Wind: South, 8 mph
Temp: 50 degrees
Hunt time: 3-1/2 hours

Why are we not at work?! It’s Matt and I’s 3rd anniversary! So we took the day off work to celebrate by kicking off the 2012 Iowa deer season together! We don’t have too many double stands, but we picked one that works with a south wind and usually is decent for an early season doe since there are lots of acorns in the area. We both brought our bows along, but Matt planned on filming me if anything came in (how nice of him!).

Around 8 a.m. we had two does come within shooting range, but I just didn’t find “my shot” so I didn’t shoot. Other than that the morning was pretty slow, and Matt was ready to get out of the stand at 9:30 a.m. I wasn’t! Ha ha! So we stayed until 10 a.m. and then luckily another doe walked by in the distance so that delayed us even longer.

Around 10:15, I was just thinking that I suppose I’ll let Matt know we can get out now. Then, he goes, “Coyote! Coyote! Jen get your bow! Fast!” Matt was in the permanent stand of the double and facing the edge of the timber surrounded by CRP, so it was perfect for him to spot the coyote coming. I was in the hanging stand of our double and facing the opposite way into the timber, so it was perfect for me to grab my bow and get ready as I was kind of blocked behind a tree from where the coyote was coming from. I couldn’t believe this coyote comes right down our trail from earlier in the morning and is oblivious to us!

Coming right toward us, I thought of what kind of shot I could take. Coyotes are known for bolting all of a sudden so Matt said take whatever shot I can get. I was in shock that the animal keeps coming closer and closer, so I let it since it’s still showing no sign of realizing we are there. The coyote came to a stop (about 13 yards away), so I found my spot, paying attention to the spine and the shoulder from this close angle, and released.

I’ve never experienced anything like the reaction that came out of the coyote! Running off, it seemed like it was about to fall a couple times, but it was not over yet. Coyotes are known to be hard to take down and many bowhunters who are lucky enough to get a shot aren’t able to recover the animal. So I was already thinking ahead to a second shot.

Luckily, the coyote stopped and since I was in the hanging stand, the coyote was now right in front of stand direction and I just had to lean out a bit for a clear shot. And this was one of those feel-good shots to always remember! Blowing through the chest at a great angle, the coyote attacked the arrow as soon as it came out of its body and started to bite and thrash the arrow. However, the coyote soon tumbled over into the dry creek running below our stand. WOW!

This was the first coyote that I’ve ever seen while in the stand. I’ve seen some amazing things, such as a bobcat scent-marking right below my stand to a red fox making a kill and then fighting with an owl trying to steal the meat (the winner in the end), but I’ve never seen a coyote and I always looked forward to the day that I would… I just never thought it would end up with one coming in so close and being such a memorable day with our anniversary and Matt filming! I LOVE BOWHUNTING!

Note: In the footage, I keep calling it a “he” but it ended up being a young female!

~Jen