Didnt know coyote and bobcat shit that big
Predator hunting 2020-2021
- Thread starter FrankenCub
- Start date
Of course, all apex predators
A great way to zero your thermal scope is to staple a hand warmer to a piece of cardboard. Use that for your target. The hand warmer will show up perfectly, and you should be able to see the guts fall out of it if you hit it. That's how I sighted in my thermal scope. It worked excellent. I'll see if I can download the video from the scope later.
I went out very early this morning, out to a farm that has had a problem with poultry being attacked, and recently had a domestic pet attacked. I set up in the hay loft of a barn only used for storage. The opening of the hay loft overlooks a tractor trail with woods and a small creek to the left and a pasture on the right. The poultry barn sits quite a bit further to the right, and the house is beyond that. As I pulled in the driveway, I could see several sets of eyes a few hundred yards down that tractor trail. I parked the truck and got myself situated in the hay loft. I built a little shooting bench out of a few bales and got comfy. After about 30 minutes of sitting still and being quiet, I opened the door of the loft and started scanning. I could see deer on the far side of the pasture. I watched them on and off for a while with no other action. A bit later, the deer became visibly nerveous. When they all turned and ran I warched the area directly opposite the direction they ran towards. Moments later, six sets of eyes appeared in the night vision. They were making their way up the tractor trail towards me and the poultry barn. As they got closer, it was evident that three animals split off and disappeared into the woods. The other three kept coming. When they passed a slight bend in the trail and were in a shallow valley that I had laser ranged to be 135 yards, I opened fire. The first and biggest dropped in his tracks without twitching. One of the other two took off immediately. The other walked closer to the downed animal and I let him have it. He ran about 40 yards and collapsed. A minute or so later I could see the one that ran about 350 yards down the tractor trail looking in my direction, then turned and took off into the woods. Shortly before dawn, farm animals began making noise, and I hoped that one or more of the other four would come back looking for a meal, but no such luck.
It was rather windy last night, so I opted to hunt with a 5.56 with night vision rather than the .204 with the thermal. Therefore, no video.
The two that I shot were both afflicted with mange and perhaps rabies. They were both very skinny, despite their physical size. The first one looked like something out of a horror movie. The one that ran a bit wasn't as bad, but was obviously sick. Too bad, that one was a pretty red and blonde.
I didn't bring home a pelt, but the farmer may not loose as many of his turkeys and chickens now. I'll go back again in a couple weeks and try that setup again.
It was rather windy last night, so I opted to hunt with a 5.56 with night vision rather than the .204 with the thermal. Therefore, no video.
The two that I shot were both afflicted with mange and perhaps rabies. They were both very skinny, despite their physical size. The first one looked like something out of a horror movie. The one that ran a bit wasn't as bad, but was obviously sick. Too bad, that one was a pretty red and blonde.
I didn't bring home a pelt, but the farmer may not loose as many of his turkeys and chickens now. I'll go back again in a couple weeks and try that setup again.
Shoots100
.44 mag
With 4 still out there, I wouldn't wait a couple of weeks to hunt again.
Shoots100
.44 mag
I didn't mean weeks to hunt in general, just at that farm.
If the pack is in as bad a shape as the ones you popped and their hungry, they'll be hitting the easiest opportunities to feed.
If the pack is in as bad a shape as the ones you popped and their hungry, they'll be hitting the easiest opportunities to feed.
No, I understood what you meant. I hunt as often as I can, even if it's just an hour or two on the way home from work or whatever. That farm in particular is about a 45 minute drive from work, 1:10 from home. Going back there must be planned. I know there is a group of coyote hunters in that area that hunt with a pack of GPS tagged dogs. They run that area pretty hard. Putting more pressure on the coyotes won't help the farmer's situation. I think part of his problem is that the hunting group has pushed the coyotes onto his farm, and they found a food source there. I know that the farmer spent a bunch of $$ and time trying to reinforce his poultry fencing, but coyotes are smart enough to dig. When his domestic pets got attacked, he took the gloves off. His Son's friend and I used to work together and hunt together once in a while. I received a call asking if I wanted to play Whack-A-Yote for the farmer. Well, YEAH !! ...Duh ! Of course I want another place to hunt, especially one with a built-in blind, bait, and real calls !
I will go back, as often as I think I can get away with it as long as it doesn't make the coyotes change their tactics. If they get wise, it means I'm there too often, and then I have to come up with different tactics. It's the game, I know.
By the sounds of things, I'm going to try the same place again this weekend. I was told there is a box blind about 1/2 mile down that tractor trail. It overlooks a natural funnel where thick brush and the creek (rather deep in that area) run to a corner of open pasture. There is a steep bank on the other side of the creek. I will go set up there Friday evening and see what passes the area. The hunting group might just push the coyotes my way. Or, I could freeze my ass off all night all alone for nothing.
I will go back, as often as I think I can get away with it as long as it doesn't make the coyotes change their tactics. If they get wise, it means I'm there too often, and then I have to come up with different tactics. It's the game, I know.
By the sounds of things, I'm going to try the same place again this weekend. I was told there is a box blind about 1/2 mile down that tractor trail. It overlooks a natural funnel where thick brush and the creek (rather deep in that area) run to a corner of open pasture. There is a steep bank on the other side of the creek. I will go set up there Friday evening and see what passes the area. The hunting group might just push the coyotes my way. Or, I could freeze my ass off all night all alone for nothing.
Shoots100
.44 mag
Good Luck.
I'm going to try and get out this weekend to a pheasant preserve that I haven't been to in quite awhile.
The owners wife's pet beagle was attacked one night, So I have the green light to kill anything and everything.
I may take the old bird dog out for one last afternoon hunt while I'm up there and do some scouting during the hunt.
I'm going to try and get out this weekend to a pheasant preserve that I haven't been to in quite awhile.
The owners wife's pet beagle was attacked one night, So I have the green light to kill anything and everything.
I may take the old bird dog out for one last afternoon hunt while I'm up there and do some scouting during the hunt.
I hunt over bait when I can. Sometimes the landowner will pick up roadkill and place it in a strategic location. If that's the case, they usually place it where there is a stack of hay or a treestand or some other type of concealment. That usually winds up being less than 100 yards.
My Foxpro has a decoy attached. I usually set it up about 50 - 60 yards away from me, depending on the terrain. Sometimes a bit further. Try to put it in a place that will draw attention away from your location, and ideally where it will draw the coyote past your position - not too close though. Scent, sound, and sight are all far better than yours. Use what you can to conceal those three factors and you will be more successful.
My Foxpro has a decoy attached. I usually set it up about 50 - 60 yards away from me, depending on the terrain. Sometimes a bit further. Try to put it in a place that will draw attention away from your location, and ideally where it will draw the coyote past your position - not too close though. Scent, sound, and sight are all far better than yours. Use what you can to conceal those three factors and you will be more successful.
I Set my foxpro fusion with decoy the same distance. I usually have issues with that swirly little bitch aka the wind. I going to set up some bait this weekend so I'm not a hot mess trying to judge the wind, set the caller etc.
Well, That didn't last very long.... I'm already sitting in the truck. It's a whopping 9° up here on the hill outside Arcade, N.Y. It was 13° when I got here. I managed to stay in a treestand for 1:15. No sounds, no movement except a few deer. The little bit of wind is just painful. I think I should have stayed home.
Same here. Went to 2 properties tonight. Didnt see even a deer, no rabbit, no fox and certainly not a yote. I wore battery operated socks, vest and gloves. I stay nice and toasty.
Nothing called back,,,,it was a wasted trip except for the fact I got to use my new scope that I just sighted in today.
Chicken Shoot
.45 acp
I guess I should have found a place to hunt before I wasted the money on a predator rifle and crap. No place to hunt near me at all. Farmers don't want it, their neighbors don't want it and the asshole democraps call the cops if they find out anyone is hunting.
Are you kidding me ? I have yet to run into a farmer that doesn't want the FREE SERVICE of COYOTE REMEDIATION. Only exceptions to that are 1: He already has a service provider, or 2: He had problems with a previous service provider. Every other one says something to the effect of " Come as often as you wish, just let me know you're here, and don't leave the carcass where it will be a problem. If I can help in any way, let me know."
One thing you could do that might help. If you have a mobile phone, purchase OnXmaps . Actually it can be used on a computer to. It will give you all land boundaries and who owns the land and where they are located. Its 29 bucks a year for just one state or a 100 bucks a year for the entire country.
I havent used it that much during coyote season but I do use it often come goose season, when I see which fields the birds are landing in
onX Maps: GPS Map App for Hunting, Hiking, Off-Roading & Fishing
Know where you stand with onX, the most accurate GPS mapping tech for outdoor enthusiasts featuring land ownership maps that work offline.
www.onxmaps.com
Shoots100
.44 mag
Waste of money ?
You bought a rifle and some gear, that's a good start.
Now look for some state land or multiple use areas that you don't need permission to hunt, do some scouting and put your gear to use.
I don't have to ask for permission, people ask me to hunt and I've been known to say yes, especially if a homemade apple pie is mentioned.
You need to get some time under your belt and something to show a farmer that you mean business.
They don't know you from Adam and don't want some yahoo running around scaring their livestock and tearing up the place.
What gear did you get ?
Im a bit late to this conversation but there are a couple things.
For the last 20 years part of my job is doing necropsies on wildlife for many reasons......unknown death, poaching and disease. Ive also done extensive study on livestock and prey animal predation.
There are two sides to the coyote situation.
First, coyotes do not help the deer population in most cases. Coyotes can be indiscriminate killers and even a small pack can kill off a deer herd well before the deer can repopulate. Also, coyotes are one of several predators who will kill multiple animals without feeding. For instance, coyotes may run down and kill several deer in one night but only eat one. Sometimes they return to eat the others but often they just kill some more. And, coyotes will kill an entire herd of penned livestock... Sheep, goats, chickens....... without eating them. In many cases predator control is necessary.
But......killing the coyotes isnt always the answer and can make the problem worse.
When you kill the dominant male in a pack, the pack may split and create multiple packs. Females will come into heat when males are killed so more pups born.
When dominant females are killed, the dominant male may mate with multiple females....so more pups.
Often a better way to control coyotes is guard dogs, electric fences or chemical deterrents. For wildlife its a bit more tricky but indiscriminate killing of single animals often makes the problem worse. One way to control is to remove entire packs by trapping, poisoning or targeted hunting.
All that said, unless there is a very healthy coyote population in an area, their presence is not usually noticed. Control is only necessary when packs overlap and predation is noticed or causes problems.
Anyways, taking a couple coyotes for sport doesnt usually cause too many problems but it also doesnt solve many problems.
Good post, very informative.
Can you please ask the local environmental agencies to release some wild hogs into our echo system to keep the coyotes busy?
From what Ive researched. There isnt a dominant male in a pack, there is one in the family and thats the father. There is no pack. They dont pack up like wolves.
Male coyotes stay with their female mate for life and the only pack there is, is their offspring. Which stick around for a little while till mom and dad boot them to the curb. Then they must go out and dominate their own space.
I could be wrong but many, many research articles Ive read say this.
Nope, thats not true.
Not all coyotes pack but many do. Its often extended families and there is a dominant male who will not let the subordinate males breed. If he is killed, the other males will quickly breed with all the females.
A pack around NYS can consist of 3-7 dogs, rarely more......usually related. Some packs will pick up stray females to enhance the bloodline.
You have to be careful where you are reading these studies from. NYS coyotes are very different from Canadian packs and western packs. Our coyotws have wolf in them ans will pack. Western coyotes dont pack as much.
There are 2 reasons coyotes pack....the reasons are the complete opposites.
They pack if they cant find enough food, or there is an abundance of food.
And, like I said, some coyotes never pack.
And they do not mate for life. A coyote can live 12 or more years. Females generally stop going into estrous around 7-8 years old. A male will leave a barren female.
Another thing about NYS coyotes and packing is they dont pack like wolves.
Wolves live together 24/7 and have very intricate social lives.
Coyotes pack in social gatherings, usually at night and pack to hunt. They can seperate into smaller groups or single animals a lot of the day.
Ive literally studied our local populations for over 2 decades. Ive trapped and released more than most ever see or hear. And ive killed my share too.
What you said and wrote is what I didnt realize until I read this. General Information About Coyotes | Urban Coyote Research.
So I apologize for thinking you were wrong
No problem, its just ONE of very few things I know about.
I spent 2 years in Alaska trapping and tagging coyotes, wolves, wolverines (which we were surprised they were there) but we ended up tagging 7 different wolverines in 2 years. Ive also sat for many hours watching coyotes feed on Caribu carcass' we staged.
Coyotes act very differently depending on where they live, what they eat and how much human pressure there is.
We saw packs of 40 yotes in Alaska. Ive seen packs of 7 here.....mostly family groups.
The yotes in Alaska are EXTREMELY afraid of humans.
NYS yotes are less afraid.
Coyotes in Alaska have far less food stretched over a far larger area.......so they generally hunt larger game in larger packs. And, Alaska coyotes are absolute specimens..... They have to be tough to survive with little food and wolves and grizzlies around.
We actually found a large male coyote living and hunting within a large wolf pack of about 30 wolves. He held his own for the 6 months we watched him.
If I can figure how to get photographs onto my phone, I will post 100s of pictures......I dont own a computer or scanner.
I dont know as much about Western coyotes but I do know they usually dont pack and live very solitary lives......sometimes not even living with a mate. They just meet, breed and separate..... Not always but often. There is usually far less food and much smaller prey with less fat......so, they live alone.....sometimes.
Alaskan coyotes dont generally have wolf in them but have been known to interbreed with the Yukon wolf...aka...."timber wolf".....although not a true timber wolf.....
Robin
.577 Tyrannosaur.
Back in the sixties I read an article on western coyotes, two things I remember, the author was shocked to discover they will pack up and hunt like wolves, complete with tactics, and he was also surprised that they didn't just take the sick lame and lazy, they would take on a full grown mule deer buck in its prime, and win.
One other thing I remember was I read the article in an Outdoor Life magazine at the school library, which ad a subscription along with Field an Stream and Sports Afield. I don't think you are allowed on school property these days with one of those in hand. Sad times.
Robin
One other thing I remember was I read the article in an Outdoor Life magazine at the school library, which ad a subscription along with Field an Stream and Sports Afield. I don't think you are allowed on school property these days with one of those in hand. Sad times.
Robin
Shoots100
.44 mag
Like a good conservationist, I always leave some behind, so I have more to hunt later.
Coyote have their place in the food chain, but as with everything, too many equal trouble.
They are very resilient, adaptable and clever, which is why I like hunting them.
I've been hunting them on/off for 41 years now and I've noticed that in some of the areas that I've kept their population in check, the deer, turkey and small game population's have also improved.
I've noticed that the condition of the coyote are better in the areas I hunt too, as I've had but one instance of a coyote with mange in the last couple of years.
I look forward to reading more about your coyote studies and observations.
Ive killed 4 in the last 2 years on my property (WNY).......all nuisance animals.
And my dog killed at least one......maybe 2, it was quite the scene.
I have lived in this house for 20 years and ive always heard coyotes in the distance.
But, the last 4 years ive lost 2 goats, a calf and a bunch of chickens, duccks and turkeys.
I actually saw with my eyes maybe 3 coyotes the first 16 years here by chance....without looking for them.
But now, over the last 4 years, I see them regularly...... at least once a week.
Crossing the roads, dead on the road, in fields, or watching my livestock from 100 yards.
And over the last 4 years, the small game has been decimated...... No rabbits, no game birds, and even the squirrels are few and far between. I even found 2 beavers eaten by coyotes a few months ago.
The deer seem ok but anything under 40 pounds is gone.
That why they are after my animals.
The local Amish kill yotes by the handful.
A funny thing we have noticed is that about 80% of what you read about coyotes is true for about 80% of the coyotes.
For instance.... You can read in many studies and magazines that western coyotes DO NOT pack.... Well, thats true for about 80% of all western coyotes, the other 20%will, like you said, pack when needed.
Coyotes are maybe the smartest and most resilient animals in the USA. To be that successful they cannot be predictable.
Crows are the same.
I grew up reading that crows rarely hunt. Ummmmm, some crows hunt A LOT. Some hunt more than 50% of their food.
City and farmland crows dont need to hunt, they have landfills, garbage, and vegetable fields to eat from. But crows in extreme rural Canada, need to hunt to live.
Same with coyotes, many studies are of urban coyotes because its interesting to know they live in suburbia. They have very little trouble finding food, so, they can live in tiny groups or solo. But far north and western coyotes may have very little food options so may pack to find larger game to hunt.
If there is one thing ive learned, living creatures can be unpredictable.
Thats why I rarely say....never, or always.....I say usually or generally.
Went out for a walk this afternoon down around Franklinville. Snow was rather deep which made walking a chore, and it was a bit windy but the fresh air and tranquility was nice. Saw a few deer and a few fresh coyote tracks, nothing else. Still, it beats working.