Old hunts

[UphillDoc 278]

I found a couple of my hunt write ups from last year. Dont think I ever posted them here, if so, I hope you will forgive me. This is a different style of coyote hunting with running dogs. Not as productive, but lots of fun.

 

#1) Yesterday I load "Grace" (bullstag) and "Gus" (stagxhound 8mo)to go coyote calling in the morning. Its a perfect morning and Im ready. On the way to the spot I want to try calling the dogs jump a jackrabbit and have a nice warm up. It was in tall sage so it was never in any real trouble, but it gets our blood up. I pick a big sage to sit against. The set up is perfect. I have the wind in my face and rising sun to my back. Im near the top of a hill looking into a broken sage basin. The dogs are milling about near by. When I start to call (using a handmade call from "Workman") the dogs come and lay down beside me. Im about 10 minutes into calling when I spot a coyote coming thru the sage below me. He is about 200 yards out and coming steady. At about 150 "Gus" spots him and stands up. The coyote freezes. Im not sure if I should shoot or wait. Then the coyote starts towards us again, and "Gus" starts to lope towards him head high looking. "Grace" gets up and follows but hasnt seen it yet. At about 100 yards she spots him and starts towards him at high speed. The coyote whirls and the race is on. They go straight away from me, then start angling to the right. This takes them behind a lower knob. "Grace" has closed to about 30 yards of him and "Gus" is bringing up the rear. They disappear behind the knob, and Im not sure if I should follow or wait and see if they circle. Im listening for a fight! Pretty soon I hear the coyote challenge barking and he sounds pissed...LOL I dont know if they have him stopped or if he out ran them and is following them back, scolding them. Im about to go find out when I spot the dogs coming back to me. Sure enough the coyote is following them screaming at them. The dogs get back to me and watch him coming in. He is all fuzzed up, and kicking dirt. When he gets about 120 yards away, "Grace" is wanting to run at him again. I whistle her to stay, and the coyote comes a bit closer. I can just see his head at the crest of the knob they ran around. Im trying to decide to shoot now or let them chase again. I decide to go ahead and shoot, as both dogs are looking at him. The whole scene has me shaking like a dog trying to shit a peach pit. I dont get that jacked up with a bear on the ground...LOL I try to slow down and focus but I F'ing MISS and he runs off. The dogs start to him when he breaks, but I call them back. Im sooo pissed at myself for not taking advantage of a perfect trainer. When I get home the Cowboy calls and asks if I want to coon hunt tonight and bear hunt in the morning. I say "nope, Im going to get a coyote in the morning!"

Morning cant come soon enough. I have replayed the whole thing in my head a million times and cant wait to even the score. I head to a different spot. The dogs come lay down when I start calling. About 5 minutes into it I notice some movement down to my right. Its a coyote about 300 yards out. Im already thinking what I will do in different scenarios. Just as Im about to get the coyote in my scope I notice a second coyote coming into the first! They keep coming in, side by side. The dogs have not seen them, and Im not hissing them. I want these in our lap! The coyotes hold up about yards out. I hiss and the dogs sit up looking. I squeak and they start in again. "Grace" spots them, but I hold her for just a second. The coyotes have a small rise between us and I figure they will be out of sight for a second or two when they get to it. As soon as their heads disappear I let "Grace" go, she is heading at them full speed with "Gus" in tow. They almost meet at the crest. The coyotes split, one goes straight away and one goes to my left. "Grace" has the one that went straight away in her sights. They go about 120 yards and "Grace" rolls the coyote. She has it by the neck and is shaking it like a rag. "Gus" is barking like mad and trying to grab a bit of fur when she stops shaking it. She has it pinned to the ground and "Gus" is tugging. I know it wont get up. I turn to look for the other and it has stopped about 200 yards out, and is watching the dogs. I get it lined up and drop it in its tracks! I shout to the dogs, and "Grace" comes away from the first and starts my way. She knows I shot and is looking all over for another. She winds the second coyote and goes over and gives it a shaking for good measure. "Gus" is still with the first. I get them all gathered up and head back to the truck. Im over the moon with the dogs and my luck. If it gets much better, I cant imagine it.

 

 

#2) I load "Grace, Gus and Cookie (Stag x whippet)" for a morning of coyote hunting. B.W is going bear hunting but I bow out. I decide to cast them thru a big, broken sage section and see if they can get one stirred up. Im driving along side real slow scanning the horizon and watching the dogs hunt up. I get thru the first section without seeing anything. As I drive across the next plateau, I get a call from "Coyote Capps" to tell me they may hit the running ground tonight if I want to go...hell yea I want to go. Im telling him what Im doing when I spot a coyote skylined to my left about 200 yards out. Needless to say I get off the phone quick...LOL Its watching the dogs cast about below him, but keeping an eye on me to. About the time it starts to trot away, "Gus" notices it and starts its way. "Grace" sees him go and follows, pretty quick she spots him and the race is on. "Gus" is opening a little and this draws "Cookie" to them. She roars up and soons spots the coyote. Its running full blast, and so are they. "Cookie" catches another gear and runs off from "Grace" and "Gus" They top out and Im in hot pursuit to where I think they are headed. When I get to the top of the ridge I expect to see them out in font of me, but they are not there. I jump out and climb on top the dogbox to have a look. In a minute or two I spot them behind me and to my left. I have no idea how they got there, unless they cut behind me in the sage when I was ripping up to the top. I see no evidence of a fight on them, but Im still plenty excited.

I cant leave it at that, so I load the dogs and head for a calling spot. On the way I spot another coyote across the canal from me and debate about hip shooting it, but decide to leave it for a future run. I get to the calling spot, and unload the dogs. We hike in and set up. Im up on a rimrock ledge The dogs make a big loop and start coming back in. I start to call and just finish my first series when I spot a coyote coming hard from way out in front of me. It comes hard to about 200 yards then pulls up. I figure it must have spotted the dogs coming in to me, but it looks in the other direction. I cant see anything but figure it must have a mate coming to the call as well. I look back for the dogs and they are almost to me. The coyote starts coming in again and "Cookie" spots him, she heads back down the ledge and "Grace and Gus" follow her. She hits the afterburners when she gets down to the flat and the coyote sees her coming and whirls. Just as "Grace and Gus" are about to get down the ledge 3 coyotes come in hard and close from the right (must have been what the other coyote was watching) They start barking/howling at "Cookie" as she runs towards the first coyote and this pulls "Grace and Gus" to them. "Grace" picks one out and is pushing it hard, they cross behind "Cookie" and her coyote and I notice there are 2 coyotes with "Grace" one running in front, one chasing HER!!! "Gus" is switching from coyote to coyote, running in circles barking...LOL He picks one out and takes it straight away. I see "Cookie" has closed and looks like she will have a chance to grab just before they head over the hill out of sight. "Grace" and her two head out as well. Just as I am about to start laughing at the coyote rodeo I just witnessed, ANOTHER coyote comes in from my left. It must have watched the show and is standing below me raising hell about it all. 10 minutes goes by and no sign of my dogs. The coyote below me has not stopped barking so I stay put. Another 10 minutes goes by before I see any movement coming back over the hill. At this point I figure the "Gus" pup has probably gotten whipped or worse. I zoom the scope to 14x and see its all three dogs coming back together, with no coyotes in tow. As they get closer I can see thru the scope that "Grace" has alot of blood on her. The coyote is still raising hell and as the dogs get to about 200 yards they must hear her, as they pick up the pace a bit. Pretty quick it notices them coming, and trys to sneak out of the sage its in. They spot it and pick it up some more but no where near as fast as when they left...LOL I decide to give them a hand and put one in her hip. It rolls and trys to make the next section of sage, but they overhaul it and finish the job. Now I start to laugh...and think to myself, if I had a tent I could call this a circus and charge admission!

I check over the dogs and "Cookie" has blood but no marks that I can see, "Grace" has been bitten on the head, but the blood all over her chest and shoulders aint hers. I dont know what happened on the other side of the hill, but what happened on my side was a classic...LMFAO

The best part is, my day aint over. Im stilll going to the running grounds and try to chase some with "Coyote Capps" and his stags tonight.

 

Take care.

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

Great read Mate.... sounds very exciting, hunting those coyotes! Good on ya for taking the time to share your experiences with us

[ArchieHood 3,692]

Nice one Doc,very enjoyable

[Buch 145]

Great reading mate. Which quarry do you prefer and why?

[oggy808 24]

thank you for another great post , the more i hear the more i loath this bunny hugging country!!!!!!

[UphillDoc 278]

Thanks fellas.

 

Buch-All hunting for me is about the DOGS first and foremost. I enjoy hunting coyotes over all others as I can see the entire hunt most the time. When hunting with the scent hounds we often only see the beginning and end, with the dogs being out of sight and sound for the majority of the hunt. I admire the coyotes over all other predators, so if I had to choose only one quarry, it would be the coyote.

 

Take care.

[Huntmad 1]

good read mate i think ur a lucky guy and alot would agree

 

 

atb

[Huntmad 1]

thank you for another great post , the more i hear the more i loath this bunny hugging country!!!!!!

couldnt agree anymore. this country needs to sort its self out and let it get back to the old ways of huntin the traditinal way.

[irish lassie09 7]

great read doc

[chris strilciw 1]

fantastic read there mate sounds awsome hunting there, if only had they money would move there just for the hunting lol

 

atb till next time

 

cs

[suffolkpoacher 219]

really good read mate keep them coming ,got any pic of your dogs .