New year, new thread, same shenanigans from Alaska.
A buddy and I called in a wolf a couple years ago during a halfhearted attempt for coyotes. Long story short, we were undergunned and ill prepared for anything of that size or shot distance. However, the encounter really peaked my interest in dog hunting. Last winter I tried a few times but didn't connect. This winter I've really tried to make it happen again. It's been a steep learning curve with lots of time invested and no success thus far.
Last weekend, I hiked up into a valley that wolves have been known to travel through. After a minute or so of calling, I caught movement across a small snow covered clearing between thick patches of brush. It was definitely dogs, three of them running nose to tail in my general direction. They appeared smaller even before I pulled my glass for a better look and confirmed it was three coyotes. Disappointed and excited all in the same thought, not wolves but at least I'd called something in! I kept calling and waited for them to poke their heads over the closest ridge. After 45 minutes, nothing showed...
I got impatient and slowly stalked down into a gulley towards where I had last seen them. Jumping a moose got my heart ripping so I posted up behind a small spruce tree and called again. After 10 minutes and no movement, I worked my way further down into the bottom. As I was about to post up for more calling, I got busted. All three of them were cutting diagonally uphill at 100 yards until they saw me. The coyotes split, I dropped to my butt and started calling immediately. All three dogs stopped running and turned at 300 yards. Propping my gun up on my knees, I put the crosshairs on the clearest shot and squeezed off. The shot felt good but I flat missed. I could tell immediately by the way the dog took off. Frustrated I tried a hail mary as they were running.
I hiked down and cut their tracks just to be sure I hadn't wounded one. No blood on the pure white snow
Out of time, I hiked back out to my truck. I've had a wicked flu bug / cold that doesn't seem to want to leave lately. Of course it seemed amplified due to my frustration.
A buddy and I called in a wolf a couple years ago during a halfhearted attempt for coyotes. Long story short, we were undergunned and ill prepared for anything of that size or shot distance. However, the encounter really peaked my interest in dog hunting. Last winter I tried a few times but didn't connect. This winter I've really tried to make it happen again. It's been a steep learning curve with lots of time invested and no success thus far.
Last weekend, I hiked up into a valley that wolves have been known to travel through. After a minute or so of calling, I caught movement across a small snow covered clearing between thick patches of brush. It was definitely dogs, three of them running nose to tail in my general direction. They appeared smaller even before I pulled my glass for a better look and confirmed it was three coyotes. Disappointed and excited all in the same thought, not wolves but at least I'd called something in! I kept calling and waited for them to poke their heads over the closest ridge. After 45 minutes, nothing showed...
I got impatient and slowly stalked down into a gulley towards where I had last seen them. Jumping a moose got my heart ripping so I posted up behind a small spruce tree and called again. After 10 minutes and no movement, I worked my way further down into the bottom. As I was about to post up for more calling, I got busted. All three of them were cutting diagonally uphill at 100 yards until they saw me. The coyotes split, I dropped to my butt and started calling immediately. All three dogs stopped running and turned at 300 yards. Propping my gun up on my knees, I put the crosshairs on the clearest shot and squeezed off. The shot felt good but I flat missed. I could tell immediately by the way the dog took off. Frustrated I tried a hail mary as they were running.
I hiked down and cut their tracks just to be sure I hadn't wounded one. No blood on the pure white snow
Out of time, I hiked back out to my truck. I've had a wicked flu bug / cold that doesn't seem to want to leave lately. Of course it seemed amplified due to my frustration.
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