Started the year off right coyote hunting. Started the morning off checking out some of the usual spots. Just a lot harder this year. We have been pounded by snow. Easy to spot them, just hard to get to them. Been doing the ole run and gun mostly. Drive around and try to spot them. If it is a spot you can put a sneek on them you go for it. If not you send a few rounds down range and try to get them moving. First spot we hit looked pretty good. Couple of sets of tracks going in and none coming out. Sent a couple a rounds into a nice wooly fence row and voila, our first dog of the morning. He went straight south in the section and ran right to one of our gunners. I was watching from afar and thought it was a done deal. After about the fifth shot I was getting worried. Then after hearing about 10 rds I thought I better get down to the next mile because that dog was way past the road. Started to put the pedal to the medal and problem solved call came over the radio. I drove around the section and friend had a big ole grin on his face. I asked him where was the coyote? He pointed south. Thats when he told me he got it with the 18th shot. Well I grabbed some rope and headed out. I am going to guess around 600 yards. Like an idiot left the snow shoes in the truck. Not a real fun drag. Did I mention it was about 25 below zero with a 10 to 15 mph wind out of the north. I think the radio man said 35 below with wind chill. This is what I look like after walking nearly a mile in knee deep snow, dragging a coyote.












Pic of the dog, weighed 49.8lbs. Largest coyote I have ever seen.













We managed to get a couple more dogs on friday. I walked into a section (remembered the snow shoes this time) to get a stubborn dog either dead or out of the section. Ended up getting 3 coyotes going.

We went out again on saturday and had to work a lot harder. Still was able to put 3 dogs in the back of trucks. Also squeezed in a half day today. We put 4 to sleep. I dropped one at about 350 yards with my .243. A little ballistic tip love ended his day. Very nice male and no exit wound. Will be keeping that one for myself. Will get him skun out and then off to the tanner. Usually keep one or two a year back. Should keep them all, fur buyers are not paying to well this year. Will be going out again as soon as the weather permits. Supposed to get 6 more inches of snow tonight with 30 mph winds.(did I mention we already have a ton of snow) Will shut us down for a day or two. Sunday is looking like it will be the next decent day. Will try and do better at getting pics.

You sure hunt a lot out there, good pictures. Must be really cold too. We didn't have that much snow yet. Too bad I live in the city, no place to hunt.

Very nice Hobie. Wish I was there with you (and the weather was warmer)! That's a larger Coyote. I've never seen one that big around here. Usually 25-35 pounders, depending on what trash can they've been turning over.

I'm having a canine problem this year, but not the Coyote type. I am seeing people's yard dogs running around my woods. Damn things are chasing out all the deer, I've witnessed it first hand last Sat. morning. I shot at one of them, but with him running between trees, I missed. I've contacted the owners and I wasn't polite. Nothing worse than sitting for hours on a stand only to be thwarted by someone's "pet" running around in the woods. Not to mention they run my horses in the pasture. I told the owners of the 4 dogs that either they keep them at home or I'll gladly put their collars in their mailboxes. They're stupid frickin' redneck trailer park trash people anyhow and don't give a damn about their dogs. I just hate it's come to this, it's not the dog's fault and I am a dog lover. Anyhow, I'm rambling. Nice job on the 'yotes.

Wish I could do more hunting. But with work and family have to set priorities.

No worries Recoil. You handle it about the same way we do around here except for the collars. We give the owner a warning then practice the 3 S's on their pets. Shoot, Shovel, and Shutup. Some people have actually been prosecuted for shooting stray dogs. Shame isn't it. When I was younger and took hunter safety they taught us to S.O.S. (shoot on sight) stray (feral) dogs and cats. Times are a changing brother.

Hobie,

It was the same when I took my course "SOS". But not now it says in the book not to shoot dogs under any circumstance. Last year a guy shot a dog on his property that had a deer on the ice ,biting it repeatedly, he shot it called the cops and was arrested. Guess he should've learned the three s rule. When I see a cat I just shoot them and leave em' lay.

I've researched Alabama law and it's the same. If the Sheriff wanted to get nasty, he could arrest you for shooting a dog, then go issue a citation to the owner for allowing it to run loose. HOWEVER, if the dog is creating a dangerous situation for you/family or livestock, you can whack it legally.

And no, I wouldn't put the dogs collar in their mailbox. The three "S" rule would apply!

That's a nice coyote. We have a bunch of them around here but they are very sly to be sure. When my girlfriend and I were out deer hunting this past November, we heard a pack of them yowling probably a half mile away. Don't know if they treed something or found a gutpile. I just got a new Weatherby vanguard sporter in 22-250 and mounted a Nikon Buckmasters 4-12X scope on it. Once I get it sighted in, that will be a coyote slayer for sure.

I agree. 22-250 is about perfect for whacking coyotes. Try a 55 gn V-max. As long as you are not to close, say more than 100 yards you should not get any exit wounds. When they do exit it can be real ugly. I like them because they just plain drop dogs in their tracks. If you are not saving furs shoot away. Prices are pretty much crap this year. We do have a $20/head bounty on them in my county though. They want the feet and a form filled out my the farmer that owns the ground you took it on. Get about $10/fur from the buyer. So averaging about $30/coyote. Little bit of red tape and a hassle but helps pay for bullets and gas.

Will be out chasing bright and early tomorrow. Am going to hunt with trailing hounds for the first time. I am real excited. Can't wait to see them work. Breeding season is just about upon us, may be already started. So should start seeing pairs. Am hoping to stack em up. Will post up and let you guys know how we do.

No luck with the hounds. Fog saturday and sunday. We gave it the old college try on saturday but could not see crap. Will be trying again second week of feb.

People who hunt turkey claim it's the hardest hunting there is.They never tried a coyote.Getting bad here with them.I shoot a ruger 77 in 25-06 and it's been a good long range coyote gun.I live in the country and got to the point if my dog had to pee at nite I stood guard with a 870.