Rhoda and I went to the Shot Show for the very first time. What an event!
Most exciting for us was meeting with some great people with items that we think will be very interesting to varmint hunters. Now that we’re back home, we’re beginning to get back in touch with them and soon hope to have their products available. It might take a bit of time, though as we’re having a terrific snowstorm here and our flight was diverted–which means that all our luggage ended up 500 miles away from home.
I hope all is well with all of you. Ken
I got an email from Corey asking about hunting wooded areas. I don’t hunt them too often (I now live on the Prairies) but I did have a few thoughts to share. If you read this and are a predator hunter that concentrates on hunting the forests, please feel free to comment (and if you think I’m wrong, please mention that and tell us why).
My thoughts:
I think you’re going to have extra challenges when in wooded areas. I’m a visual person and I really like the open areas. I was asked once to make a video about hunting the forests but I don’t enjoy it enough because, for me, watching coyotes coming in is a great part of the fun. I did get a black fox out of the forest once with a partner as well as two coyotes and that put a huge grin on my face, though. So here are a few thoughts for you to consider:
- if by yourself, make sure you can see downwind; it’s probably better if there is a slight breeze so your scent doesn’t contaminate a large area right where you’re sitting; I believe you can fool the eyes and ears of a coyote but never, ever, their nose
- use a self-climbing tree seat (quietly) to get some elevation; even 6-8 feet should really improve your view; if using an electronic call, place it upwind, on the ground, but make sure you can see beyond it for those animals that won’t be coming from downwind; a tree seat may seem to be just more ‘junk’ to cart around but might be a good substitute for other things you can leave behind
- if it’s fairly quiet (not a lot of wind) start by calling fairly softly (I call as loud as possible when on the prairies and have my electronic call cranked up when I use it in the wide open spaces–just be sure you can tone it down when you see something)
- if you hunt with a partner in the forest, set him straight downwind about 30-50 yards (depends on forest thickness); you don’t have to see him, just know where he is for safety reasons; keep in touch with 2-way radios if you can (the caller should be upwind); both of you need to be able to watch all around (360 degrees)–you never know from where they’ll come
Your very biggest problem is; are there coyotes there? That is a must-know! Do you hear howling? See tracks and scat? Is it coyote and not dog or jack rabbit? Make sure you go in quietly. Also remember that, with wind, your vehicle and the path you take, blows scent into the area. Sometimes it’s best to park your vehicle straight downwind and set up about 500 (or more) yards away and straight upwind–that way the coyote likely won’t smell, or see, your vehicle as it approaches (I’m assuming that it will be much closer on its approach).
Do the farmers have coyotes coming in to their farms? Coyotes here come to ranches frequently and you can just about bet that there’ll be coyotes reasonably close to cattle ranches. If there is a chicken farm close by it may be a cracker jack spot (one day we just waited and sniped–no calling–and got 10 coyotes–six in the morning and 4 at dusk). Surprisingly, it can be very good if there is a large ’acreage’ population around a city because there are so many people and usually no hunting–but you have to work out the hows, wheres, whens, etc.)
Well, I hope this helps.
Ken
Bill and I sat back-to-back on the top of a small hill; the surrounding area was hilly and it was the only way to have a good view. Bill called gently and within a couple of minutes he tapped me to let me know something was in. Out of the corner of my eye I could see an animal looking our way. At Bill’s shot (with his .22-243 Middlestead) it disappeared into the brush. I was surprised that Bill would miss–the range was only about 200 yds. Bill continued to call gently (he later told me that at his shot he’d spotted a second animal with the first) and about 10 minutes later I heard him shoot again.
When we got to the second animal (a coyote), we looked for sign that he might have hit the first animal (also a coyote) but all we could see was a very small tuft of fur. There was no blood anywhere.
None-the-less, Bill thought his shot had been a good one so we searched for more sign. But there were tracks everywhere and we couldn’t find a decent one to follow.
Then I spotted it laying beneath some brush, dead about 40 yard from where it had been hit. There was no blood on the snow where it lay. A lucky find.
We checked and they were two males; one large at 36 pounds (parent?) and one small (offspring?). Bill had done a great job!
A little later I managed to call in a single. It slowed down and stopped, facing me, at about 275 yds. I had a very good rest and centered the crosshair on its chest. At the shot it sat back on its *ss and toppled over. I could see a bit of movement (it was on the far side of a small crest) but concentrated on continuing to call. Nothing else showed.
When I went for the retrieve, the coyote was very much alive and quite capable of walking but the front of it’s chest was red with blood; it started to move off and it took another shot to put it down. The hair on the chest was quite thick and matted and must have impeded the bullet from the .204.
Nothing else responed that day.
