By Brain Peddle | Gander, (Newfoundland and Labrador), Canada

I decided to get up early one morning and head out for a couple hours of coyote calling with the new FOXPRO Hellfire and my new Remington Model Seven .223. 

I had snowshoed about 400 yards from my truck when I came across sign of coyotes digging at an old moose kill beneath the snow. I set the caller and decoy up next to the digging and positioned myself next to a small tree looking downwind across a replanted clear-cut full of 4-foot-high replants and alders. Not the best view, but it was all I had. I tried "locator howls" followed by "dying Jack" then "pup in distress".

At about the 30-minute mark, I saw movement down wind of the call! Slowly the coyote materialized and was staring at the decoy. As I raised my rifle up, ever so slowly, he immediately picked me off and spun around. I made a mouth howl and he stopped. I fired a Winchester 45-grain JHP at him and it was game over for "Lucky"! There was a second coyote with him, but I didn’t see it until it hit warp drive. 

"Lucky" appeared to be in excellent health, not thin, and had good teeth — last seasons pup I would guess. He walked and trotted normal, but I later saw that he only had 3 paws. A front stub was healed just fine with only a dewclaw left! I’m guessing he was trapped and escaped probably. If that wasn’t enough, he also had a fox power snare embedded into his neck! This was one tough hombre!

"Lucky" survived a power snare and broke it off. Had an amputation at some point in his life. Then, in the end died of lead poisoning. One shot, one kill for the Remington Seven. What ended up as a bad day for "Lucky”, turned out good for me.

I have been chasing eastern coyotes for several years now, ever since I was stationed with the 103 Search and Rescue Squadron on the island of Newfoundland. "Lucky" was my first successful set.

Want to see your article in Predator Xtreme? Send us your predator hunting story or hunting tip (350 words) and one to two high-resolution digital images to molis@grandviewmedia.com.