I got a call from a neighbor on Thanksgiving night letting me know that the song dog symphony was playing in his back pasture. He has been having some problems with coyotes around his farm and had enlisted my help in thinning the pack out. Normally a night hunt is a two or three man operation for me but my son and nephew were already out of the house. I grabbed my call bag and a Cass Creek electronic caller, big lamp with an amber lens, SKS with a tasco red dot and Wolf 122 gr. HP and a new toy, a xenon bulb tactical flashlight.

When I get to the pasture I made a sweep of the pasture with the amber lens and saw no one in the area. I then made a challenge howl and waited a few minutes. I got no replies but since I knew coyotes were in the area within the last half hour I dug out the Cass Creek and pushed the Cottontail in distress call. During the second sweep with the amber lens I picked up a bouncing pair of golden eyes about 200 yards to the south. I let the caller finish its sequence and began the juggling act of bringing up the rifle and the small flashlight and switching off the big lamp without spooking the coyote. I coaxed him in a bit closer with some lip squeaks and shuffling of my feet in the grass. About the time I had things in position, the coyote reached a fence about 75 yards out and hung up a bit. I switched off the big lamp and set it down. I lit the xenon bulb torch and shined the beam over the top of the coyote. I shouldered the rifle and put the red dot just behind the the glowing eyes, then I lit up the coyote with the direct beam and squeezed the trigger. The 122 gr. Wolf anchored him where he stood. A nice pelt on the 35# male. My neighbor was thrilled to have one less cat eater and I was pleased to have made a clean kill with all of the juggling that had to be done to make the shot.

We can’t legally night hunt predators here but I can imagine how exciting it gets.
Great story and a big congratulations on your successful hunt!



Chet

Night season here is limited to early November to the end of January. It seems they come in a lot faster in the dark but almost always will come into the wind.