Exciting morning . . .

Frogman · December 16, 2009, 06:27:46 PM

It was 20 degrees this morning when my hunting buddy and I went out at 6:00 AM for a muzzle loading deer hunt. I got to my first setup just as it was getting light enough to shoot. We saw deer in this area last week. This is the same are where we saw all the turkeys in a previous post. Here are a couple of photos from my first spot.

I then dropped down into the main holler and found these tracks . . .

They were frozen in the mud and made perfect tracks. Coyotes I think??

My friend and I decided to split up and climb the other side of the holler and try to move deer toward each other. So I climbed nearly to the top of the ridge and walked out around the head of a small ravine. I set up facing the end of a meadow which was off to my left about 75 yards. We see deer in this meadow that is on the side of the hill quite frequently. I found a nice place to set up close to a long fallen log with the meadow where I expected to see deer off to my left. After a few minutes I heard cheee, chee, chee, chee, the sound of something running through the leaves behind me to my right rear. Whatever it was was pretty much following my trail to where I was set up. I turned my head toward the sound and shifted my rifle in that direction. Here is a photo showing where I was set up . . .

You can see the log I was set up against. Off to the left of the picture is the end of the meadow out in front of me where I expected to see deer.

The sound of trotting feet came closer and here came a coyote from my right rear right in the trail I had just walked out to get set up. It was a beautiful nice sized coyote with black tiped fur on top and lighter gray lower down. I had on the required blaze orange and was sure the coyote would spot me. Instead it just kept coming. It stopped once and looked in my direction, but seemed to ignore me. When it got to within 40 feet I thumbed the hammer back on the percussion muzzle loader. The coyote heard the click and stopped again about 35 feet away. It looked right at me and then ignored me again and continued walking closer. When it came to the other end of the log I was sitting close to it actually jumped up on the log and stood for a few seconds looking around. It still did not seem to notice me?? It was now only about 25 feet from me. Then it took a few steps up the log coming right at me. I was frozen in place and could not move. It was still at an awkward position for me to shoot to my right. The coyote then jumped off the log and continued on past me. I planned to shoot as it was quartering away from me. It then jumped up on another log about 30 feet away. As soon as it turned it's head to look away from me I got the gun up and got a perfect sight pictured just behind it's left front leg. I'm thinking, "There is no way you are getting away from me! I'm going to get a coyote kill with my muzzle loader!"

I squeezed the trigger, pop, I had a misfire, the cap went of but it did not ignite the powder charge??? AARGGHH!!! Still the coyote just kind of trotted off away from me, seemingly unconcerned. I'm sure I heard it chuckle a couple of times as it dissappeared over the other side of the ravine from me??? Here are a couple more pictures that I took after my nerves settled down a little . . .

That dark colored fallen tree just to the left of my rifle barrle is where the coyote was when I popped the cap.

Just few minutes later two more coyotes came off the hill and ran down the haul road I had walked up to get to my spot. They were too far away for a shot and didn't stop running. In this picture they were just on the horizon where the muzzle of the rifle is pointed.

A little while later I met up with my buddy. He had watched four deer at the other end of that meadow about 400 yards from where I had set up. Three coyotes came off the hill and spooked these deer. He lip squeeked two of the coyotes to within 50 yards out in the meadow, but they were constantly moving and he couldn't get shot lined up through his peep sight. He thinks these were the same three coyotes that I saw. I'm not so sure as the ones I saw were heading in the other direction???

When I loaded the muzzle loader this morning I neglected to snap a couple of caps through it before loading the powder charge. Very frustrating!! But it was still a great morning!! You can be sure we will get back out there to try again as soon as deer season is over.

Jim

Roundman · December 16, 2009, 06:46:17 PM

I don't know about you, but I would go back as soon as rifle season opens back up. No better sign than a couple of live kiyotes.

Coulter · December 16, 2009, 06:53:49 PM

Great Narrative Jim. Click - Poof...man I hate it when that happens

I bet it was cool seeing one up close and personal like that. Get back out there with some calls man.

Steve

iahntr · December 16, 2009, 10:10:38 PM

Sounds like a good morning. Not so much for the deer huntin,
and a little frustrating on the misfire

, but a cool
experience none the less. Thanks for sharin it with us.

Okanagan · December 17, 2009, 01:09:30 AM

Frogman, what a great read with excellent pics. Thank you. I got excited just reading it when the coyote jumped up on your log and came even closer to you! What a great experience to tuck away in your mind.

I've no idea why once in awhile coyotes will act so tame and oblivious to hunters but have had that sort of thing happen, always when doing something else besides hunting coyotes. I had one trot past within 15 feet of me one time when I was standing beside a tree in a few inches of snow. I was still hunting a timbered bench for deer and had paused for two or three minutes to stand still and look. After the coyote trotted past me I wished I had shot it, and right then a second coyote came trotting along, sniffing etc. following the track of the first one. I shot it, nice female.

Another foggy morning I was still hunting up a skid road for deer at dawn when I noticed a pair of coyotes hunting along the edge of the road toward me. I stopped moving but was standing in the edge of the road, wearing dull colored wool clothes but no camo. There was a logging debris pile less than 15 feet from me with old logs and dirt piled up. They worked all over that and went on their way. Once in awhile one of them would stop and look straight at me for a few seconds. Never have figured that out. I can't remember wind direction on any of those.

They are fun to watch.

FinsnFur · December 17, 2009, 05:19:02 AM

Yeah, that woulda been an interesting morning for sure.
He might not been able to make out your outline, due to your camo.

I'd be going back

KySongDog · December 17, 2009, 06:00:41 AM

Looks like you had a real interesting day, frogman.

Nothing is worse than having your muzzle loader mis-fire.

Here's a couple of tips on the muzzle loader for what its worth. 1. Never use petroleum based products on your muzzle loader especially in the barrel. It kills the powder. 2. I always drop about 20-30 grains of powder down the barrel, followed a patch (no bullet) and then fire the gun. Once the gun fires (called "Clearing the Throat" by the old timers) load it up and go hunting. I guarantee it will fire. Works for me anyways. Good luck.

BTW, I do the "clearing throat" procedure the night before I go hunting. I load the gun (no cap) and leave it in my truck or unheated garage so it will be at same temperature as outside. That is so you don't get any condensation from going from inside to outside.

pitw · December 17, 2009, 06:10:32 AM

Quote from: Semp on December 17, 2009, 06:00:41 AM
Nothing is worse than having your muzzle loader mis-fire.

Really

Yep it is amazing how some coyotes act especially after you have snapped a cap.

Got to admit I've watched some pretty neat stuff thanks to the old misfire though.

HaMeR · December 17, 2009, 06:37:48 AM

Too bad about the coyote. You know how to get them now. Just go deer hunting. I went to fffg powder when I was using a percussion style years ago. It seems to be a little more forgiving & doesn't take as much to get it to light.

Frogman · December 17, 2009, 07:39:18 AM

Semp,

I like your idea of a few grains of powder to clear the muzzle loader. I usually just pop a couple of caps through it with the muzzle pointed at a leaf or something on the ground to make sure everything is clear. I neglected to do that this time. When I got home I ran a nipple pin through the nipple and tried it again. It went off fine?? My bad??

Guys,

I just wonder about the coyote being so careless. It crossed the path I had taken to get to my setup, actually followed in my path for a ways? It seemed to not smell me? There was very little wind. It looked right at me at least 3 times and seemed unconcerned, even though I was wearing a blaze orange game vest? Then when the cap popped even that didn't cause it to go into overdrive. It just kind of trotted away?? This happened at about 10:00 AM with the temperature in the mid 20s. I just wonder if the coyotes were just really hungry after a couple of cold nights? Maybe it was a yearling?? Maybe it's hunger overcame it's caution??

What do you guys think??

Jim

vvarmitr · December 17, 2009, 08:21:15 AM

Maybe he was hoping your tracks would lead to a gut pile.

pitw · December 17, 2009, 08:33:22 AM

I like to shoot compressed air through my nipple and thus out my barrel before I load my gun. Snapping caps and doing what Semp says works fine but when I do that I then have to clean my gun after the hunt. Instead I do it my way and don't worry about the corrosive residue damaging my gun if I leave it loaded for the next day.
As for the coyote, who knows why it would do that. I've seen them do some mighty strange stuff and I can't explain it . I just enjoy it and carry on thinking I know something.

KySongDog · December 17, 2009, 11:00:37 AM

Quote from: pitw on December 17, 2009, 06:10:32 AM
Quote from: Semp on December 17, 2009, 06:00:41 AM
Nothing is worse than having your muzzle loader mis-fire.

Really

If you are muzzle loader hunting, it is. Kinda like hunting coyotes with blanks.

JohnP · December 17, 2009, 11:21:04 AM

Great story and I really enjoyed the pictures. Who knows why coyotes do what they do and why they do it? I would venture a guess that no ones knows except maybe the coyote. Sometimes I think we give them to much credit for their intelligence and other times I think we don't give them enough. But like others have said I sure would be out there trying to call them in.

Really enjoyed the pictures looking over the rifle barrel

Hidehunter · December 17, 2009, 12:32:59 PM

Great Read Frogman. I havent had the honor yet of getting that close to one. Everyone I see that knows Im there is running full blast. I would definatly go back.

CCP · December 17, 2009, 06:38:02 PM

Great pictures and a great read sounds like you had a great morning.

Quote
I just wonder about the coyote being so careless

He was more than likely just in his normal routine that morning. Back when I deer hunted I have had a few follow me in sniffing the ground the whole way.

The thing I tell people to realize is this. The coyote you see walking out across the field, mousing around or doing it's daily routine turns into a totally different animal when you start calling. All his senses come alert. This is why so many deer hunters shoot coyotes from there stands and feel it is easy to hunt coyotes. They are the same animal but in two totally different frames of mind.

Also remember coyotes are color blind. You could have had a pink hat on too. I wear camo when its cold because that is what my warm clothes are â€œcamoâ€. During the warmer time I wear blue jeans allot. Then slip on my camo if we kill something for the camera or picâ€™s. The log you were against broke your outline so you could have been wearing almost anything.

As stated above coyotes do weird stuff at times with no logical reason. â€œJust the nature of the beastâ€.

Next time you go there and hunt these same coyote. If they just donâ€™t come runnin in with no caution then you will notice that they will catch the slightest movement and pick you out way more quickly. Then if you have a cap snap you will see them high tail it out of there. WHY? Because they will be coming to a distress call or coyote call of some sort and their senses will be on high alert for several different reasons.

pitw · December 17, 2009, 06:44:25 PM

Quote from: CCP on December 17, 2009, 06:38:02 PM
Then slip on my camo if we kill something for the camera or picâ€™s.

Oh yeah and what name is on this camo

CCP · December 17, 2009, 07:05:02 PM

QuoteOh yeah and what name is on this camo

It varies! Haven t looked at the last camo a guy gave me at work to try on yet.

I did have some Frogg Toggs given to me by Mike his friend works for them and are based here where he lives. They slip on easily but are loud you have seen them in my last pic or two or hunt. Carry them in the truck all the time and are good rain gear. before that I had some pull over mesh ones I got at Basspro on the bargain rack.

I wonder if Frogg Toggs will put me on there Pro staff?? I might have messed up by saying they are loud when you move.

I did have a camo company at the last show they did offer to outfit me in all there stuff for free. I thought that would be kinda cool problem was I didn't like the pattern for the east it was more of a western pattern.

LBLDOG · December 17, 2009, 07:26:33 PM

Great story Frogman, I know where you will be when gun season is over! Good Luck when you go back! CCP never really thought about why Deer hunters always will shoot one when their deer hunting. That makes a lot of sense now about yotes being to different kind of dogs when their guard is down vs. When calling them!!

KySongDog · December 17, 2009, 07:58:18 PM

QuoteAlso remember coyotes are color blind. You could have had a pink hat on too. I wear camo when its cold because that is what my warm clothes are â€œcamoâ€. During the warmer time I wear blue jeans allot. Then slip on my camo if we kill something for the camera or picâ€™s. The log you were against broke your outline so you could have been wearing almost anything.

I remember Ladobe talking once about a guy in a Santa suit sitting on a ladder and calling coyotes. I laughed then but now think it is possible as long as you don't move.