Big Ed showed up at my house at a few minutes before 6:00 a.m. just as light rain was starting. I transported his big self into my man cave for a hot cup and make final decisions about the day's schedule. Ed had just put together a nice AR a short time back, and had just moved the scope forward, sighted it back in, and was anxious to get a coyote in his sight picture. I had an anxious thing or two pushing me too, so off we went. We were on our first stand in about 30 minutes, a real pretty setup where I have put the smack on lots of coyotes over the years. I had Ed higher up the hill where he could watch several fencerows and draws and I set up lower down with my CS-24. About 2 minutes into one of my sequences, Coyote & Fox Fight, with Coyote Pup Distress mixed in, a beautiful black coyotes bounced into the field about 125 yds down to the edge of the pasture, out of a heavy wooded draw. I damn near fell off the stool when he came up that hill, looking better with each stride. When he put the brakes on about 20 yds from where I had the ecaller in a weed filled gully, I popped him right in the chest next to his white patch. I don't know if I got more nervous from getting a black beauty, or Ed for being happy to see the whole deal and have me succeed. I shook like a 13 year old kid who has just shot his first anything. Here are a couple of pictures of this one:
Then we quickly loaded up, and headed to another of my favorite spots, but the hay field was grown up more than I expected, but we made a stand anyway. I had Big Ed mouth call this stand with his new Kerry Carver rubber rabbit call "Somebody" sent him for his birthday, and he was watching the flatter part of the hay field at its highest point, with his stool backed up to the line of rolled bales. I was at the lower end, standing, watching the downhill part of the field that leads to a thick woods and fencerow. On about the 3rd series of that sweet sounding "Rabbit blues", a pretty young female came up that hill, standing up on her hind legs trying to see where Ed was playing the tune from. I was real anxious for him to shoot with his new AR, and was laughing so hard inside at her balancing antics I couldn't have hit her anyway. I gave her a little squeak or two on my Sceery coaxer, and Ed picked up on that and concentrated in her direction. She was hopping 3 foot high over the thick patches, and he finally lip squeaked her to a stop, and put one right into the front of her neck and the deed was done. That big rascal was happy as could be, as was I, so a great morning was under way. Here is a picture of her with the Coyote Magnet himself, Weedwalker Ed. He was kind of hungry as evidenced by part of her tail being bit off. :eyebrownod:
The weather turned too hot and clear on us so the middle of the day wasn't something either of us liked much. Later in the afternoon, last hour of light, we had traveled to another county and one of my favorite setups, and there was just enough action for me to get all twisted up by a really big male, which I pulled a dumb possum trick on, and he lived to be called another day, along with the other two that came in from different directions. I made too many errors on that setup to mention now, so I'll just say it was a not so gentle reminder to not do some of that stuff again. Being hot, tired, and ancient is no excuse.
Weedwalker Ed and I are looking forward to the next time. It is always a great day in the field with that big old teddy bear.
