Chilly 5 coyote day

This was first posted for forums in january 2021

Some guys say that in the extreme cold temps like we are having the coyotes hole up and don't move a lot yet I find I have some of my best hunts when it's this cold. That and I'm strange and don't mind going out in -30.

After work had me headed to a landowner who had called me asking for coyotes to be thinned before calving.

I had been told that there was a fair amount of coyotes in a patch of standing corn so my first stand had me sitting on a balestack looking over the corn patch.

Few howls revealed multiple packs of coyotes in the hills surrounding the area answering me back. I let rip on a new homemade jackrabbit call and waited. Barely a minute after calling a flock of grouse erupted from the corn to my left and sure enough here came a coyote. A few lip squeaks had him trotting in fast only to be met by a swarm of #4buckshot from my browning maxus

The next spot had me moving into the hills which produced a dud stand. With the steep hills I figured to cross into the next small valley to try and call more bush but on the way up I lifted my head to see a coyote watching me. not 75 yards away he was wondering what to make of my white figure walking up the hill. Luckily the young pup stood around long enough to allow for an offhand shot

For the last stand of the day the plan was to call behind the far side of the corn patch in an area of rolling hills and deep thick bush.

With some harsh wails from my homemade jack call a coyote popped up in front of me and with the harsh angle I wasted no time in shooting before it walked into the crossing wind. At the shot he twirled and took 3 large strides before shutting off like a light and sliding down the hill.

Few more sounds produced nothing so I walked up to my downed coyote. After seeing the area a bit closer I knew there had to be more in that bush so with my dead coyote where he lay I sat down and again let rip with the jackrabbit. Within 5 minutes I looked up to see a coyote sitting pretty 200 yards on top of the hill. Try as I might the coyote wasn't going to budge. Finally after taking my time to get settled in I pulled the pin and heard a satisfying whump as the40 gr vmax tipped him over.

After some more pup distress with no luck I decided the -30 weather was finally getting to me.

I stood up and took a small video for instagram and caught movement 500 yards away. Just in case I plopped down again and let rip on the pup distress again. Lo and behold here came coyote number 3 which trotted in to about 90 yards. With the crosshair on his chest I squeezed and... *Click* cursing my luck the coyote moved behind some cows as I rapidly fed a single round in from my but stock shell carrier. A sharp woof from me stopped him long enough to dump him where he stood. Sadly I never got a picture of the coyote on the hill as dark came too fast for good picture light.