Ken and I headed for the grassland hills first thing Tuesday morning and our walk-about started off with cool temperatures but by the time we had covered 5 miles, it was hot and we were beat. We had made about 9 setups without any takers and were getting a little discouraged but not whipped!! We were at the far north boundary of the property and had one last chance for a setup into the 10 mph north breeze. This area was the only place on 3,000 acres with any trees so we gladly got in the shade of a huge oak with the FoxPro set up 125 yards away near the fenceline. About 5 minutes into Utah Jack, a big male coyote came walking slowly in from our left and I quickly grabbed the remote to mute the sound. The big dog disappeared behind a willow tree and heavy brush for a couple minutes to the left of the caller and then like magic, it appeared in an open spot 10 yards to the right of the Foxpro caller. It just sat down and was looking for the wounded rabbit as Ken steadied his Rem 788 6mm on the junction of the neck and front shoulder. The sound of the Barnes 72 gr. Varminator bullet was incredible as it tore a gapping hole through the coyote. One tail wave and a very dead yote layed motionless as two very happy hunters started celebrating....the heat, sweat, and aching muscles vanished as we relived every aspect of the setup and kill. We stayed put for several minutes and let our conversation drift to past hunts. We figured it had been over 14 years since we did any calling together and also realized this was Ken's first day time coyote. All the fox, coyotes, coons, and bobcats he had killed as a teenager were under a red light in Texas.
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32 downloadsKen had been working very hard on an accurate load for the 6mm and I sure was glad to see his efforts were rewarded.....a nice adult male coyote with an estimated weight close to 30 pounds. His 788 is topped with a Swift Premier 6 x 18 scope and the original birch stock refinished with dark walnut stain. The exit hole from that Barnes 72 gr. HP was dang near big enough to stick a softball through!
After the pics, we both drank about a quart of water from a nearby windmill and made the long trek back to the truck....the tall grass and blistering sun made the miles longer but underneath the discomfort was an intensity to get back so we could go do it again! Well done, son!
