I made one last trek to MS to try to kill some hogs this weekend. I thought it would be appropriate to send some piggies to the promised land on friday the thirteenth. So, after a 6 hour drive and some dinner in my tummy I headed out to the wilds to ambush the hogs that had done so much damage to our food plot the week before. I settled in to the spartan digs and poor excuse for a hunting blind to see if I could wait out the elusive sus.
As I was getting settled in, I kept checking the area in front of the blind with my scanner and looking to see if I could still see the rabbits that were in the food plot as I got there. Before I was even ready, I noticed that one of the rabbits looked larger than it was a minute before so I tried to check it out with my MK II mounted on my rifle. Note to self....turn on the scope BEFORE you think you might need it. By the time I got everything on, the "large" rabbit (actually a coyote) was making its way out of the shooting area and disappeared behind a good bit of brush. I could have tried to call him back, but did I say that I wasn't very prepared. It was a clear night with a full moon and man was it bright. Sometime later I had gotten comfortable and would scan the area every few minutes. I heard a slight sound close to the blind and picked up the scanner. Sure enough, there was a coyote about 20 yds from me and coming toward the stand. I tried to watch the coyote while at the same time getting the video recorder started. During this time, the coyote passed directly under the stand and in the moon light I could clearly see that it was another black coyote. I had to take my eyes off of him for a moment to get re-situated. When I turned back to him he was gone. I couldn't find him anywhere and was very disappointed. Ok, missed out again. I got settled down again vowing to do a better job next time. Every now and then I could hear a lone coyote calling several hundred yards away and the last time it sounded like he wasn't far from an opening that would give me a shot. A little later, a pack of coyotes started calling from across the highway from me and I heard the one near me start answering. He sounded pretty close so I started a scan in his direction and sure enough he had come out of the thick brush and was sitting broadside to me in the traditional pose calling to the other coyotes. I turned on the video recorder and got ready to take a shot when he started to leave. I gave him a lip squeak and he stopped to look at me. A squeeze of the trigger and nothing happened. A tap of the forward assist to drive the bolt home and squeeze. NOTHING! I pulled back on the charging handle to eject the round and discovered the bolt was still locked back. Released it and by this time the coyote was not going to have any of this and started to leave again. I squeaked at him again and luckily got him to stop one more time. It turned out to be his last mistake and he dropped at the shot. I felt pretty good with myself and sat back and waited for the hogs to show up next so I could kill something else. Somewhere along the way a nagging little voice in my head said "hey dummy, did you turn on the video out?" Uuuhhh no! So, while you watch this blank screen and listen to the sound track of my screw-up, refer to my previous description and form the picture in you mind of how disorganized I am on this hunt.
Fast forward a couple hours and during one of my scans I see something out in the middle of the pasture about 300 yards away. He is moving like a hog so I get all excited and get the video started. This time I was sure the scope was set correctly, but the coyote was heading away around a bunch of trees. I was afraid he was leaving, so I tried blowing on a rabbit in distress call that I have had for years. It worked like I was on one of those outdoor shows and he came running. I got the video started just as he was coming at me full throttle.
Check out this epic failure!
I was sure that I had tagged another song dog, but when the sun came up, I was unable to find a drop of blood or hair out of place. After reviewing the video on my computer and going through it frame by frame I still can't determine whether the first shot connected or not. The second shot was about a 1/2" in front of his chest and made him almost go vertical as he tried to avoid the explosion on the ground next to him. When I went to check out the first dog, I discovered that I had killed my third black coyote from this same property since December. The first dog was killed at 164 yards and the second was only 45 yards from the stand. Still don't know how I could have missed the second one, you be the judge.
As I was getting settled in, I kept checking the area in front of the blind with my scanner and looking to see if I could still see the rabbits that were in the food plot as I got there. Before I was even ready, I noticed that one of the rabbits looked larger than it was a minute before so I tried to check it out with my MK II mounted on my rifle. Note to self....turn on the scope BEFORE you think you might need it. By the time I got everything on, the "large" rabbit (actually a coyote) was making its way out of the shooting area and disappeared behind a good bit of brush. I could have tried to call him back, but did I say that I wasn't very prepared. It was a clear night with a full moon and man was it bright. Sometime later I had gotten comfortable and would scan the area every few minutes. I heard a slight sound close to the blind and picked up the scanner. Sure enough, there was a coyote about 20 yds from me and coming toward the stand. I tried to watch the coyote while at the same time getting the video recorder started. During this time, the coyote passed directly under the stand and in the moon light I could clearly see that it was another black coyote. I had to take my eyes off of him for a moment to get re-situated. When I turned back to him he was gone. I couldn't find him anywhere and was very disappointed. Ok, missed out again. I got settled down again vowing to do a better job next time. Every now and then I could hear a lone coyote calling several hundred yards away and the last time it sounded like he wasn't far from an opening that would give me a shot. A little later, a pack of coyotes started calling from across the highway from me and I heard the one near me start answering. He sounded pretty close so I started a scan in his direction and sure enough he had come out of the thick brush and was sitting broadside to me in the traditional pose calling to the other coyotes. I turned on the video recorder and got ready to take a shot when he started to leave. I gave him a lip squeak and he stopped to look at me. A squeeze of the trigger and nothing happened. A tap of the forward assist to drive the bolt home and squeeze. NOTHING! I pulled back on the charging handle to eject the round and discovered the bolt was still locked back. Released it and by this time the coyote was not going to have any of this and started to leave again. I squeaked at him again and luckily got him to stop one more time. It turned out to be his last mistake and he dropped at the shot. I felt pretty good with myself and sat back and waited for the hogs to show up next so I could kill something else. Somewhere along the way a nagging little voice in my head said "hey dummy, did you turn on the video out?" Uuuhhh no! So, while you watch this blank screen and listen to the sound track of my screw-up, refer to my previous description and form the picture in you mind of how disorganized I am on this hunt.
Check out this epic failure!
Last edited:
