*Article from the December/January 2009 issue of North American Hunter magazine.
PEEK-A-BOO COYOTE
I hate when they do this … and they do it more often than I like—"they" being this full-furred coyote and his mate, which is just out of sight. The first thing I do when preparing to call for coyotes is to determine the most probable route they'll take to my location—considering wind direction and velocity, the layout of the terrain, etc.—and then set up accord ingly. I position myself to face the on-comer, and if I have a buddy along, I'll set him up to watch the backdoor. If cover is tight, he'll be armed with a scattergun.
Today I'm hunting alone and this coyote has sneaked in and is now giving me the bad-eye from spitting distance. I have zero chance of swing ing my rifle around to make the shot, but the odds are still about 50/50 I'll be collecting some fur. As many hardcore predator hunters do when hunting solo, I'm packing a second gun, a 12 gauge that's lying in my lap. I've got about 30 yards to play with. If I'm quick enough, and if this coyote hesitates at all as I spin around and lower the boom on him, he'll be going for a ride in the truck. –Gordy Krahn
RETICLE REWARD
A mature buck in fresh snow—life is good! The buck has a good-sized rack, with at least 10 points, but his tines are a bit short, the longest one appears to be no more than 7 inches. Depending upon the quality of bucks available on this property, I might pass on this one. But for argument's sake, let's say he's one of the better bucks. My T/C Encore 209X50 Mag. is loaded with a 250-grain ShockWave saboted bullet and 150 grains of Hodgdon's Pyrodex.
The 220-yard distance doesn't bother me, because with my Nikon Omega scope and the rifle sighted dead-on at 100 yards, I'll simply adjust my aim to align the second small circle in the reticle below the primary crosshair to my target. From preparation at the shooting range, I know this circle is dead-on at 200 yards. I'll aim about one-third of the way down from the top of the buck's shoulder and then gently tug the trigger. A well-placed shot should break the opposite shoulder. Snow on the ground will make it easier to drag this buck back to camp ... but if you're in the area, I certainly would appreciate the dragging help! –Larry Weishuhn
BROWN BEAUTY
Many people living in the Snow belt dream of winter vacations to exotic, warm beaches filled with tan bodies. Not me. I'd rather spend my hard-earned dollars and vacation days with bow in hand, and this tan body munching corn only 12 yards in front of my tripod stand isn't a perfect 10 in terms of size, but I'm not picky. I'm carrying the same deer gear I used last fall back home in the Midwest, including a Mathews Drenalin bow set to 58 pounds, size 400 Beeman ICS Camo Hunter arrows and 125-grain Rocket Steelhead mechanicals.
I know what some of you are thinking: It's crazy to use mechanicals on critters as tough as hogs. Well, speaking from personal experience, I can say without reservation that Steelheads are hog poison. In fact, I once had a Texas tusker jump the string and turn 180 degrees before my arrow arrived, and the Steelhead struck the hog squarely in the skull. Believe it or not, the broadhead penetrated the bone, the hog's legs jerked straight and Mr. Piggy tipped over like a bowling pin. I'm aiming low on the lungs of this brown beauty. Thwack! God I love that sound. –Dave Maas
Don't forget to tell us how you would've handled these situations in the comment section below.