So your significant other wants to become a hunter? What possible harm could come from sharing my outdoor lifestyle with her? Getting her involved may be the smartest thing I could do to ease the pressure of my absence at family get together during the rut… or the spring walleye run… or turkey season… or mushroom picking…or bedded bluegills. Well I’m sure you get where this is headed.                                                          

Unlike all of my other poorly laid out plans this decision has turned out to be by far my best. But be fore warned, it does come with some sacrifices, but nothing can compare to the rewards that also come with it.

And that is where this story begins. Kimberly, or as she has been labeled by my fellow guy hunting buddies… AKA Little Miss Dangerous. All due to her uncanny sniper like accuracy on whitetails. LMD informs me one day that she would like to shoot a coyote and when can she expect to go. She has already gone online and purchased her license, dug out her camo and an orange hat. All she needs now is to borrow my .204 and to have me call for her. It appears that she has it all figured out right down to the hour its going to take to get it done.  

I gently sat her down at the kitchen table with her complete attention to insert some reality into her predator calling fantasy world. After 15 minutes of “the difficulties of calling predators in Michigan” speech and “you just don’t run out and shoot a coyote they’re not like deer” She calmly stated “Great it’s going to snow tonight so we should have a couple of fresh inches for tomorrow night after work. That should really be good for calling. Plus the wind is out of the north and I heard you talking on the phone saying that you have been waiting for a north wind to hit your best spot. Oh I’m sooooo excited!” I shook my head slowly as she pranced down the basement steps making something that sounded like coyote howls. What could I say?

We had a couple of practice sessions in the living room with the shooting sticks and how to adjust them. The where and when to move talk, and most importantly how to read the coyote’s body language when one shows up. I would be running a new Canon HD right over her shoulder so I would be calling the shot. All she had to do was pick a spot, put the crosshairs on the dog and squeeze. Just like all the whitetails in past seasons, one shot one kill.

Truth be known I really was trying to stay out of by best spot because I figured that the first time in would be a slam dunk and possibly call in multiple dogs. I didn’t want her faced with that but I don’t like any quickly educated players to get away either. A catch 22 situation for sure. But in we go anyhow. All was good and I felt very confident but no dogs showed up for the fun. The first failure just fueled the fire until we went again…..once again a no show. I told LMD to get used to it this was Michigan. Not everyone is Kenny Darwin! LOL!

The fateful evening was soon upon as and conditions were perfect. Hoping that the third time was a charm I went a little deeper into the section and found the spot. Sometimes you just get that feeling and I had it. We eased to the edge of a pond and set up with a rapidly setting sun. We had no choice but to sit on the ice which made using the shooting sticks impossible for LMD. Not a good thing at all.

I told her to watch a point of cattails about 150 yards away that jutted onto the lake as I powered up the camera and reached for my call. The next thing I said was “Don’t move right there’s a coyote standing by the cattails!” How in the world the two of us got in on him without being seen or heard is beyond me but it happened. She thought I was joking and with her earplugs in, communication was lacking. He melted into the reeds and vanished. I got LMD locked on the spot and told her he would be right back out and started a soft rodent distress. It took him about 4 seconds to respond and he reappeared like a lion in tall grass.

I’ve filmed a lot of coyotes and this scene will stick in my mind forever as one of the best ever. The cattails, the snow covered lake, the beautiful dark brown chest markings on this wolf looking coyote as he trotted towards his last mouse supper. He was temporarily the keeper of the swamp in all his glory. He paused once and I squeaked lightly to seal the deal and here he came. This dog was on a string and was going to come kissing close. I asked LMD did she have a clear shot then “BANG”! I guess that was a yes!  I just about filled my diaper at the shot without warning as the coyote leaped for the clouds and danced on his hind legs. She racked the Savage and sent some more lead down range for the coup de grace. The look of sheer intense exhilaration is priceless as I filled the frame with her uncontrollable shaking ear to ear grin! After the hugging and high fiving had slowed I asked her why she didn’t let me tell her when I was on it and that she could shoot. She replied “The closer he came the bigger he got in the scope and the more I started to shake, if I would have waited 1 second longer I was going to explode!” I just started laughing from the whole event. She was more fired up than a circus poodle on Red Bull that’s for sure.

Free hand at 100 yards on your first called coyote charging you like a Cape buffalo and getting it done, well that’s more than you can ask from a veteran. I couldn’t be more proud of my new partner. The coyote was as pretty as they come and when we got home the giant male bottomed out a 50lb. fish scale! What a first trophy. Passing on what we love to do is a privilege and I feel honored to bring another predator hunter into this awesome lifestyle… a very special hunter to me.

Well I’ve got to get to the skinning shed; I think I heard LMD muttering something about the wind direction being perfect for another spot! As I shake my head walking out the door…a smile appears.