There are some days the just don't go well but the experience will last a lifetime.
On Saturday I took a very good friend out calling dogs for his very first time. Jon has never hunted, much less even fired his new 243 at anything other than about 30 rounds at paper. So we checked his zero just prior to heading out for a morning hunt, the TC Icon was dead on with 70gr Speer TNT's at 150 yards.
Well, we just get to our first stand and we must have caught one mousing on the side of a hill looking for a morning meal. He saw us and took off running up a hill so I gave a bark and stopped him broadside about 60 yards out. Jon got on target and fired, nothing but dirt and the coyote un-assed the area real quick. So we picked another spot and settled down to do some calling.........nothing. We packed it up and tried another location a few miles away.
Once we set up I called for about 15 minutes and spotted one trotting to our right a couple hundred yards out. A few squeaks got his attention and he headed our way, a quick glimpse a few moments later along a fence line, but I think we got busted by some movement at our end, the dog never showed up.
We came back home to let the dust settle and fill our bellies with some awesome chicken breast sandwiches and fresh veggies from the garden.
Later yesterday afternoon we went to another area and I finally got the party started with some howls and a challenge from a young male but nothing showed up so we headed for home just before sundown. On the way home I spotted a young pup out in the pasture about 60 yards just standing there watching us, Jon got out and took a rest over a fence post fired a round and shot right over the back of this pup. He turned and ran out about 100 or so yards and I again gave him a bark and a howl which made him stop for a second chance at a standing broadside shot............boom, missed again so home we came.
Today we get up and head back out, I called and got a response howl about 400 yards out. We waited and after about 10 minutes we finally see him standing on top of the bluff. I asked Jon if he could make that shot? His response was " No way, not a chance" so we waited and waited. Finally the big dog lays down and watches and listens to the calls but he is having no part of coming in. I tell Jon, I think I want to shoot him where he is at but I need the rock he is behind for a steady rest. I range the distance at 341 yards and all I have is a head shot and of course....wind............
"yeah right" I think to myself, even on a good day that ain't happenin!!
Now keep in mind I am shooting a brand new Savage 243 Sporter from BiMart, with a cheap Sightmark 3-9 Mil-Dot scope that I've had for only a week and I this happens to be the first hunt I have taken it on. I zero my rifles at 150 yards but I always check them at the 300 yard pin so I kind of have an idea where they are shooting for hold over.
As I get ready to move I look up to see the dog stand up so I told Jon stand by, I think he wants to leave. I use my shooting sticks to steady my rest...... hold over about a half a mil and into the wind about the same, breath steady, hold, touched the trigger so lightly and punched the button. The dogs flipped over backwards, upside down screaming and yelping while biting at his rear half.......damn, not enough wind I thought to myself, the breeze was a little more than I expected. Well to end this story we trekked on down the hill, across the flat up another big Ass hill and searched the area for over an hour following a pretty good blood trail but still never did find the coyote. I'm certain he made it back home where I suspect he'll bleed out before the end of day but still I hate the thought of a wounded dog out there.
Ya know, there are just some days...................
