Mike had called me Friday evening and said he had Saturday afternoon off and wondered if I wanted to go out in the afternoon. He Knew Eric was busy Saturday so I wouldn’t be going with him.
I told him sure I would be glad to go out with him.
He then asked if it was OK to bring some one along. I asked if they knew the rules and if they broke the rules we quit right there? He said sure she knew the rules and we could quit if she broke any.
OH a female I said any one I know by chance. He said I had met her a couple times. So I knew it was his girl friend Carol. I said OK what time and where will we meet. He said just come to my house and get here close to noon.
I arrived at Mikes at 11:45 AM, was met at the door by him was told to put my gear in his truck and we could leave had I ate.
Told him No hadn’t ate since breakfast so he goes in to grab a couple hime made fish subs. I’ve had them before so was going to turn them down.
Had dumped my gear in Mikes truck which was warm. Carol came out said Hi and jumped in the back telling me to set up front with Mike.
We headed out east on M 21 thru Lapeer, Imlay city at M19 we turned north then took a side road off to the east.
We are going to hunt a sheep farm owned by John Lopez who had us hunting there since 2010.
The farm is on the edge of the Saginaw valley so the land if real flat, but not the best soil to raise soy beans, corn or sugar beets. There is a 40 acre wood lot off in the north west. It is sort of on the spare side for concealment but we had set some stakes some time ago in a fence line and tied dried grasses to them to help break up our out lines.
We walk out and set up the decoys and callers start, with the challenge got two barks back. Mike let me do the dirty talking while he issued the challenges . About 15 minutes two coyotes Show up dead in front of us about 125 yards out. Mike shrugs at me and I point to him and Carol I want to see her shoot.
Mike signed for Carol to take the lead coyote, he would trigger. A pair of booms issued forth, two coyotes lay in the snow near the decoys.
Carols eyes are on fire they were so bright, when Mike signed time to gather gear and coyotes she gets up and fist bumped Mike.
They had shot a pair of male coyotes, Carol wrapped hers up in plastic and shaped my hands when I reached for the tow rope.
Back at the truck we load the coyotes and gear in the truck. Going down the road I could not keep silent any longer. Tell me about the rifle, how long you have it. Carol says they went to a gun shop in Fenton Mi advertises they have over 1000 guns in stock. Said Mike kept picking out ugly rifles for her to handle. She didn’t like any of the hollow plastic stock rifles.
She saw one with sort of dark wood but with a nice grain on it. Picked it out of the rack and said if the caliber wasn’t to big that is the one she wanted.
It is a S&W Youth Made by Huskvarna in Sweden 243 caliber. Mike had them put a nice Kick ease recoil pad on it for her and they picked out a nice Bushnell elite. 6x24 scope for it. Carol says ya the scope cost more Than the rifle.
2 boxes of Federal Power shock 85 gr. bullets went out the door the next day with the rifle.
That was two weeks ago.
She has put 200 rounds thru it getting to know it. Mike said she can hit milk bottle cap at 200 yards in a 10 MPH wind with it now.
She was using a Trev white 2 piece punters suit for snow camo, works real well.
We’ve Made it to the next farm a small hobby farm, chickens, two horses 80 acres mostly into pasture and hay fields and a 10 acre woods. Ron and Linda are home when we arrive saddling up the horses for a ride on the near by rails to trails and a state game area.
We say our hellos dress up and head for the woods. Woods is full of autumn olive and butts up to the neighboring woods.
We set up in the fence line of one of the hay fields. Set the decoys out about 30 yards from the woods and the callers about 10 yards back.
Once again Mike does the challenge and howls while I get to talk sex with them. The trucks Temp read out said 28F but the sun is bright glad I had put the sun shade on the Swift.
We got a couple answering barks to the challenge but in 40 minutes nothing had showed up and didn’t sound as if they were moving.
Dry hole so we gathered up and left.
I asked carol about her stocking hat where she had found it. She laughed and said Khols had the starter stocking hat but she made the veil from some lace from Joanns Fabrics and some white cloth from there to make the back part that covered her hair.
Said she had got a camo hat at Walmart and some black veil stuff and camo cloth from Joanns at the same time . And put them together.
We are once again at a dairy farm they milk about 300 head 3 times in 24 hours. Have about 500 acres and lease a bunch more. They also have a large wood lot that is pretty over grown having been logged off about 8 years ago. Of course like so many dairy operations of this size the cows are in loafing areas with feed troughs with augers that fill them with insulge and other feed.
We gear up and head back to the field near the woods where some round bales are setting.
Walk out and set the decoys and callers out. We had discussed changing things in mid stream if it sounded like the last place but no movement.
Start with the challenge got answering barks about 4 or 5 so I started with the invite for a male to come and check me out. About 15 minutes it sounded as if they were not moving when they answered the challenges. Mike did the curly tail sign so I let the piglet in distress sound come out of the caller while Mike is challenging and doing the coyotes having a party with the little pig.
It worked we had coyotes coming our way thru the woods. Near about 30 minutes one single coyote appears out of the woods my zone. I wait and allow the coyote to start to circle the decoys to see if more were close but not showing. I finally fire as the coyote had went into the slouch they do just before attacking.
The swift gave me the shove off the rest and I see one coyote spin in the snow twice and lay still.
We rain another 2 minutes of piglet then set for 10 minutes to see if any others would show.
Be surprised how some times more coyotes show after we shoot. Doesn’t seem to spook them I feel.
I drag my Female coyote back to the truck and load it up. Strip off my camo and climb in the truck. Time for the last fish sandwich made just how I like them. Offered tea to Carol and Mike and they declined, coffee people.
Al
