#24 and 25. Another great year comes to an end!

[Grayfox]

Well it's been a great year. It looks like we tied our previous calling/ kill total of 25 from a couple years ago and actually ended up with 27 total when including our trapped coyotes as well. It's too bad the snow has disappeared because they sure were coming in well the last couple times out. I hit one high the other night and couldn't recover it and judging by the hair left there it will probably make it and Mitch hasn't had a lot of time to hunt with me this year and I do miss those nights when he was always with me but I think I appreciate the times we do get out now a little more. We still have a great time and still enjoy being out together.

We started the night out by driving by several of our spots trying to find one we could see at. It wasn't looking good for a while there but we settled on a spot we hunted earlier this year where Mitchell killed one. I put the caller out to the SW of our position and Mitchell set up south of me about 10 yards away. I had been calling off and on for about an hour and hadn't heard a howl yet when Mitchell said there's two South of us. I couldn't see anything and was trying to see where his gun was pointed. I kept scanning and still couldn't see them. I finally saw them way down in the SW corner of the field. I didn't want to take a long shot if we didn't have to so I turned on the caller again and immediately saw one start in. The other one disappeared and I thought maybe it was trying to circle down wind. I never saw it again and the other one closed in to about 120 yards. Mitchell wanted to know when he could shoot, I asked if he was on it as I dialed in on it too, I said take him when your ready and I heard him shoot so I squeezed one off too. Off it goes but I could see it was in trouble. After a short 40 yard run it was down. Another Vmax disaster. This will be the last year he uses these. Mass carnage!

We headed to another spot and didn't have any come in but heard several groups howling a fair distance around us and one female that just wouldn't stop howling. It literally howled and barked almost non stop for the hour that we were there. I thought she might cross the road if I could admit ate her enough but it sounded like she was giving someone the business already. After driving past several,other spots, I knew of one that should have plenty of snow as it was in a big bowl. I got Mitchell's approval and off we went. It was around 4:30 when we rolled in to the farm yard. We parked the truck and headed down the hill. I put out the caller to the south of us and we sat about 10 yards apart to the north of it. I started the caller and immediately had several local dogs barking. After 20 minutes or so I thought I heard a female howl just once. Is asked MIT if he heard it and he thought it was a dog. I didn't think so. I kept calling and about 30 minutes later it lit up again from about 300 yards to the West of us. I quickly got up and backed up to sit next to and north of MIT in case it came in straight from the West. We sat quietly for another 10 minutes when she howled again but much closer. We were scanning real hard with the binoculars and I saw her come Around the corner of some brush about 130 yards out. She stopped and just sat down. We watched her and she appeared to be looking back and I thought maybe her mate would show. After a few minutes I sterted to worry about her leaving so I asked Mitch if he wanted to take her. He acknowledged and we both dialed the scopes up and centered the crosshairs. I asked again if he was ready, he said yes, I said on the count of three, one, two and we both shot and I watched her tip over to the right. Never twitched. I said I don't think that ones going anywhere and he laughs. We head over to collect her and called it a night. Again, it was a great year and I can't wait to get out again next fall. See you next year!

[123fish]

Congrats! Thanks for the pics and stories.

[ozzie]

love the tales of the hunts!! thanks

[O.T.C.]

Great Job Guys and I hope this upcoming season is your best yet in terms of #'s taken and enjoyability. If people were ever going to give yotes a try the time is now. I believe in many places coyote numbers are as high as they've ever been going off sightings, hearing them, and many people across central MN's reports. I had one sneaking up on me when I was putting birdseed out the other night, there growl is different from what I thought it would be. Go to my dads place had the same sorta thing happen, but I was armed so I dropped her immediately at 10 yards, they eat my parents birdseed on many a night. Coming into and through our yards nightly. I hope for adequate snow so the guys with hounds can get at em better this winter/spring. Good luck and hope the clouds stay away from the moon for all of us when it's prime time to do it.

[O.T.C.]

They are extremely thick talking coyotes in my area, last night 11:05 PM we all were awakened by them, grab the 12 gauge and slide out the front door, 2 of em were eating corn under our bird feeder growling at one another, barking snarling etc. Needed 10 more yards to make a clean kill but they busted me and bolted, waited and the whole area lit up in any direction with coyotes. Trailcams are full of coyote pictures also in several counties, I think the population is very high so we need to thin it.

PS. There's 1 guarantee in the coyote world and it's whenever an emergency vehicle is wailing the siren, the coyotes seem to sound off every time, anyone else notice that, dogs as well and more so when it's completely dark although we had 4:00PM howling the other day when an ambulance went by a couple miles away, wind made it louder etc. Coyotes sure enough started howling away then the dogs join in barking etc.