Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

[nealm66]

Wow! I remember when I went up too early ( too much snow) to cut timber in Ketchikan Alaska, me and a friend were checking the town out and a big fish processing ship came in and the bald eagles were everywhere and not afraid of people. There was one on a pier post about head level and I got about 3' from it and realized it wasn't going to fly and I backed away lol. One in the air took a big shiat and that was the signal to get the heck out of there quickly. I could sure see where they could play heck on an animal out in the open

 

[74honker]

Lots of baldies around here but only see maybe one or two goldens a year. They are much bigger than the balds so I could see how they may go after bigger animals. We had some pretty cold temps and a snow on with this past full moon. We had an old ewe go down (knew it was coming) and instead of taking it out away from the house like I normally do I decided to put it just a couple hundred yards from the house where I could watch over it from the desk in front of the big window. It was successful as was able to take 3 so far. I missed a couple too and lost another. Followed blood for about 100yd then just vanished. We're fixin to get a doozy of a storm next 48hrs with 12-18" of snow here. We haven't had that in probably 10 years so that should stir the pot some lol. All the critters were very active this AM ahead of it. The deer have been out all day feeding as well as what few geese are around here. My daughter and I were penning up expecting ewes and moving the ones with lambs already to other pens this AM and we could hear what I would assume was a female just a few hundred yards from the house here. It was about 8:30 and it was higher pitched just barking and yipping away. I could tell where it was as I've shot several there in the past. Had a good wind to get close to it for a try but a bit under the weather so thought better of it. But will next few days if winds allow and I feel better. I've also been watching a couple others and logging the times and places they've been for more sniping missions. Had one last week do the same thing at the same place and the same times 4 days in a row. I walked about 1.5miles to stay hid with no vehicle to be seen and sure enough day 5 and here it came. Only problem was a truck came down the road and spooked it before it got to me and off it ran. As you all can imagine my displeasure and "rambling" I did while walking back to the house. Aint seen that one since. I'll be watching and waiting and listening for the next opportunity and with this storm I hope I can make some hay the next week or so.

 

[DSheetz]

74 honker , what sounds was the higher pitched coyote making ? Short howls and quick barks or long howls and quick barks ? Maybe two short howls and two quick barks then a few seconds between them or were they spaced out for nearly a minute between them ? Or maybe mostly barks ?

 

[74honker]

Went on for several minutes. 2 quick barks then like a series of like 4 yips with an occasional short howl at the end of the series. It wasn't always the same for the whole serrenade but that was what stuck out to me as far as the entire series went. Had sheep baying too when it was all going on lol. Never did do a long howl or anything, it was all just short and quick notes. It was in a place where a field corner meets an intersection of 2 big drainage canals one of which has a ridge of thick brush and trees along it and where it all meets up to a large section of timber and swamp. This is a heavy travel corridor. It takes a special wind to set up there though. SE is best which I don't get very often. Only wind I can get there and out without being seen or heard or winded.

 

[Ohlongarm]

In 1987 a rancher named Don called me in early May to see if I could do some coyote work before he started lambing . I met him and he showed me around his place . The next day I was out and had a pair out there doing the decoy thing barking and trying to get the strange coyote away from their den . They were out 500 to 550 yards I was just getting ready to start up my Johnny Stewart MS512 with the 101 puppy tape when this truck came up on top of the hill about 100 yards from the coyote . They took off over a hill and the truck came down the hill I got up and walked to the road . Don pulled up to me and asked if I had seen those two coyote that ran off and was I having any luck finding the den . I said yes I saw them and yes I had found the den we could just walk to it . Don said I don't walk much any more I'll wait here for you to get your truck and we'll drive down to the den . I put my stuff down in the road and went for my truck coming back in half an hour . picked my stuff up and drove 30 feet to the den beside the road . Don said do you really think that's the den . I said yes shoveled some dirt in a hole and went to the front of the den to start wiring the pups out . I was running the wire down the hole when Don said somethings trying to get out of this hole you filled in . So I told him clean it out and hit the coyote pup in the head with the shovel when it comes out . A few minutes later I heard the ring of the shovel as he hit something as I was pulling a pup out of the hole on my barbed wire . I looked over and he had the biggest smile you had ever seen . We took five pups out of that hole . I never did get the adults from that den . Don told me nobody else had let him help take a den before .

I did some denning in Ohio, I'm looking for the pictures, dens are easy to find here usually south facing slopes, usually not too deep, I only did this when asked to by landowners. I enjoy the hunt too much.

 

[DSheetz]

74honker , it sounds like what they do here when they are looking for one that is missing . Ohiolongarm , I have noticed that the majority of our dens are also south facing . Some are easy to find some not so much . I enjoyed denning a lot but then I just liked doing all things involving coyote till my lungs gave out . My own doing smoked , welded and worked in fly ash it's like volcanic ash fine and lots of sharp edges , When I was younger I did a lot of pipe insulation with asbestos as well , and too many dusty miles in our dry climate . I sent a couple of pictures to ButterBean from a week last summer when I got out with Gene and his Jack Russell denning . We only took a den a day with the adults for five days . When I was locating for the Government plane I took four dens in one day that averaged 8 pups each that was from before daylight till after sunset and I was worn out for the rest of the week from all the miles . Dave

 

[74honker]

That's interesting and I'll keep note of that. It could make sense if that was the case as on Sunday AM I caught an older male laying on top of the levee here by the house. All I could see was its head as it was about 400yd away. I was able to get out the door and into a good shooting position. Seemed like forever but it finally stood up and that was it's last mistake. Took him straight on and it flipped on impact. Crazy thing was it jumped up and ran about 40yd with enough of a blood trail I could easily see it through the scope before it piled up. Would stand to reason that what we heard this AM was its mate looking for it. From where we heard it this AM and where I got the male the other day is probably only 600yd apart. Another lesson learned from the Jedi Dsheetz! Now I'll really be on the hunt to try to get her! It will be a challenge though knowing I can't go in there for probably a few days because of wind directions.

 

[DSheetz]

74honker , I like to do long lone howls in that situation using my hand held howler . One long howl and wait up to a minute then do it again for a few times . If she doesn't answer and come to that then I go to two half howls and two barks give it 30 seconds to a minute between them so I can hear if there is a reply . I have heard them do this up to half hour at times when I had taken their mate . It's all fun and a learning experience .

 

[Airedale56]

Thanks, Dave.
Nice posts.

 

[DSheetz]

Airedale56 , I enjoy sharing my experiences , if someone can benefit from them and maybe get some useful things or ideas to use for themselves so much the better . You and everyone else that enjoyed reading them are truly welcome . I also enjoy reading of others experiences coyote hunting or just out and about in the field .

 

[74honker]

Dave, I will definately try that strategy. Is there a timeframe for success on this deal? It was Sunday when I got the male, yesterday when I heard the female, don't know when I'll be able to get back into that spot to try for her. How long will it be before she gives up the search?

 

[DSheetz]

It's normally around a week here unless they find the remains then it's all over at that point thus I picked up all of them and moved them plus I needed to show proof of purchase so would put them at a gate for the land owner to see . It was piece work not a monthly pay day , kept me working hard lol, not really I was taught early in life to give 8 hours work for 8 hours of pay other wise it was stealing from your employer because you got paid for something you didn't do . My Grandparents were Baptists from the old school . They are long gone now but I still respect how they taught me to live .

 

[74honker]

I figured the clock was ticking. Hopefully the wind will get right in the next few days and I can get in there after it. Especially since it's the female! She won't find the remains, I picked it up right after the shot and my buddy came and got it later that AM. It aint even in the same zip code anymore lol. I'll keep you posted.

 

[DSheetz]

In the early 80's I killed an adult female coyote . She showed that she had , had pups . At that time I wasn't picking them up just taking the ears to get paid . So I left her laying where I had shot her and decided to try the next day for her mate and the pups . It was in early June and I hoped that the pups were still around the den hole . So then I went to my night job that started at 3:00 pm and got off at 11:30 . On my way home I decided to stop by close to where I had killed her so that I could listen and maybe make the pups howl for a better location of the den . As I sat there listening I heard a long lone howl with a deep voice come from close to where she was laying . With in a few minutes I heard a lot of young coyote pups sound off from the same area . The next morning I got there close to day break set up and started my female coyote howls . I did this for several minutes with out any response maybe half an hour went by and not any sound or sighting of coyote . I walked over to where she lay near a road in the dust of the road I saw large male coyote tracks along with several sets of puppy tracks . In the dust by the female there were all kinds of coyote tracks circling her . They all , the whole family had been to her circled her and left . I got to my truck followed the road and tracks till they went into another ranch that I didn't have permission to hunt over a mile away from where I had shot her . That's when I started taking my kills out with me . Over the years I played with it to verify what I first thought when this happened . If they find the dead coyote they will get together near by and do a group howl then leave the area . If they don't they will do some asking howls to see if they will be answered and most times stay in that area . Here those are two short howls then two quick barks over and over near sunrise of the next day and for a few days they will still try to get a reply from the missing mate or puppies