17cal Fan
Silver $$ Contributor
I hunted at night this spring/summer until the nights were too warm and the bugs were driving me nuts. September arrives and the ranch hand called me. "When you gonna start up again?" Seems the yotes are thick as fleas and he's ready for me to get after them again.
I hadn't been on that piece of ground since mid May when they found a 4 foot rattler. When I arrived in the dark after his call, I had trouble remembering exactly how the property laid out and judging distance. But quickly realized there was no shortage. I saw 5 in under 2 hours. Got my heart beating but I couldn't bring myself to take any chances. Went back out there the next morning to jog my memory of distance and landmarks.
The next trip I shot a small female that was walking up the farm lane in my headlights. She insisted on staying in view so I killed the lights, shut off the truck and got out. Fired up the thermal scope and sure enough, still in the lane about 100 yards ahead so I dropped her.
Shot a couple of racoons, (yes it's legal, MO finally declared open season on them for August through October). But I only saw a couple more coyotes but not in a direction I wanted to shoot.
Last Friday night I dropped a large female after she came my way to check out the pup distress I was playing. She came across a pond dam and dropped out of sight briefly. Apparently she had stepped off the dam to get a drink but when she popped back in view I introduced her to a 50 grainer from my 222.
I hadn't been on that piece of ground since mid May when they found a 4 foot rattler. When I arrived in the dark after his call, I had trouble remembering exactly how the property laid out and judging distance. But quickly realized there was no shortage. I saw 5 in under 2 hours. Got my heart beating but I couldn't bring myself to take any chances. Went back out there the next morning to jog my memory of distance and landmarks.
The next trip I shot a small female that was walking up the farm lane in my headlights. She insisted on staying in view so I killed the lights, shut off the truck and got out. Fired up the thermal scope and sure enough, still in the lane about 100 yards ahead so I dropped her.
Shot a couple of racoons, (yes it's legal, MO finally declared open season on them for August through October). But I only saw a couple more coyotes but not in a direction I wanted to shoot.
Last Friday night I dropped a large female after she came my way to check out the pup distress I was playing. She came across a pond dam and dropped out of sight briefly. Apparently she had stepped off the dam to get a drink but when she popped back in view I introduced her to a 50 grainer from my 222.
