Varmint Hunting On a Kodiak
| Varmint Hunting On a Kodiak |
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The wind brushed through the field grass like rolling waves in an ocean of green. My face was warmed by the late afternoon sun and evening made for a youthful slide back in time, when all that mattered was what fun we could have next. I can remember as a boy walking these same hedgerows, back when my imagination was more active. Fun could be produced almost anywhere, a whole day could be spent exploring an old barn or turning over rocks along a creek bed.
And, what could be more fun than using a Kodiak Hunter’s Edition
while scouting for varmint on our family’s farm field. The strategy for the evening included riding along the field’s upper ridgeline and glassing the prairie below. Fortunately, varmints were plentiful in this area and so were gunning opportunities. This particular evening was shrouded with plenty of sightings. The first brown dot appeared at a distance around 300 yards, a fair distance for my 22-250 Remington. Our positioning was the only problem, being out in the open would not present a second shot if a miss did occur. The woodline would offer a much better focal point. I backtracked with the Kodiak and dropped down over the ridge to the nearest wooded area. The Kodiak worked well in the situation mostly because the unit was quiet and nicely camouflaged.
Entering the woods enabled me to position myself for an excellent shot and also cut down on the overall shooting distance. Immersed in tall grass, I crawled to the field’s edge. The chuck had sensed something was wrong. He had retreated to his hole and was just peaking his head out. At just over 200 yards, the small speck did not make a very big target. Taking aim on such a small object takes every bit of concentration anyone can summon. The shooters’ eyes must see perfectly, breath must be held at just the right time and the trigger finger must squeeze, not pull, for the perfect shot. When everything was just right, the shot was made. The chuck had disappeared, but the kill could not be confirmed until I rode across the field with the ATV. As suspected, the shot was good.
which included man and machine. Some sports give adrenaline highs but there’s more than one type of adrenaline rush. Some come from extreme sports and some come from the pure enjoyment of accomplishing a successful hunt on your ATV.
The next night produced an event that could not have been foreseen by anyone. The evening started with a short quad ride to our barn. The rear opening offered an excellent view of the backfields. After settling in at the barn, a few deer started feeding across the fields. It was a mother and her fawns. The deer were grazing closer and seemed as through they would pass within just a few yards. Figuring this would make an excellent photo opportunity, I made ready with the camera.
After snapping the photo, I realized something was wrong. The large doe had seen or heard something out in front of her. She was
now nosing her young back toward the woodline. It seemed the mother deer knew danger was near. Her radar like senses picked up on something. Puzzled by what could have triggered the spontaneous retreat, I scanned every inch of remaining field. In an instant, my eyes caught some movement. Normally, I would not have been surprised by the turn of events unfolding before my eyes, but not here. I had never seen a coyote in this area, let alone two. That’s right, two coyotes had broken formation and proceeded to cut the young deer off before they could reach the woodline. I believe in every animal’s right to survival as much as anyone else does; but these coyotes were not resident predators. Sightings of the coyote have only become prevalent in the last ten years. How they came back to this region is a whole other story. The important fact remains that I had to do some thing quick. I put down the picture shooter and grabbed for the real deal. My 22-250 without any second thoughts, I lied down in the grass and took aim on the coyote keeping the deer from their escape. Just that quick, the first coyote was down. As I swung toward the other coyote, I could see it was going to be a difficult shot. He had broken into a flat out run and was putting a large distance between both us and the deer. Just as I was about to take the shot, my finger eased off the trigger. I felt this animal posed nor more danger to the deer and would most likely keep on the move for quite sometime.
In the excitement, I had almost forgotten about the mother deer 
and her fawns. I figured they would have high-tailed it after the shot was fired, but that was not the case. The deer were just feeding across the hillside; it seemed to make no difference that I was riding out into the field on the Kodiak. Maybe the doe felt I posed no danger, perhaps she could associate me with the disappearance of the coyote. Over the next couple of days, the varmint hunting got better, each day presented a few sightings and even a shot or two. We spent a week in the outdoors riding and hunting. When it was time to go home, I had so many new and exciting memories to take with me. Every outdoor experience has taught me something; they fine-tuned my skills; and ultimately, have made me a better person.