# Last coyote hunt of 2016



## alleyyooper (Jan 1, 2017)

Is my last coyote hunt of 2016, I have a job to do for a friend Friday and we will be doing some cooking and helping John get everything set up for his Friday night party. Arrived at Johns at 1:30 PM and met Lee and John all loaded up in Lees suv. Today we are going to start nearby at a Christmas tree farm. It is a new place we were invited to by the owner just after Thanks Giving but the owner had not wanted us hunting till after the Christmas season as they have people show up about every day to do a cut your own. John, Eric and Dean had went and talked to the owner about important things like where to park and be out of the way, property lines and distances to neighboring buildings. They had also did the hay ride around the place to look at likely areas for sets.

It was a short 8 mile drive to the place and we got there just before 2:00 PM, John had filled us in on what he felt was the most likely area a bit of a hill with a cross trail so there were 4 avenues the coyotes could be seen, and an area they had cut over for this year’s trees for those who didn’t want to cut their own and for semi sales to other states tree dealers.

All the snow has pretty much left and it has gotten cold so the ground is frozen is a easy walk in about 350 yards from where we parked. Set up other than the decoy, was simple set the call at the base of a tree 75 yards out and wiring the weasel ball to a stump so it would stand up, I need to make a base for when the ground is frozen. 

Back where we are going to make our stand John points out who is covering what trail and angles. Is only right since he had scoped the place out with the owner who had explained the howling at night and area he thought it was coming from, and remains of a deer also. 

About 10 minutes in to the calling a coyote peeks out from under a pine, quickly pulling his head back under as the branches were low to the ground. I keep watch on that area and sure enough it poked it’s head out again. I had brought my Ruger 77 - 243 because we had a good steady 8 MPH wind when I left home with gust to 18 MPH. Pretty soon it steps fully out and looks at the decoy I figured the range at 120 yds slide the safety off center the cross hairs right between its eyes and squeeze.
It is down at once and just did a couple kicks. We wait another 10 minutes and nothing showed so we shut the caller off and waited another 10 minutes then packed it in. Walked up to the coyote and that Sierra 85gr. HPBT had entered at the bridge of the nose taking the back of the head off. Nice fur on it and hide not damaged badly where it counts. Lee says he will go get his ride and pick the coyote up so the cripple doesn’t have to carry it out. 
Lee is in fine form again and makes me feel good. 

We leave there at 2:25 and drive to the Androplouis farm A sheep farm about 30 miles from Johns place. They raise several breeds of sheep; one breed supply’s a lot of meat to the Greek community in and around Detroit. They have their own butcher facilities, they also shear sheep and sell the raw wool, Yarn and even wool cloth. It is a good size farm about 540 acres, there is a small lake on the place so wood lot about 40 acres and a county drain thru the place, One area over grown with brush to wet to farm most years but sheep can graze there. We are all set at 3:15 and start the call. We think we should see a few as we have not hunted there for a good two months. We decided to do a double call, a squealing rabbit and a pack of coyotes sound like they are after the rabbit. We believe that the area coyotes thing there is an interloper pack so they come to investigate and come as a pack. Many times there will be at least 4 coyotes show during this type of calling. About 15 minutes elapsed and here came 5 coyotes all in Lees zone but he signaled He would take # 3 John # 2 and I should take #4 then who even could maybe get a shot at #1 At 75 yards Lee closed his hand and fired. When the smoke and dust had settled I had my second coyote and John had one and Lee had 2. If we hustle we can do one more set at another farm.

We drove another 25 miles to a dairy farm, their place is a small 160 acres where the home is but lease a lot of farms in the area where other farmers have retired or just quit. We were going to hunt the home place; there were several small wood lots in the area around the farm. As we parked at 4:30Pm it was starting to get darker. We trek back to the edge of a hay field fence that has a wood lot on one side and another wood lot on the end. Set up the decoy just out from the corner of the wood lots. Then set up along the fence across the hay field. Any shots will be close to 200 yds. The wind is starting to calm down as the callers start going. After 20 minutes and not seeing any thing we set for an additional 10 minutes waiting in case a slow poke shows up. None did so we pack up and leave. 


Lee volunteers to skin the coyotes for us as we are driving to johns and help set up the tables for the party. 
Get back at Johns and Dean drives in right after us. He has 6 lamb chops From the Elrick family given to our group for keeping coyotes away from their sheep. John says that will go good with his steaks.

 Al


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## crowbuster (Jan 1, 2017)

very nice sir. I made some sets jan. feb. march of this year, but never made one set after our season came in oct 15th. We have plenty of yotes, just never made it out. Didn't shoot any from the deer stand either. Been a long dry spell for me. I'll have to remedy that if this dang weather will cooperate. Glad you have had some success, keep up the good work and keep em thinned out.


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## Shanen Mannies (Jan 1, 2017)

Coyote hunting is on my bucket list, got a electronic call this summer, but that's as far as I have gotten, hear them at night, pretty close by..


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