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Last Wednesday I received a call from a rancher near K-Falls saying he just lost a calf to coyotes. I was around that area on sage rats with new shooters so went to ranch on Friday. The rancher says he has seen 6 or 7 coyotes a day in the calving field and his son would know more but was on night shift. I met the Son at 0500 on Saturday and received fresh intel; coyotes in pasture and move out mid-morning. I hike in about a mile to put myself between the yotes and the butte they were heading to every morning. Just after sunrise I see a yote moving my way and drop him at 100 yards. Another yote trots out but there are cattle on his far side. He keeps going and spots me when I move to place rifle 90 degrees to my left. He crosses fence and turns towards me on a trail. I line up on an opening in the trees woof him and drop him at 50 yards.
Next morning same game plan, but with a twist. I am set up same place as the sun rises and receive a call from the ranchers wife. She tells me the rancher is at a line shack directly across from me and sees a coyotes trotting towards the butte. I move along tree line and see the yote making a bee line for the butte. I place trees between us and head to cut her off. She is very intent on something just outside the pasture on the butte. When she passes 39 yards away i woof and when she stops, I drop her. Something moves to my left and I spot a 3 day old calf across the fence and about 1/4 mile away from the herd. I call the day shift(Ranchers Daughter) and she comes out to reunite the calf with its mother. She says this was the same area the yotes took a calf and I am the Guardian Angel of calves.
Third morning, if a plan is working don't mess with it. I set up in same place and soon spot a coyote moving just outside the cattle. It is zigging and zagging back and forth eating calf poop. With the cattle on the other of it I do not have a shot so watch it for 30 minutes. I made the mistake of trying to call to it and it moves away from me towards a long juniper covered ridge with pasture all around. When it disappears into the trees I shoulder my rifle and head across to catch in on the other side. Halfway across the open pasture another coyote comes out of some tules on my left. I sit down and watch it cross in front of me and head along side of ridge. I now hear an ATV to my right and realize the day shift will be here in a minute or two. I judge the distance to be 200 yards, settle down and dropped her with a 62 gr pointed soft point. I go back to find my range finder under a tree and it was a 257 yard shot. Yes I am not very good at estimating distance.
I had to leave that afternoon for Redmond to meet some youth shooters for a rock chuck hunt but had a little time to drop some House Sparrows trying to steal homes from Bluebirds. The young hunter class had made the bird houses last year for the rancher.
Yes the rock chuck hunt was successful. We started out with the 17hmr and then a neighbor rancher wanted to know if we could shoot around some skittish horses. With subsonic rounds even more rare than high velocity, why do I show the young hunters my suppressed 22
I took the picture below just to show off the OHA sling I won at the banquet. Yes it was the only thing I won.
Next morning same game plan, but with a twist. I am set up same place as the sun rises and receive a call from the ranchers wife. She tells me the rancher is at a line shack directly across from me and sees a coyotes trotting towards the butte. I move along tree line and see the yote making a bee line for the butte. I place trees between us and head to cut her off. She is very intent on something just outside the pasture on the butte. When she passes 39 yards away i woof and when she stops, I drop her. Something moves to my left and I spot a 3 day old calf across the fence and about 1/4 mile away from the herd. I call the day shift(Ranchers Daughter) and she comes out to reunite the calf with its mother. She says this was the same area the yotes took a calf and I am the Guardian Angel of calves.
Third morning, if a plan is working don't mess with it. I set up in same place and soon spot a coyote moving just outside the cattle. It is zigging and zagging back and forth eating calf poop. With the cattle on the other of it I do not have a shot so watch it for 30 minutes. I made the mistake of trying to call to it and it moves away from me towards a long juniper covered ridge with pasture all around. When it disappears into the trees I shoulder my rifle and head across to catch in on the other side. Halfway across the open pasture another coyote comes out of some tules on my left. I sit down and watch it cross in front of me and head along side of ridge. I now hear an ATV to my right and realize the day shift will be here in a minute or two. I judge the distance to be 200 yards, settle down and dropped her with a 62 gr pointed soft point. I go back to find my range finder under a tree and it was a 257 yard shot. Yes I am not very good at estimating distance.
I had to leave that afternoon for Redmond to meet some youth shooters for a rock chuck hunt but had a little time to drop some House Sparrows trying to steal homes from Bluebirds. The young hunter class had made the bird houses last year for the rancher.
Yes the rock chuck hunt was successful. We started out with the 17hmr and then a neighbor rancher wanted to know if we could shoot around some skittish horses. With subsonic rounds even more rare than high velocity, why do I show the young hunters my suppressed 22
I took the picture below just to show off the OHA sling I won at the banquet. Yes it was the only thing I won.
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