Nearly outfoxed by a coyote in the nickel war, but we made it through victorious

Hey guys, I haven't had much time to check out the forum lately, I've been super busy and getting stressed out over school and work.  Plus, trying to find time in between to plan a wedding.  But, I was able to make it out yesterday morning with Mikewaz for a bit, and ultimately, it paid off well.

The first spot we went to was a place I have been researching for a little while.  I had no idea how it was going to look in person.  I had scoured over maps and aerials for a couple of weeks on this one and it looked like it had potential for some really old coins.  Mike and I trudged through the woods toward the spot I had in mind, when all of a sudden I thought I heard someone make a noise.  It sounded faint through my headphones.  I looked over to Mike, who was probably a hundred feet away or so, and he had that same look, as if waiting for me to repeat what I yelled.  

"What did you say?", I shouted.

"Nothing, I thought you were calling me."

I shrugged a "whatever" shrug, and kept hunting.  Kinda creepy.  Not long later, I had just met up with Mike for an update, and within seconds, we both see a pretty big coyote (biggest I've ever seen) in front of us, running full-speed toward us!  I probably should have been alarmed, but to see this magnificent animal running like it was, and then leap over a huge downed tree, was just something to behold.  As soon as it got really close, I thought, "Oh crap."  Mike let out a deep bellow at it just in time.  It applied the brakes and ran off in another direction.  I never thought of coyotes as aggresive toward people, but I suppose this one may have been a territorial male or perhaps a mother with young nearby.  Either way, a first for me.

Well, this first spot was a complete write-off, as neither one of us found anything but a small button and peices to an old engine.  I had an appointment at 2 o'clock and didn't want to waste any more time, so we left and headed to another spot we had been to before, just not really thorough.  Within an hour or so there and nothing but a memorial for each of us, we headed to the final stop of the day in hopes of salvaging a most perfectly beautiful Saturday.  I was determined to find a silver coin but I also told Mike I was going to dig all deep nickel signals.  Within minutes, I got a really bouncy signal.  It jumped around but peaked in the 50's VDI (for all you White's guys).  The numbers were consistent with larger beaver tail-style pull tabs. but normally, those ring up pretty solid.  Since this one was showing hints of a higher tone, I dug it up and there in the hole was a silver dime!  I called over to Mike so he could see it before I recovered it.  It ended up being a '46-D Rosey.  When I pinpointed the hole, I got the low conductor and there was the pulltab.  I think the pulltab was originally right over the dime before I disrupted the placement by digging the hole.  Kinda cool.

Not long after, Mike shows me up by digging a spectacular old coin.  That b@st@rd.  So then, I'm thinking, I've got to get back!  In another trashy area, I just caught the edge of a 81 signal next to trash at seven inches and dug another Rosey, a '52-D.  Ha!  Then, he goes and digs a Rosey.  OK, fine.  I'll get back.  I was having trouble finding silver after that but was sure digging the nickels, 14 in all, four being pre-1960 Jeffs ('43-P war nickel, '46, '53, and '55).  I was really trying for buffaloes but they weren't showing up.  However, I did dig two Cracker Jack toys, DEEP.  One is a headless horse and the other, which I thought was a lump of slag before I rinsed it off at home, is a very cool little battleship.

I didn't realize how late it was getting, so I told Mike I was going to leave for my appointment.  He decided to call it quits at that point too, but we both swung our ways back to the cars.  Mike started digging a deep signal while I was nearby, and I kinda looked to him every few moments to see him remove more and more dirt from the hole.  

"Must be an old rusted bottlecap" he says.  "Oh-wait!  Nope!"

That guy had to totally kick my @$$ with his gorgeous find, which was so deep, that when he put the Lesche digger in the hole, no part of the handle was sticking out.  I would say it was at least 10 or 11 inches deep.  On his way out.  Maybe he'll post his finds, I won't spoil it if he does.

So, it was a great day, started off slow, but we were rewarded in the end.  I also found some wheaties, they are '46, '26, '44 X 3, '51, '36, and one really crusty no-date.  I also included in the scan, two coins from a short hunt last week that I didn't have a chance to post before, an 1890 V and a '48-D Rosey.  Let's hope this weather can last into next weekend!  

Joe

Does anyone have a decent working digital camera they are willing to sell cheap?  Mine is good for nothing these days and I'd like to have one for pictures of my finds, so I can take some in-situ photos and not have to scan Cracker Jack toys.  Thanks!

Them coyotes will let out ungodly, almost surreal yelps if you near a den, listen for 'em!  But that critter would only charge to a point, then turn and try to draw you away when you counter it's charge.  Bumped into more than a few of them out this way.

BTW, AWESOME hunt!  Niiiice homework!

Whatever Waz got, Waz earned.  So it wasn't a matter of showing you up, it was a matter of usurping your homework to his advantage!  Ha!

Good to see you're still a nickel killer too!  My best today was the ubiquitous 1919 wheatie, arghh!

Outstanding hunt You're really killing those nickel signals. . . nice!

I haven't seen seen a critter like that yet. . . I'm hoping I do sometime but from a distance.

Glad you've been getting out to hunt

[God bless our veterans! Thank you for your sacrifices!]

Not long after, Mike shows me up by digging a spectacular old coin.  

So, you think Mike's going to post this one, or will we live in suspense forever?


Great finds, Joe!!!

I'll bet there's plenty more where those came from!  Congrats on the really nice finds!

Nice going on those keepers...

I think we all would love to see Mike's finds too..We know he's a good hunter and all but showing the finds off is part of the hobby too...

So have you set a date for the wedding?

It's fun planning it though......

Nice finds!  Interesting story about the coyote.  I had a huge coyote come within a few feet of me when on a deer stand next to a deer trail one time.  I doubt he ever saw me or got wind of me as he passed right on by without breaking stride.  Later I was telling an old timer about it and he told me there were still a few prairie wolves left in the area and that's probably what I saw.  He told me if I saw it again to shoot it because they had been finding fawns and domestic calves killed by something and it might have been that wolf.   Monty

Later I was telling an old timer about it  He told me if I saw it again to shoot it because they had been finding fawns and domestic calves killed by something and it might have been that wolf. 

Shoot the deer not the wolf or coyote ...TOOOOOOOO Many DEER not to many wolves or coyotes.....Now a days the deer walk right up to you.....

CONGRATS ON ALL THE COINS YOU FOUND!

Awexome hunt Joe!  Great story too!  I don't know what I would have done if that coyote was running straight towards me!  Good thing you guys made it out to hunt another day.

Great story for sure. Glad you were able to get and score a nice round of coinage. Way to kill those nickels too!

Where in the world are you that there are not enough coyotes?  There are literally thousands of the critters here in Oklahoma!   They are considered a pest and there once was a bounty on them.  The suberbs are over run with them and their favorite food is your little poodle dog.  You don't dare let a small dog outside at night because he will be coyote fodder by morning.  I live in a suburb and you can stand outside and hear them howling any night of the week.  Wolves? I don't know if any exist around here.  There might be a few in the western part of the state but they are protected unless they are destroying livestock.  The one I saw was suspected of killing livestock but only the locals would know for sure so I didn't shoot.   The one I saw if indeed it was a wolf was in Osage County on the old Mullendore Ranch. Monty

Hey Monty, the coyote might kill your tiny yapper of a dog, but the deer can and will kill you.  We lose a few little yappers to the coyote around here now and then.  Kinda like some new-fangled suburban take on natural selection.  The upside is they also like feral cat so we have more songbirds.

But we lose people because deer come off of overpasses, into roadways, through windows, etc.. 

But we're really here to say, Great digs Joe!

Sorry we got off topic.  I believe I already said great digs but in case I didn't,  Great Digs!!  And my wife hit a deer last summer.  Lucky it didn't come through the windshield, but about $1500.00 damage to her car!  He didn't survive.  Monty

Nice old nickel there Joe! And congrats on 4 more silver!!! 
Are you still using the new coil exclusively, or at times going back to the stock?

Nice old nickel there Joe! And congrats on 4 more silver!!! 
Are you still using the new coil exclusively, or at times going back to the stock?

Hey thanks John.  I haven't taken the new coil off since I got it.  I've hit some areas with the 6x10 that I have hit hard with the stock and that's where I'm getting the good stuff.  I am, however, getting beat by Mike who is pulling the really DEEP stuff out from the same areas.  I don't think the 6x10 goes as deep as the stock.

Joe

Nice coinage and relics!  See you are still finding those war nicks!