Opening day of pheasant season, coyote down

[BigB]

Last weekend was the opener of pheasant season, and the pheasant population has been falling around our area.  There are always coyotes next to our pheasant field, so my brother and I did some calling right before our pheasant hunt.  We have called this area quite a few times before, as it isn't very far from our house.  It usually produces fur, and this morning wasn't any different.  I knew they were in the area, because I heard them howling and yipping about 2 hours before sunlight.

A few howls on my Cronk howler and a series of bunny blues from one of my open reeds, and there were three of them in our lap.  They caught us by surprise as the grass and weeds in this pasture haven't been flattened by the snows yet.  They were about 10 yards in front of us before we saw them.  I normally have my 22-250 along, but didn't have it along on this trip.  My brother brought along his Nova, and wanted to try out the dead coyote choke and 3.5" dead coyote shells.  Once the yotes saw us at 10 yards, they bugged out.  By the time I got my gun shouldered, the yote was already at 40 yards.  One shot with the dead coyote loads, and it rolled him right there.  The other two darted between the trees and got away, but now without some warning shots thrown at them.  I was skeptical of the dead coyote loads, but there wasn't much kick to it and there wasn't any question about the results.



The three yotes came from the left in the picture.  After the shot, one went back to the left, and one went right.  When my brother was taking this hero shot, the one that went to the right swung around and appeared on the hill behind me over my left shoulder.  The yote just sat there, checking out what just happened.  My brother tried a shot on it, but we didn't find any blood.

One less pheasant eater this year.

Brian

[CCP]

 Great story and good hunt. I would have loved to see the look on those coyotes when they spotted you. I love that ooh sh__ look they get.

Bet you had one of them looks to though?  

I too like the dead coyote loads.

[alscalls]

Light color to that one! Congrats!!! Sounds like a GREAT time!     

[Bills Custom Calls]

Sounds like a great time  and 1 less Coyote It don't get much better then that

[FinsnFur]

Thanks for sharing that. That looks like some good coyote country too.

[iahntr]

 Nice job   
I was thinkin the same thing CCP was,
I bet ya both had that "OH crap!" thing goin. 

[golfertrout]

cool

[pitw]

Kinda/sorta like a mixed bag hunt eh.  That is prime looking coyote habitat and thanks for sharing.

[SCcoyotehunter]

I love shooting yotes with a shotgun.

[JohnP]

Enjoyed the story and the picture.  I have yet to kill my first coyote using a shotgun.  I been using a rifle for so long I just can't bring myself to using a shotgun. 

[Frogman]

Thanks for the story and photo.  WTG!!

Jim