Once in a Lifetime Coyote

“How could any coyote ever top the one hanging on my cabin wall?”

- Jack Wentzel

Many Pennsylvania hound hunt.ers, yours truly M included, look forward to mid-January days with some snow on the ground. It's our chance to get back out in the woods and chase coyotes. I was introduced to the sport several years ago by some true old-timers. Up until then, my experience with trailing dogs was limited to rabbits and beagles. The sight and sound of the excitable little hounds hot on a trail really got my blood pumping, and I couldn't wait to hear the bellow of bigger fox hounds on a coyote's tail.

My goal, at first, was just to tag along with the gang and get a feel for the hunt and an understanding of the strategy. I quickly learned that coyotes, unlike circling rabbits, may run a straight line for miles and miles. It also did not take too long to realize I was hunting with some of the best hounds men in the state.

I didn't realize one of the reasons for using a small caliber is that the blast of bigger bores can adversely affect hounds.

This is especially true when a coyote is relatively close to the pursuing hounds.

I wasn't sure I had the right gun in my hands until I made a deal for a hand me down .222 that had already taken plenty of coyotes.

The knowledge of the hunters certainly impressed me, and I wondered if I had the right stuff, which I'm sure is still up for debate. I have provided plenty of entertainment for these savvy outdoorsmen over the years, plundering through the woods and fields, hoping I'm headed in the right direction. The GPS collars on the hounds help me know where they are and also where I am.