Coyote Hunting

This weekend I was invited Coyote hunting with some friends, which I instantly accepted. I dont hunt as much as I would like, so any chance I get to go I take it.

We drove out to an empty field of sorts. It still had dirt piles that were moved and dug up from maybe five years ago or so. We wanted to get the best vantage point on the coyotes so we perched on top of one of these dirt bluffs and laid in the snow.

Here is where I admit that I am not an experienced coyote hunter. I have gone only once before this time and neither time have we actually killed any coyotes. We also did not expect to kill anything today. In fact, we never kill anything when we go coyote hunting... Of the four of us, exactly zero of us have ever killed a coyote... so I am pretty sure we are doing it wrong... but that is not why we go hunting...

There are a few reasons that I like going hunting. I work at a desk job all week. As a man in the Midwest working at a desk job, I just don't ever feel accomplished... It pays the bills, and is relatively easy work, but who actually likes sitting at a desk for eight hours a day? seriously...?

So after a week of sitting on my ass in a warm chair staring at a computer, I needed some outdoors time. Even if that outdoor time means sitting in the snow with a rifle in my hands. I also got some snow camo for Christmas that I was eager to try out. The last time I went, I looked like I was duck hunting because all of my camo looked like reeds and grass... it is hard to blend in when you are the only colored thing in a field of white snow...

So it was actually a pretty warm day as far as we are concerned here. If any readers are from warmer climates, they may think I am nuts saying that it was warm out when we were laying in the snow at about 20 degrees F. I was wearing long johns designed for the cold as well as cold weather hunting boots, "bibs" (this is what I am told they are called... but I am not sure on that... they are like really fluffy overalls), duck hunting coat, and my snow camo poncho. My companions brought out their custom built AR-15s, as that is a standard rifle for this size of game. My AR-15 is currently missing the optic as all of my optics are on other rifles of mine, so I brought out my Tikka in 30-06 with one of my Nikon scopes on it.

So I am lying in snow about 20 yard away from anyone else. We have to stay prone because otherwise we stick out like sore thumbs. You can't move, because movement creates noise, and I am told that noise is bad. What do I know?

We have the coyote call going every once in a while with the sounds of baby coyotes in distress. There are many calls this machine can make and I always wonder how they get these sounds. I think one of them is dying raccoon... Did they kill a raccoon and just record the noises it made as it died? sounds kind of sadistic...

One thing that I think gets overlooked about hunting is how much waiting there is to do... Whether you are deer, duck, goose, or coyote hunting there is always a bunch of waiting. I dont know what it is about this kind of waiting, but it just makes you want to sleep... I have slept in swamps, in mud, on my feet, in a boat, and now in the dirt and snow when hunting. You would think this would be counter-intuitive to the hunting process, right? you are sleeping, and not paying any attention to your surroundings. How can you see if there is anything coming? However, I have found that sleeping is always the best way to get the wildlife to come to you.

When you are sleeping, you are still. you don't react to noise as much so anything that comes near you is not going to instantly see your head move in its direction, causing it to run off... Thankfully, when you are sleeping on the hunt, your ears are extra active. At least I like to think they are. It works with duck hunting... as you sleep you hear the flutter of duck wings as they are racing across the pond toward you, and you pop awake! You then frantically shoulder your gun and fire, hoping that you hit the damn thing and that your hunting partners wake up and shoot at it too.

Anyhow, back to coyotes that I have never successfully hunted... so I am sleeping in the snow, waking up every few minutes because I hear a rustling or the sound of the call, or something. when I am awake, Obviously I am watching for anything to move, but I really take in the beauty in my surroundings and the peacefulness of my situation. I dont have to think if I dont want to, but I do anyhow.

I think about a great many things in the hours of quite. I think about the possibility of a coyote coming into sight and into range enough to get a good shot at it. I think about how much my heart would be pumping at the opportunity to take a shot, and how I would steady my pulsing hands if the opportunity would arise. I think about the bragging I will do if I hit it, and the shame I will endure if I miss the shot. It gives me the motivation needed to take the right shot.

I think about the coyote and try to put myself in its place. Why would I be wandering? What am I looking for? Deer? Am I with a pack? Am I by myself? Do I go looking for trouble, or am I looking for an easy meal? How far can a coyote hear? How far can they smell?

Sometimes hunting like this reminds me of WWII movies. One of my favorites is Enemy at the Gates. It seems so fitting in my situation. it is cold and showy. a lone man with a rifle is hunting a dangerous predator. The only difference is that my predator doesn't shoot back. I am thankful of this because despite all of my efforts in being a manly man, I am sure that I would be frozen solid at the thought of someone I could not see trying to kill me. I am perfectly okay with the glory of slaying an animal. I have no interest in hunting man. We will leave that to much braver and more well trained men than I.

I normally have a song stuck in my head all day... I unfortunately do not get to choose the song. I pretty much wanted to vomit all day because yesterday was a Justin Bieber song... I tried getting other, better songs stuck in my head instead, but alas it was no use. I was haunted by a catchy melody paired juvenile lyricism...

Overall though this is a pleasant trip and even though we did not succeed in shooting a coyote it was a welcomed retreat from daily life. In a few weeks we are planning to hunt wild hogs a few states away. I should really get better about putting pictures up on this blog... The issue is that I pretty much exclusively write this blog at work... We will see what happens I suppose.

If you read this, I appreciate it. I know I am a bit long winded, but I hope it was at least slightly entertaining.