First Song Dog

eleaf · February 23, 2011, 03:34:59 PM

And he's a HUGE song dog (though he may be a coydog - he has coyote feet, ears, tail, scat and fur, with what looks like a dog snout and some stout legs).

EDIT: At the local weigh in, he weighed in at an official 57 lbs. Of the 7 people there, 4 thought he was pure bred coyote, and 3 thought he was as mix (though since I have done some reading about coydogs, I would opt to go with pure bred because coydogs are extremely rare to non-existent in areas where coyotes have stable populations - they generally only occur on the bleeding edge of coyote territory).

It was the 2nd stand of the morning. We were overlooking a small cow pasture and it just felt right. Many of those cows had dropped a calf seemingly not more than 3 or 4 days ago, so it seemed like coyotes would be in the area trying to take advantage of the situation. We were right.

Not 15 seconds after we started to call, crows were swarming, and a red tailed hawk showed about a minute after that. They hung around for a bit, but then moved on their way.

About 8 or 9 minutes in to the stand, I see him. He popped his head over the ridge at about 10 o'clock and stopped, looking for the sound. The wind was a good crosswind coming in at 90 degrees from 9 o'clock so there was no chance of being smelled out. I gave him a second to show more of himself, but he wasn't moving. He could have seen me if he would have looked, and he was only about 40 yards out. I felt good with a head shot using an R-15 in 204 Ruger with a SS 1-4x with donut reticle and exposed turrets so I took it.

He dropped in his tracks, not moving an inch. Done.

Apparently Biscuit about jumped out of his camo when the shot went off because he couldn't see the coyote when I shot, and he wasn't looking at me. He thought I had hit him because I had an AR, and only 1 shot rang out. He looked at me and I signaled I hit him with a head shot.

Despite my wanting to jump up and get a look at my first song dog, I sat while Biscuit kept calling. After a minute or so with no more dogs, we stopped to get a look at my kill.

And I know he's big. Real big. I humped him for about 3/4 of a mile through thick mud in a cattle lot (that was real fun, lemme tell ya - especially that last leg which got blood all over my jacket). It's the biggest song dog Biscuit had seen, and he says the prettiest too.

He weighed in at a whopping 60 lbs on a home scale.

Rig:
Remington R-15 VTR Rifle in 204 Ruger
SS 1-4x24 HD (Donut reticle/exposed turrets)
American Defense Recon-X (30mm rings)
Nosler Custom 40 grain ballistic tip

Thanks Biscuit for a good morning callin'! Your dry spell is done, and my first song dog is in the books!

I had a great time.

coyote101 · February 23, 2011, 03:52:44 PM

Way to go Chris!

Great story.

What a brute you got, congratulations to you and Biscuit.

Pat

WldWldWest · February 23, 2011, 04:04:13 PM

Good goin Chris! That one's a Hoss!

WWW

KySongDog · February 23, 2011, 04:14:55 PM

Congrats, eleaf! That is a big one but I don't believe it is a coyote. That face is a dog's. A coydog or feral dog would be my guess.

Anyways, he won't be dining on calf's anymore.

FinsnFur · February 23, 2011, 04:29:37 PM

I'm doubting it's a coyote myself. What ever it is...it's huge

eleaf · February 23, 2011, 04:59:21 PM

Quote from: FinsnFur on February 23, 2011, 04:29:37 PM
I'm doubting it's a coyote myself. What ever it is...it's huge

Too many coyote traits to be all dog (or even mostly dog). Coyote tail. Coyote feet. Coyote ears (slender, long and triangular rather than short, squat and triangular). Coyote scat. Coyote tail.

Head and nose looks like a dog, but that's about the extent of it.

He is big though, and as Semp said, he won't be stealing any more calves.

pitw · February 23, 2011, 05:24:21 PM

Have you got a pic that shows the top of his tail? It sure doesn't look like any coyote I've ever taken

.

Biscuit · February 23, 2011, 06:13:30 PM

Here pit this is what your looking for

Biscuit · February 23, 2011, 06:25:22 PM

Im waiting on a biologist to come and take a DNA test on him for the purpose that people here around home don't believe that he is a coyote at all. (One Guy inparticular)

Guys this is the first time that i have seen one that looked like this with my own eyes after calling in many of coyotes this year. Not saying that it aint a cross between a coyote and a dog or maybe just coyote. And i wish i could bring him around and show him to all of you in person. But OBAMA will not allow me to do this do to the cheap gas prices here around home

Eleaf i had an awesome time with you today and glad to have made it a lifetime memory for you!! We will do it again one day.....

pitw · February 23, 2011, 06:42:53 PM

Thanks, reason I asked is that almost every coyote I have taken has a black spot on it's tail like these. I wish I had better pics but you get the idea.

When I get a coydog it never has it

.

riverboss · February 23, 2011, 06:46:30 PM

He looks like he`s crossed with a husky but the back of his head sure say`s coyote i bet he could put a hurtin on some calfs.

eleaf · February 23, 2011, 06:54:06 PM

Quote from: pitw on February 23, 2011, 05:24:21 PM
Have you got a pic that shows the top of his tail? It sure doesn't look like any coyote I've ever taken .

No. I took a pic or two of the tail, but they didn't come out (in shadow).

When we got to the dog, we were hummin' and hawin' some about it, then Biscuit looked at the tail and said in his mind there is no question that he is coydog at the least. He said the tip of the tail was prototypical coyote. When we started looking him over real good, he also noted the paws were also prototypical coyote (2 middle toes way up front and together, and that perfect "X" between the toe pads and foot pad - forgive me if my terminology is wrong). Fur too (coarse with black tips).

Hope that helps.

eleaf · February 23, 2011, 06:57:28 PM

Quote from: Biscuit on February 23, 2011, 06:25:22 PM
Im waiting on a biologist to come and take a DNA test . . .

Seriously?

pitw · February 23, 2011, 07:02:08 PM

The one thing I'm learning on the net is I don't know much

. There appears to be many different breeds of coyotes and many variations of those breeds. I ~~rarely~~ never see one marked like that up here or a black one and that sure don't mean they aren't out there. When I first saw the picture I thought of a Husky my buddy has and not a coyote. I'm looking forward to the DNA report as this is how we all will learn.

Mallardsr · February 23, 2011, 07:21:57 PM

Alright! Alright! You got him! Now can I have my collar back!

FinsnFur · February 23, 2011, 07:39:37 PM

Well, now that pic on the concrete floor throws a little more coyote into it for some reason. I dont know if it's the markings, the coloring of the markers or what...but

coyotehunter_1 · February 23, 2011, 08:35:58 PM

Around here coyotes come in several assorted colors.
Some people thought this one was ol'yeller. Nope, although an unusual color phase... eastern coyote.

Mallardsr · February 23, 2011, 09:13:33 PM

I was just pullin his leg a little. New guy with a pic like that couldnt just slip by! Well done and congrats on your first!

eleaf · February 23, 2011, 10:32:00 PM

Quote from: Mallardsr on February 23, 2011, 09:13:33 PM
I was just pullin his leg a little. New guy with a pic like that couldnt just slip by! Well done and congrats on your first!

Regardless of what it is, I did the easy work (pullin' the trigger). Blake was the one who called him in and had us set up in a good position in his honey hole!

Alls I did was shoot.

wked · February 24, 2011, 06:03:47 AM

Congrats on your first, regardless. If he was where he wasn't supposed to be and had no collar, he's fair game. I'd vote for coydog based on size alone. Also very large bone structure. He is colored up a lot like a Husky. Way to go on the calling Biscuit. Your getting as good at callin coyotes as you are at frying fish and rabbits!