Let one get away from me????

[Frogman]

I went out for a few night stands with John Martin on Tuesday evening 7/14/09.  We arrived at the property about 8:30 PM and then had to walk up a steep hill to the top to get in the high meadows.  John did some howls to locate the coyotes.  We soon heard them down in a holler to our right.  I set up covering the most likely approach route while John tried to get them in.  No luck.  We re positioned closer to the area where we had heard the coyotes.  I was set up near the crest of a high point watching a large field below me.  John set up to my right about 200 yards away watching down into another field.  He could also see part of the area I was watching to his left.  John suggested I try my Sears Predator call which has produced well in the past.  This is a very high pitched call.  I did one sequence.  Scanned around the field below me for the telltale eyes.  Nothing.  A few minutes later I did another short sequence trying to sound like the last dying efforts of a small creature.  Almost immediately I saw eyes below and to my left just at the edge of the woods about 100 yards away.  Two sets of eyes!  They came cautiously toward me.  When they were about 75 yards away they stopped.  I aimed at the lead dog and fired.  A clean miss???  Both dogs seemed to pay little attention to the shot or the light and they started trotting from my left to right about 75 yards below me heading toward John's position.  I was excited as this was my first time seeing coyote eyes on a night hunt.  I was surprised that I could still see their eyes glow even when they were not looking directly at me.  As soon as I shot John started KiYiing and the coyotes were headed toward him but still below me and in sight.  Finally I remembered the squeeker bulb I have.  A couple of squeeks stopped them and they came back toward me from right to left still about 75 yards out.  I had to stand up as they were just out of sight below the crest of the hill.  Another squeek and they stopped.  I aimed just below the eyes on the chest of the nearest one and squeezed of the shot.  I actually heard the bullet hit the dog and his squeel of pain.  The muzzle flash momentarily blinded me.  Then I saw one set of eyes running back toward the woods where I had origionally seen them.  After a few more minutes of John Kiyiing I started walking down to where I thought I would find the coyote lying.  John joined me, but we found nothing???  He was sure I had hit the coyote.  He had also heard the bullet hit and then the distress cry form the coyote.  We continued searching and finally John found the beginning of a good blood trail near where I had first seen the eyes come into the field.  The trial led down a haul road and into the holler.  Here are some photos of the blood trail . . .







We tracked the coyote for quite a while down into the holler and up the creek bed.  We continued to find spots and splotches of blood.  Finally I looked ahead and saw eyes.  John was in front of me and we had left our guns up on the hill.  We didn't think we would have such a long track ahead of us.  Both of us expected to find the coyote lying near by.  I had my 9mm pistol with me but John was in front of me following the blood trail wihen I saw the eyes.  John shined his light on the coyote as it limped off away from us.  If we would have had our rifles he could have killed it easily.  It appeared to be dragging it's right front leg and appeared to be about finished.  This area of the holler was very steep and we found lots of deer bones and signs that this was a major den area.  We continued to track it until we finally ran out of blood trail.  At about 1:30 AM we gave up.  Both of our lights were about to give out.

We returned to the property this morning 7/15/09 to continue the search.  We hoped to see buzzards or to locate the den and find the coyote in the daylight.  Here are some photos I took this morning . . .



This is a view from where I was sitting when I first saw the coyotes.  They first appeared in the field to the left in this photo and came toward me til I fired the first shot.  Then they started jogging from right to left.



This photo was taken just to the right of the previous one.  My second shot was about in the middle of this photo.  Then the dogs ran off to the left.



This shot is taken looking up the hill toward where I was sitting.  I was just at the edge of some brush you can see below the building at the crest of the hill.



This is the beginning of the blood trail that John found.  It has dryed some overnight.



This picture shows where John was sitting off to my right at the edge of those trees.

The rest of these photos were taken today as we re tracked the blood trail trying to find the coyote.



This is the same splotch of blood from the photo last night.  The coyote went down this road and into the holler on the right.









We still had a good blood trail at this point.



Some of the bones we found in the holler.  Coyotes do take down deer!!  We found numerous sets of bones in this area.







Unfortunatly we did not find the coyote.  I hate to cripple and lose game!!!???

We had a very exciting hunt and I learned a lot.

First, I should have been more patient with my first shot.  The coyotes were coming toward me and if I had just waited a little longer I prolly would have been able to get a closer shot, and maybe even a double.

Second, I learned the locating dogs at night by howling really works.  After the coyotes responded we moved several hundred yards closer to them to make our final stand.

Third, I was surprised that I could still see the coyotes eyes in my light wven when they were not facing me.

Fourth, the little squeeker will stop them.

Most of you guys probably already know all this stuff!  I'm still learning and have not done much night hunting.  Hope to do some more soon!

Hope you enjoyed the long story and all the pictures.  I just wish I had a hero shot to add???  All comments and suggestions are appreciated!!

Jim

[Bills Custom Calls]

Myself I think I would have been using a shotgun after dark and tried to get them in closer.
Like when they were past you going towards John let them go then slither down the hill to where they had come through and then hit the squeaker and hoped they come back

Just my thoughts

[KySongDog]

 John was in front of me and we had left our guns up on the hill.  

That's a lesson I learned a long time ago.  Always carry your main gun!  I was deer hunting and went on a quick scouting trip and left my gun in the truck.  The season was in and within 75 yards I bumped in to one of the biggest bucks I have ever seen.   I could have, would have, shot him except all I had in hand was a cup of coffee.     Repeat: Always carry your main gun!   

[alscalls]

Coyotes are smart.......that one cuts the horns off before eating the deer......... :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: