Back in the late 90's, I'd sprained my ankle really bad, and of course it was during the turkey season. I was determined not to let it bother me much, and I could hunt, but I just couldn't move at a fast pace. I was set up in one of my favorite places, along the edge of a ten acre field that was covered in broomsedge, with a farm road that went right through the middle of it. Turkeys really used this spot, and I'd had good luck hunting it.
It was mid-morning, and my ankle was hurting, so I was calling a little, when I spotted some movement at the far end of the field. I could see a gobbler coming towards me down the road. I was watching him make his way using my binoculars, when about halfway across the field I saw a commotion in a thick part of the broomsedge. At first I thought it was another turkey fighting with the one I was watching. But, what happened was that a coyote had ambushed my turkey, killed it, and started down the road going away from me, carrying the turkey.
This happened about 150 yards from me, and I was mad. I decided to go after the coyote and see if I could get a shot, the problem was that I couldn't walk fast, only hobble along. The coyote saw me, but it couldn't go very fast either, as the weight of the turkey was slowing it down. So, I'd cut the distance between us to about a 100 yards, but we were both going about the same speed, the coyote refusing to drop the turkey, and me hobbling as fast I could, just not fast enough.
I chased that coyote across two fields and a woods, before losing him in a heavily wooded area. I'm sure there was a den that it was headed to, and that's why it was hanging onto the turkey, and wouldn't drop it and run. I'm sure that was a sight with a crippled hunter chasing a coyote, hoping to cut the distance down close enough to shoot it because the stole the hunters turkey.
