Well boys, I think I found the mother lode! This trail showed no evidence of anything other than coyote tracks.
I was setting up when I saw a coyote running off of the ridge, around 400 yards away, and above me. It was sort of coming my way, so I just watched. A minute of so later, another coyote popped out on the ridge, then yet another. They messed around there for a minute or two, then the two went back the way they had come.
I just sat and watched for several minutes without seeing anything more, so I decided to try calling. Tried a few different calls over the next twenty minutes....still nothing. I went silent for about ten more minutes, just watching, and saw more of nothing.
I decided to hike up that way, and peek over that ridge, so I set my rifle over the fence that I had to cross, and crawled through the strands of barbed wire.
About the time I reached for the rifle, a coyote trots out at about 150 yards, heading left to right. Like he was just on his way somewhere, not like he was looking for the sound. I had the bi pod extended, but was unable to get on the coyote easily, because of the down-slope the bi pod was on. Just real awkward. Well, he spotted me, and put it in gear. I followed him for about a hundred yard run, but he wouldn't stop.
Since I hadn't fired, I figured he wasn't real sure what he saw, and he might stop just over the hill, so I started after him. I went about forty yards or so, and thought "hey, there should be two". I stopped, sat down, and got lined up on where the coyote had appeared. About thirty seconds later, here comes number two! I yipped, she stopped, and she was done. Great, right? Yeah, so far...but about a half hour later, the male came back looking, I got him to come to ki-yi, and missed the shot!
The best part of the morning was all the things that I learned.
