alleyyooper
Pinnacle OPE Member
- Local time
- 11:24 PM
- User ID
- 8210
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2018
- Messages
- 640
- Reaction score
- 1,668
- Location
- Michigan.
It was 6:40 AM when I pulled in the drive way. The big garage door was going up as I stopped in front of it. Lee came out with his pack and rifle case opened the rear door and placed them inside then went back and got a second gun case.
I didn’t think it was supposed to be windy today but I had gotten in the habit of having the 220 Swift and a 243 back up. Today I had the 243 Rugar 77 tang safety that had belonged to my dad.
Lee placed the second case in the truck then climbed in the cab. He says I know you want to know what is in the second case right? Ya I had given thought to that effect.
He said he had went to a estate sale with his wife and they had a few guns for sale. A couple of Ted Williams pump shot guns 12 and 20 and a Winchester Model 100 auto loader in 243.
I asked if he were going to rebarrel in like Dean had the 742. He laughed and said didn’t think so as he already had a 22 cal, now a 6mm for windy days.
By then we had got to the farm we were going to start our day at. Beef Operation running close to 350 head of cattle.
We dress and make our way back over a hilly hay field to a row of round bales. Set our gear down pull the decoys and callers from the back packs work down a hill to the edge of a bunch of Autum Olives. Which line the edge of the woods, about 10 acres in total.
Back at the round bales we settle down with a female in heat sound. The sun was rising to our right into orange haze with the bright half moon at our backs as the first coyote come out of the brush and starts looking at the caller area then beyond at the decoys. Just as it is about to head to the decoy a second one steps out of the brush. Time for action Lee’s zone so signs I am number 2 he will take the first then flashes the trigger sign. The swift makes the jump in the cross sticks but I still saw it drop in the scope.
I see Lee had looked at me with a big grin on his face. I agree nothing like a pretty morning all kinds of birds singing the early morning spring songs
along with a pair of coyotes.
I switched my caller on to a piglet in distress sound for the rest of our set.
Nothing else showed.
We go and gather the callers and decoys then walk over to our coyotes. One a male on the older side but the fur is still nice and tight. The other mine is a youngish female also nice tight fur. Ground is hard from the over night cold but we will not chance any ruts in the farmers fields so the coyotes are wrapped in plastic and drug to the truck. Slip out of our camo and get in the truck time is 7:19 AM
A short drive to another farm we had hunted before, A dairy operation this time with a feed lot lofting lot. Grab our gear and walk down a lane to the back of the property where the woods is.
Set out callers and decoys out near the woods edge then work back to a brushy fence line.
The sky has gotten brighter and we could feel it starting to cool some. It always does that for some reason as the sun rises up.
Start with the female in heat again we had decided to only run the sound for 15 minutes then switch to some thing else. Hoping to make it sound like the female had gotten hungry and started to do a bit of hunting.
Started a coyote vers a baby pig going.
Took 5 minutes and a single coyote shows up my zone. I wait a couple ticks then fire another coyote down. Wait the full 30 minutes, go gather our gear and the coyote a male with tight fur.
Been warm enough and the deer are starting to shed so worry about the fur on the coyotes. As soon as it starts slipping we quit hunting them unless we are responding to a farmers call.
Drive to the next farm another that Lee and I had hunted together about a year ago. Again a dairy operation much bigger as the feed lot holding area is at least 10 acres.
We work our way back to a large sloth that is a grassy wet area not farmed so there is brush starting to grow thick in spots in there.
Once again our in heat female is called into duty, only took 5 minutes and we had a pair of coyotes coming from the center of the swale and another pair off to the right Lees zone.
Lee signs I should do what I can with the center ones and he would do the same with the ones off to the right.
I chose the trailing coyote as my target with hopes the one in the lead would hesitate long enough to get a shot off. Didn’t work for me as planed, got the single and couldn’t find the lead coyote again.
Lee hold up 2 fingers. At 30 minute mark we get our callers and decoys wrap my male up in plastic then Lee’s 2 males. Take turns dragging the pair.
Back at the truck Lee says my second coyote came charging toward his pair as the second one was falling. He first had dropped and the second stoped to sniff it as it fell nearly on top of it.
We head for a sheep farm going into a small village with a blinking light in the center on one corner is a bakery and Lee says to stop. Jumps out and runs in and returns with a half dozen glazed donuts.
So here we are going to hunt coyotes eating donuts sipping coffee and tea. Can’t get better than that.
I had hunted this sheep farm about a month ago with Charlie. We sat up for a full 30 minutes and nothing showed. Nope don’t think hunting some place a month later is a mistake. Think it is just the fact that coyotes will come into an area for several weeks up to a couple months depending on the food supply and move on.
There are disputes on just how much area is in a coyotes range. I my self go with the people who said in the 1960’s it was in the 25 square mile area but with the rapid expansion of coyote populations in lower Michigan the area has shrunk to the 10 square mile range.
We drive to another sheep farm and after doing a 30 minutes set there and seeing nothing we figured the coyotes may be laying tight as it is now in the high 30F with very little wind. In other words a beautiful spring day. Decided we would start knocking on doors. Most farmers are around at this time of year not in the fields planting. Most likely in the shop working on equipment so they are ready.
Manure spreading is being done at some places but is easy to catch a ride with the farmer and talk about varmint hunting.
So that is what we did for the next few hours before lunch.
We just got permission and the lay out of the farms property line and if they have seen or heard coyotes. We now have 5 new farms 2 crop farms and a dairy farm along with 2 beef operations.
We stopped at a gun shop and looked around. Not much in the way of used shot guns or rifles we would be interested in so left to have lunch. Chose a family style restaurant where we could have a nice meal and linger over it since the mid day rush was over.
We hit the next farm a beef operation at 2:45PM, it is 47F by the trucks read out. We work our way back to the wood lot here set up on a hill side stone pile surrounded with brush.
Go with our female in heat sound again and pulled two males out of the woods.
We decided to hit the pig farm next. We usually steer away for this place unless it is windy. A pig farm a true pig farm will smell up a 5 square mile area on a day with little wind. We work around the barns up wind and get back to a sloth full of brush and weeds.
The female in heat was put back to work again. 15 minutes and nothing so break out the piglet in distress sound. A male coyote comes tearing out of the sloth in Lees zone.
When we got back to the truck there was a postit note stuck to the window. Come to the house when you return. We get out of our camo and go up to the house. We are told to come on in and have a seat and offered coffee. Tells us his brother has a small beef operation in Deerfield town ship about 10 miles west of this place. He has coyotes cruising his place just about every evening can we help him out.
We say we can, today if he is around the house and barn to talk with us.
A phone call anchors his brother to the shop, we head there.
We get there and yell in the shop door and locate Bill in a far back corner where he has a small office. He offers coffee we decline as he have had a bunch of late. He explained that for close to two weeks now he has had 5 coyotes come in the yard at dusk and go around the barns and feed lot.
Al
I didn’t think it was supposed to be windy today but I had gotten in the habit of having the 220 Swift and a 243 back up. Today I had the 243 Rugar 77 tang safety that had belonged to my dad.
Lee placed the second case in the truck then climbed in the cab. He says I know you want to know what is in the second case right? Ya I had given thought to that effect.
He said he had went to a estate sale with his wife and they had a few guns for sale. A couple of Ted Williams pump shot guns 12 and 20 and a Winchester Model 100 auto loader in 243.
I asked if he were going to rebarrel in like Dean had the 742. He laughed and said didn’t think so as he already had a 22 cal, now a 6mm for windy days.
By then we had got to the farm we were going to start our day at. Beef Operation running close to 350 head of cattle.
We dress and make our way back over a hilly hay field to a row of round bales. Set our gear down pull the decoys and callers from the back packs work down a hill to the edge of a bunch of Autum Olives. Which line the edge of the woods, about 10 acres in total.
Back at the round bales we settle down with a female in heat sound. The sun was rising to our right into orange haze with the bright half moon at our backs as the first coyote come out of the brush and starts looking at the caller area then beyond at the decoys. Just as it is about to head to the decoy a second one steps out of the brush. Time for action Lee’s zone so signs I am number 2 he will take the first then flashes the trigger sign. The swift makes the jump in the cross sticks but I still saw it drop in the scope.
I see Lee had looked at me with a big grin on his face. I agree nothing like a pretty morning all kinds of birds singing the early morning spring songs
along with a pair of coyotes.
I switched my caller on to a piglet in distress sound for the rest of our set.
Nothing else showed.
We go and gather the callers and decoys then walk over to our coyotes. One a male on the older side but the fur is still nice and tight. The other mine is a youngish female also nice tight fur. Ground is hard from the over night cold but we will not chance any ruts in the farmers fields so the coyotes are wrapped in plastic and drug to the truck. Slip out of our camo and get in the truck time is 7:19 AM
A short drive to another farm we had hunted before, A dairy operation this time with a feed lot lofting lot. Grab our gear and walk down a lane to the back of the property where the woods is.
Set out callers and decoys out near the woods edge then work back to a brushy fence line.
The sky has gotten brighter and we could feel it starting to cool some. It always does that for some reason as the sun rises up.
Start with the female in heat again we had decided to only run the sound for 15 minutes then switch to some thing else. Hoping to make it sound like the female had gotten hungry and started to do a bit of hunting.
Started a coyote vers a baby pig going.
Took 5 minutes and a single coyote shows up my zone. I wait a couple ticks then fire another coyote down. Wait the full 30 minutes, go gather our gear and the coyote a male with tight fur.
Been warm enough and the deer are starting to shed so worry about the fur on the coyotes. As soon as it starts slipping we quit hunting them unless we are responding to a farmers call.
Drive to the next farm another that Lee and I had hunted together about a year ago. Again a dairy operation much bigger as the feed lot holding area is at least 10 acres.
We work our way back to a large sloth that is a grassy wet area not farmed so there is brush starting to grow thick in spots in there.
Once again our in heat female is called into duty, only took 5 minutes and we had a pair of coyotes coming from the center of the swale and another pair off to the right Lees zone.
Lee signs I should do what I can with the center ones and he would do the same with the ones off to the right.
I chose the trailing coyote as my target with hopes the one in the lead would hesitate long enough to get a shot off. Didn’t work for me as planed, got the single and couldn’t find the lead coyote again.
Lee hold up 2 fingers. At 30 minute mark we get our callers and decoys wrap my male up in plastic then Lee’s 2 males. Take turns dragging the pair.
Back at the truck Lee says my second coyote came charging toward his pair as the second one was falling. He first had dropped and the second stoped to sniff it as it fell nearly on top of it.
We head for a sheep farm going into a small village with a blinking light in the center on one corner is a bakery and Lee says to stop. Jumps out and runs in and returns with a half dozen glazed donuts.
So here we are going to hunt coyotes eating donuts sipping coffee and tea. Can’t get better than that.
I had hunted this sheep farm about a month ago with Charlie. We sat up for a full 30 minutes and nothing showed. Nope don’t think hunting some place a month later is a mistake. Think it is just the fact that coyotes will come into an area for several weeks up to a couple months depending on the food supply and move on.
There are disputes on just how much area is in a coyotes range. I my self go with the people who said in the 1960’s it was in the 25 square mile area but with the rapid expansion of coyote populations in lower Michigan the area has shrunk to the 10 square mile range.
We drive to another sheep farm and after doing a 30 minutes set there and seeing nothing we figured the coyotes may be laying tight as it is now in the high 30F with very little wind. In other words a beautiful spring day. Decided we would start knocking on doors. Most farmers are around at this time of year not in the fields planting. Most likely in the shop working on equipment so they are ready.
Manure spreading is being done at some places but is easy to catch a ride with the farmer and talk about varmint hunting.
So that is what we did for the next few hours before lunch.
We just got permission and the lay out of the farms property line and if they have seen or heard coyotes. We now have 5 new farms 2 crop farms and a dairy farm along with 2 beef operations.
We stopped at a gun shop and looked around. Not much in the way of used shot guns or rifles we would be interested in so left to have lunch. Chose a family style restaurant where we could have a nice meal and linger over it since the mid day rush was over.
We hit the next farm a beef operation at 2:45PM, it is 47F by the trucks read out. We work our way back to the wood lot here set up on a hill side stone pile surrounded with brush.
Go with our female in heat sound again and pulled two males out of the woods.
We decided to hit the pig farm next. We usually steer away for this place unless it is windy. A pig farm a true pig farm will smell up a 5 square mile area on a day with little wind. We work around the barns up wind and get back to a sloth full of brush and weeds.
The female in heat was put back to work again. 15 minutes and nothing so break out the piglet in distress sound. A male coyote comes tearing out of the sloth in Lees zone.
When we got back to the truck there was a postit note stuck to the window. Come to the house when you return. We get out of our camo and go up to the house. We are told to come on in and have a seat and offered coffee. Tells us his brother has a small beef operation in Deerfield town ship about 10 miles west of this place. He has coyotes cruising his place just about every evening can we help him out.
We say we can, today if he is around the house and barn to talk with us.
A phone call anchors his brother to the shop, we head there.
We get there and yell in the shop door and locate Bill in a far back corner where he has a small office. He offers coffee we decline as he have had a bunch of late. He explained that for close to two weeks now he has had 5 coyotes come in the yard at dusk and go around the barns and feed lot.
Al
