The crisp, clear morning of opening day of firearms deer season in Shiawassee County was made to order. It was somewhat noisy with the crunchy ground afoot but an early start would mean plenty of time to settle in, well before dawn. The trick would be to remain comfortable amid temperatures in the mid-twenties – the coldest morning this fall.
At 7:45 as Ken Wallace was busy taking his 15-point buck across the road, movement caught my eye. My Leupold binoculars helped to identify the bushy, horizontal tail of a coyote, as it vanished in the brush heading away. But, moments laterit changed its plans – maybe from the presence of another hunter, I don’t really know. It now headed on a path which would put it only 50 yards in front of me. With only a single-shot shotgun and low-power variable scope, I tracked the canine, as it maintained a steady pace. I hoped for it to pause for an instant so that it could be removed from the meat-eating, neighborhood pack. At 60 yards, cooperation was granted and the coyote expired instantly. A short video of removing the coyote from the swamp is here…
Some hunters would not risk the chance of messing up a deer hunt, but it’s my policy to take a coyote whenever possible. Does shooting always send deer to the next county? Not always, I soon found out.
Within minutes an adult doe appeared on a trail only 15 yards from my stand but it knew trouble was present. Those large ears were manipulated in every direction, hoping to tune into whatever had invaded its personal piece of earth. I watched closely, as it peered ahead, otherwise motionless.
Another group of six antlerless deer were only 40 yards from it, when she moved to join the others. They all appeared to be on alert – no doubt sensing my presence but just not knowing what to do next. They moved back and forth a stone’s throw away.
Approaching footsteps materialized into a buck that may have qualified for a restricted tag – one that can only be used on a deer with 4 antler points on a side. Not a wallhanger, but sure enough, he was confirmed a qualifier.
But, he was still when in cover and running after the females in small openings through the timber. I couldn’t risk a shot through the brush and he tailed the group out of sight. And, I wasn’t good enough for a shot at a moving target.
I felt good about the decision not to shoot and was hoping for a better opportunity.
And, that’s just what looked like was unfolding, when the same buck returned for another close encounter. He angled toward me, once again never giving a clear shot and vanished into cover. Oh, well.
Hours later, my focus was drawn to an indistinct cadence in the swamp grass to my left. Yep, it was the same 8-pointer heading toward my position inside of 50 yards. The angle was bad, however; no frontal shots for me. At a mere 21 yards, the aimless buck turned broadside and never lived to take another step.
Coyote and Deer on Opening Day
Each day afield offers unprecedented experiences and this was one of those days.
