Boy was it cold yesterday morning before the sun finally came up at sun rise. The wind was whipping across a big hay field as we were walking back to a big wet land area on a sheep farm.

My name was drawn by Charlie on Sunday at the brunch meeting. Figured I was well enough to be out driving fence post last week I could start trying for some jingle again.

I had met Charlie up the road at a road side park where they stop to use the out house and there are a couple picnic tables there. We threw his gear in my truck and continued north about 20 minutes to the turn off, a small county gravel road. Arrived at the Randolph sheep farm just as it was getting light enough to be able to see with out a flash lite.

I was glad I had put on my heavy long johns over the silks and taken the time to get a insulated flannel shirt.
Quickly got in the snow camo pants and parka, Problem was walking into the wind that was biting into the skin of the area around the eyes making tears flow. The temp read out in the truck said 17F wind chill I had no idea as the weather stain at home said -11 below
But was a little warmer than 17F.

We finally get back near the edge go out and set the decoys out and callers then retired to a big clump of brush we could break up our out lines with, possibly block the wind a little too.

No one had hunted this farm in 3 months and with the rain just three days ago we were hoping for a pack of hungry coyotes to respond to the caller.

Charlie suggest we start with a lamb in distress sound since it was a sheep farm. Set the volume a bit higher than we usually do because of the wind nearly in our face and the sound needing to go out the way we were facing.
Had no sooner started the caller when it started snowing I hit the stop button and when Charlie looked at me I pointed up did the falling snow sign and cut my throat sign. He shook his head no he didn’t want to quit yet.

I start the caller going again as it stopped snowing just a squall. I was just about ready to believe we were wasting our time when Charlie signals and points. I see movement in the brush a good bit out working to our left. I am sure they were trying to work down wind of the decoy and caller to see it it was some thing to eat.

Charlie signs 5 and a single finger, he had seen 6 coyotes clear enough to count them. I still could not see how many just knew it was more than 2. Charlie signals we would shoot the 2 trail dogs first and hope for second shots or more. I finally can see them clear and counted 6 to confirm Charlies count. I watch him to trigger so I know when to shoot the Swift.

The wind was blowing hard enough I wished I had brought the 243 instead. But since the wind was a head wind and not a cross wind the Swift should work in this case.
Charlie fingers the trigger sign so I fire at the last coyote and quickly hit the KIYA sound on the caller hoping it would stop them as they turned to run. It worked so I fired again and had two coyotes down the other two were running as I heard another shot one did a skidding stop belly down and started to rise as another shot rang out.

Charlie is a year older than I am and will turn 74 in March making him 2 years older. He uses a Savage model 99 in 250.3000 He says the gun is even older than he is as he bought it for his 20th birthday used. He has A old Weaver 4x12 scope on it he bought when he turned 50 and was having a hard time with the open sights.

Charlie is a easy slow talking fellow and normally does not do the draw for a partner at our meetings. He is about the only one who can stand Brent for more than a couple hours so they team up and allow the rest of us to not have to endure Brent.
Charlie and Brent also fish together, once up fishing on Saginaw bay Charlie told Brent to get his head out of his *** and threw him over the side of the boat.
Charlie drew Sunday because Brent had went to Florida for a few weeks to see if he wanted to be a snow bird.

We wait a little bit more then go and gather our gear. Then we go look at our Jingle. Charlie had 3 young females I had a older female and a young male. We wrap them in the plastic and drag them up to the lane where we will drive the truck back to collect them.

We get to the truck, mister Randolph steps out of the work shop and yells at us to come in to warm up. Told us he had coffee fresh brewed on the back work bench. As we are pouring some he said he heard our shooting. We told him we had gotten five of six.
He said he had heard them partying back there a couple of times in the last week. Had called Erics office and told Barb about them, she said she would pass the message on.

I am sure Eric had called some one to set up a hunt there but we didn’t know so would call Eric and let him know we had did OK there. We are told they are soon gong to do some butchering and can get a supply of mutton reasonable. We both say we will inform the bankers.
Finish our coffee and chit chat, go drive back to collect our dogs.

Truck temp reads 20F fellow on the radio says the wind chill is -11 below. We decide to continue a bit longer so head east. We make it to yet another sheep farm park and hike back to a stone pile at a woods edge. We have a cross wind there, I am still wishing I would have brought 243 and made a note to bring two rifles in the future if the wind will be strong.

This farm turned out to be a bust we seen nary a thing now even a chickadee. Back at the truck we decide to go even farther east across M81 to stop for some lunch.

Kare and I have been there several times. The first time was during a car show in down town Caro Pumpkin Fest. The Harvest House Coffee and Deli. Great sandwich many coffees even just plain old black.
Prices are very reasonable also.
While we eat Charlie and I decide we will not hunt any farther that day felling with the strong cold wind any sane coyote is laying up just like even the birds.
We make a date to see if it warms in the next few days and the wind dies down to try again.

In case your wondering these come in sno camo, real tree and blaze orange.
They sure work good long dicky to tuck inside th coat and extra to flod up over the nose.
some type of goggles for the eyes would be nice, but i don't like them for shooting.

Image


Al

-27 in Hayward Wis.

But we live in the northern tropics between fresh water lakes that help heat the state.
But they will soon freeze up. in less than 60 days we well be into march.

Al

That is a bit chilli I think. Makes for some very nice pelts. Our buyer is paying top dollar now.

Al