Coyotes in the Wind

The coyote almost passed by unnoticed. Drifting with the wind, in harmony with the waving buffalo grass and rabbit brush, he seemed to float rather than run. Only his head was visible as he moved along the bottom of a shallow gully, merely 25 yards in front of me. He continued down the gully until he was directly downwind, maybe 75 yards out. There he ran up a small, rocky ridge, stopped and began to scan his surroundings for the source of the distressed rabbit screams.

Since I had positioned my rifle and shooting stick for a downwind shot, it was a simple matter to slowly ease the gun the short distance necessary to bring him into my sights. As I pushed the safety off, a roaring surge of wind pushed the rifle away from the coyote. I pulled the gun back into position, but too quickly, and the coyote detected the sudden movement. His expression changed from alert curiosity to one of alarm. In my mind's eye I can clearly see the coyote's face and I think there was something more expressed by his accusing glare--it was anger at the ruse I had executed.

The coyote turned and was dropping off the rocks as I pulled the cross hair back into position. My finger tightened on the trigger as he dropped over the far side of the ridge. He was gone from sight before the wind swept away the sound of the shot.

I reviewed the episode in my mind as I walked toward the ridge. It seemed to have been a responsible shot to take since the sight picture had been on target and in sync with the coyote's movements. I leaned into the wind and, turtle-like, pulled my head deeper into the protection of my hooded parka. Upon cresting the ridge, I found the coyote laying only three or four feet from where it had stood a few minutes earlier. The small hollow point from the .22-250 had hit the spine just behind the shoulder.

I hoped that this was one of the culprits that had been preying on my host's cats. For the most part, the owners of this 34,000-acre ranch in eastern Colorado are unconcerned with the goings on of the coyotes. However, on the five acres around the ranch house, their cats--highly efficient predators in their own right--reign supreme. When the coyotes discovered the felines were easy prey, corrective measures were necessary. Not wanting to employ indiscriminate methods such as trapping or poisoning, the landowner asked if we would eliminate some of the coyotes.

This episode highlights several reasons why hunting in a wind that forces you to screw your hat down about 40 wrinkles can be productive. A strong wind--20 mph and up--works as a cloaking device to hide you from your prey. The stronger the wind, the more effective this cloaking effect becomes. The primary means that coyotes, or other animals, use to find their victims or detect danger are sight, sound and smell. Wind reduces the effectiveness of all three.