SPEAK SOFTLY

This was going to be easy. The big coyote had broken out of the low sagebrush and was heading up a shallow ravine at a dead run. My calling had convinced him a free meal was nearby, and he was rushing to take advantage. I anxiously waited for him to close the distance, my heart thumping in excitement. He seemed destined to come right into my setup, and I clicked off the safety on my .243 Winchester, ready to deliver a shiny, 100-grain spitzer bullet. Then things went wrong.

The coyote suddenly stopped short just over 100 yards away, partially screened by weeds and brush and refusing to take one step closer. I had no clear shot, and I watched his eyes search the area. Fully camouflaged and perfectly tucked away in the shade of a big stony butte, I was certain he couldn’t see me. Yet, his sharp ears had definitely zeroed in on my big, long-range calling, and now he wouldn’t come closer. He sensed