Member felipe had a great coyote hunting story he posted in another thread. A quick check of the archives revealed slim pickings for coyote hunting threads.

Regale us with a tale about chasing tail (of the Canis latrans type) with your trad bow: memorable hunts, setups, equipment, hits and misses, etc.

In the last week of this April I was cautiously approaching my public land bear bait after getting off work early, with a full hefty bag full of popcorn and dollar store granulated sugar strapped to my frame pack and my bow in hand. The wind was howling (30-40mph) so despite my crunchy bootsteps in the stale snow and the ruffling of the trash bag on my back, I felt optimistic that if I took my time and kept the wind in my face, I just may get lucky and catch a bear feeding before sunset. Keeping a dense cluster of deadfall pine trees between myself and the stand location I closed in to about 60 yards of where I thought my drum should be before cautiously peeking around the corner to see if there were any critters present. To my surprise, a young coyote was standing on its hind legs with its front paws and head reached inside my bait drum. I watched and smiled for a few moments as the coyote would reach its head into the drum to grab a mouthful of popcorn before spitting it out on the ground to eat while looking all around for potential threats. I saw my opportunity. Everytime the dog stood on his hind legs to access the popcorn in the drum I would take 2-3 large steps forward until I saw the first signs of movement. Then I would freeze and wait for him to go up for another mouthful. When I got to about 35 yards he must have heard my movements or caught a swirl of my wind because he turned on a dime to look my general direction. He swirled and ran 5 or 6 yards further before his curiosity got the best of him and he turned back to get one more glance at me. I was already starting my draw when he stopped and by the time he was facing me my arrow was heading towards the vitals between his forelegs. My shot impacted him a couple inches to the left of where I was focusing and passed clean through him lengthwise coming out just before his hip on his leftside and logging in a burnt log stump a few feet behind him. The blood was immediate and easy to follow in the snow for the 150 yards or so where he expired at the bottom of a steep draw. Although the shot wasn't perfect I was pretty excited and proud of myself due to the wind and shot distance (probably couldn't do it again if I had 5 tries lol).Was shooting a 52# Bob Lee hunter pro with Beaman center shot arrow and zwickey eskimo head.

I have managed to kill 3 coyotes.All with my beloved Frederick longbows.

I had one memorable kill.I had been deer hunting on the ground behind my Apache groundblind.I have always cleared out everything that can make noise around me when hunting on the ground.Looks like an oversized scrape where I sit.

It was getting pretty late and I started to take down my ground blind shaped like a Tee Pee but not enclossed on the sides or back of me.I got the blind down and then did my last listen for footsteps or anything deer or game related.It was quiet and near dark.I heard the pitter patter of soft steps approaching rather quickly.Did not sound like a deer.I got very low almost in a splits position (I was younger then) and set up in that direction with an arrow nocked and bow canted severely.It got close and within seconds a coyote was staring down at me atop a stump it was getting ready to go over.It was looking at me and not quite making me out.But new something was up.It was too late for that yote as I was at full draw.I aimed for the center of the chest and let fly.The arrow struck and the yote let out a fierce growl.kindy freaky at close range to behold.It ran off.I came back the next morning.Not much blood.But I found it dead about 50 yards away.It was a female.

Funny thing was she had done a 180 when I shot the bow and the arrow had entered right between the shoulder blades on top of her into the vitals.I had been aiming at her chest and she had swapped sides before the the arrow got her.Good shot though.Pretty proud of that one and it was exciting!All that practice shooting from unorthodox postions had paid off on that yote and a few bucks as well.

Killed with a wood hexashaft from Whispering Wind I had finished out from raw shafts and Simmons Tiger shark broadhead on the business end.Gorgous 63 pound Frederick Regeant longbow.My wedding present from my wife.Made a quiver out of her hide.

>>>--------> Shoot straight

You didn't look far enough back:

https://leatherwall.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm? threadid=96969&category=88#1149571

Coyotes, it always seems a surprise when I see them, and they seem equally surprised when they see me. I don't know why, we share some of the same terrain and some of the same prey, and when we hunt, our tactics parallel. Deer seasons over here, and I guess I was looking for some prey to substantiate my abilities. Coyotes seemed the answer.

Rain fell here on the Gulf coast all night, hard rain. I awoke early, knowing my prey went without eating last night, I skipped breakfast myself, and we will both be hungry. Not far from the truck I ran into her tracks, a big coyote, not far ahead, I know this because it is raining and the tracks are not yet full of rainwater. For almost two miles I keep picking up the tracks, and now I'm deep in the brush, where she spends her days.

I step to the side of the trail, the rain is falling again, and I guess any scent of mine is washed away by the rain. The rain stops, and I blow my call a few times. I've never had much luck with mouth calls, but I waited a couple of minutes and blow it again. Minutes later, the Alpha female comes running up, she must not know of my luck with calls, and as usual, she caught me by surprise.

She stops at twenty yards, there is too much brush for a shot, she steps forward and I begin to draw, she is surprised to see me. She turns and heads into the brush and then turns again for another look, and I shoot through the brush.

Why do I hunt the coyote: for the pelt? She is very pretty: for the kill? She is very much alive. Most scorn these animals but my admiration is great. I can't answer this, but her beautiful fur is in the freezer tonight.

Update: This thread I started in Jan. '04, trying to impress Bayougirl I'm sure. This hunt was on a Texas barrier island. I windsurfed the beachfront there much and had seen the "coyotes" run the back side of the island in packs at daylight (I did many dawn patrol windsurf sessions). I have just lately read about studies of Red Wolfs that still run wild on the west end of Galveston island, the next island from this one, and have become convinced this is the Red Wolf. She is incredibly large for a coyote, red tinge coat, and traveled in a pack.

ttps://wildlife.org/hybrids-and-maybe-a-full-red-wolf-found-in- former- range/#:~:text=Coyotes%20and%20red%20wolves%20are,on%20Galveston%2 0Island%20in%20Texas.

felipe,

I did actually find a few coyote hunting threads, I just wanted more! My faux paw... :)

Predator hunting encounters seem to have such an unpredictable nature about them, like hunters getting pounced on and bowled over or coyotes biting in midair the shaft that just killed them.

Snow, I know exactly what you mean. Predator hunting can produce some of the fastest paced experiences hunting offers. The story I want to hear is the one behind Andyman’s coyote pic. Bring it on Andyman, that’s a beautiful pelt.

I just have the one tale…

But as background: I once took a Winter Ecology course Way Up Nort’ Dere at lake Itasca, headwaters of the Mississippi. I spent a month outdoors in temps where most mornings the thermometer read -50° F at dawn. Logged a lot of miles figuring out how coyotes managed to eke out a living in a year when snowshoe hare numbers were really down.

And I was able to do a post-mortem on a big dog that a local trapper dropped off; he went #48, skinned out. I got a real good look at the weaponry. I also figured out that they were eating a lot of porcupines, with quills turning up in the scat more often than anything else. So I have a healthy respect for them as Predators… I tanned a hide in another class - who says you can’t learn anything useful in College, right? And I have always wanted a really nice coyote pelt for the wall, taken with either roundball or an arrow. Either would be fine by me.

And one afternoon some years later, I was slipping along, working my way down an old logging road at about 9800 feet, hoping to get a glimpse of an Elk, when I heard a coyote tune up, seemingly just a few yards off of the road into a thick stand of aspen that had taken over the clear-cut probably before I was even born.

So naturally, I nocked a shaft and started stalking in on the source, every sense freakishly heightened by that sheer, Predatory buzz. Now…. I’ve heard coyotes yip at night, plenty. And I have an old CD recording of just an hour of wolves howling. And this was…. Something Else. A deep, resonant, booming kind of howl like you’d imagine hearing from the Baskervilles. I was STOKED. Took a few more sneaky steps toward the sound, and then a second one chimed in. “I’ll get a shot for SURE at this rate!”, I figured. So I took another step. Another dog joined in. Hmph. Another step, another howl joined. It took me a minute to take that next step. I couldn’t BELIEVE they could be that loud, and I at that point I could feel the vibration in my ribs.

When they got up to five, I wasn’t sure that I liked my odds so much. I think there may have been six. Kinda lost track.

From a bit of a distance, it’s easy to remember that coyotes - especially the Western variety- just aren’t all that big. It’s easy to remind yourself that they survive by being sly and avoiding Humans like the plague. They’re just big chickens, right? But a couple hours hard climb from the nearest road, with no partner, no phone, no radio, and nobody knowing exactly - or even roughly - where I was, nor even looking for me to turn up for a good 6 or 8 more hours…. That vibration in my chest was telling me that today was Not My Day. And I listened to it.

Had a coyote pass by out of range, sucked on the back of where my middle finger meets the palm, and squeaked him in...arrowed him at about 20 yds, he flipped around and died under a log. Left him there without climbing down. Wondered if the scent of him would spook a deer.?

1/2 hr later a decent 8 pt came from the same direction, arrowed him at around 17 yds....ran maybe 100- 150 yds, before he went down..big bodied deer.

Not a bad morning hunt.

Few years back I crawled into a Treestand in a big shelter belt. Not long after crawling in here comes a little buck weaving in and out of the honeysuckle on the far side of the shelter belt. At the time I thought thats weird why is he doing that. Ten minutes later here he comes back the other way doing the same thing. Weaving in and out of the thickest part of the tree row.

About an hour later I hear something behind and to my right. I get turned around and here is the same little buck standing and staring back into the tree row to my left. Eventually he works his way out into the pasture and is gone. Fifteen minutes later I catch movement to my left. Here comes three coyotes weaving in and out of the honeysuckles on this deers previous trail. In the past I never had any luck getting a shot on a coyote, they always busted me before I could get drawn. Well now I am hot cuz I know they are on this deers trail.

I let all three pass, once they are by I start squeaking with my bow at the ready. The first coyote comes charging back and stops almost straight down and to my left. I send an arrow into him that kinda pins him to the ground. He goes crazy bawling and fighting the arrow. The broadhead pulls out of the ground but its still in the coyote. He moves out from the tree and here comes another coyote. He circles around and comes up to the first coyote and stops perfectly broadside. I send one through his lungs and he takes off to my left. Now I have two coyotes bawling, I get another arrow on the string and here comes the third coyote. This one streaks past me going to the left I lose sight of it for awhile and I can hear it barking and growling at the second coyote.

By now the second coyote is quiet so I figure its dead. The first is under me licking its wounds and kinda whimpering. Here comes the third coyote back to the first one. It stops perfectly broadside I start to draw and I think to myself ,"are you really going to waste three arrows on coyotes"? It made me hesitate and when I did the coyotes took of and that was the end of it. Ill tell you the adrenaline buzz I had was out of this world.. To this day Im upset with myself for pausing on the third coyote. And I can still hear that voice in my head asking if Im gonna waste three arrows. Crazy I have killed a lot of coyotes with a rifle but those are the only ones with the stick.

felipe

the one my hunting buddy shot - she was sitting in a waldrop pack seat hunting deer and it came up out of a swamp bottom about 20 yards from her- came up a drainage then turned up on the little ridge she was on- (My hunting buddy got this one yesterday with a NM longbow (classic) 125 gr ACE Broadheads cedear arrow ,from the ground)

picture of me holding it- was october 2019

she tried to have a taxidermist mount it but he said the hair slipped and did not work out for her

Andy Man,

I thought your hunting partner was really petite until I saw the next photo with you holding that dog (hog?). Crikey that's a big coyote...

Love the stories so far fellas. Thanks!

I can’t top these stories but I have been able to walk up on napping yotes. In each case the coyote was laying on a flat rock and twice I was able to sit and watch them. In each case the coyotes eventually sensed me and turned to look at me. Man they can levitate two or three feet in the air and they’ve got all four digging when they hit the ground.

beemann,

Boredom to bedlam in 5.6 seconds! Love it.

Harleywriter,

Are you a ninja? Sneaking up on a coyote is no small feat, but twice?

I've seen several coyotes when bowhunting but only had one decent opportunity (almost) for a shot. I was in a treestand on a small ridge with a hollow on either side. I heard rustling in the leaves coming down the hillside opposite me and back up towards the top of the ridge where I was set up. It was a beautiful coyote and I was already thinking about what I was going to do with the hide. The coyote came in along the side of the hill to my left side. At 20 yards he stopped just short of the cleared area where I could shoot. I felt the breeze on my right cheek and he was gone in a flash. I was fifteen feet up in a tree, the hillside sloped away from me yet he somehow caught my scent.

Wow nice coyote Andy Man. That’s is a real bowhunting trophy

I was standing close to the parking area of a rehabilitated and preserved forest area after a run at dusk and heard the sound of an animal trotting through the woods towards me. I could see it was a Coyote and I made the smallest movement of my foot on the leaves and it immediately froze. I decided to do my best Coyote impersonation of yapping and howling. It did not budge seeming neither fooled nor alarmed. After staring my way for a good minute I scratched the fabric of my track pants ever so lightly with a fingernail. That apparently unnatural sound saw it swap ends and be gone in a flash.

I have been lucky on them have gotten 4 with my bow and one with a black powder gun

Was worried that they would hurt my dog

Have seen they are more afraid of him than I would be of the IRS man

Give them a pass now maybe just have to see at the time

In the UK crossbred Greyhounds called Lurchers were/are used to run hares etc. Usually crossed with a breed that gave them a better coat and endurance. We had one of these when my family still lived in Scotland.

When we came here my Dad always wondered what sort of animal you would get by crossing a Greyhound with a Coyote.

Have killed a half dozen with bow. First one came by with a long string of cow after birth in his mouth. Was shooting old Gordon glass shafts, hard to cut into with cutters. Hit him through lungs and sticking out both sides, he went down rolling and snapping. Bit the arrow clean through on one side and rolled over and bit it into on the other side giving me time to reload and then shot him in the eye.

4 totes with a bow? Better buy a lottery ticket. That old NM does shoot good . Congratt

Baby

Not that hard here we have quite a few and the deer hounds force them to move

So get to see them changing locations

Not gonna say they are easy but when they are forced to move you can get opportunities

Any other Wile killers out there with an entertaining tale?

I had this on the other site so you may have seen it already...

Not sure of the year, probably 2015 ish , was in a stand where a wooded draw meets the timber. I heard acorns popping behind me where the draw angled up away from the timber. Nice doe eating there alone. Think it was around the 1st of November so was hoping a buck might trail her in.

She drifted back up the draw nibbling and eating acorns. I'm thinkin if she comes to bed in the timber she might come by and drag a buck along at some point .

After a bit, I hear running in the leaves, and the big doe slides to a stop under my stand. Something is chasing her, and I'm already standing and looking.

A coyote is standing across the ditch at edge of timber, and I think" what has he got in this deal"?

The doe takes off and here he comes(the coyote) chasing her, he is coming down the bottom of the ditch way too fast, I'm at full draw but don't think I can make this at 20 yards, so I squeak a lip. He turns up a deer trail and stops just before he gets to level ground to look.

Then the arrow is gone and he spins and takes off at warp speed. CRAP , I missed I think. But he goes about 20 yards and runs into a tree. Maybe I didn't miss!

Ended up I shot him right under the chin and it came out right at his junk. Dead on his feet...

I shot this coyote three years ago with my Hill Wesley Special , I was sitting in a ground blind when he trotted by at less than ten yards . I thought I missed it at first because it didn’t yelp or anything just turned and trotted away, then I saw my bloody arrow laying on the ground. After the shot I saw several more coyotes crossing back fourth in in a clearing I did a fawn bleat and had another one come in but it caught me drawing my bow so I didn’t get a shot. That was my second coyote with a longbow, I shot another one back several years before.

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