Post by Joe on Feb 3, 2004 10:19:04 GMT -5
Well, the title of this post says it all...To get the ball rolling, let me tell you a little about myself. I am certainly not new to hunting and shooting. I have hunted and shot all my life,(will be 50 my birthday). I was an IPSC class "A" shooter. I have had tons of training in rifle, pistol, and subgun, with the highest certification in all three. I was a state police firearms instructor for about 17 years and a state police swat sniper for 18 years...now that this story is prefaced, I will begin.
I am new to coyote hunting. I have shot many while hunting other things, but never had hunted them directly. My youngest son, Dustin, got us started about 2 weeks ago. Dustin is ALWAYS getting me in trouble
At any rate, we had began to buy a few things for coyote hunting. We bought a couple of dying rabbit mouth calls, a few new tapes for our old 175 pound Dennis Kirk caller...some new bullets to load and so on...man we were getting set. We go out 4 or 5 times for a couple hours, and...nothing, nadda...zilch. OK, so maybe what everyone says is true, coyote hunting in this area is REALLY tough. But we are not quitters....we are real men , never say die, go get 'em, coyboy up 
yea, right...Oops, I got off track, ( do that more and more of late) Dustin is at school, so I am going to go for the first time by myself. I am going to take my new mouth calls, my new rifle, my new shooting sticks, and I am going to go kill one.
Well, I have an east wind, I know a nice little field about 150 yards long in the middle of some woods where we know there are coyotes. Yes, good place to go....I go set up about 4:30 pm after riding about 4 or 5 miles on my 4 wheeler in 20 degree temps. I throw out my little mini blind at the bottom of a large pine tree....wind at my back, on my little seat, rifle resting comfortably on my shooting sticks....all is well. Man this would be great if only I could feel my fingers. I am wearing some little gloves with no fingers past the knuckle...no matter, won't be here long and probably not going to see anything anyway. OK, all set, weeeeeeee, weeeee owwwwwww,weeee owwwwwwww..man that sounds good, do it again....again....wait a minute or two, again.... About 20 minutes pass, now I am colder than ever...been too still too long....dang 4 wheelers anyway. Hmmmm, what is that over there? About 125 yards just out of the trees, a stump? Yea, probably a stump..but I don't remember a stump being there when I sat down, guess I just didn't see it...no, poo...man I gots to know, so easy up on the rifle, use the scope...stump??? Poo no, IT IS A COYOTE..how long has he been there?? Now I gotcha, you 'lil trout sniffer..come to Poppa... He is in fact, coming straight at me, shoot now?? Easy shot but he is coming in, let's wait a little...125 yards, 110...90....75...70 still coming...man this is great....65...snick safety off, gently place ultra cold finger on trigger in preparation for a shot......KBOOM!!!!!!!!! ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGG, cold fingers and light triggers don't mix well.. NOooooooooo...too late. Game over.
I tell you guys this because I messed up. I made crucial errors. With all the training, experience, savy and so on....I blew it. I am glad it wasn't a shot that mattered, it is humiliating, a dismal failure. Perhaps I can save one of you guys from making a similar mistake or three. Good side is, perhaps I made most all my "Newbie¨ mistakes at one time...if so that will shorten the learning curve Now if I can just find my brass....with both hands.
I am new to coyote hunting. I have shot many while hunting other things, but never had hunted them directly. My youngest son, Dustin, got us started about 2 weeks ago. Dustin is ALWAYS getting me in trouble
At any rate, we had began to buy a few things for coyote hunting. We bought a couple of dying rabbit mouth calls, a few new tapes for our old 175 pound Dennis Kirk caller...some new bullets to load and so on...man we were getting set. We go out 4 or 5 times for a couple hours, and...nothing, nadda...zilch. OK, so maybe what everyone says is true, coyote hunting in this area is REALLY tough. But we are not quitters....we are real men , never say die, go get 'em, coyboy up yea, right...Oops, I got off track, ( do that more and more of late) Dustin is at school, so I am going to go for the first time by myself. I am going to take my new mouth calls, my new rifle, my new shooting sticks, and I am going to go kill one.Well, I have an east wind, I know a nice little field about 150 yards long in the middle of some woods where we know there are coyotes. Yes, good place to go....I go set up about 4:30 pm after riding about 4 or 5 miles on my 4 wheeler in 20 degree temps. I throw out my little mini blind at the bottom of a large pine tree....wind at my back, on my little seat, rifle resting comfortably on my shooting sticks....all is well. Man this would be great if only I could feel my fingers. I am wearing some little gloves with no fingers past the knuckle...no matter, won't be here long and probably not going to see anything anyway. OK, all set, weeeeeeee, weeeee owwwwwww,weeee owwwwwwww..man that sounds good, do it again....again....wait a minute or two, again.... About 20 minutes pass, now I am colder than ever...been too still too long....dang 4 wheelers anyway. Hmmmm, what is that over there? About 125 yards just out of the trees, a stump? Yea, probably a stump..but I don't remember a stump being there when I sat down, guess I just didn't see it...no, poo...man I gots to know, so easy up on the rifle, use the scope...stump??? Poo no, IT IS A COYOTE..how long has he been there?? Now I gotcha, you 'lil trout sniffer..come to Poppa... He is in fact, coming straight at me, shoot now?? Easy shot but he is coming in, let's wait a little...125 yards, 110...90....75...70 still coming...man this is great....65...snick safety off, gently place ultra cold finger on trigger in preparation for a shot......KBOOM!!!!!!!!! ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGG, cold fingers and light triggers don't mix well.. NOooooooooo...too late. Game over.
I tell you guys this because I messed up. I made crucial errors. With all the training, experience, savy and so on....I blew it. I am glad it wasn't a shot that mattered, it is humiliating, a dismal failure. Perhaps I can save one of you guys from making a similar mistake or three. Good side is, perhaps I made most all my "Newbie¨ mistakes at one time...if so that will shorten the learning curve
Now if I can just find my brass....with both hands.
.......keep on keepin' on
I have been hunting those wiley coyotes for over 35 years and I can not began to remember how many time I have give a coyote and education tip