I'm not sure but I kind of think coyote are too smart and independent to be fully tamed or well trained especially by me . I have the up most respect for them most certainly as parents and survivors . I don't have any hate toward them they do what they do to survive but it interferes with us doing what we have to do to survive . It has always been the challenge of out witting them that has kept me going after them . I believe that any humans that were persecuted as much as they have been would be extinct by now . Just some of my thoughts .
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Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote
- Thread starter DSheetz
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DMP25-06
Well-Known Member
DSheetz ,
During the years that you have hunted predators for the ranchers and various livestock and agricultural agencies , have you taken photos of your hunts , trapping sets , and calling set-ups ?
If so , utilizing those photos , and the tools that you described in your previous posts , I think that you should conduct clinics on coyote hunting , much like some of the LRH members have training and schools on long range shooting . I believe that there would be a market for your training .
Maybe Cabelas/BassPro Shops , or Eastman's Outdoors might be willing to include you in their traveling roadshows .
Again , Thank You for sharing your stories and knowledge .
DMP25-06
During the years that you have hunted predators for the ranchers and various livestock and agricultural agencies , have you taken photos of your hunts , trapping sets , and calling set-ups ?
If so , utilizing those photos , and the tools that you described in your previous posts , I think that you should conduct clinics on coyote hunting , much like some of the LRH members have training and schools on long range shooting . I believe that there would be a market for your training .
Maybe Cabelas/BassPro Shops , or Eastman's Outdoors might be willing to include you in their traveling roadshows .
Again , Thank You for sharing your stories and knowledge .
DMP25-06
I used to have a lot of pictures of some of the strange things like when I caught an old female coyote by the lower jaw with a #3 coil spring trap . I think the pan cover was contaminated and she was trying to steal it . All of my journals and that sort of things were turned over to a wild life biologist that was with the USDA . so he could read them . He had journals dating back to the 30's from gov trappers in Wyoming now those guys were tough people and very interesting . Even their wives were tough hard working people and lived lives that most men wouldn't today . A lot of the wives handled the fur and then it was turned over to be auctioned off and the money went to the gov.
HRM Johnny
Well-Known Member
Great stories and excellent information from the 3 of you gentlemen , as always .
I read your stories and can envision myself along with you on your excursions . Very interesting reading of your work and adventures .
Each day , I look forward to any new posts on this thread .
Thank all of you .
Dmp25-06
^^^^^^^^ what he said!
Johnny
A few years back down in Gurnsey Wy. , where the rail road keeps their rail crews , the crew had a coyote trained to come feed at lunch time with them . Kind of like dances with wolves and two socks . All went fine for some time until one day it attacked and bite one of the guys . They got the animal control person to put it down and as it had bitten a person it was sent for testing at the state lab in Cheyenne . The test came back positive for rabies . A lot of vaccines were given to the crew at that time .
Just so you folks that do not live out west know what it is like here.. In Conrad we are 25 miles from the east front, northwest of us is swift dam, an irrigation reservoir on the birch creek drainages, right on the edge of the mountains....anyway a rancher lives about 4 miles off the front along birch creek and last week he had a sow and boar grizzly on his place...sow was in heat and they stayed there for two days, he actually saw them mate a couple times...keep in mind this is all grass or hay fields with a bunch of 12' tall willows along the creek, so these bears would be extremely visible any time they are not in the willows.........I have lived here 20 years, 10 to 15 years ago whenever someone saw a grizzly out on the prairie, lots of people would drive out to see them.... now, if someone says there is a grizz 2 miles west of town, most people say "big deal"....Conrad is on the prairie, fairly flat, but with draws and coulees and some brush or willows here and there. When I moved to Mondamtana in 1983 I thought I died and went to heaven, a hunters paradise......still is and they will bury me here. More big game and small game to hunt than you can imagine.
The rancher said the sow looked to be in rough shape (she could be old) and the boar dwarfed her, said he was twice the size of her. Keep in mind most sows are 250-350 # the largest I have heard of was 401 # but we have had two boars in the last 25 years, caught in the spring one was 900 # and the other was a 1000 # and get this.........one was grandpa and the heavier one was caught 10 years later or so, he was the grandson of the 900 #er.....they DNA them....isn't that interesting? Most grizz boars are 400-700, with 6" of hair on them..you get the idea.
The rancher said the sow looked to be in rough shape (she could be old) and the boar dwarfed her, said he was twice the size of her. Keep in mind most sows are 250-350 # the largest I have heard of was 401 # but we have had two boars in the last 25 years, caught in the spring one was 900 # and the other was a 1000 # and get this.........one was grandpa and the heavier one was caught 10 years later or so, he was the grandson of the 900 #er.....they DNA them....isn't that interesting? Most grizz boars are 400-700, with 6" of hair on them..you get the idea.
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We used to have an exchange program with schools from Maryland the students couldn't believe what kind of country we had here let alone how much distance there was between towns . When you have ranchers that live 40 miles from town a lot of people can't fathom that could be the case as they are used to seeing a town every 10 miles or less . No it's not heaven but as ReemtyJ said you can see it from here . At one time I was driving 65 miles out of Douglas just to get to where I was doing coyote control with no towns in sight . We have grass lands pine ridges ect. a lot of the time you may think it's pretty flat land but if you walk out there you will find a draw or coolie that may be 30 feet deep that you can't see until you get almost on top of it . We have hills and rock piles in places that some from other places might call a small mountain . Some are covered with grass that is only maybe 6" tall some have pine or juniper trees on them and some are mostly just rocks . When I was a kid town was only 12 miles from us but we may not go to town even once during the summer . There are still rural schools that go to 8th grade here and may only have 5 - 10 students . I have spent days out and not seen any one else .
Back in 1989 I was working some lamb killers for a good sized ranch . They wanted me to locate them for the helicopter so that's what I did every morning for two weeks I'd get them located , there were three groups of them all with pups traveling and sagebrush camping ,by the time I got called it was mid June . Any way I would take one of the boys with me and get a location on these coyote and they would call the waiting chopper . It would then fly in to find them to shoot them . They did this as I said for two weeks but when the chopper would show up not one coyote could be found . Finally I ask if I could just work them on the ground by myself and Butch said ok give it a try . I took the boys with me one morning and went around one of the pastures setting snares showing them the sign I was using to place them . The next day I had an old dog coyote . Three coyote latter I located for the chopper again success they took five , but they were all pups . The older coyote had learned how to avoid the chopper and were teaching the pups to lay down and not move . So then they had me set snares around more pastures . I got them all setup and had them fly it again then went around and checked the snares four old coyote in the snares . The chopper got some more pups . but I was getting the old chopper wise coyote as they weren't snare smart . They would hear the chopper coming a long ways off and run through the snares to go hid from it . I took twenty coyote , 60 fox and nine adult bobcats from there that year .
nicholasjohn
Well-Known Member
Back in 1989 I was working some lamb killers for a good sized ranch . They wanted me to locate them for the helicopter so that's what I did every morning for two weeks I'd get them located , there were three groups of them all with pups traveling and sagebrush camping ,by the time I got called it was mid June . Any way I would take one of the boys with me and get a location on these coyote and they would call the waiting chopper . It would then fly in to find them to shoot them . They did this as I said for two weeks but when the chopper would show up not one coyote could be found . Finally I ask if I could just work them on the ground by myself and Butch said ok give it a try . I took the boys with me one morning and went around one of the pastures setting snares showing them the sign I was using to place them . The next day I had an old dog coyote . Three coyote latter I located for the chopper again success they took five , but they were all pups . The older coyote had learned how to avoid the chopper and were teaching the pups to lay down and not move . So then they had me set snares around more pastures . I got them all setup and had them fly it again then went around and checked the snares four old coyote in the snares . The chopper got some more pups . but I was getting the old chopper wise coyote as they weren't snare smart . They would hear the chopper coming a long ways off and run through the snares to go hid from it . I took twenty coyote , 60 fox and nine adult bobcats from there that year .
That's just like having a shooter on all the escape routes when you put on a deer drive, DSheetz. If you know where they want to go, all they need is a little push. Trying to make them go where you want them never works, but if you know where they want to go you have their number. You are shiftier than a coyote, Sir.
I always enjoyed being told at least a day before they were going to fly so I could get my snares set up and ready for the squirters . I was out locating for the plane one morning . I saw two trotting south down a cow trail that was worn down to 6 or 8" deep so I called the plane and gave the gps grid . . Before I could hear the plane they both laid down in the trail putting their heads down on their paws . The plane came in and flew right over them made a couple of passes then called me to ask if I was sure there were coyote there . I told them yes that they had flown over them a few times . So I had them fly over again and told them mark when they were on top of them they finally spotted them hidden in plain sight . After the first one was hit just laying there the second one jumped and ran . They really blend in well with our color of dirt and rocks , if they don't move it's hard to see them if you don't know where they are , but when the grass is green they stand out real well with it as a back ground .
DMP25-06
Well-Known Member
DSheetz ,
The helicopters and airplane were using you as the forward observer , and they were the gunships , but they were not believing your observations , until you literally "painted the target" for them .
As you said , the coyotes were hiding in plain sight .
Again , you have provided us with more great stories .
Thank You ,
DMP25-06
The helicopters and airplane were using you as the forward observer , and they were the gunships , but they were not believing your observations , until you literally "painted the target" for them .
As you said , the coyotes were hiding in plain sight .
Again , you have provided us with more great stories .
Thank You ,
DMP25-06
DMP25-06 You are welcome I had so much enjoyment from things as they happened to me and again when I share them with you guys that like to read about them . So thank You . The pilots learned that when I told them there were coyote I could put them on top of them . In the end we got them . The chopper pilot used to request me as I would stay and make sure that he could see them I put him on top of several that he had been trying to find . The last year I skinned any I found 2 that had paralyzed legs from #4 shot . They went to it from #4 buck shot , bb's , 127 per shot vrs 27 or 29 pellets . , but there was a shortage of #4 buck shot and the bb's were steel as well .
DMP25-06
Well-Known Member
DSheetz ,
Talking about animals hiding in plain sight .
I once witnessed a 6x6 bull Elk hide in plain sight .
November , 1984 , my first hunt in the state of Colorado .
My friend and I had hiked several miles away from the road , and up a long ridge line , in public lands , that the valleys that bordered to the north and south were private lands . About noon we stopped to take a break and have our lunch , so I chose a spot that had good viewpoints for us to glass for game . The view to the south was a long sloping basin with a 30* incline , that had good visibility for nearly 2 miles . On the north side of the ridge was an abrupt drop of 75' of vertical cliff face , and then very steep angle of 60* , gradually decreasing to lesser incline with a large sage brush covered basin , that was all private land . After glassing the south side of the slope and seeing no animals , I moved to look at the north facing slope . Before raising my binoculars , I immediately spotted a large bull Elk standing on the sage-covered slope , at a distance that I estimated to be 3/4 mile , on the private land .
We watched this elk , which when viewed through binoculars , was a large 6x6 near 350" class animal for more than 30 minutes as he grazed un-disturbed . Suddenly , the Elk raised his head , turned , looking to the north down the slope , and then walked several steps into the heavier sage brush , and laid-down , with his chin on the ground and his antlers laid nearly flat along his sides . We began glassing farther down-slope to the north of the Elk , and about 1/4 mile farther down , we saw 8 hunters walking up the slope toward the spot where the bull was laying . All 8 hunters were equally spaced about 30 yards apart , like they were conducting a drive , but moving too fast . In just a few minutes , the hunters were very near the bull , and I expected it to try to run and be shot , but the Elk did not flinch , even when 1 man walked within 15 feet of where the bull was laying . The group of hunters continued walking up the mountain , and when they were 200-300 yards past the bull , he slowly stood up and began grazing again .
It was an amazing show to watch .
DMP25-06
Talking about animals hiding in plain sight .
I once witnessed a 6x6 bull Elk hide in plain sight .
November , 1984 , my first hunt in the state of Colorado .
My friend and I had hiked several miles away from the road , and up a long ridge line , in public lands , that the valleys that bordered to the north and south were private lands . About noon we stopped to take a break and have our lunch , so I chose a spot that had good viewpoints for us to glass for game . The view to the south was a long sloping basin with a 30* incline , that had good visibility for nearly 2 miles . On the north side of the ridge was an abrupt drop of 75' of vertical cliff face , and then very steep angle of 60* , gradually decreasing to lesser incline with a large sage brush covered basin , that was all private land . After glassing the south side of the slope and seeing no animals , I moved to look at the north facing slope . Before raising my binoculars , I immediately spotted a large bull Elk standing on the sage-covered slope , at a distance that I estimated to be 3/4 mile , on the private land .
We watched this elk , which when viewed through binoculars , was a large 6x6 near 350" class animal for more than 30 minutes as he grazed un-disturbed . Suddenly , the Elk raised his head , turned , looking to the north down the slope , and then walked several steps into the heavier sage brush , and laid-down , with his chin on the ground and his antlers laid nearly flat along his sides . We began glassing farther down-slope to the north of the Elk , and about 1/4 mile farther down , we saw 8 hunters walking up the slope toward the spot where the bull was laying . All 8 hunters were equally spaced about 30 yards apart , like they were conducting a drive , but moving too fast . In just a few minutes , the hunters were very near the bull , and I expected it to try to run and be shot , but the Elk did not flinch , even when 1 man walked within 15 feet of where the bull was laying . The group of hunters continued walking up the mountain , and when they were 200-300 yards past the bull , he slowly stood up and began grazing again .
It was an amazing show to watch .
DMP25-06
