Farm lady 1, coyote 0

[walnutred]

A woman I work with brought in a picture of a coyote she shot on her farm over the weekend. Said she went out to feed the calves and noticed them all staring at something in the distance. Looking where they were staring she noticed a coyote had been trapped in the back pasture by rising water.

Grabbing her rifle she dispatched the coyote and called the game warden. The game warden was a little incredulous she had shot it and he photographed and weighed the coyote, then measured the shot. Coyote weighed 74 lbs (big for around here) and the shot was 96 yards.

Rifle is an old Savage Sporter 22lr that had belonged to her dad, with peep sights of course. One shot in the neck with standard ammo.

She said it wasn't that hard a shot as she keeps in practice. Never felt the need for any other firearm for pest control around the farm.
Sometimes confidence is justified.

 

[mississippi revolverman]

Remind me not to Pi-- off that Lady. Good shooting

 

[cmort666]

I'm surprised that we aren't seeing coyotes in the Cleveland area the way they have in Chicago. Of course they had a mountain lion recently too.

 

[walnutred]

Originally posted by cmort666:
I'm surprised that we aren't seeing coyotes in the Cleveland area the way they have in Chicago. Of course they had a mountain lion recently too.

Maybe coyotes have more sense that to move to Cleveland

 

[Andy Taylor]

Good shot.
As has been said many times before, "Shot placement is the most important factor." I believe this proves it, yet again.

 

[Jack Flash]

Originally posted by cmort666:
I'm surprised that we aren't seeing coyotes in the Cleveland area the way they have in Chicago. Of course they had a mountain lion recently too.

I'm surprised the coyotes aren't running for political office in Chicago.

 

[Forester]

The game warden was a little incredulous she had shot it

Was it out of season or could he just not believe the shot she made?

 

[NFrameFred]

I don't know about anywhere else, but around here coyotes are "vermin" and there is no closed season.

 

[walnutred]

There is no season on coyotes here and if she claimed it had been bothering her livestock it would not have mattered anyway. She called the game warden because she wanted help moving the carcass and he lives about a mile away.

She is in her mid 50's around 4'10" tall, maybe 90 lbs. soaking wet. He was just surprised she made the shot with an iron sighted 22.

Now she did use a fence post for a hasty shooting rest, but you can't blame her for that. Heck, I'd have done the same thing. It's still a good shot at a moving target.

 

[smith revolver cop]

Originally posted by Jack Flash:

Originally posted by cmort666:
I'm surprised that we aren't seeing coyotes in the Cleveland area the way they have in Chicago. Of course they had a mountain lion recently too.

I'm surprised the coyotes aren't running for political office in Chicago.

I think the sharks, snakes, and weasels all have a lock on those offices...

 

[keith44spl]

Outstanding shot.

Practice is the key, that's what I need to be doing right now, instead of peckin' on this keyboard!

Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[jlrhiner]

My sister is still having fits with coy's. She loses a chicken a day to them. An occasional bobcat wanders through for dinner too. What with the two surgeries and the stroke, I haven't had a chance to do any thinning.

 

[Homie]

That is a BIG coyote!

Good shooting.

 

[walnutred]

Originally posted by Homie:
That is a BIG coyote!

Good shooting.

Yes, that is REAL big for around here. Most I've seen personally range around 40-45 lbs for what is considered a good sized adult. She let the game warden take the carcass and I expect that pelt is going to end up an someones office wall.

 

[oldRoger]

My neighbor has two large G. Shepard that wander over sometimes. I glanced out the window last week and saw a large dog in the front of the house near the feeder, wrong color. It was one of the many coyotes I hear but seldom see. This one was large, very well fed, in fact looked in the pink of condition. I did not weigh him, but he stands high as the neighbors Shepard who weighs 80 pounds. It's a bit leggier and very fit, I would not doubt 60-70 pounds.
Good for her but, I don't feel comfortable around them with a .22lr, I carry a .357.

 

[perpster]

Originally posted by walnutred:
One shot in the neck with standard ammo.

Could you go into some detail about the shot placement? Thanks.

 

[Jack Flash]

I would select something a little more powerful than a .22, but it worked for her.

 

[walnutred]

I can only go by the picture I saw and her description. In the picture there appeared to be an exit wound on the right side of the neck about a hands width below the ear. So maybe 3 1/2" below the ear. If you look at the neck sideways the exit hole seems to be 2/3rds up the width of the neck, but that could be deceptive due to fur.

I'm speculating it's an exit wound because I would not expect to see an entrance wound with a 22. Just speculation on my part but I expect the entrance wound is higher. Bullet probably entered, took a slight ricochet off the neck bone, deformed slightly, then exited.

I have neck shot 'yotes and hit the artery and there did not seem to be enough blood on the neck fur for that. If she has simply punctured the wind pipe I think the yote would have managed to run off before dying, or at least drown trying to swim the flooded creek.

I don't think a 22 LR has enough energy at that range to actually penetrate a spinal column and exit, but I could be wrong. So that's why I speculate the bullet hit the spinal column in the neck indirectly. But that is just a SWAG on my part. All I know for sure is the placement of the exit wound. Which was no larger than expected. You could probably cover it with your thumb.

 

[perpster]

Interesting. Thanks for the reply.

 

[perpster]

On second thought, I wonder what would have happened had she hit the skull. Deflection (and probably no kill or wound), or penetration and DRT?