Interesting evening in my treestand-double on coyotes

[Tall Tails]

I had an interesting evening in my treestand on Sunday.  I thought I would share it with you guys. 

 

I was hunting an old apple stand on some public ground in 7M.  We hunt this spot on south winds and this year our deer are really cranking on apples right now. I got into the area pretty early I think I was in the tree by 2;30 as I had not been in to scout it this year and I wanted to look it over.  I was actually surprised at the lack of deer sign in an area that typically is on fire during this time frame.  There was enough to keep me interested so I set up for the evening.  No deer showed up which did surprise me a little bit, but my buddy was on the opposite hillside and he was covered in them so at least we knew where they were.

 

Right at sunset I had a coyote show up.  When I first saw it, it was snaking its way thru the far side of the old orchard then it made a turn and was coming my way.  This was not the first time I have shot a coyote with my bow so I knew I would have to draw early as they can see so much better then a deer.  I came to full draw as the the yote entered my shooting lane at 12 yards.  Just as this happened I saw a second one right next to it and thought that's pretty cool.  I already had a bead on the first one so I let it rip.  Hit that one middle of the body and pinned it to the ground.  Thinking the second one might just run away I was focused on the one I just shot.  I reloaded with another arrow and found the second yote still right next to the first one but I couldn't get a shot as they had moved into some thick stuff.  I decided I would shoot the first one again just to make sure as it was still rolling around. 

 

Here is where it gets interesting.  Of course I missed with the second shot on a rolling coyote... That is not a shot I have practiced at the 3D range..  The second coyote came in and attacked that arrow he actually bit off one of my fletchings and I can see he is getting pretty angry about the situation.  Keep in mind I am loosing light quickly at this point. The second coyote backs off to about 40 yards after the arrow attack and I am thinking he is going to leave at this point.  Not the case he proceeds to start barking.  We have all heard coyotes yip, howl and such but this one was barking like my Lab.  My buddy heard it across the valley and said it sounded like a coon hound.  At this point I am getting a little rattled.  Then the coyote decides he is going to investigate a little more while still barking and growling.  He comes into about 20 yards just slightly up hill from me so I am thinking I can get a shot as he will be in the opening.   Well with adrenaline flowing and him on high alert I give him a haircut and I missed him low by a blade width.  Now he is even more angry and has me pegged in the tree.  I decided at this point to just scare him away and start yelling at him.  I had enough games and it was getting dark.  I was yelling and banging my climber on the tree this did not phase him, he continued his perfuse barking.  I decided I was going to just climb down and try to remove myself from the area.  I started to lower my bow to the ground and he decided it was a target and charged it, I had to pull it back up a little.  He then turned and ran back about 30 yards up the hill again.  I finished lowering my bow and I started climbing down quickly.  I hit the ground and he was still there barking at me.  I got out of my stand grabbed a tree limb and started swinging and yelling.  This didn't really phase him, he continued to be aggressive.  I decided to get my bow back in my hand and I retrieved those 2 missed arrows as I was fairly close to them all while keeping an eye on him.  I decided to head for the truck and see what he would do.  As I am walking across the old grove he is paralleling me on this little hillside.  We got to an area where it opens up and I still have just enough light to make him out I decided enough was enough and knocked another arrow.  At the same time I came to draw to try about a 25 yard shot in very little light he decided to make a false charge and was about 15 yards from me when he stopped.  At this point I settled my pin on his chest and let it go.  I heard it hit him and he took of running...  WOW what just happened I started to replayed this whole scenario in my head over and over, as I, to be quite honest hustled to the truck.

 

I met my buddy at the truck and we chatted about it.  Honestly I was not in the mood to head right back in especially since all we had were bows and it was pitch dark out.  Also the fact that he was so aggressive.  I had to work on Monday so my buddy went back in yesterday got my stand out and found Mr. Aggressive he had went about 30 yards and tipped over.  My shot was about 2 inches to the right as he was facing me and I just about took his left leg clean off.  My buddy said just a little bit of his skin was holding it on there. He was not able to find the first coyote I shot but he did find enough hair and blood to know it is more then likely dead. I attached a picture of Mr. Aggressive and had I not mangled his pelt so badly I would probably have gotten him mounted as he was a gorgeous red yote. 

 

I have been talking to a few guys the last couple days who said I probably shot the female first and he was defending her.  Also he probably was the alpha male in the area and was defending his territory.  You guys have any thoughts?  Another thing I took away was how he was barking, that was very interesting to me.  Again I have heard a ton of different vocalizations but never a straight bark. Any way that was my evening in the stand so if anyone needs me I will be hunting from 10 to 2 till gun season starts!!     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Custom Deluxe]

Thats quite a story! never heard of yotes doing that before. Glad you got out of there, kind of mkaes me wish NYS allowed us to carry during bow season

[Legacy]

freaky stuff! Ive been in a few situations myself. Ive been followed in the dark twice. I witness a dog fight 20 yards from my stand with about 13 or so yotes total in the woods. I left the woods armed with a tree branch to use as a bat if needed. 

[iceman05]

Good thing in the the great New York State you can't keep a firearm on you while bow hunting. A small .22 pistol would have got you two nice coyote mounts. That's a great story though

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[Nautitroller]

Great story! A real tall tail from tall tails,

Seriously though these yotes need to be thinned out. Nice job on the kills, gets expensive shooting multiple rages, no?

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[steelie]

Awesome story, aggressive little sucker for sure. I hear them all the time and can honestly say I have never heard the sound you did, interesting

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[whaler1]

Awesome post, had to be a crazy hunt.

[Chas0218]

Should have lowered your pack and let him get close then whacked him. I have shot coyotes with my bow and had them come right under me but never had one charge me. If it were me I'd be packing my pistol after that encounter.

[W.W.IV.]

Back in the 70ds I hunted behind my house for deer,there was a pack of coydogs out there, I always had a 22 semiauto under my coat. Better safe than sorry.

  Great story.

[momay4000]

Crazy story!!

 

I'd be cautious about rabies in this case though. Regardless of the situation, coyotes are typically not aggressive......

 

Be careful,

 

Chris

[Tall Tails]

Crazy story!!

 

I'd be cautious about rabies in this case though. Regardless of the situation, coyotes are typically not aggressive......

 

Be careful,

 

Chris

We discussed this but isn't it true in the animal world anyway that there would not have been a pair.  Typically when one is sick they are isolated?  At least that has been my take on it in the past.  I am wondering since there has been an increase in Bears in the area that he possibly thought I was a bear and he was defending his territory?  All interesting thoughts. 

[steelydan]

they look like pups, young, dumb, and full of... well you know.

[lineman49]

  I feel they are all aggressive, not many I've seen back down. I have a trapping buddy that has pics of some in his traps & even with their foot in the traps they still come at him until he shoots them.

[fishon]

Cool story, last year I heard a 2 hand story about a guy in Erie county fishing a creek and had a wild encounter, story like yours, with them coming back and barking. Story goes after he kill one went back with a offical, something to do with skull and teeth but was identified as a timberwolf/ yote. Said makes them very aggressive. I have no idea if it is true. But a great reason wish u could carry while bow hunting.

Tall tails going to send u a pm.

[turf]

I took my daughter on a youth turkey hunt one time and had one barking at me in the pitch black. Only time I have heard it but sure puts a chill up your spine

[ontherise]

Geeze, am I the only one with a.d.d? There is no way I can read that entire post... Maybe I'll try again tonight.

[Tall Tails]

Geeze, am I the only one with a.d.d? There is no way I can read that entire post... Maybe I'll try again tonight.

 

NO I have ADD that s why I wrote it!  Thanks for trying

[Gill-T]

It is a good thing you shot the second one as he probably would be waiting for you the next time you came around LOL.  Crazy story.

[bout time]

Awesome story Brian. Probably not as awesome when it was happening though. I've had a pack follow.me.to my stand before....not a good feeling

[CopperJohn]

I  have hunted coyotes with dogs, when the daylight fades, the coyote stops and starts barking, it isn't long until help arrives and they chase the dogs out of the woods. Had it happen more than once. Never killed one when that happens, but assumed from how strong they ran during the day, that it was an Alpha male. 

[monkeyman2269]

Jeeze that's crazy I saw my first coyote in the woods the other day makes you think. To bad he was about 60 yards away

[143447]

Should have lowered your pack and let him get close then whacked him. I have shot coyotes with my bow and had them come right under me but never had one charge me. If it were me I'd be packing my pistol after that encounter.

Without a doubt!!

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Unreal, Brian. Makes me think of that incident that happened in NYS around 2000. If I remember right it was near Albany. A bowhunter nodded off and fell out of his stand. He only had the waist belt style safety belt, so he was hanging upside down and had cut himself badly on a broadhead. He was squirming and bleeding and a pack of yotes showed up. I'm pretty sure they were leaping and grabbing him where they could with their jaws. The only thing that saved his life was he was hunting behind his house and he had shown his wife and daughter where that stand was and they came looking for him. I'm pretty sure it was the old NY Sportsmen magazine that retold the story.  

Edited October 14, 2015 by Capt Vince Pierleoni

[Giz9219]

Nice story! Strange happenings?they are spooky sounding at night when they all brake loose,good shooting!

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Edited October 14, 2015 by Giz9219

[Gator]

Yotes supposedly can breed with wolves. In the old days, eastern coyotes were much smaller. Then they went practically extinct. The theory is that the western coyote caught some timberwolf DNA as it migrated back though Canada to repopulate the East and now the "new" sub-species here is larger than the western breed.

 

True? Even if not, it's a good story. As was yours!