Mike had called me and said we could go out for a bit on Wednesday to hunt. Mainly we are going to check the fur on any coyotes we take to make sure the hair is holding. Shedding coyote fur doesn’t sell.


I had also gotten a request on a hunting gun forum I belong to to call a guy and ask permission to hunt his place. The fellow who contacted me lives on a small plot a acre or so. Has hunting property in Michigans UP and no desire to attain more here in the lower.

But he has been hearing goodly number of coyotes in the area for a week.

I made the call and mister Dick Anderson said would be great to have some coyote hunters come and thin the population some.

Told me his farm is along the shiawasse river East of Corunna Michigan a lot of brushy wooded area. Plants several acres of wild life corn and beans for the DNR every year and does a lot of hay and winter wheat so the geese flock to the property all fall, winter and spring


I picked Mike up at 6:30 and headed that way. I had talked to Mister Anderson for some time so had a good Idea of the farms lay out. I had been told that there were some round bales of hay in a fence line about 250 yards from the biggest patch of woods along the river.

That is where Mike and I worked our way to once we arrived at the farm and for now parked along side the big tool shed.


We got set up Mike did the Challenge sound and the woods lit up for a long ways up and down the river. I believe the largest group of coyotes I have ever heard. I started wishing that Carol was with us or even Dean with his auto loader.

Mike and I had discussed the female in heat sound probably not going to work so well with as warm as it has been. So I do the piglet distress sound, took about 5 minutes for the first 3 coyotes to show and was mighty nice of them to be straight in front between Mike and I. I signed Mike to give the fire sign, was about to think he had not under stood me when he gave me the sign. The coyotes were about 10 yards from the decoys when we fired. Racked the bolt and got on the 3d coyote and fired but it had not stoped a the yipping sound from the caller and I missed but Mike didn’t.


About 15 minutes later two more showed up both lay still in the field when the echos of gun fire stopped. Not bad 5 coyotes from one stand and we were not finished, Mike was getting return barks to his challenges still. We sat on stand a full hour and had got 2 more coyotes before they stopped answering the challenge sound.


We wrap two coyotes to a plastic sheet then drug them back to the truck loaded them stripped down from our camo as it was starting to get warm for dragging, walk back for the second load had just got them wrapped two to one sheet and 3 to the other which we would trade off dragging. We had just started back and we see a Gator coming across the field pulls up near us and ask if we had any cargo for the rear. We loaded them and climbed aboard and rode to the truck.


Other than the question is we had any cargo Mister Anderson had not said a word till we arrived back at the truck and loaded the coyotes in 4 males and 3 females. He said see you fellows found your way to the hay bales and found a couple coyotes, good job.


Said he allows a few fellows to deer hunt the place during deer season and didn’t under stand why none were coming back for coyotes, they had reported seeing while deer hunting.

Why don’t I take you fellows on a tour of the place so you can pick out a few places to set up depending on the wind in the future.

By the way go ahead and keep parking there as your well out of the way.

After he had shown us around we go the the truck and he asked about when we would be back? Told him if he kept hearing a bunch of coyotes we could come back this week end but normally we wait 3 to 4 weeks.


Told him to call me, he asked if it was me or Mike he had talked to on the phone and he said I sounded a lot younger on the phone.

We thanked him for giving us permission to hunt his farm and told him there were a group of us 6 more who may show up from time to time and they’re good decent people. But if they break any of our rules to call and they would not show up as part of the group. Park where told to, shut gates found shut, leave no trash including rifle brass, and tearing up fields driving on them when soft.


We finished up and we decided to call it a day right then as there were coyotes to skin and process and we had a very good morning. Fur was still tight on those coyotes but I am sure with the night temps in the 30’s and day time mid to high 40’s and more. It won’t be long.


On the way to Mikes he said Carol had shot the reloads he had put together with my recipe and is excited to try them on coyotes.

Said she has shot several groups with at least two bullets going thru the same hole.


Said he was so impressed he had went gun shopping Monday and had bought a Weatherby Vanguard in 243 Monday. Got it home and disassembled it, then Tuesday called, then drove it down to Mag Na Porting.


Al

I like your stories, they are entertaining and interesting. Keep them coming.