Well, got a coyote this last Sunday but there was a price to pay for sure! I was over on the east side of the state this last week, just cruising around since the boys were all on spring break. We didnt really have a plan - but I knew I was going to get some hunting in no matter what - so I decided to head towards Wenatchee then north to Tonasket to look at some acreage lots we have been thinking about buying.
Got into Wenatchee and then remembered PredatorPro (PP) moved there recently from Quincy so I gave him a call about 9pm Sat night and he was up for some hunting the next morning. He didnt have a chance to renew his license so he played guide for me the whole day. On our way out to the 1st stand, we drove past 2 coyotes just off the roadway in a field. So we turned around to see if we could sneak up on them - kinda hard to do in a diesel I found out... So we break around the corner and by this time they were a few hundred yards out and moving fast. Oh well, onwards we go. Get out to our 1st stand while seeing scat all the way out there, call for a bit - nothing.
Head over the mini-canyon and set up again - nothing. Heard some barking that we both thought had to be a coyote since there were no houses close by, but he never showed so we go back to the truck & leave.
About this time I need to get back to the hotel where the wife & kids were waiting, told her I'd only be a few hours. So on the way back down the hill we see another coyote out in an open area, so PP pulls over and I sneak off into the brush to see if I can get a shot off. Well I'm busted almost right away and the dog is not waiting around to see what my intentions are - which I let him know immediately by squeezing one off. Dumb shot
- he was about 125yds out and trotting away - he disappears behind the hill and we run out there but no dead dog. Little did I know at this time I had dropped my wallet when I got out of the truck. We move on.
A bit later we come up on at least 5 dogs on a canyon side about 800+ yds away on private property. Even though I need to get back, we cant leave them there! So PP heads down to the house and the lady says sure, we can go down there and shoot em. So we hike all the fricking way down there on the back side of where we saw them hoping to call them around. Just as we sit down, I am huffing & puffing still at this point - PP says 'theres a coyote across the canyon'! I'm like 'where where?' looking all over and then see him standing there looking around. Go to range him and PP says 'no, dont range just aim at the shoulder and shoot!' Well the coyote starts walking up the hill and PP starts to call to get him in closer, he stops but starts leaving again, in no hurry. So I scope on him, still breathing heavy & heart pounding, cant hold still to save my life! He stops for a minute, I squeeze - BOOM - where'd he go? Coyote down. Ranged it later and came up with about 230yds, my longest shot ever, so I was happy. I pulled a little and hit him about in the middle of the gut but he was down and I was lucky to even hit him as much I was moving!
PP starts calling again and right away there's another one to the right up about 550yds according to my range finder - too far for me but PP says he'd shoot if he had his license. He starts coming our way then heads over a ridge never to return. About that time we see 3 more on a hillside to our left another 700 yds or so away - but it looks like they know what it is up and want nothing to do with it. PP calls but that seems to chase them off even faster. One stops and looks for awhile then heads off down the canyon back to all the dens.
Then my guide (pp)
hikes up the side of the other canyon to get the dead dog and thats when I ranged him, I came up with 228 but I'm not standing in the same place as I shot, if anything it was a few yds behind me. We - well PredatorPro- drag him all the way back to the truck (which was one lonnnng ass uphill lung/leg killing walk) and just as we get there a guy drives by, hits the brakes and backs up - "holy crap, I've been calling that area for 6mos and never called one in! How did you get him!?" Ah ha, now I see why those other dogs were leaving at the sound of the call!
Anyway, long story longer, it was a GREAT day, for real - we saw at least 9-10 coyotes in 3 hrs, only got one - lost my damn wallet only to realize it later at the hotel - and lost a $10 bet to my 10yr old when I said he couldnt pick up the coyote, I was wrong there too! Me & my family went back to all the areas we hunted and searched for my wallet for about 4hrs in all and never found it. Man, I was worn out at the end of the day! I canceled all my debit & credit cards, 4 in all, kissed about $70 cash goodbye, along with my CPL, Driver's license, NRA card and whatever else was in there. Get home and there is a letter in the mailbox and phone message from some sweet ol lady in Wenatchee that found my wallet on the side of the road! Money still in it and all!
So I got lucky there! She is mailing it back to me and I said go ahead & keep the cash - nice to know there are still some honest people out there!
Below are some pics of the coyote (PP was supposed to email me the rest - hint hint), the bet I lost, pics in the area of our 1st two stands with my kids and dog in the picture, a deer I saw on one of the lots I looked at, and a 40 acre lot in Tonasket I checked out.
