1. First Snow

The young coyote should have headed for the lower sage brush country with his brothers after the last full moon. He had instead chosen to keep hunting rabbits and pikas near timberline and was experiencing snow for the first time. Finding a warm place to bed at night was getting difficult and the pikas no longer were out amoung the rocks. His empty belly convinced him to head down from the mountains and attempt to rejoin his brothers. He had enjoyed the comparative plenty when his brothers had left but now longed for the company of his playful brothers and the prospect of a full belly.

He made it down out of the tall pines into the first level of Juniper trees that night and sought refuge from the cold in hollowed out remains of an old Juniper. He had found a few deer mice and a chipmunk on the way so his belly was guiet for the first time in days. Thoughts of running with his brothers through the sage flats filled his dreams.

Dawn broke with an icey wind wipping up the dust and sand. He was stiff until he had trotted a couple miles. Finding his brothers was on his mind but he had not caught their scent on the fickle wind. Hunger soon took over his thoughts
when he stopped on a small hill to watch a red tail hawk drop from the sky. He new a rabbit probably was the target and soon heard the squalling last cry's of a dying jackrabbit. He normally left hawks alone to avoid their sharp beaks and talons but his hunger overrode his hesitation. Quickly descending the hill he headed for the sound of the jackrabbit. He sped up when he thought of the possibility of his brothers being in the area and beating him to the meal.

He rounded a big bunch of sage brush and saw the rabbit in a clearing and saw no hawk nor his brothers. Seeing no competition he dashed to the rabbit and hungrily sunk his teeth into the fake fur at about the same time the bullet from the 6mm Benchrest arrived.

The old elk hunter chambered another round and kept on the lookout for the other group of coyotes he had earlier seen in the area. The first snow of the season was always his favorite varmint calling time. He was still surprised that the hawk had dived on his decoy rabbit.