It was 3 degrees with a 4mph NE wind. On this private 120 up the road, I have seen this coyote once at the end of MZ when I was out with Ellie. Then last Sat we had about 1" dusting, I went to look for him. Ended up finding his tracks not far from where me and Ellie saw him.
So this morning with that wind I park on the South end of the property. I am already second guessing parking here because I am expecting him very close to where I park, but didn't like the option of parking on the North end with that wind. Then I am thumbing through my Predator Extreme in my library this morning before I leave, and under the title of 4 biggest mistakes, number 2 or 3 is parking too close to where you hunt.
Just before I turn right on my road, another truck turns in front of me. Perfect, some road noise to cover my entrance. Then I wait in my truck for 5 minutes to let my entrance settle. A snow plow goes by on the county road bordering to the east, making good cover noise to exit the truck.
I get out and across the road is a coyote running west to east in the gray light as I stand at the truck and watch. The snow is a little louder than I like, but I dont have far to go. I get settled in and just watch. Thinking about pulling my call out to do a couple barks (that is all I do lately), but decide against it. When all of a sudden I catch movement. Coyote number 2 is seen without calling. After a 5-10 minute wait I mouth squeek, nothing. A little while longer of kneeling on one knee in 3 degrees puts both feet to sleep so I get up to check the snow to unravel what happened.
The little son of a gun was bedded down not far from where I saw it. And what I thought was him coming from north to south and supposed to head into an open area for a shot, was really him moving SW into cover and gone. I am guessing I got into position undetected and he busted me once there. Went out and checked a marking post and sure enough some coyote tracks and yellow snow tell me at least one marked that spot since the snow ended sometime before day break.
Oh well, live and learn. Just hope I learn enough to shoot one their before I burn it out.
Here is a pic of Ellie hiding behind my makeshift blind a few weeks back. Figure I coulndt write this much and not have a pic. The coyote has been hanging on the other side of the hill.
