December Photo Project 2010 Day 8 [the coyote]

Well, this was actually taken a day or two before the month of December 2010.  It was a very cold morning and the kids were sleeping in a little bit. I was up early and reading quietly in our room when I heard my little chickens squawking just outside the window. As I leaned over and looked out, I saw this predator looking up at me not three feet away from my window.  

I immediately called to Garrett, who was not quite awake yet, "Garrett, grab your gun! There's a coyote and it's going after my chickens!" My chickens were just squawking, with feathers flying.

Here we are in our warm pajamas, leaning out the sliding glass door.  Garrett has his gun and wants to head outside.  "Not with that animal!" I say.  So he quietly opens the sliding door and aims.  It runs a little bit and I say, "Be careful of the horses." By this time the coyote was standing near the horses and was a good distance away.  Garrett aimed and it ran.  He kept his eye on it and as soon as it stopped, Garrett shot! 

He dropped that predator right there!  We jumped in the truck and headed into the pasture.  We drove up on it and it was lying there.  I said, "You are NOT getting out of this truck until I can see that it REALLY is dead."  He shot it in the head and it didn't move.  We waited and finally we got out of the truck.  

There it was. His first kill.  

Now, we don't go around shooting things.  We don't allow our boys to use BB-guns and shoot birds or other animals, 'just for fun'.  I grew up with a hunter for my Dad and was taught at a young age how to shoot, when to shoot and the importance of the 

SAFETY of handling guns and such.  

Garrett has completed a Hunter's Education Course here in our state and is awaiting his license to be registered as a Junior Hunter in the state.  This was something that he did to protect our livestock, our farm and our outside pets, as well as,
to ward off any other predators. 

Incidentally, his Grandpa was curious as to the length of Garrett's shot. We measured and it was just over 93 yards.  Grandpa said, "Fine shot, Garrett! And no scope. Real good shot!"