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Unbelievable True Story

Kurt

Member
8
7
Nashport
My father and I always try to hunt opening day of turkey season together. Not to brag but we have killed a lot of turkeys. So, when our good friend Jay said he would like to try and kill his first gobbler we were happy to oblige. We forded the creek in the dark this morning. I set up the decoys as the older two got situated in The Blind Turtle. I got into the blind and we waited.
The first gobble pierced the gray light at just minutes after 6:00 this morning. Another gobbler joined the chorus and another. When it was all said and done it sounded to be at least 6 longboards with a few jakes sprinkled in. Jay was excited. Dad and I were excited for him. This was shaping up to be epic! Dad checked the camera light it was now 6:40. I waited trying to be patient. The inner battle to wait and to call to these birds was real this morning. It was between then and seven and I couldn’t wait any longer. Dad had switched the camera over to auto light function which meant the footage should be rocking.
I did a soft tree yelp. They hammered, I followed it up with a fly down cackle. Double gobble, tried to give him a sexy come here big boy yelp and I heard it. The whooshing hammering of big wings dropping from his nightly perch. I saw the bird gliding towards the decoys. Jays gun was in the window. The ol Tom was going to land about 75 yards out and I knew he would soon be treated to a face full of shot.
Right before his feet touched down a brown streak shot from left to right. What ensued looked like a scene from Jurassic Park where the raptor snatched a pterodactyl from the sky. But this was a coyote. He latched on to the throat of the gobbler and they battled. Feathers flew and my jaw hit the dirt. The three of us sat in stunned bewilderment as the coyote proceeded to start eating the bird alive. The real dilemma now was that this flea bitten mongrel was still 70+ yards out. No way a turkey load was gonna kill him. In a fit of rage I grabbed my fathers gun, and eased open the back door of the Blind Turtle. Every time he would bow his head to rip feathers and flesh and I would crawl. I had gained 15 yards on him when he saw me. I had the shotgun on my shoulder and he began to circle me in the loping trot that only a coyote has. He was trying to catch my wind. As he was making this circle he was getting closer. When he broke the 40 yard mark I took off the safety. He was just ready to bolt and I barked. The coyote stopped facing me and took a 3.5” load of number 5’s to the face and neck and never moved again. In my anger and due to the unnatural prone position I took the force square on the top of my bicep. Worth it, he had ruined our hunt. I crawled back to the blind. Got in and shut the door.
A bird gobbled. I called back and he was closing the distance. Another coyote appeared in the field and this dog was fixed on the decoys. He was coming and I told Jay to get ready. The coyote locked up 20 yards downwind of the dead bird and ran to it. He picked it up by its throat and started to run off. The old gobbler was still alive and began flopping him but to no avail. The dog got the bird to woodline and went to work. I glanced out the back of the blind and there was a gobbler in full strut. He had two hens with him and was silent. Every time he would start our way the coyote would pop into the field and the gobbler would backtrack. A heavy fog started to lift and the birds left the field. We tried to sneak on the coyote with the bird but to no avail. There laid the mutilated carcass of a three+ year old trophy tom. His head and breast was gone and some of the back meat.
Now I have been told that coyotes kill poults but not adult turkeys and they could never kill a big gobbler. How could they sneak up on them? I am here to attest that they can and they do. We have some video and three of us witnessed it. In retrospect it was a evident these coyotes were hunting turkeys. They had planned this kill and who knows how many times they have succeeded before. Consequently both coyotes were large males hunting together which I thought was out of character as well. MIND BLOWN!
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Lucky

Junior Member
494
31
Sunbury
Damm brother. thats a hell of a story! Who would of thought the fawn killers were longbeard killers?. Wow that would be a video to post if its got him snagging outa air..For sure not a fluke or chance catch. Had to have done that b4. Thats a new one to me .At least he wont be snagging any more turkeys. Thought you were going to say a big owl or hawk or something....Thats a turkey hunt youll never forget. Good story
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Man that's crazy. Sounds like some snares are in order out there. That yote went from hero to zero in 10 minutes. Apex predator in you face mutt!
 
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Reagan

Member
75
31
Milford, OH
How do you know it was two males coyotes?

I find a turkey carcass or three every year. I think I found 4 this year from two properties while shed hunting. No doubt coyotes can catch them.


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Kurt

Member
8
7
Nashport
The one I killed was a Large male. The second dog was even bigger. It would have been the largest female Coyote ever if it was a female. I obviously can’t say 100% it was two males. I am 100% sure the one I killed was and with the other dog being larger and how all females I have killed have been smaller I am pretty sure both were males.