I was out scouting this w/e when a coyote rushed behind me and bit me in the calf. I kicked it off and it ran a few feet away and just looked at me. I fortunately had a .22 Beretta 87 target pistol and I shot and killed it. It was very light and sick looking. I had three small puncture wounds in my right calf.
Wrapped the coyote up in a jacket, put it in my pack and drove straight to the Ft. Collins, Co emergency room.
They took the coyote and immediately prepared to ship tissue samples to Denver for rabies testing. The infectious disease doctor suggested I IMMEDIATLTY start getting Rabiese vaccine. I got 8 shots of Hemagoblin and 1 shot of vaccine. Will get 5 more shots over the next three weeks. The test results came back today positive for rabies!

The doctors were very positive on the vaccine. I am trying not to worry about it, but it aint easy!

be careful out there!

PS the area is really pretty "snakey" Coyotes were the last thing on my mind.

Lefty C

you did everything right, you shouldnt have any issues i dont think....

Prayers sent from here for successful treatment, but as far as I know, unless you're allergic to the vaccine, it works very reliably.

Damn Lefty, WTH? I'm rooting for you.

Though I am sure you will heal up quick, still scary stuff.

Where around Fort Collins were you?

You will be okay. But man that is a scary deal for sure. I was nearly bit by a raccoon that was just a little too far gone to get the job done. I don't know if it was rabies but it scarred the crap out me.

MadMooner,

North of Cherokee Park Road.

Lefty

Had a jackal get wonky and try that in Africa a couple years ago....but I saw him coming and it ended differently


Good luck with your vaccines. Sounds to me like you did exactly the right thing.

The vaccine is virtually 100% against the virus. In a case like this where you did it all as close to perfect as possible, it's hard to imagine a less than perfect outcome. I presume they also hit you with some antibiotics too?

Dayum, LC......

Holy Chit! praying for the best.

You'll be fine Lefty. The rabies virus slowly travels up the nerve sheath. It would probably take a month for it to get to your brain. What they gave you was RIG (rabies immune globulin) which confers active (right now) immunity to the virus. You are now recieving the vaccine which will confer passive (down the road) immunity.

the wife was saying she wasnt going to pack her 38 revolver while out bow hunting cause she was worried that someone might say she cheated and shot her elk with it....i showed her this thread and reminded her of the couple of skunks i killed that were likely rabid and she changed her mind and is back to packing....

Sounds like you were really on the ball there. The best of luck with your treatments.

Shazam! Good luck.

Montana is probably different than some other states, but packing a firearm while bowhunting used to be illegal in a lot of them.

Down here in southern New Mexico and southern Arizona, it's almost universal among bow hunters these days...

Here is how it reads in MN: "a person may not possess a firearm while bowhunting for deer. A person may take bear, elk and moose by archery while in possession of a firearm."

One can hunt deer with an archery license during the special archery season, the firearms season, and/or the muzzleloader season. Of course, there is no special archery season/license for bear, elk,, or moose. Just a few years ago, if you hunted bear during the any-weapons season with a bow, you couldn't carry a firearm at the same time, even though you could hunt with a firearm OR archery, just not both at the same time. How's that for stupid?

And of course there are so many damn rules in MN these days that even the folks writing the regulations books can't figure out how to write them for us. I sure can't keep up. I used to help edit the fishing regulations booklets; they never did get some things right; could point out a few in the newest edition.

I used to hunt Montana turkeys because you could use a rifle there. Can't beat that kind of fun for a good time.

Rabies? Water don't scare me!

Bill

Dam son but the good news is you did everything right and you will be okay. Went threw the shots years ago had a cow with rabies and we had been treating her with oral medicine, anyways we came out fine so did every one that I no who had the shots for rabies.

Standing Colorado DOW policy is for you to stand up, wave your arms and say something that won't hurt the animals feelings.

You certainly displayed a cool head, and steady aim. Well done, and let us know how this turns out.

This is one of those cases where I just don't give a [bleep] what the state says is illegal. Obviously the MF's value the lives of the wildlife more than mine so they can GFT {go [bleep] themselves] bat schit blind for all I care. The deer ain't payin' their goddam salaries after all, I am.

Many states have backed off of that regulation due to ones right to carry.

If such states were taken to court, they would likely be forced to back down.

Good luck. You did the correct thing. Vaccines are expensive but work well when started early.

It happened in GA. If you have a CC permit, you can carry during any hunt, even in state parks. GA DNR tried to say a CC permit wasn't valid on Management Areas. The judges said BS.

"Cool head" and steady aim......not so much...he got the full clip, all 10. Not sure how many got him, but he sure was dead.

little mini reactions to immunizations shots I got. 8 in the butt. Wont be riding the motorcycle for a while. Otherwise all good. One point the .22 didn't prevent getting bitten...just killed him after he bit me.

Lefty C

did you see him coming?

I seen that coming......

YOUR IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS FOR COMPLETE RECOVERY.

and you realize unlike alot of states Montana has griz....granted my wife isnt hunting in griz country but still.....hell in Montana concealed carry restrictions only apply within city limits....written that way so hunters/ranchers packing a handgun dont have to worry bout their coat covering up a gun on their hip....

plus its REALLY likely my wife is going to hunt elk with a snub nosed 38 special

Nope...I think he was laying in the high grass and brush. walked by and he took a bite.

Lefty

damn.... mature dog?

I found a dead bat in the barn a couple weeks ago. Tossed him in the trash. Yesterday, I opened the big doors and one fell out of the cover, onto the concrete floor. He was alive. Landed on his back with wings spread. He layed there hissing and grinning at me, while I beat him to death with a half-full weed sprayer tank. Dracula looking little phooker like to scared the piss outta me. At least I flattend him before the dog bailed into him....

I had the little Browning 1911-22 in my boot, but the pump sprayer was already in hand.

Important to be trained with all available weaponry.

I had a rabid steer a few years back and had to get the shots. I got 6 the first day (each arm, thigh, and butt cheek) then the rest.

About half way through the series, the nurse I usually saw in the ER for my shots was breaking in a nurse who was new to the ER. I heard her say something to the newbie about 'practicing your IM's (intramuscular). My ears perked right up and I said "Practice?" The new nurse never missed a beat, she turned and said "Yeah, I'm a housekeeper, they let me play RN sometimes". We all had a good laugh and she gave me my shot.

I had no problems although the last shot (day 28) did make my arm a bit sore for a day or so. Shots are no fun but better than they used to be and way better than the alternative.

Dale

I heard the navel series shots were brutal....

Huntsman,

I don't think he was very old. Extremely thin, missing some hair on his tail. looked sick. the health dept person that took it said
classic rabies.

another shot tomorrow then only 3 to go.

Lefty

They don't do the belly or navel shots anymore. The hemoglobin shots were in my butt. The rabbies shots in the shoulder and they are a very small amount of vaccine. No big deal. The hemoglobin shots, well they are a little more interesting but not that bad all thins considered.

Lefty

Yeah. They don't do blood-letting, either. Ain't modern medicine marvelous?......

I think this is a perfect application for medical marijuana. Keep you calm during the stress of the protracted series of shots. Important to eat lots of brownies to keep your weight up.

Not very hard to find around here

Lefty

Last Rabies shot last Friday. No side effects no problems at all.....have been having some "doggie" type thoughts though

lefty C

Idaho is another one that allows bowhunters to be armed.

I think you meant to say immunoglobulin instead of hemoglobin...

Those can be fairly painful but as you said, beats the alternative.

DF

Lefty you were one of the lucky one's when it came to the shots not hurting, my brother was the same no big deal, but I could not move my arm for a few hour after each shot hurt like hell.

GLAD TO HEAR YOU ARE DOING SO WELL WITH THE SHOTS.

Good fortune on your treatment.

It's scarey to think that a little over 100 years ago anybody bitten by a rabid animal was soon to be history.

Ole Louie Pasteur was a genius, way ahead of his time. And, even today, that technology has changed very little.

DF

I got bit by a Rabid Cat when I was in the 7th Grade in about 1970. Confirmed, of course after they sent the Cats head off to Veterinary School at A&M.
I was given the stomach vaccinations the first day of being bit, and another series of shots every day for 8 days in the stomach also. Basically our old Family Doctor believed twice the dose was better than death.

Anyhow, not a very fun ordeal, but of course I lived.
Best friend growing ups Dad was also a Veterinarian, and had had the same series of Ant- Rabies Shots and assured me the Vacine was 100% effective.

And on the issue of Bow Hunting Deer during the Bow only season, Texas changed our laws about 3 years ago so that a Licensed CHL Holder CAN carry a Pistol of any kind while Bow Hunting for Whitetails & Mulie's while it is archery hunting season. If you don't have a CHL, then your screwed if the Game Warden catches a non- CHL Holder toting a pistol during bow season. I always did any way as I figured a big ass fine was better than contacting Rabies!

For some reason, I thought that CO & NM had followed suite on the Laws applying to CHL Holders for Bow Season. Check on your State Laws, of course, to find out for sure.
Regardless, when I'm bow hunting CO & NM, I pack my Glock 20 for possible Bear Encounters & possible Rabid Varmits. Just Saying

By the Way, did they ever determine if the Coyote that bit you was Rabid ?
In the last couple of years, I've put down a couple of sickly looking Coyotes & skunks at the Ranch that I'm pretty sure were in the end stages of Rabies.