Our First Set
We made our first set in a nearby field that I have previously seen bobcats and coyotes in before. It was a beautiful blue bird sky with bright sunshine, the temperature was nearing 40 degrees and climbing with no wind what so ever. On our way to this first set we saw three deer moving across the field as we entered the edge of it. They quickly vanished out of sight as if something had spooked them. It wasn't us since we slipped in quietly and both sprayed down vigorously with Dead Down Wind Scent Eliminator.
Chico & Myself Getting Ready
We began our first series of calls with our new predator calls from Quaker Boy Calls. It was music to my ears! I could hardly wait to see a coyote appear so I could take a crack at him with the AR-15! We waited and waited, but nothing showed itself. We only saw two crows circling over head as we waited patiently. After waiting a half hour after our last series of calls we decided to move to the second set up.
Bright Blue Skies and Sunshine!
We moved about a 1/4 mile away to a fork in the trail and found a great looking low hanging pine tree to set up underneath. On the way to this spot we found hundreds of deer tracks and most were very fresh! Lots of good sign, but no sign of any animals!
Me & The AR-15
Waiting For Mr. Coyote!
At our second set we ran the same series of calls with no avail! Not so much as a peep or squawk of a bird! No squirrels, varmints, birds, turkeys, deer, nothing was showing itself or even making a sound! Very odd on such a warm day at the end of winter!
The Third Set Of The Morning
At our third and final set of the morning we had to work to find a good hiding spot. It was a very open stretch of woods with very little cover. We found a low hanging pine tree but we had to do some trimming to get a spot to see from as well as shoot from. After getting set up we ran our series of calls again with only one crow making a sound from far away! Still no wind, you could hear the silence if that makes any sense. I could hear my heart beating it was so quiet! The silence was deafening! It was ere! Too ere!
Chico Manning The Camera In Case We Got A Shot
As we were heading back to the parking area we passed through an old oak stand with visible squirrel nests. Chico and I both discussed and questioned why we weren't seeing anything! It was very strange, almost as if someone dropped a bomb that killed off every living animal! About a hundred or so yards after the oak stand Chico looked down and noticed a track in the snow amongst the hundreds of deer tracks we had already seen that morning! Coyote track he exclaimed! I was eager to see it myself so I made my way up to what he was looking at. It was then he looked up at me and said, "Dude, that's not a coyote track!"
The Track We Saw Next To A Dollar Bill!
If what we were looking at was a coyote track, it was the biggest world record coyote that I would have hate to come across! It was too big to be a coyote and we first thought about a dog, but that would have to be one massive dog to make that track as well. It wasn't anyone walking a dog because there were no human tracks anywhere around. We followed this set of tracks through the snow and up the trail for around 300 to 400 yards.
Track In The Snow Next To A Dollar Bill
As we discussed if this was a possible wolf track, the realization of what we were dealing with became more evident as we talked further. We ruled out coyote, and even a small bear since the tracks were in a straight line. A bear makes two distinct lines of tracks, not one! I have seen many bear tracks and this wasn't a small bear, this was canine! In the photo below you can see the gait of the animal compared to the size of Chico's foot in the right side of the shot. This animal had a long gait! You can also see that the tracks were in a straight line, not in two distinct lines as that of a bear.
The Gait Of The Animal!
After our evening set, we made our way over to my friends house for a visit. We showed him the photos of what we saw and told him where we saw them at. His response immediately was, those are wolf tracks! His girlfriend said the same thing when she saw them. They both have had similar encounters in the same general area. This gives me a new found respect for being in the woods hunting for a predator, that is one that can hunt you back! I will no longer hit the field without a side arm or long gun!
A Few Shed Antlers From A Friend!
While sitting and talking with my friend, he showed me a few of the sheds he found this winter while walking the deer woods! I like to think of this photo as looking at our future! That is if the wolves don't destroy them first!
Mike Adams
Up North Journal
Shoot Straight & Be Safe!
