On a cold late January evening in North Georgia, the stars shone brightly, and I felt an overwhelming urge to go coyote hunting. I called up my good friend Eli, who was new to the night hunting game and had recently acquired a Pulsar Thermion 2 XQ50 Pro thermal scope. Excited for the adventure ahead, he arrived at my house at 8 PM, just as the temperature dropped to a bone-chilling 12 degrees.

We set out for a nearby farm, hoping to call in some coyotes. After approximately 15 minutes, we realized that luck wasn't on our side, as we had only spotted four deer grazing at a distance of around 500 yards. Undeterred, we moved on to our second hunting spot of the night — a new property consisting of hayfields surrounded by hardwoods.

Changing my call sequence proved to be the game-changer. Just 17 seconds into the stand, a large male coyote responded to my call, rushing in for a quick and easy dinner. I swiftly switched from holding the handheld scanner I was using, an Axion 2 XQ35 Pro, to shouldering my 6.5 Creedmoor rifle topped with the Pulsar Thermion 2 XP50 Pro scope. I took aim and fired, leaving Eli without a shot. Although we were both glad that we had one coyote down, I was disappointed in myself and felt greedy for not offering the shot to Eli, since it’s a long-held tradition to offer the first shot of a hunt to a new hunter.

Despite this, our spirits were high, and we decided to press on. Arriving at the next farm, I stuck to the same call sequence, and it paid off once again. This time, after 45 seconds, another large male coyote charged towards us in response to the call. As soon as the coyote was within range, Eli seized the opportunity and took the shot. His coyote never took another step.

The adrenaline rush was unbelievable as we celebrated our success with hearty "atta boys" and "good jobs." With our spirits soaring, we headed back to the truck to retrieve his trophy. As we topped the hill, we were greeted by the sight of the beautiful solid black coyote lying before us. Black coyotes are exceptionally rare in our area, making this encounter even more special. While every coyote is a trophy to us due to their elusive nature, a black one is a rare gem indeed.

The farm we were hunting is a Black Angus farm nestled in the foothills of North Georgia, which has been plagued by coyote attacks for years. The landowner had reached out to us and told us that he was in desperate need of help in ridding his farm of these nuisance animals. Our successful night not only brought joy to us but also relief to the farmer.

As we wrapped up our night of hunting, we left with the satisfaction of a job well done, a grateful farmer, a hefty taxidermy bill, and the memories of another successful adventure etched in our minds forever. Until next time…