Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

[204_ruger]

I know its not hunting. But I put them knives to good uses i got from u. On 1 hunting club i trapped. I took
28 coyotes
44 coons
20 oppsums
1 bobcat
2 fox.

 

[DSheetz]

It's about visiting with each other and sharing our experiences . I'm glad you could put them to good use knives , horses , dogs and such are wasted if they aren't put to good use aren't they ?

 

[DSheetz]

Back on April 21, 2020 I decided to start this page to share some of the things that happened to me while hunting coyote and doing predator control as well as to hear of others experiences . The things that we discuss don't have to deal with hunting coyote or predator control work they can be anything that we find interesting about what we happen to be doing or have done . A few things that have been talked about have dealt with zoonotic disease , shot guns and building AR's . It's more about visiting and enjoying each others company here being friendly and considerate of the fellow hunters or of those that might be trying to learn more about coyote and other things we have done or are interested in doing . In short here we are about treating others as we want them to treat us and that is rule number one all the way to the end of the rules it's the only rule to this site . If you decide that you want to talk of a deer hunt and what you learned from it , it still applies to predator hunting as hunting any thing and learning about that helps in all of the other hunting we may do . We are here to learn from and enjoy each others company the only wrong thing said here is to say disrespectful things so if you want to visit some area please feel free to , we will enjoy doing so . Dave

 

[nealm66]

I think all of us are here to learn and share knowledge. This has been a really good thread

 

[DMP25-06]

Yes Sir , DSheetz .
Your "Baby" is soon to celebrate it's 2nd Birthday , and you could not have asked for more "Gifts" to have been given than all of the stories and tips that have been showered upon your "Child" in the past 2 years .
CONGRATULATIONS !!!!

And many thanks to ALL of you that have contributed to this Great Thread .

 

[Bucklowery]

It may be the best thread on the best forum. I attribute that to the standards and wisdom of th owner of the site and the author of this thread.
Thanks Mr. Len and Mr. Dave

I think all of us are here to learn and share knowledge. This has been a really good thread

Buck

 

[DSheetz]

100% agree We all have made this very enjoyable and , informative a big Thank You to all that help make this site what it is . I hope to continue doing what I can to keep life interesting .

 

[DSheetz]

I had a few dogs over the years that hunted and trapped with me . My favorite was named Ellie May she was a southern black mouth cur a very smart dog and loved to play hid and seek with me she never learned that I could see her tracks in the snow , she would run ahead of me dart off the trail and lay by a bush then run out and pounce at me as I went by . Some body killed her in her kennel one night . Buckwheat was another , and my last , black mouth cur . We were out one morning in early winter I set up and was calling a draw . Pretty soon here comes Buckwheat . He was herding a couple of ewes back to me that had been left behind in that pasture when they moved the herd to another pasture . We took them to the gate into the pasture where the other sheep were then I called the rancher to tell him we had put more ewes in it . He just wanted to please me and some how knew it was ok for him to bring me those ewes . He wasn't chasing them just guiding them to me and then to the gate that I was heading them to . Dogs were and are a part in my life that I enjoy and respect . My grand parents had a hard life and a hard way about their dogs . If their dogs ran they got shot on their way home . If they weren't a good smart dog and obedient they didn't live long to eat food that a good dog could put to better use . That's how I was taught to be with dogs and horses . I tend to be way more tolerant of them these days except for when they are overly aggressive no biting of humans will be taken lightly but I have a soft spot for my four legged friends and respect them as to what they are and do with and for me .

 

[nealm66]

I grew up with some friends that hound hunted. Still baffles me how they could tell when they were on old or fresh scent , coon, bear or cat or god forbid, deer. Or when they'd cull a litter. Pups would sell for thousands of dollars but one or two didn't. Crazy how strong those dogs are.

 

[DSheetz]

The dogs or the people ? The dogs talk differently when it's an old track the fresher the track the more excited the dog . Reemty J knows more about dogs and hunting with them then I ever will .

 

[DSheetz]

When you have been around a person , or dog long enough you learn how they speak under different conditions . When I get excited I might talk faster , louder and in a different tone . When my dog is close to an animal it might talk faster in a higher pitch and a chop instead of a bawl . When a dog hits a deer trail it might talk faster higher pitched then when it hits a coyote track . Dogs say different things for different animals at different tones and paces when you have been around them you learn to hear the subtle differences in their voice and know what it is that they are talking about . Reemty J . isn't that about how you would describe it ? They have a language the same as we do it's a matter of learning to interpret it and being able to hear the differences they have to say . Darn I need to charge my hearing aids lol .

 

[nealm66]

The first time I went coon hunting ( I think it was the first) , evidently by the bark they could tell it was chasing a deer for a bit. Thought they were going to kill the dog right there and then. These were very expensive sought after dogs. Thinking we were all about 12 years oldish. The dog knew it had screwed up badly when it came in. Took its punishment like nothing and ended up treeing a coon that night. About 6 of us and 1 flashlight in western Washington woods. Different times for sure

 

[nealm66]

My dad used to log in the summer and trap in the winter. My oldest brother helped him, I was too little. Sometimes he'd catch an unwanted something or other, he'd put it in a cage and heal it up and turn it loose. I kept a good distance from the unhappy whatever in the cage. My dad cooked up some of the things he trapped just to see what they tasted like and made us try it too. I was too young to remember thankfully

 

[DSheetz]

In todays world there are some good dog training aids that when used correctly work well . I have put dogs down , mostly for being aggressive to humans , if they bite a person they don't come home , if they decide to run off and not come when called they might get a few chances and worked with to teach them better . When a dog decides to run unwanted animals they most time can be trained not to but if not they don't go to another person . That's one of the reasons that I like the curs a good scolding most times is all that is needed with them , they just want to please their person and take care of their family and respond well to a scolding not harsh actions , I gotta love them for their personalities and the way they learn . Most of them aren't hard headed like some of the hound breads I've been around . I also have cooked a few animals to see how they were for food I look at how an animal lives it's life if they are a clean animal and not a scavenger , I don't eat chicken or turkey to me they are a buzzard or rat filthy animals I worked at an egg farm when I was a kid and never got over the experience . Possums and coons aren't really very clean animals either beaver are relatively clean and vegetarians all dark meat , Most of the weasel family don't fit well into the eatable category often tasting sort of like they smell . The dressing out of animals makes a huge difference in how they taste as well . I cut the hide , or skin from the inside out so that none of the hide touches any meat the knife is kept clean and hair or fur isn't cut and spread around on the animals body .I made a good blade for that that has a rounded tip so it slides along the underside of the skin and doesn't cut into the meat and use my hands as well as my finger tips to separate skin from flesh . With animals at home I air them up with a sports ball needle that is sharpened and air compressor or bike tire pump . In the field with coyote , bobcats and other fur bearing animals I do the same makes it a ten minute or less job . On animals that are going to be eaten the urethra and anus are tied off so as not to leak and care is taken not to nick a gut . Animals meant to be eaten are head or neck shot when possible lung and heart shots work for me as well you can't wash the taste of ruptured gut out of the meat to me so it's best not to have it on the meat in the first place . To me from shot to freezer is an important part of the process and before the shot not having the animal full of adrenalin by being ran means a lot as to how well it eats . tough meat is often caused by us in that way in my opinion . We are living in the best of times in the United States today with all of the best of things readily at hand I have to love it .