Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Starting the new year off with a bang!

Got up New Years day, and let Marbles the 12 year old boxer mutt out for his morning ritual, and started a pot of coffee. After a few minutes I let Marbles back in, where he assumed his morning spot at the window looking south. I fired up the stove, and started cooking breakfast. After a few minutes Marbles flips out at his vantage point at the window. So I ran over to take a peek. About 175 yds south of the house there's coyote walking between the bean field and the corn field. So I grabbed the 22-250 Ruger 77 and stepped out the front door. Mind you I'm dressed in flannel pants, wool socks and a T-shirt at this point. Sat down on the concrete, kinda cold on a 15 degree morning, and took aim. But by now the coyote is working his way west right on the ridge with just the skyline behind him. Too many houses in these parts to take that shot so I let him go. Ran back in the house, letting Marbles loose, turned off the stove, and grabbed a pair of pants, a pair of boots and a sweatshirt, and ran back out and about 250 yards through the cornfield to the west, up to the top of the ridge. From that vantage I can look out over the back side of my place and the neighbors cornfield. Marbles mean time is running around barking his fool head off. He eventually settles down enough to start tracking the coyote, and crosses in front of me along a terrace headed North. At some point he looks to the north, and the hair goes up on his back and he goes charging towards a small grass cut in the field. About halfway there, he makes a 180 degree turn, and starts hauling it back towards me. I knew at this point something was up, and sure enough not one, but two coyotes are hot on his trail. I'm just standing out in the middle of the field now, and raise the gun and take aim, but wait to see how close they'll get, when the get to about 140 yards of me and crest a terrace the lead coyote spots me and starts to head away from me. After about 40 yards or so (he's now 180 yards from me) he turns broadside to see what's up, and I squeezed off an offhand shot. Heard the "whop" and saw the yote spin a circle, but he takes off on a dead run Northwest, his girlfriend heads straight west till she's about 500 yds from me, and turns to look back, so I laid down in the snow, and got a cornstalk for a rest, and took, a poke at her, but missed. Meantime I go looking for the first one, and he'd ran about 150 yds after being hit only to pile up down near the fenceline. I'd hit him just a bit far back, right behind the diaphragm, but I'm guessing a bullet fragment nicked a lung, by the blood in his nose. Weighed in at 40 lbs even, and has a real nice coat. I skinned him out, and am going to take a try at tanning him here one of these days.

TDF

Good on you and Marbles. Me thinks Marbles knows when the odds are not in favor and heads for the boss. I think it's a good thing when marbles lets you when coydogs are about. Cheers NC

Excellent!!

Way to go Marbles!!! and you too TDF

I'd take that any day!