Well, I was out with my buddy, bear hunting last weekend, and we got skunked. There was no fresh sign despite tons of food and low hunting pressure. We sat in a canyon bottom by some water one evening, just to try calling for giggles and to see what happened. I had my 12 gauge with me, as it's also grouse season, but I loaded it up with 4 slugs and a #4 buck load to sit with. I figured the #4 would dump a coyote.
The coyotes started calling, but they hung up on the ridge top, so we left and hiked up farther. On our way down, two young coyotes were in the canyon bottom. My buddy had his bow, but they spotted us before he could draw. I let loose a load of #4, but apparently it's not patterning as well as I thought, or I made a crappy shot. Nothing happened. One coyote took up off the side of the canyon, but I clipped a tree with the first slug, and the second I think he was just too far away. No dice. The second coyote ran past us at about 35 yards at full clip and I swung and fired a slug. That one connected a bit far back, but HOLY COW! That made a mess. He did the 'yote spin a while, but I closed the distance and dumped him with a load of #4 at close range.
I couldn't believe the mess a slug made on that little yote. Now, he was only about 20 pounds, but wow. The entrance and exit wounds were the size of coffee cans. There was a streak of blood 6 feet long down the canyon from the exit wound. The slugs I was shooting were cheapo Herters slugs out of my Remington 870. They're about 60 cents when you can find them, but they group pretty well out of my I/C choke.
Lessons learned:
1. Ensure your buckshot patterns at all the distances you intend to use it. I took for granted the forgiving nature of that particular barrel and choke.
2. Shooting moving coyotes in tight cover at close range is a lot of fun.
3. Foster slugs don't get enough respect.
The coyotes started calling, but they hung up on the ridge top, so we left and hiked up farther. On our way down, two young coyotes were in the canyon bottom. My buddy had his bow, but they spotted us before he could draw. I let loose a load of #4, but apparently it's not patterning as well as I thought, or I made a crappy shot. Nothing happened. One coyote took up off the side of the canyon, but I clipped a tree with the first slug, and the second I think he was just too far away. No dice. The second coyote ran past us at about 35 yards at full clip and I swung and fired a slug. That one connected a bit far back, but HOLY COW! That made a mess. He did the 'yote spin a while, but I closed the distance and dumped him with a load of #4 at close range.
I couldn't believe the mess a slug made on that little yote. Now, he was only about 20 pounds, but wow. The entrance and exit wounds were the size of coffee cans. There was a streak of blood 6 feet long down the canyon from the exit wound. The slugs I was shooting were cheapo Herters slugs out of my Remington 870. They're about 60 cents when you can find them, but they group pretty well out of my I/C choke.
Lessons learned:
1. Ensure your buckshot patterns at all the distances you intend to use it. I took for granted the forgiving nature of that particular barrel and choke.
2. Shooting moving coyotes in tight cover at close range is a lot of fun.
3. Foster slugs don't get enough respect.
