Coyote John

A recent blog by Desert Rat “Predators Killing Pets” reminded me of an incident I had a couple of years ago.

I was sitting out on the patio cleaning my Ruger 1B (http://www.rugerfirearms.com/index.html) when I heard all this screaming and yelling coming from the neighbors backyard.  They are good neighbors, mind their own business, and are just very nice people.  The only drawback is that she is kinda opposed to hunting, not a bleeding heart type and not vocal about it, but she is opposed to it.  She also raises chickens, ducks, and has three little dogs, very little dogs.  I joke with her all the time that I would like to use them for catfish bait, she doesn’t think it’s funny.  Anyhow I look over to see what all the screaming is about and to my surprise I see a coyote trotting out of her backyard headed in my general direction but going up the hillside, not running hard, just kind of an easy trot.  Now I’m not surprised to see a coyote as they visit our place on a fairly regular basis, but what surprised me was this this one had a little white mutt clamped firmly in his jaws.  I quickly slapped a 117 grain 25.06 Sierra Game King BTSP (http://sierrabullets.com) round into the chamber and placed the crosshair of my Weaver GrandSlam 6-20×40 (http://weaveroptics.com) on an opening I thought he would be coming through.  As he came through I touched off a round thinking that if nothing else it would cause him to drop the dog and run off.  Much to my surprise he did drop the dog as he tumbled ass over teakettle dead as a doornail.  When I finally got to the dog he was covered in blood and had several deep puncture wounds and I’m thinking he isn’t going to make it, should I just him out of his misery.  I look back down the hillside and see our neighbor running up toward us, stumbling and crying for her little dog.  She is in a real frenzy by the time she reaches us and wants to get the dog to the vet in a hurry.  I was going to tell her that the poor thing didn’t have a snowballs chance in hell but thought better of it.  We picked up the poor ragged, bloody little thing and headed to the vets office.  Well that was about two years ago and that pesky little mutt is still around, much to my surprise.  She still thanks me every chance she gets and has told me on several times how much she appreciated me saving her dogs life - then she added “Did you really have to kill the coyote, couldn’t you just have scared him into dropping my dog.”  Some people just don’t get it.

With such a wide selection to choose from it can make your head spin!  I firmly believe that you can hardly go wrong with any choice in today’s market.   With all the competition for the sportsman’s dollar and with the help of the internet I don’t think a sub-par rifle would last very long.

I can remember years ago when I only owned one centerfire rifle, a Winchester 670 in .243.  That rifle did everything from varmints to predators to deer and antelope and even accounted for one cow elk.  It was just an extension of my body and I can’t ever recall it not being able to put “meat on the table” or take care of the coyote that answered my handcall. 

As the kids grew older and left home I found that we started to have more disposable cash than ever before — when all four left home — WOW.  It was now time for the wife and I to start buying some of those “things”  we wanted.  Naturally I went to the gun stores.  For a year or so I bought a new rifle or shotgun every month.  The old Win 670 got pushed back further and further into the closet until it was completly dust covered and forgotten.  Why shoot a cheap 670 when I could have a new Win model 70 or a Rem 700 or Sako or Beretta or any number of newer and better guns?

Today I have a rifle, shotgun, pistol for almost every occassion and enjoy using them.  If  I’m just out walking in the desert looking for a possible calling place I’ll have my little Anschutz 1518M in 22mag topped off with an Armsport 4X scope.  This little rifle is super accurate and has accounted for many ground squirrels, jackrabbits and the occassional coyote in the 100 yards or less range.  It will shoot Win Super-X 40gr JHP and Federal GAME-SHOK 50gr JHP into one ragged hole all day long at 75 yards.

If I decide to call in the thick cat-claw and sage and my shots may be in the 200 yards or less range I’ll be using my favorite, a Sako Vixen in .223.  This is a full stocked rifle built on Sako’s L461 action and sports a Weaver GrandSlam 4.5-14×40.  I have killed more game with this rifle than any other rifle that I own, to include a fairly decent desert mulie.  I would like to add that this rifle was a gift from my wife to whom I will be forever thankful. 

If I’m going to be calling in the open were shots tend to be a bit on the long side I’ll have my Rem 700 BDL heavy barrel in 22-250 wearing a Leupold.  This rifle is extra special for me.  It belonged to “The Colonel”  a good friend of mine for many a year.  He and I have hunted many a place for a wide range of vermin, not all four legged.  “The Colonel” passed away some years ago and shortly thereafter his wife said she knew he would want me to have one of his rifles - my choice.  I still miss the old S.O.B. and at times get mad at him for leaving us so early in life. 

If I get lucky and draw a deer tag, as I did this year, I’ll use the rifle I’m going to hunt deer with.  I’ll start my calling season with one of my 22 centerfires but as we get closer to deer season I’ll start using either my Win Mod 70 FW Classic in .308 or my Ruger 1B in 25.06.  The .308 also has a Weaver Grand Slam in 6-20×40 and the Ruger sports a Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10×40. 

It hasn’t happened in Arizona in the past 15 years but if I’m going elk or sheep hunting I will call coyotes with either my Win Model 70 FW Classic in 270WSM or use my wifes Sako Finnbear in .270. 

I swore that once I retired from the Army I would never have a military type rifle again.  One should never use the word never.  I recently purchased a Armalite M15A4.  I have only been to the range with it one time and haven’t worked up any reloads for it.  However it shoots the cheap Win white box .223 ammo into a 1” group at 100 yards.  It may be time to retire that little Sako Vixen and put the AR to work.