# November PVCI Club Hunt



## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

Just realized I didn't do a write up for the hunt. Whoops!

Nathan, Tim, and I were hunting this scramble hunt and unfortunately the action wasn't very good. We started out on day 1 a d kept running into deer hunters(forgot to look up regs!). This seemed to have all wildlife spooked and we just kept running into people everywhere. Frustrating to say the least! We switched areas and found a dense water tank in the flats. No sign of people visiting this tank recently, just a bunch of Coyote and Bobcat tracks everywhere... the way we like it!

It was my turn to call and we setup with all of us running the AR-15s perched on the berm. Tim had downwind, Nathan was watching my left, and I had the thicket covered below me. I began calling doing a bird distress. Not a couple minutes in Tim's suppressed rifle sounds off and there was no follow up shot and no movement from him. I kept calling for 20 minutes but nothing else showed. Tim had a Coyote come in hot headed at my backside at 15 yards away and he layed him out as he was going through brush. 1st animal seen all day and it was already 4:30pm! No other luck that evening. We headed to camp and ate a great trout dinner and enjoyed the camp fire!

In the late hours of night we woke to a large pack of Coyotes going off in the direction of where we killed the Coyote the evening before. None others sounded off in the rest of the valley so we decided to call that same exact tank again at first light.

We drove the truck as close as we dared and then started our 1/4 mile hike to the tank in the dark. We were only a little ways from the truck when all of a sudden a lone Coyote started yipping and howling at us from about 70 yards away....and then the entire pack lit up... crap!!! We decided there still might be a chance to pull in a straggler so we continued into the tank. We setup slightly different this time. Nathan had a shotgun watching the thicket in the direction of the truck. Tim had his shotgun and he was calling from the other thicket angled about 90° from Nathan. My job would be to watch the downwind with my Ruger SR556 and kill before they got our wind. As we settled in the darkness gave way to a blurry light. As soon as we could pick out details in the brush Tim called out to the Coyotes with rabbit screams. 5-7 minutes went by and then I picked up on some movement almost straight downwind. Sure enough it was a Coyote working its way in along the washes edge. It kept looking back so as it slowly came in I kept watch for another. The Coyote made it another 40 yards or so and then it happened. Her ears went back and she stood up tall sniffing the breeze, game was over...or just about to get interesting. She turned 90° and started trotting to my left. The brush was pretty thick where she was headed so I let out a howl. It worked but she stopped right behind the brush and all I could do was wait. After she started to run I tried all I could to get her stopped again but she saw/smelled/heard enough. I readjusted my sticks and prepared for a running shot. At 120 yards broadside I put the reticle on the front of her chest and squeezed off right as she was hitting the final thicket to freedom............THWACK! What a great sound! I watched the area for movement but the shot was good and she never moved after skidding to a stop.

We called all day and only got 1 more Coyote to show at last light that evening. The shot was sketchy at best and we couldn't make it happen. We ended up with 2nd place despite the tough turn up of animals. Those hints are tough on the hunter mentally, but we know we have to push through to have any chance!

- Mark Steinmann























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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Nice write up Scary Mark. Congrats !


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Congrats, also, a great write-up.


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## SWAMPBUCK10PT (Apr 5, 2010)

*DANG I THINK I'D RATHER HAVE THE COYOTE BITE ME LOL------CONGRATS MARK---THANKS FOR SHARING THE HUNT------------*

*SVB*


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Again ?


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## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

Haha thanks guys. Couldn't wear a face mask on this hunt due to surgery on my neck... so I improvised and tried out face paint. Lol

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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Nice Mark, it's good to see someone is out predator hunting ????. I have trapping on the brain.


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