# Weekend Warriors



## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

Tim and I were headed out of town and we had 2 objectives:
- Successfully harvest enough predators to win our club hunt.
- Finally meet Ed(Prariewolf) as we haven't had the chance since he started supplying us calls.

After a quick phone call to Ed the week prior to the trip he pointed out a couple areas where he has found Grey Fox in the past. After looking at Google Earth I let him know I found a spot that should hold Coyotes and that we would start there and meet up late morning Saturday at camp. We hoped to bag a Coyote or two and then try for Fox.

After driving over 120 miles we finally hit the dirt road near our destination. We cautiously braved a 1/4 mile wide water crossing in the dark and then started looking for a place to setup. A small 2 track broke off the main dirt road and as we climbed the hill we found ourselves on top of the mesa between ravines. We parked the 4Runner and walked just until it was out of sight. As we walked in the twilight a large group of Coyotes sounded off about a mile away, followed by multiple single Coyotes in various areas around us. Tim would be calling this first set so he setup with the wind in his face as I watched our backside. He started the set off with rabbit distress which was soon followed by some bird distress. After 10 minutes of that he let out 2 lonely sounding female howls and then went silent. A minute or two after the howls I heard Tim lip squeak letting me know he saw something. I saw the Coyote standing 200 yards away on my far right. I started to move my sticks over and just before I got them positioned Tim sent a round at the Coyote. Clean miss! Seeing the Coyote turn to the right I knew I had 1 chance at a running shot. I plopped my sticks down and got in the scope which was still on 3 power. I saw the Coyote clear the last bush and right before it disappeared forever I sent a 20 grain V-Max and heard the familiar hollow "WHOMP" of a lung hit! I watched for movement and didn't see a Coyote running anywhere. Tim did Coyote distress hoping to pull in a male but it didn't appear she was paired up yet. As we made our way down range we were pleasantly surprised to see her laying just out of sight piled up. That 17 Hornet layed her out hard!









We made our second stand of the morning just a half mile away and little did we know we would be learning a valuable lesson the hard way. We got setup overlooking a vast Valley. Tim watched downwind as I called into the wind watching the foothills. I did a similar series like Tim since it worked perfectly on our first stand. About 15 minutes in I called it off and we made our way back up to the truck. We hadn't heard or seen a thing. As soon as we get to the truck 2 Coyotes howl towards the bottom of the valley on the far side. I snuck over the edge hoping to get a glimpse. As soon as I sat down a different pair started howling just 100-200 yards where I originally was sitting! I turned that way and let out 2 howls and immediately 2 Coyotes popped over the ridge and started making their way to me circling downwind. I never saw them again. Had we waited another 5 minutes on stand those Coyotes would've been directly down the barrel of my gun where I setup originally. Hard lesson to learn!

A couple more dry stands and we called Ed to meet up with him. After talking for a while and setting up our tent we headed out with Ed to his Fox area. Long story short is we made 7 stands that afternoon and never saw a single critter! Once we were back at camp we learned that Ed had called in a double. You just never know until you call the stand!

The next morning we set out to try to get back in the thick of the Coyotes habitat as we were seeing the most sign ever. Every single creek was layered with Coyote prints and even quite a bit of Bobcat sign as well. This morning we moved into the area of the large group of Coyotes we heard the previous day. As we setup the pack lit up the air with howls and yips only 200 yards away. That was followed by a different large pack about a mile away answering them. I let out a single high pitched howl and they fell silent. Only a minute later a gun shot rang off a few hundred yards straight in front of me! Side note: the Javelina H.A.M. Hunt is going on here....
I waited a few minutes and then let out a howl again. This time I got 2 seperate Coyotes that howled back once. They were still very close. I saw a Coyotes head flash through the thick brush to my left but didn't see it again. I did 2 more howls and some Coyote distress and no Coyotes showed.

The next stand Tim started off with distress and then did a couple howls about 10 minutes in. We got 2 Coyotes that howled back. The 1 howled a few hundred yards away and kept howling as it got closer. The only issue was she came in directly downwind and got the heck out of dodge.

Frustrated we headed back to the area of the other large pack we heard this morning. We made our way up to a saddle in the large Hill, parked the truck and walked over. We came upon the freshest Bobcat scat on the way to the stand so we decided to sit down and call as it couldn't have been very far. After 6 or 7 minutes of Tim blowing the distress I spotted a Coyote working in almost downwind and she was coming hard! I lip squeaked to let Tim know and the Coyote slowed. I had to move my gun but wouldn't be able to move the sticks as she would definitely catch all that movement and noise. Freehand it was then...as I moved the gun her way she froze right behind a bush. All I could see were her ears and eyes. I sat up in my chair to get a shot and as I squeezed the trigger I pulled the shot to her left and buzzed her whiskers. She turned and ran, quartering away from me. I racked a round into the chamber and got back on her. I shot and heard the familiar "smack" of the bullet. She slowed and was running funky but was still getting away. I shot a third time right as she went into a bush but I hit the bush instead. I told Tim we needed to go search as she was wounded. He got on the blood trail and I headed over the ridge to hope to see her on the other side and put her down. We searched for 40 minutes and couldn't turn her up. I hate losing game after injuring them but we lost the trail as she ran the "Coyote highways" into the thick brush.

Later that day after filling up with anice warm meal we headed into the mountains in search of Fox & Bobcat. On 1 Stand Tim was calling and we sat facing each other in a criss cross pattern on a small drainage. Around 10 minutes in I saw Tim glaring his eyes at me and his hand was pointed at some brush. I couldn't see a thing. He had heard a Bobcat sneak in through the bottoms of the brush apparently but it never came into view of either one of us. A check under the brush confirmed it with cat prints in the dirt.

That was the last predator encounter of the trip as we dodged a massive thunderstorm into the evening.

The first place team at the club hunt brought in 8 Coyotes & 1 Bobcat. We were the only other team to bring in a kill so we got second. We had a great time in new country and established a great area for some good Coyote hunting in the future! Thanks Ed for inviting us out to your area as well, it was a fun time!

Some pictures for ya'll to enjoy: 

























- Mark

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

Good write up Mark. Glad you and Tim found another coyote area and sorry you didnt get any fox to respond. Guess all of them in those mountains like me and no other hunters, lol

You and Tim are also lucky you didnt get stuck on the other side of tonto creek, I have and had to wait for it to go down.

You keep it up with the 17 hornet and I will have to buy one !!


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## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

prairiewolf said:


> Good write up Mark. Glad you and Tim found another coyote area and sorry you didnt get any fox to respond. Guess all of them in those mountains like me and no other hunters, lol
> 
> You and Tim are also lucky you didnt get stuck on the other side of tonto creek, I have and had to wait for it to go down.
> 
> You keep it up with the 17 hornet and I will have to buy one !!


Haha yep I'm convinced those Fox are loyal to you only...lol.

Yeah the 17 Hornet has treated me well. That Coyote I couldn't recover is the first one that has gotten away so far. I know it was a bad hit and I'm sure even a 223 wouldn't have put her down. Now if I was shooting my '06.....haha.

We were lucky to beat the rain upstream across the creek. It was higher than the morning crossing, but still had a few inches to spare below the door panels.

- Mark

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Nice job killing that one. Tough luck on the others. Congrats on second place !


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## Bigdrowdy1 (Jan 29, 2010)

Congrats guys. All these hunting stories are driving me to jones-un!!!


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Congrats. on the hunt and thanks again for sharing, boy sure is greened up around there.


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## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

Key me know if this works please! This is a video from my tactacam of the kill shot on the Coyote. It shows how fast it went down...

https://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/58a3b836089bd/VID_30891214_112558_744.mp4

Mark

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## Bigdrowdy1 (Jan 29, 2010)

Mark it works. Great shot but you really need to tune that guitar!!!!!


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

yep, it works. but my old eyes had to play it couple times to see the coyote, lol


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Yeah... Probably should have maybe finished at least the first lesson....

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-avg-fh_lsonsw&hsimp=yhs-fh_lsonsw&hspart=avg&p=esteban+guitar+infomercial#id=1&vid=36964cbe18963597735ad6c75886fda3&action=click


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

Good stuff Mark, congrats on the second place finish!


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## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

Haha, it does sound a bit off huh? Lol. Just saw my nice autocorrect as well....whoops.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## Rick Howard (Feb 25, 2012)

Sounds awesome. Congrats on placing too!


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Oh yeah. Good and lucky! But, it seems the more dues you pay, the luckier you get.


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