well dang!! I wonder where I hit him?  I circled again, and found some blood, and looked 5 feet away, back up the hill, and there he lay.  



Man, I believe the wad must of gone through him. This is the ENTRY SIDE!!!



I rolled him over and the exit side was covered with hair, but a mess. Look at the last few yards of the 100 he ran.



He left his lungs on this stick about 10 yards up the hill from where he laid.  I can't believe with his lungs gone he ran so far, but again it happened so quick.


Looking back up the hill, you can barely see Goober and Henrietta (my decoys)  between the trees.



Sorry for the poor photos, all I had on me was the phone.

I hate to write it, but I'd rather shoot the coyote than I would a gobbler.  



God Bless,
David B.

[njdevilsb]

Awesome story and pictures.  Those #7's did a number on him. 

[NCBigShot]

...Look's like great turkey woods... Stinks that the 'yote messed up your morning but at least he won't be messing up any others....

[Wrangler95]

 


Very nice,congrats!!

[Ol'Mossy]

Nice yote congrats

[S.C.C]

That's great you got a chance to smoke a yote!!!
Dang thangs are takin over everywere!!

[TnHunter]

Congrats on the yote.

[bowhunter84]

congrats david!!!

[PANYHunter]

Nice.  Looks like he was shot with a rifle.  

[Hognutz]

Now that is a story with a happy ending. Way to go, David. I hate those mangy, egg eating, turkey killin' mongrels. Well done..Mike

[Basser69]

Nice! I less turkey eater out there. Congrats!

[RustySap]

 

[MC]

Always nice to see a coyote with a hole through his ribs...or head...or anywhere for that matter.

Song dogs don't go 'round here   

[cannonball]

I don't see how he ran that far, congrats on the yote!

[M,Yingling]

Nice shootin    A dead coyote is a good coyote