I just got my full body mount back last week - a coyote and rabbit that I shot on my property down in Rusk County. I shot both while deer hunting.
The rabbit was shot about three years ago - after a long sit in a tree, evening was quickly coming in and this little young bunny just tempted me and tempted me until I had to shoot. This was my third or fourth rabbit to take, and I decided to freeze him and save him for a display that was on my mind for several years - a coyote with a rabbit in it's mouth.
I have shot several coyotes with a rifle, but never with my bow. Last January during the final weekend of the season, I was sitting in a tree in a different part of my property when I spotted this female coyote coming in fast down the game trail I was set up on. She passed almost directly under my tree and did not stop. I led her a little bit and released the arrow. She immediately ran very fast back up the game trail from the same direction she came. Initially I did not think I hit her, although I did hear a little "thunk" after I released the arrow.
I used my binoculars and looked down and could not find any blood. I finished my deer hunt thinking that I must have missed her.
I got down from the tree, retrieved my arrow, and it was clean of blood. I decided to walk up the trail just for the heck of it (this was a morning hunt and it was around noon). I walked about 20 yards up the trail and noticed massive amounts of blood - I obviously did hit her. I found her pretty quickly - the arrow barely nicked her in the neck and cut her main vein and she quickly bled out.
I took the coyote and my frozen rabbit to Shane Davenport in Bettie, TX (between Gilmer and Pittsburg) and he did an excellent job on the full body mount. Notice the "rabbit hole" in the base.
I think it turned out great. It lasted about two weeks in my den at my house and then my wife finally made me move it upstairs where no one will see it.
