Predator hunting 2020-2021

[Shoots100]

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.

I see a difference in coyote behavior when traveling just 2.5 hours north of my location.
There not as vocal in the suburbs and as you mentioned, rarely seen in packs or even pairs.
Up north, I hear multiple packs calling at night and their more aggressive when coming into calls.
With this amount of snow, I'm getting calls about coyote lurking around.
Time to get the thermal sighted in on the PCP rifle and do some scouting.

 

[JamieZ]

Went to two properties last night and saw absolutely no animals. Sucked walking through the snow, need to find my snowshoes in the basement. Really, really love my new scope though but haven't even got to see a heat signature yet except for my dog in the backyard

 

[squib]

Hardcore^^
I went to the range yesterday and fired (1) fouled cold bore shot @100yds w/clipon.
I had to walk to post and retrieve target in the snow.
I had to have lunch and a nap when I returned home.

 

[Shoots100]

Went to two properties last night and saw absolutely no animals. Sucked walking through the snow, need to find my snowshoes in the basement. Really, really love my new scope though but haven't even got to see a heat signature yet except for my dog in the backyard

During this type of weather, is when hunting over a bait pile really shines.
When coyote know where a pile is, they'll visit it more often, as they know food will be there and no energy is wasted chasing prey around.
If you make trails in the snow overlooking the pile, they'll take those trails to conserve energy and will usually stop to get a view of the pile before committing, giving you a clear shot.
If you set up a a blind with a heater, it's makes for a more enjoyable evening.

 

[JamieZ]

During this type of weather, is when hunting over a bait pile really shines.
When coyote know where a pile is, they'll visit it more often, as they know food will be there and no energy is wasted chasing prey around.
If you make trails in the snow overlooking the pile, they'll take those trails to conserve energy and will usually stop to get a view of the pile before committing, giving you a clear shot.
If you set up a a blind with a heater, it's makes for a more enjoyable evening.

Remember when I said I was going to ask the local grocery store owner for scraps from his meat department? Well,,,I actually happened to remember last week. I cant remember what he said they used them for but basically told me he has no leftovers.

Think Im just going to have to trap the neighbors cat being that he/she looks pretty fat and tasty, it would make a pretty good bait pile.










Im just busting balls ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,god for bid the Left Leaning Lovers of the board read what I wrote..............I like cats, I grew up with them

 

[JamieZ]

Got any ideas for me, for a bait pile? How about a bag of dog food

Actually I have a bag of pheasant that has been sitting in my freezer since last year,,,,thats a start.

 

[squib]

Got any ideas for me, for a bait pile? How about a bag of dog food

Actually I have a bag of pheasant that has been sitting in my freezer since last year,,,,thats a start.

Daily food waste stored at room temperature.

I'm glad no pussies were harmed.

 

[FrankenCub]

Got any ideas for me, for a bait pile? How about a bag of dog food

Actually I have a bag of pheasant that has been sitting in my freezer since last year,,,,thats a start.

Got a truck? Drive around till you find a deer that has been hit lol.

 

[Tisto]

Remember when I said I was going to ask the local grocery store owner for scraps from his meat department? Well,,,I actually happened to remember last week. I cant remember what he said they used them for but basically told me he has no leftovers.

Think Im just going to have to trap the neighbors cat being that he/she looks pretty fat and tasty, it would make a pretty good bait pile.










Im just busting balls ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,god for bid the Left Leaning Lovers of the board read what I wrote..............I like cats, I grew up with them

Actually, your neighbor's cat would be fine. You just have to borrow it for a few hours. Then you can return it unharmed. Here's how to do it:

Pick up your neighbor's cat, and ( you might want to wear a set of welding gloves for this part ) insert him into a bird cage. Of course, you will have to remove all the perches and the swing first. Then, once the cat is inside the cage, you can take him to your hunting spot. Place the cage in an appropriate spot, and go to your shooting location. The beauty of the bird cage is that you can hang it several feet off the ground, out of reach of any coyote. Tip for using this setup : tie a string to the cat's foot before inserting him in the cage. This is just like the remote on your Foxpro, but without the batteries. A good tug on the string will induce vocalizations from the cat. If he shuts up, give another tug.

There are some downsides to this system : first, the cat will not likely allow you to EVER pick him up again, so having multiple cats is a good thing. Second, if your neighbor figures out what you're borrowing his cat for, he might become agitated unless, of course, he doesn't like the cat in the first place. If that in fact is the case, his wife, on the other hand, will be irate.

I have tried almost every idea for hinting coyotes with the exception of milkbones. I'm not ruling that out though. A dog's squeeky toy is part of my trick bag though. And, it works !

 

[JamieZ]

Actually, your neighbor's cat would be fine. You just have to borrow it for a few hours. Then you can return it unharmed. Here's how to do it:

Pick up your neighbor's cat, and ( you might want to wear a set of welding gloves for this part ) insert him into a bird cage. Of course, you will have to remove all the perches and the swing first. Then, once the cat is inside the cage, you can take him to your hunting spot. Place the cage in an appropriate spot, and go to your shooting location. The beauty of the bird cage is that you can hang it several feet off the ground, out of reach of any coyote. Tip for using this setup : tie a string to the cat's foot before inserting him in the cage. This is just like the remote on your Foxpro, but without the batteries. A good tug on the string will induce vocalizations from the cat. If he shuts up, give another tug.

There are some downsides to this system : first, the cat will not likely allow you to EVER pick him up again, so having multiple cats is a good thing. Second, if your neighbor figures out what you're borrowing his cat for, he might become agitated unless, of course, he doesn't like the cat in the first place. If that in fact is the case, his wife, on the other hand, will be irate.

I have tried almost every idea for hinting coyotes with the exception of milkbones. I'm not ruling that out though. A dog's squeeky toy is part of my trick bag though. And, it works !

That's some good shit right there

 

[Shoots100]

Actually, your neighbor's cat would be fine. You just have to borrow it for a few hours. Then you can return it unharmed. Here's how to do it:

Pick up your neighbor's cat, and ( you might want to wear a set of welding gloves for this part ) insert him into a bird cage. Of course, you will have to remove all the perches and the swing first. Then, once the cat is inside the cage, you can take him to your hunting spot. Place the cage in an appropriate spot, and go to your shooting location. The beauty of the bird cage is that you can hang it several feet off the ground, out of reach of any coyote. Tip for using this setup : tie a string to the cat's foot before inserting him in the cage. This is just like the remote on your Foxpro, but without the batteries. A good tug on the string will induce vocalizations from the cat. If he shuts up, give another tug.

There are some downsides to this system : first, the cat will not likely allow you to EVER pick him up again, so having multiple cats is a good thing. Second, if your neighbor figures out what you're borrowing his cat for, he might become agitated unless, of course, he doesn't like the cat in the first place. If that in fact is the case, his wife, on the other hand, will be irate.

I have tried almost every idea for hinting coyotes with the exception of milkbones. I'm not ruling that out though. A dog's squeeky toy is part of my trick bag though. And, it works !

If you bring it back, it's not a bait pile !
What I've been doing the last couple of years before coyote season, is to freeze all of the table scraps in a small bucket.
When it gets colder out, I keep them in a bucket on the porch.
It attracts all types of critters and that attracts coyote.
Add a can of tuna fish and your all set.
I also bought a gallon of bait scent from a trapper supply, just remember to keep the cap is tight !

 

[Tisto]

That's some good shit right there

You think I'm kidding....

 

[Tisto]

The results from last weekend's efforts.

 

[Shoots100]

View attachment 107045 The results from last weekend's efforts.

 

[Tisto]

I went out very early this morning for a total of about 4 hours. Three sets. First set I got busted almost as soon as I got set up. Two coyotes walked in behind me. I heard movement and turned to look. There they were, staring at me 20 yards away. As soon as I moved to pick up the gun, they took off like Jesse Owens. I didn't even play a single call there. Moved to the next spot, got settled and began to call. Every single call, no matter what I played was answered immediately from the next hill over. Then I went to the next hill over. All set up, started to call, and nothing. No matter what I played, nothing. Just as it was getting light enough to see, I saw one on the far side of the field poking around some haybales. A few minutes later I saw a second in the same location. That was it. Lots of deer feeding, getting their bellies full before the storm but not much else to speak of.

 

[Chicken Shoot]

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 ?

I've known the farmers and their families for 50 years. LOL It's mostly the neighbors really but the farmers are of course asked by many to hunt and I do understand. It wasn't a waste of money really, but it was a waste for coyote hunting. I love the gun and the scope and 4 shots with one hole at 200yds with my reloads today has me really loving it. I really do wish it was used for the reason it was bought, but I agree with you that it wasn't a true waste of money. I picked up a Savage Mod 11 Heavy barrel in 22-250 with a Vortex Crossfire II 6-18x44 scope. Liking both very much. Got into reloading recently and I'm amazed at the consistency/accuracy gained by it. I've always heard about how reloading was superior but to actually do it and see it for myself .... WOW!!

 

[Shoots100]

I've known the farmers and their families for 50 years. LOL It's mostly the neighbors really but the farmers are of course asked by many to hunt and I do understand. It wasn't a waste of money really, but it was a waste for coyote hunting. I love the gun and the scope and 4 shots with one hole at 200yds with my reloads today has me really loving it. I really do wish it was used for the reason it was bought, but I agree with you that it wasn't a true waste of money. I picked up a Savage Mod 11 Heavy barrel in 22-250 with a Vortex Crossfire II 6-18x44 scope. Liking both very much. Got into reloading recently and I'm amazed at the consistency/accuracy gained by it. I've always heard about how reloading was superior but to actually do it and see it for myself .... WOW!!

Well, you need to buy some thermal optics to make you happy then.
I know it makes me happy.
As I've always said, if you can't go get them, put out some bait piles and bring them to you.
Anyone can hunt during the day, so you need to lessen the competition and hunt at night.
Hunting at night opens a whole new world, doors and hunting opportunities.
Your neighbors will be asleep and if you don't blast away, they won't even know your out there.
I have a very quiet PCP air rifle that's perfect for suburban areas.
Own the night, Come over to the Dark side.

 

[JamieZ]

Went out again tonight and called in nothing. Im going to have to drive around tomorrow and look for dead critters and start making a bait pile. All my luck has run out. I was getting them to come in often and would see fox all the time,,,now I see neither. Though I did see a couple of deer way off in the field. Tuesday night was the same deal. Deer in the woods bedded down but no fox or coyote.

 

[1075tech]

Yesterday morning about 5am, all kinds of yipping and howling from the swamp next to the park across the road from me.

We never had sightings of coyotes in the area here until about 5 or 6 years ago. They clear-cut 100 acres to build a shopping plaza (never did build it). Right after that, a lot of reports and sightings. People who lived near the edge of the clear-cut lost dogs and cats. Sometimes the yotes would walk through their yards during the day while they were outside.

 

[JamieZ]

Its 3am and its way, way past my bed time but I shot my first coyote tonight at 1:45am. He was a good size dog, very heavy, I will weigh and skin it tomorrow.

 

[FRB]

Yeah - finally!!! How does it feel to have that 1st one nabbed Jamie?

 

[JamieZ]

Yeah - finally!!! How does it feel to have that 1st one nabbed Jamie?

Felt great for the first 10 mins after the shot but then it wasn't so great anymore when we started dragging it back the 300yds,,,bitch was heavy and I didn't realize we were in cow shit territory,,,lucky for us it was all dried up.

Excitement level went back up once we made it back to the house. I fired the shot about 25yds away from the back of his house and the coyote had to be about 250-300yds away

 

[JamieZ]

First spot we went to was on the other side of the woods behind my buddies house. Played a bunch of different calls and got no response. One last try I played female invitation howl and my buddy saw something stick its head out of the woods. 1 min later it was barking up a storm at us. So much so I thought it might be a domestic dog but the bark was to raspy. Never got it to come in. We left for the next spot, which was across the street from his house.

Within 10 mins of playing coyote challenge calls a canine came running directly towards the caller.......Buddy says shoot it, its a yote. I said no its a fox.
We left for the next spot which was directly behind his house hunting the other side of the woods that we hunted on the first stand.

We went back there because the coyote that was barking at us on the first stand wouldnt shut up while we were on the second stand. 5 mins after going back there I see 2 yotes way off in the distance, to our right, in an open field. They ran towards the woods in front of us and I lost them. 2 mins later my buddy saw one of them coming up the electric fence line for the cows and I whistled to get it to stop but it wouldnt. So then I yelled,,,, Hey!!!!!! It stopped and I shot it. First shot was good and it was spinning but buddy said it was looking like it was going to run and shoot it again. So I did and when looking at it, first shot was a perfect hit in the upper chest cavity, second was his leg, which I almost blew off.

 

[Robin]

Good going Jamie!!!!! Nice shot!!!!!
Robin

 

[JamieZ]

Good going Jamie!!!!! Nice shot!!!!!
Robin

Thanks buddy!

 

[Shoots100]

Felt great for the first 10 mins after the shot but then it wasn't so great anymore when we started dragging it back the 300yds,,,bitch was heavy and I didn't realize we were in cow shit territory,,,lucky for us it was all dried up.

Excitement level went back up once we made it back to the house. I fired the shot about 25yds away from the back of his house and the coyote had to be about 250-300yds away

Great Job.
Now that you have one under your belt, It's all downhill from here.
The hardest part of predator hunting in open field terrain, is waiting for them to come in close enough for a shot.
You have until the 28th, so I hope to see some more kill footage from you.

 

[JamieZ]

Great Job.
Now that you have one under your belt, It's all downhill from here.
The hardest part of predator hunting in open field terrain, is waiting for them to come in close enough for a shot.
You have until the 28th, so I hope to see some more kill footage from you.

Was gonna go out tonight but I'm thinking it might possibly be a bad idea,,,,,,Im lacking brain cells right now, being that I only slept from 4am till 8am and I still have to go over to his house, to skin the yote.

I think Im going to keep the skull too. Need to google search how to take care of it and then bleach it out so the skull and the teeth are nice and white.

Hide and skull will be a nice addition to my knotty pine cave in the basement

 

[FrankenCub]

Awesome, now you're gonna be hooked.
I have some video of a Grey fox called in the other night but my laptop is down with a bad charge port and I can't seem to get my Linux pc to upload it yet.
Hopefully I can get out some more before the 28th.

 

[JamieZ]

Awesome, now you're gonna be hooked.
I have some video of a Grey fox called in the other night but my laptop is down with a bad charge port and I can't seem to get my Linux pc to upload it yet.
Hopefully I can get out some more before the 28th.

Ive been hooked for 10 years and I only shot one last night. Having a good thermal scanner and a good thermal scope is a HUGE plus in getting one. Makes life much easier. My buddy uses my spare thermal mono and a green light on his scope. He hasnt been really able to see any of the fox or coyote except when he is looking through the mono, once he switches over to the scope with the green light he has lost contact.

 

[FrankenCub]

I'm kinda happy I haven't been able to try thermal, it would ruin me for NV. Even $1400 is a tough pill for me to swallow for a mono. I'm quite happy with my NV so far.