Nuclear,

Nice post. My first was also a fluke. I was antelope hunting with a buddy in CO. He had this new fangled rifle in one of the fast stepping 25 calibers or something with a pricey scope. We spotted a coyote at a watering hole, and I think it was less than fifty yards. I didn't even consider my handgun as it was a 375 JDJ. I just waited for him to take forever to pull the trigger. Yup, he missed clean. The coyote took off, and I whipped up my 375 and snapped off a shot. No time to think about all the "stuff" that had been running through my head, like yours.

Well, I skinned half the coyote (pretty much what was left), as I had an obligation to try and save the hide as it was my first non-bird/bunny kill, and I am not keen on just letting things bigger than prairie dogs just rot or go to scavengers. I had that hide in salt at my house for a long time, before I finally gave up on on ;^) No hide, no fur ruff, nothing but a big confidence booster.

Craig