When do I have to call the Police? (true story)

[Victor N TN]

Funny thing you mentioned this today. I didn't know when I replied, but my wife's baby brother & his wife live beside a farm running cattle. My wife was talking to him about 3 hours ago and he told her last night there was 14 coyotes in their side yard after one of their dogs. I offered my AR with a night vision scope on it. We'll see what happens. I'll be sure to let everyone on here know.

[Digital Dan]

Never had much use for pistols.

[whisler]

Never had much use for pistols.

Seems I have heard that statement on the silver screen. (Quigley Down Under)

[Crash_Corrigan]

To Shopdog: I always carry the light .44. Easy to conceal and pack a very decent punch. The other carry gun I am pondering is my Ruger BH in 327 Federal caliber. It holds 8 shots and with a 5.5" tube is laser accurate and deadly out to way past 100 yds. The big problem around here is that I will have to pay for the damage any of my shots make. There is no soft ground around mostly. About 1 out of 6 yards have grass. The remaining 5 are desert landscape meaning gravel or rocks of some kind.

Between the streeets (asphalt) and sidewalks and drives (concrete) and the density of the housing there really is not a safe place to shoot without having to pay for a hole in a car, house or human. I suppose I could load up some light hollow pointed boolits for the 327 that would not penetrate much and possibly stop in the body of the coyote. But they are smallish critters. A big one might weigh 45 to 55 lbs. Front to back a round would probably stay inside the hide but from the side or quartering not so much.

Having been a LEO for over twenty years both in NYC and in New Mexico I know the importance of having a safe background behind my target. There ain't much safe background out here at all. I have hunted coyotes in NM out in the desert and they are easy kills if you can get close enuf. A decent call will bring them in if you have disguised yourself well and remain upwind. However they are quite intelligent, spook easily and they can walk right up to you unseen.

I cannot tell you how many I have had to shoot with a handgun after my calling brought them in. They were so close that the telescopic sights on the .223 Rem CZ 527 FS rifle were useless so I just draw my .45 1911 and take them out. It blows big holes in them but all the rounds go thru. However out in the desert there is nothing to damage or kill. They are fast, sneaky, quiet and smarter than the dickens.

Dan

[Shopdog]

Thanks for the follow up.

I handgun hunted for years exclusively(vs longuns,always bowhunt!)and a .44 is very sweet.Just wondering if a frangible JB was in your future?

[Drew P]

Seems to me what you really want is one blank round to fire first. Or as was said, a shotshell, although a blank is almost better.

[mnewcomb59]

What about lino or mono bullets? Make them brittle so when they hit the hard Nevada ground they shatter. One of the arguments in favor of deer hunting with a rifle here in Ohio was that a soft shotgun slug will hit the dirt before a rifle, but soft lead can skip off the ground much more easily and cover another mile while a rifle hits the ground and disintegrates or at most a small piece of lead or jacket will ricochet.

https://www.americanhunter.org/artic...r-than-rifles/

[Tripplebeards]

A Taurus judge loaded with some BB shot sounds in order. Most of my called coyotes in your neck of the sand get harvested by a 3" load of 12 gauge BB shot. The last trip to AZ last winter I dropped one at 106 yards with an old shell of Remington HD BB shot. I had my calling partner as a witness and a range finder to measure. I ran out of the stuff that day and I am now down to a case of the federal classic lead BB shot that has dropped yotes in their tracks out to 65 yards. I didn't think it was that far or I wouldn't have taken the shot. It was a head on shot with the coyote facing me. Somehow the BB's missed the front legs and broke both its rears at that distance. Needless to say I had to walk and finish it off. Heavy shot is nasty. Too bad Remington discontinued it years ago. I guess the $4 a shell did it in. With a short barrel and the spread you might get two for the price of one.

[Recluse]

The only question I have is why did you shoot up and not down into the ground.

1. Ricochet.
2. A shot fired in the air will be louder and more percussive than one fired into the ground.

Crash,

I enjoyed that tale almost as much as the one about your having used a Lee six-cavity mold with no handles for however long you did using only heavy gloves. I STILL laugh at the thought of that!

I shot a coyote in our neighborhood a couple of years back. We have a walking park that is about ten acres, heavily wooded. I was walking the Czech Republic import German Shepherd and was barely into the park when a coyote appeared. That Czech GSD had zero backup in him, but neither did the coyote--which made the decision to exercise Signore Beretta that evening rather simple. A 9mm makes quite the *bang* at 11:30 p.m. and I did not bother to look for the ejected shell casing. Rather than backing up and walking out the way we came in, me and the dog continued through the park and exited on the far side.

I heard the next day that the local suburb militia came out "investigating" and found the dead coyote. Always wondered if they found the shell casing, and if so, what they thought when they saw it was an old Federal +P+ HydraShok. Those were LE issue back in the early 90's. Figured if they ran the case they'd think some retired cop wasted that 'yote and wouldn't worry about it. But then again, our suburb PD couldn't catch a cold in an incubator, so I never lost any sleep over not calling them.

[jeff100]

I enjoyed that tale almost as much as the one about your having used a Lee six-cavity mold with no handles for however long you did using only heavy gloves. I STILL laugh at the thought of that!

I remember this story LOL, was out casting last week and had to grab my mold blocks while I quickly changed my grip on the mold handles. Even with welding gloves on and only holding those mold blocks for a couple of seconds, my glove got HOT FAST. Don't know how anyone could cast without mold handles. Better man than me, or more pain tolerant anyway...JJ

[Crash_Corrigan]

To Victor N TN: Ye Gods man I am only out walking my dog. Between a small flashlight, plastic bag for his deposits, keys, ID, weapon and spare ammo I am carrying enuf. I am not on Patrol in the Stan. If I were to use a long gun at night to dispatch a coyote while walking my dog the cops would really have a hard time believing that I was not out looking for trouble and act accordingly.

As it was they were glad that I did call them and they told that to me a couple of times during the visit. I do not want to give them something to chew on. With the massacre on the strip only 24 days ago tempers are short and I really do not want to provoke our LEO's.

[Victor N TN]

To Victor N TN: Ye Gods man I am only out walking my dog. Between a small flashlight, plastic bag for his deposits, keys, ID, weapon and spare ammo I am carrying enuf. I am not on Patrol in the Stan. If I were to use a long gun at night to dispatch a coyote while walking my dog the cops would really have a hard time believing that I was not out looking for trouble and act accordingly.

As it was they were glad that I did call them and they told that to me a couple of times during the visit. I do not want to give them something to chew on. With the massacre on the strip only 24 days ago tempers are short and I really do not want to provoke our LEO's.

I have a 22LR adapter for my AR. And he lives about 5 miles out of town. I think he will be OK. But for your location, you have to do what's best FOR YOU !!!

Good luck.

[Blackwater]

Kudos to you, Crash! You did very well indeed! First in not shooting and thinking of your neighbors' safety. Then in firing the shot in the air so as to make shooting in a potentially dangerous direction unnecessary (thankfully!). Then in making a leisurely and effective retreat, and calling in the incident. And being honest and forthright. It's sad that the same thing, done in a different locale, would or at least might have gotten you arrested! You guys in Vegas have some very good cops, it seems. Keep the current political leaders you have and the sheriff. I assume he's elected? Ours are here, and I MUCH prefer sheriffs who are elected.

Good job. You ought to be a little proud of your presence of mind and logical approach to the matter.

[lightman]

Kudos to you, Crash! You did very well indeed! First in not shooting and thinking of your neighbors' safety. Then in firing the shot in the air so as to make shooting in a potentially dangerous direction unnecessary (thankfully!). Then in making a leisurely and effective retreat, and calling in the incident. And being honest and forthright. It's sad that the same thing, done in a different locale, would or at least might have gotten you arrested! You guys in Vegas have some very good cops, it seems. Keep the current political leaders you have and the sheriff. I assume he's elected? Ours are here, and I MUCH prefer sheriffs who are elected.

Good job. You ought to be a little proud of your presence of mind and logical approach to the matter.

I have to agree with this, Good Job! Glad you and Sgt Rambo were not hurt.