Predator: A Birthday To Remember

Even Better Than Playing Video Games!
by David Miller

Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Ipod, chop the head off a dragon game. These are the things I was expecting when I asked my step-son, Christopher, what he wanted for his birthday. You see, Christopher is a gamer. It consumes every aspect of his life from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed. He loves to play video games. So, imagine my surprise when he told me that all he wanted for his twelfth birthday was to shoot his first coyote. As you can imagine the answer to that one was a no-brainer - HECK YES!
So, the trip was planned and off we went for a weekend of birthday calling. We own a small piece of property in eastern Oregon in the heart of prime coyote country. I had wanted to scout the area for a while, but had never found the time. Now I not only had the time, but the perfect excuse.

The evening of Day 1 we decided to scout a nice little sage-covered area that had the potential of holding some dogs. It had lots of cover and tons of bunnies. But, for whatever reason, we just couldn’t find any coyotes that afternoon. We made four stands that evening and came up dry on every one. However, it was a good chance for me to run Christopher through the basics of stand placement, movement discipline and calling routines. While Christopher did extremely well, I could tell that after four stands he was having his doubts about whether I could call in a coyote for him. Little did he know, the fun was about to begin – big time!

That night while sitting around the campfire, I tried to reassure him that things would pick up. I explained to him that every set and every day will bring new chances. As usual, he rolled his eyes and figured I was full of it. That is until the next morning when we woke up to a pack of coyotes howling outside the tent. I tell you what, that boy jumped out of his sleeping bag like his butt was on fire and his head was catchin’. So, we grabbed a couple of candy bars and soda pops for breakfast and headed out for the morning hunt.

Christopher decided to use a single-shot 223 that he got for Christmas and I was using a Saber Defense XR-15. Both of us were using Hornady custom 55-grain V-max bullets. Also along for the ride was a Benelli super nova with a load of 3.5-inch dead coyote loads. I settled on these ammo combinations for a couple of reasons. The 55-grain V-max we use has given excellent performance when it comes to ease on pelts. The majority of the coyotes I kill will have a small entrance hole with no exit, just what a pelt hunter wants. And, the dead coyote is incredibly effective out to 70 yards with an extra full choke. If a coyote won’t stop and he is inside that 70 yard circle, the Bennelli is a slam dunk with the dead coyote load.

Stand 1: Tucked up next to a long ridge behind our property there is a sage-covered sand berm that runs for about half a mile. This berm provides an excellent wind break and the area between it and the ridge is outstanding hunting ground on windy days. While this day wasn’t windy, I felt it was worth giving the area a shot. We set up on the berm about fifteen feet above a dry creek bed that overlooked the entire sheltered area. I used my DOA Custom African Blackwood closed reed distress call for this stand. I hadn’t gotten fifteen seconds into the first set when a dog came trotting in at 90 yards. I tried to get Christopher’s attention, but no sooner had I whispered when the dog spotted us. Sorry son, but there was no time to lose. I placed the crosshairs on his shoulder, squeezed the trigger, and watched Christopher jump ten feet into the air. Poor guy had just heard me whisper and was looking for the coyote when I pulled the trigger. Luckily, we didn’t need to go back to camp for extra clothing. Now, I would figure that he would be upset that he didn’t get to shoot and that he would chastise me for not giving him the shot. Nope, he was happier than a fat kid with a cupcake. We spent another ten minutes looking over the dog, taking pictures, and discussing the need to expect a coyote at any second during a stand. Lucky me, he was so fired up about seeing the coyote that he carried it back to the truck. What a good kid.

Stand 2: The next area we decided to call was a high cliff that overlooked three draws that I knew coyotes used for denning. From our vantage point, we could see for a long way and I figured it would give me ample opportunity to get Christopher onto the dog before it was time to shoot. Boy, was I wrong. I had just finished my first set of screams when a coyote came from the one direction I didn’t expect. Dead downwind. Once again, poor Christopher was in the wrong spot and wouldn’t be able to take the shot. So, as the coyote came in at a full run, I rolled over and shot him at 25 yards with the XR. It all happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to grab the shotgun. Fortunately, Christopher got to see this one come in and watch the shot. More pictures, a little more discussion and off to the next stand.

Now I was starting to feel pretty bad. Two dogs in two sets and I had shot both of them. So, the battle was raging in my head because, on the one hand, I hate educating coyotes. If you get one in and kill him that stand site is still good. But, get one in and miss, and that stand site will be burned for the next few months. On the other hand, this trip was about Christopher. He was desperate to get his first coyote and I was just as desperate to make it happen. Maybe it was time for a little change in tactics.

Stand 3: With the coyotes acting extremely aggressive, coupled with the fact that there was a bumper crop of young dogs, I figured the odds were pretty good that I could call one in fairly close in thicker brush. So, for the next stand, I gave Christopher the trusty Benelli. As I handed him the shotgun and a couple of 3-inch shells, he looked at me like I just kicked him in the shins. He said, “Three-inch shells are for girls dad, I want the big shells!” I couldn’t have been more proud if he brought home the prom queen. So, with a grin the size of a serving platter, I loaded him up with 3.5-inch shells and off we went. This stand site was a little different from the last two in that we were only elevated a few feet off the valley floor. We still had a good field of view out to about 200 yards, but any shot opportunity promised to be up close and personal.

I went through my standard routine of calling softly for the first minute, then waiting about three minutes before starting the second and more aggressive calling set. About a minute into the second set, I caught movement out at 200 yards and watched as a coyote broke into the open looking right at us. Now I don’t know if she saw something out of place or if she just didn’t like the direction she was taking, but she turned tail and headed out of view fast. Christopher had seen her and was scanning the brush, so I got on the call and started an extremely aggressive distress routine. I figured she was gone as neither of us could see her, but I wanted to give her every opportunity to change her mind. Just when I was about to give up, she broke out of the brush line, not 40 yards away, at a dead run toward Christopher. There was no time for me to react and, with a bush blocking my view, I couldn’t get a shot to stop her. She was at a dead run headed toward Christopher and the only thought I had was that his mom was gonna kill me if I brought him home with coyote paw prints all over his face. My heart was racing so fast I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I was just about to stand up to stop the coyote when I heard the report of my trusty Benelli. Imagine my surprise when I watched that coyote flip over backwards just six feet from the end of the shotgun. Who needs fresh clothes now!?
I could not have been more impressed with this young twelve-year old man. Not only did he shoot his first coyote (yes with the big shells), but he took the time to soak in the experience and thank the coyote for her life. He may only be twelve, but he is way more mature than most kids his age. Sure beats the heck out of video games doesn’t it? Happy birthday Christopher.

Tags: coyote, HI34, kids, oregon, predator

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