Kind of unexpected

[wtnhunt]

Guess this maybe should go in the turkey forum.

Yesterday morning early well before it got light I walked out and got setup under an oak tree near a ridge in the hardwoods where I know turkeys sometimes roost. As it started getting light and the woods started comign alive I started hearing a few gobbles a good ways off. So I decided to make my way down the hill closer to the bottom. I setup in a spot where I could see a heavy run deer trail angling through the woods out in front of me angling as close as about 15 yards at one spot. To my left there was pretty thick ground cover and I figure I might get an unobstructed shot at the height of a turkeys head.

As I was sitting down I heard a gobble out to my right, did not sound like it was too terribly far off. I started calling some after it got light enough for me to see. About 30 minutes after I first started calling a hen comes through from my right to left along the edge of the water. After I could not see her I waited a few more minutes and called a few times. Probably another 30 minutes went by and I heard a crash behind me. I could hear the movement in the leaves behind me, so I got ready. Probably 2 minutes went by and I catch movement off to my left in the thick brush just off the deer trail.

It is getting closer, then I can see an ear and then the chest, it stops about 20-25 yards out frontal. Leaves are blocking the face about a foot in front of the animal and I am certain it is a good sized coyote. It stops and is there for a good 30 seconds, my 12 gauge is up and on him. His ear twitches I let out a light yelp and it looks like he is about to step out, but never does. Another 15 seconds or so goes by and I am starting to get concerned that he has smelled me and will turn and head away down the deer trail. So I decided to take the shot at the head and chest area with #5 shot 3 inch winchester high velocity turkey load. After the shot I heard another gobble probably about 100 or so yards off, then heard what I thought was the coyote falling as it was running off.

Not sure if it killed it, but guess that coyote if it is not dead will be more careful about hunting hens.

[Tominator]

Re: Kind of unexpected

Good deal William.

I remember a long time ago after turkey hunting one morning putting the stalk on a fox. The land owner I was hunting on raised roosters and this fox was killing his birds. I can distinctly remember him saying ".....and if you see a fox, shoot it, I don't care if they're not in season...."

Well, one morning on my walk out, I saw a fox cross my path and head off up into a wheat field. I told my buddy to walk down to the barn, and then head back towards me, maybe he could flush it towards me, so he headed off. I ducked down, and belly crawled across the field. I got to within about 40 yards of the fox, and when I popped my head up to locate him we met eyes. That fox took off, I got up to a knee and got 3 shots off at it. The second shot rolled his butt end, but he still ran off. I was pretty surprised he kept running, because I knew I hit him.

Anyway, the following week when my buddy and I walked out, we were greeted by a very happy landowner. He came up to us all smiles and said "thank you." And we asked for what, and he says "whoever shot that fox, thank you. I found him dead just off the path over there."

I guess I did get him.

[DSGB]

Re: Kind of unexpected

That'll teach him!

I puuled off the paved road Saturday morning and entered on the side of a field. I saw something run in front of my truck and it was a coyote! He ran right down the road I was on, so I hit the gas and tried to run him down. He was too fast, though, so I gave up after about 100 yards, cause I didn't want to spook everything in the woods. He better be glad my gun was not loaded yet.