Coyote

[smokin joe]

North Carolina now allows bow hunting on Sundays on private land. So, my friend Brian (Panhead Johnson here on TG) and I agreed to have a hunt on his land on Sunday morning.

Just as the blackness of full night had started to turn into the gray of pre-dawn I pulled my Jeep into Brian's long driveway. I parked behind his equipment shed, got out my gear and started the walk to the tree stand I was going to use that morning. The pre-dawn light was bright enough that I did not need a flashlight to walk in. About a month ago I had cleared a little path off of Brian's logging road to the stand so I could get in quietly and without leaving scent.

The view from the tree stand:

 

[smokin joe]

I got settled in. Of course the first thing I did was get my safety harness hooked up. After taking care of the safety rig, I got an arrow on my string and sat down and started squinting into the gray morning light.

Here I am:

 

[slayer1]

[smokin joe]

The official sunrise for the day was going to be 7:08 AM. At about 7:00 I saw a coyote out at about 100 yards away in the open field at about 7:00 AM. I knew that deer were feeding on the new green growth in the field on pretty much a daily basis, I saw the coyote going from place to place, sniffing the ground here and there.

I made a couple of "varmint" squeaks with my lips and the coyote became alert immediately. The coyote was in no hurry but started working toward me sniffing the ground here and there.

The note got closer, but not nearly close enough. I gave one more quiet squeak. Then the critter started working closer and closer. It turned around to check its back trail and I slowly stood up while it was looking away.

Closer and closer. About 20 yards now. I started to draw, but let down when the coyote went behind some thick brush,

It reversed its course and came even closer. I put tension on the string and had to let down again as it turned to face directly toward me.

Then it started to turn broadside at about 17 yards.

I drew.

 

[Lin Rhea]

Better go look. I think you hit him.

[smokin joe]

I repeated my pre-shot mantra, "Stay tall. Aim small." over and over again.

"Stay tall" reminds me to draw the string to my anchor and not tilt my head to meet the string.

"Aim small" reminds me to pick the smallest spot I can see.

I pulled back, and hit anchor. The yote started to move a bit. It was now or never.

I did not see the arrow hit, I was too busy concentrating on a good followthrough and making sure I did not move my bow arm to peek.

The coyote went bananas. A frantic summersault, and a fast run into thick cover. Then there was absolute silence. She sound of the Coyote's escape only went about 25 feet from its position and stopped near a big oak tree that stood up from the thick brush.

Did I hit the coyote with a killing shot? I looked at my watch. It was 7:20 AM. I had been watching the coyote, waiting for a shot opportunity, for 20 minutes.

I took a long drink of water, and sat back down. I put a new arrow on the string -- after all, I expected to see deer from this stand.

Then I started wondering about the shot. Was it deadly enough?

I looked at the site of the shot and could not see my arrow.

I waited until about 8:15 AM and then climbed down from the stand to see if there was evidence of a good shot.

My arrow was a couple of feet from where the coyote had been when I shot. There was blood on the arrow from end to end. There was also dirt on the broadhead. The shot had been a passthrough, but the angle of the shot was such that the back end of the arrow was still in the coyote when the ground stopped the forward progress of the arrow. It had pulled the rest of the way through when the coyote took off. All of the blood was bright red -- a good sign. But there were only two drops of blood and no blood trail at all.

 

[smokin joe]

I was a little concerned at the lack of blood on the ground. I sent Brian a text, I thought that I  might need some help searching for blood. He sent a text back that he had come down out of his stand and was at the house making coffee.

I told him I would be right there. A little coffee and some time to think things over sounded just about right.

After coffee and some conversation, Brian and I headed back to the scene of the shot. I showed him the one little spot of blood. He cut through the woods to a little logging trail and started looking for sign of the coyote there.

I went into the thick stuff, heading toward the tall oak where I had last heard sound. I found the coyote, a female, very quickly.

She was near the base of the oak where the sound of her running stopped. The coyote had gone about 25 feet and fell over dead.

Here she is as I found her:

 

I figured out why there was no blood trail. The arrow had entered high on the right side, went through both lungs, pierced the diaphragm and exited below her ribcage low on the other side where it embedded in the ground. In her struggle to get away a bit of her intestine came out of the exit wound and plugged it up. All of her blood was inside her body cavity. The little drop was all that came out of her.

The Woodsman three blade made quick work of the coyote. As I said, she only went about 25 feet at the most -- into some very thick cover.

Here she is again with my Bear TD to show her size.

 

Brian and I skinned the coyote. I am going to have the pelt tanned as a personal trophy of squeaking a coyote into stick bow range.

At dusk, Brian was in the same stand I had shot the coyote from and saw 9 deer - 4 bucks and 5 does. I think he and I might have a pretty good season in his woods. Brian and I had a fun hunt.

I am blessed to have such a terrific friend.

[Boomerang]

Nice! Good shooting!  

[jgharris]

Excellent shot and good story!!!!

[Gen273]

  congrats

[shreffler]

That's awesome! Congrats!

[gringol]

Nice!

[Charlie3]

A Coyote might be the toughest animal in North America to arrow, those buggers have increadible senses and intelligence. Well done!!

[Tater]

Good shooting,congrats.

[UrbanArcher1975]

Joe,
Where in NC where were you?  I was up in the mountains about a month ago.  I truly love it up there.

[HuronArcher]

Good story and great shot    

[awbowman]

Congrats, kill them all.      

I hate poult eating yotes!

Way to go on the song dog!

Congrats,

Bisch

[Brianlocal3]

Great hunt, and great story telling

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Way to Go Joe!  Sounds like you made the perfect shot on that Coyote.

She sure is a beauty!