Let one get away this morning!?

Frogman · April 16, 2008, 02:53:41 PM

My friend Mike and I went this morning to a farm we haven't visited in several months. It is the same farm where we called in the first two coyotes we ever called. It has large high meadows with the head of two creeks creating ravines down through the meadows. These ravines are full of briers and old slab piles where the fields were cleared years ago.
We had a favorable wind this morning and we were able to set up with the sun behind us. I set up along the fence looking down one swale and Mike set up below me in some pine woods looking up a power line right of way. He was about 75 yards below me. I set the Scorpion out to my right 100 yards away on an old stump about 5 feet high near the top of a finger. After settling in I turned on the Scorpion and started with some rabbit distress sounds on about level 25. After a few minutes I decided I didn't like the set up because Mike and I were basically covering the same area and neither of us could see into the ravine on the other side of the Scorpion. I barked twice on the howler which is our signal to end a stand. I re-situated Mike out to the right beyond the Scorpion where he could see down the ravine beyond the e-caller where I could not see. After about ten minutes I started calling again with the DSG cottontail sound. I also used my old Sears Predator mouth call to let out some loud high pitched screams.
Across the deep ravine below me I saw two deer walking along looking over they're shoulders behind them. They're tails were up and they were acting nervous. They crossed the ravine and circled in below me looking behind them and up above them toward the Scorpion. They went out of sight behind the pines where Mike had been sitting earlier. At about 9:30 AM I saw the coyote come out of the ravine below me and head right for the Scorpion. It was a nice large gray colored coyote with some black on it's back. It was quartering from my left toward my right and heading right for the Scorpion. I had my .222 Remington 700 on the wrong side of the tree in front of me so I had to move it to the other side of the tree to get a shot. I had loaned Mike my AR for the morning.
The dog was about 100 yards away quartering sharply away from me still focused on the e-caller and the rabbit sounds. When it stopped it was still quartering sharply away from me. I centered the cross hairs and and fired. The dog spun around twice biting at its haunch and went down. I turned on the hurt pup sound on the Scorpion. The coyote got up and limped away down over the hill. I chambered another round and got off another shot just as the coyote went into a brier covered slab pile in the ravine about 150 yards below me. The second shot was a miss. We found specks of blood where the coyote went into the slab pile. I was just sure I had made a good shot and that we would find the dog in the slab pile. No such luck. This slab pile in the ravine was really big and deep with lots of old trees, briers, and trash. I couldn't find a blood trail coming out of the slab pile. We looked for the dog for at least an hour.
In retrospect I'm afraid I just made a bad shot on this coyote.

I should have been more patient and waited for it to turn and offer me a better shot. I should have lip squeaked at it. I could have let it go little further and Mike would have had a shot at it. It was a great opportunity that we have so few of here in the East. I really feel terrible about blowing it. Hopefully I can learn from this and try to be more patient next time.
Believe it or not, after all the thrashing around and talking we did while looking for this coyote, we called another one in just a few hundred yards away over the ridge in another watershed. This stand was at about 12:00 noon. After a few minutes of Lightning jack on the Scorpion along with some screams on the Sears mouth call a coyote started challenging us from the holler below us. The wind was shifting around quite a bit by now and I think that busted us on this second dog. It carried on for several minutes, threat barking and challenge barking, as it tried to circle us and get our wind better. Mike finally saw it through the woods just at the edge of his vision. No shot available.
At least we had an exciting morning and saw two dogs. I just really hate loosing one like this. This will eat at me for a long time.

Hopefully reading of my experience will help some of you avoid something similar.

Jim

KySongDog · April 16, 2008, 03:03:40 PM

Nice story, frog.

Sorry about the loss. That dog died somewhere I bet.

Semp

DirtyDog · April 16, 2008, 03:07:57 PM

Jim,

It happens........I shot a coyote in the FACE at about 20 yards with the same shotgun and loads that literally DESTROYED them 2 turkeys I shot, and that bastard ran and never dropped an ounce of blood. I know I hit it because it fell down, and just got back up. Just a few months later, I was back at it and was able to seal the deal. Keep your chin up.

DD

Silencer · April 16, 2008, 04:16:05 PM

I made a bad shot last year during a contest with #4 buck at night, just as I pulled the trigg, the dog spun at that exact same instance and I hit it way further back than I intened.
After looking over the scene I waited over night so I didnt push it. Went back the next day and tracked it 2 NEPA mountain ranges over till the blood quit. Its mate never left its side according to the tracks, and IMO was cleaning the wounds and helping it carry on.

Never did find it, and I'm still get sick to my stomach when I think about it..

Know how you feel.

Bopeye · April 16, 2008, 04:37:06 PM

I shot a couple coyotes last year with a 10 gauge that I couldn't anchor. Took one's tooth out though........

alscalls · April 16, 2008, 04:44:58 PM

I spun one a couple of months ago at night with my shotgun and it still bugs me.

golfertrout · April 16, 2008, 06:34:06 PM

Jimmmmmmmmmmmmm dang gone it. some guy i work with lives right behind where i think u was hunting n said his wife heard some yotes tuesday night.

wv_yoter · April 16, 2008, 08:18:21 PM

Jim, it sounds like you had fun. Don't let it eat at you to much, everyone has one get away at some point.

FinsnFur · April 16, 2008, 08:31:47 PM

You have to leave some for seed. At least thats what I say when I miss, educate, wound, lose, or dont see any.

Sounds like you had fun for the most part, and when it's not fun no more something is majorly wrong.

Jimmie in Ky · April 17, 2008, 01:21:42 PM

We have all been there at one time or another and still do things we shouldn't. Don't let the could haves or should haves eat at you. Sometimes we just have to take what we get and live with it. Such shot angles are the best arguement in the world for using spire point bullets , don't have to worry about if they got there or not. Jimmie

CCP · April 17, 2008, 05:17:02 PM

QuoteWe have all been there at one time or another and still do things we shouldn't.

Thats the truth Frogman it happens to all of us. Every stand I make successful or not I always say wish I had done this or that.

Hang in there and keep them good stories comin.

Bopeye · April 17, 2008, 05:47:55 PM

Quote from: Jimmie in Ky on April 17, 2008, 01:21:42 PM
Such shot angles are the best arguement in the world for using ~~spire point bullets~~ grenade launchers.

Fixed that for you Jimmie.............

KySongDog · April 17, 2008, 06:05:47 PM

Quote from: Bopeye on April 17, 2008, 05:47:55 PM
Quote from: Jimmie in Ky on April 17, 2008, 01:21:42 PM
Such shot angles are the best arguement in the world for using ~~spire point bullets~~ grenade launchers.

Fixed that for you Jimmie.............

I was thinkin' a .338 win mag would end the problem with runners.

Semp