What would you do?

[fitch270]

D193B194-E983-463B-A48C-770E4C076442.jpeg 1210866B-0910-4B16-AFB7-40E01B376439.jpeg About 15 minutes after daybreak my daughter nudges me in the side. I’ve been letting out some soft yelps and clucks but the turkeys are quiet early on. I’m expecting to see a bird coming in quiet but instead there are two coyotes coming past about twenty yards out. The season is closed, I don’t completely hate them but it bugs me seeing them prowling about with all the new life hitting the ground this time of year.



B94F7289-339C-45B9-9966-85DCE24733E7.jpeg

We were sitting to the left of this camera, you can see they were spaced out a bit. As the first one went by I laid on the box which froze them both, the second just in front of us. The camera didn’t catch it.

[fitch270]

What happened next was bizarre. The second dog broke and ran over to the first that was standing under the apple trees. At this point I was just hoping my daughter would get a kick out of watching them.

All at once the first one turned back on its original path. I hit the box again with him looking straight at us, the movement never made him flinch. Next thing I know he’s coming straight at us. I drop the box and lift my gun, again him looking directly at us. I realize the sob isn’t going to stop, he’s less than 15 ft and I pull the trigger. Nothing. Forgot the safety. Glad as hell it wasn’t that mama bear.


He’s still coming, in a split second I decide not to bother with the safety so I let go of the forearm and throw out my left hand and yell Git! at the top of my voice. He stops in his tracks about 8’ away and just drops his head with a WTH? look on his face. He hangs there for about 5 seconds then scoots out the way he came in. At this point the other one who’d been hanging back decides to follow.


I guess this is what I get for messing around. Season on them is closed. This is the forth time in the past 15 years that coyotes have come straight in to calls from myself or a couple others that hunt with me. I hadn’t intended to plug this one, really was just looking to have a cool experience with my girl. Almost got more than I bargained for. I’m actually glad the gun didn’t go off, the muzzle was out in front but the barrel is ported and I run a ported tube as well. Because of our position my daughter would have caught some serious noise without hearing protection on. Even though it worked out for the best I’m still bugged about the safety, it’s the first time I can remember that happening in a long time. No big thing if it means missing a shot at a grouse but this could have been a bad deal.

Best I can figure I was hung up on the thing not reacting to the movement I was making. As tuned in as they usually are I was a bit stunned when it kept coming. I was sure it was going to hang up not knowing what we were. Guess we both lived and learned.

My daughter got a kick out of it even though she thought it was going to end up in her lap.


Curious how you guys would have handled this one, assuming you were on the ball enough to flip the safety off?

[FirstBubba]

I've toppled more than one 'yote stalking my deke!
We don't have "seasons" on them down here.
I'd have fed him a face full of whatever you were shooting. At that range, he/she would have been toast!

...and forgetting the safety on occasion isn't unique to you.

p.s. - I dislike killing a female anything with a belly full of little ones, except 'yotes, feral hogs and armadillos.

[dewman]

I would have emptied the gun trying to kill them both. No hesitation, no remorse.

[bowhunter75richard]

I am with dewman, shoot the darn thing. Stupid law to have a season on a coyote anyway, same as having seasons on crows. Who thinks this stuff up anyway..........?

Nice pics Fitch, good work !

By the way, shovels were invented for a reason !

[FirstBubba]

I am with dewman, shoot the darn thing. Stupid law to have a season on a coyote anyway, same as having seasons on crows. Who thinks this stuff up anyway..........?

Nice pics Fitch, good work !

By the way, shovels were invented for a reason !

That's what we call a "3S" bhr!
1) shoot
2) shovel
3) shut up
LOL!
Especially pertaining to bothersome neighborhood pets!

[PigHunter]

First, I would have had electronic muffs on the young-in since the shotgun has a ported barrel.

Second, I wouldn't have shot when they bunched at 20 yards. Perhaps it would have only wounded them but might have eventually killed them from infection. I'd probably not been that ruthless in front of my daughter.

Third, crap happens with safeties being forgotten. But out of habit, I probably would have already had the safety off even though not taking the 20 yard shot. Definitely would have busted the yote in the face at close range rather than chasing it off.

The lesson taught to my kid would have been some game laws are just plain stupid and the greater harm would be the invasive predator getting away. The second lesson would be to learn to keep some secrets and not tell friends about Daddy shooting something illegally.

Fitch, you are a good man so please don't take my comments the wrong way. I'm not judging your decisions. Just telling what I would have done. My moral compass was broken a long time ago when it comes to some game laws.

On another note, you'd been looking at rabies shots if that coyote had bitten one of you. Shooting it at close range probably would have killed it outright but there was a chance it would have attacked if wounded.

[fitch270]

Good input guys. This was just one of those things that had a couple different angles I thought would be interesting to throw out there.

Probably my biggest hesitation initially was not wanting to freak out my daughter. She seems to enjoy this stuff but is naturally a bit softer than my son, not that he’s cold blooded by any means. Last thing I wanted was a squealing yote flip-flopping in front of her from a less than ideal shot. So far she’s been ok with killing but she was a bit upset about stinging that turkey last year.

I still can’t figure out what the fool thing was thinking. I’ve had coyotes haul out that barely caught me drawing my bow on them. Curiously almost killed the dog.

[fitch270]

PH; no worries. And your right about the muffs, we haven’t been sitting in an enclosed space so haven’t thought about it as much. Of all people I ought to know better.

[PigHunter]

PH; no worries. And your right about the muffs, we haven’t been sitting in an enclosed space so haven’t thought about it as much. Of all people I ought to know better.

Most of the time I don't wear muffs when hunting but got in the habit of making PigHuntress wear them on the rare occasions she's hunting beside me.

I edited my original post after some thought to the sensitive nature of my two children. Both are grown but would be totally shocked if they witnessed how ruthless I can be to coyotes, pigs, and other pests. You made the right call.

[dewman]

Your land, your child, your decision. Want to make clear I was saying what I would have done. Not speaking as to legality, morality, or justification. I just know what I would have done, because I have done it.

[fitch270]

Your land, your child, your decision. Want to make clear I was saying what I would have done. Not speaking as to legality, morality, or justification. I just know what I would have done, because I have done it.

Likewise, no worries. Similar circumstances have had other outcomes previously.

[Red Angus]

What Dewman said.

[CD2]

Private ground here, you can hunt yotes yr round w landowner written permission.

Dont think turkey loads would work very well though

[FirstBubba]

Dont think turkey loads would work very well though

Depends on range.
I've killed canines bigger than a coyote at 25 yards with #6's.