Well this hunt was 5,000% luck.
I decided last night to scout/hunt a different area. The birds I have been after have been very quiet. I parked and walked down to a tram road. There are some pines down there that go out to an old abandon strip mine. I went to the split in the tram and stood there. Nature called and I took care of business.
I went to grab my gun and take the right path and heard either a guy or a barred owl calling. I decided rather than encroach on someone I would go straight on the tram. I walked up the tram and heard what sounded like very quite and soft alarm putts. I crouch on the tram and did 4 soft tree yelps.
I instantly hear leaves start crunching and something barreling towards me. Man that is one horned up gobbler running in. It was only 5:50 and the pines made it pretty dark. I was wide out in the open crouched on the tram and then I catch movement at about 40 yards. HOLY CRAP ITS A COYOTE I say in my head. I get turned a bit and watch her closing the distance. She went behind a tree and I brought up the 870. She stepped out and I put the scope on her heart.
BOOOM! fire goes out the barrel and the #6 Hevi-shot dumps her at 25 yards. She yelp and was down instantly.
YEEESSSS WWOOOOO!!!! I SCREAM!
I walked up to her and said a prayer of thanks as the number 3 on my bucket list was completed.
(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/mrichardson06/IMG_20140509_054945_545_zps4x6a51od.jpg)
Here is how I found her. I carried her up to the woods and took a few more pics.
(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/mrichardson06/IMG_20140509_060145_388_zpsb1ft9h1s.jpg)
(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/mrichardson06/IMG_20140509_060203_902_zpso8sjsqh7.jpg)
Here she is out by the windmills that I parked by.
(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/mrichardson06/IMG_20140509_060740_606_zpstn3gxxyh.jpg)
Had to REP HPA for this one :)
(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/mrichardson06/IMG_20140509_060954_249_zpsxn7ugey5.jpg)
I drove down to my dads house and came in and said,
"Come check this out"
"You got one?"
"Just check this out"
"Awesome man!"
We exchanged a fist pound and I was off for home.
I went home and my wife was just about to jump in the shower.
"Come look at what I got"
"Oh boy" she says
She comes up to the kitchen window and looks out.
"Where in the heck did you get that thing, Not behind the house I hope"
She went in to get a shower and I let Lilly see the dog. She was not a fan.
She came out and took a few pics for me while Corbin was up in his crib just waking up. I decided not to take him out to see it. It had quite a few ticks on it and I wasn't risking it.
(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/mrichardson06/IMG_20140509_064957_827_zps00p1f9y1.jpg)
(http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/mrichardson06/IMG_20140509_065010_389_zps7bi2x8wf.jpg)
I feel very blessed to luck out on this trophy. It was almost as if I was being guided right to her. Hey I'll take lucky over good some times.
Good job!
Nice job. But when I saw 30 lbder I almost fell off of my stool.
Congrats.