Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

[DMP25-06]

In my observations throughout my years of hunting both big game and pheasants , when walking a drive , it has always moved more game and birds , when the walkers move s-l-o-w-l-y and erratically , instead of straight line and fast or normal walking speeds .
The game would become nervous and more likely to flee , when you got close .

 

[nicholasjohn]

In my observations throughout my years of hunting both big game and pheasants , when walking a drive , it has always moved more game and birds , when the walkers move s-l-o-w-l-y and erratically , instead of straight line and fast or normal walking speeds .
The game would become nervous and more likely to flee , when you got close .

I have seen exactly the same thing, with everything from ruffed grouse to deer. My practice is to stop frequently, but only when I'm in a spot where I could take a shot. Grouse, in particular, seemed to only get nervous enough to flush after I have paused for a good long time. I made it my habit to wait about as long as I thought it would take and then give it a few more minutes. Often enough, just as I'm about to take my first step up goes the bird. Couldn't tell you how many whitetails I've jumped out of the heavy grass that grows along the tree rows separating the harvested sugar beet fields in northwestern Minnesota. As often as not I had already walked past the animals, and they did not go into the drive to where the standers were waiting. Some I turned and killed; others got away unscathed. Lots of times I was left wondering where the deer had been hiding, because I thought that I could see into the grass where it came from. These were probably the ones that laid their heads down on the ground. Overall I'd have to say that if there is enough cover to hide a bunny or a ringneck, a whitetail buck has more than enough cover to hide in.

 

[74honker]

I have seen exactly the same thing, with everything from ruffed grouse to deer. My practice is to stop frequently, but only when I'm in a spot where I could take a shot. Grouse, in particular, seemed to only get nervous enough to flush after I have paused for a good long time. I made it my habit to wait about as long as I thought it would take and then give it a few more minutes. Often enough, just as I'm about to take my first step up goes the bird. Couldn't tell you how many whitetails I've jumped out of the heavy grass that grows along the tree rows separating the harvested sugar beet fields in northwestern Minnesota. As often as not I had already walked past the animals, and they did not go into the drive to where the standers were waiting. Some I turned and killed; others got away unscathed. Lots of times I was left wondering where the deer had been hiding, because I thought that I could see into the grass where it came from. These were probably the ones that laid their heads down on the ground. Overall I'd have to say that if there is enough cover to hide a bunny or a ringneck, a whitetail buck has more than enough cover to hide in.

I too have seen this many times. Deer, birds, you name it. Mother Nature gave them all very good camo and nerves of steel. They can stay so still sometimes even when you're literally about to step on them. I too vote for the roadshow lol. Book? Whatever. Maybe a coyote camp and you could all be counselors! Or maybe adoption of a 46 year old married family LOL!

 

[DMP25-06]

74Honker ,

I am also wondering how I can get adopted by DSheetz , ReemtyJ , or Nicholasjohn , and I am nearly 70 years old .
They all 3 live in GOD's country , or have spent many hours , days , months , or years in Mondamtana or Wydamoming , if I am remembering the correct spelling and pronunciation of those 2 state's names .

DMP25-06

 

[Reemty J]

Well I can tell you first hand a 39 grain SBK from a 204 stays in a coyote, went to one of the den sites, loaded with Dsheetz den experience wind was from southwest and very light it was little after 9:00 am. They were a mile off the road around a bend in an irrigation canal, out of sight. I was able to get within what I assumed was 300 yards but I did not know which hole was the den as there were a bunch of them. Started with a couple howls and barks, nothing. Waited a bit and did it again, heat waves were heavy and I was glassing to spot one of the pair. Took another couple howls and I could see a coyote watching me about 500 yards away, could just see her neck and head. I took critter call and did some pup distress, she watched for a little bit and then she started trotting at me, when she would stop I would do a little more and on she would come. When she was a hair over 200 she started cutting for wind, when she was close to it I did a little more pup distress and she tuned toward me kind of angled broadside. Put the cross hairs behind her shoulder and shot, was a wet loud plop sound and she spun around a couple times and run over a rise in the ground. She went about 40 yards and was dead. Examination later showed that I hit her behind the diaphragm, gut shot. Still killed her good.
I moved up to where I could see her body and started glassing for the male, finally found him 1/2 mile to the south west and he was hunting in a stubble field. I howled at him and he ignored it so I hit him with puppy distress, he listened a bit and come running, he stopped a few times and every time he did I would hit the blow the pup distress and he would start running but man was he on high alert.. when he was at 300 yards I felt the wind switch to the north and it picked up to about 10 mph, he was going to smell me in second so I put the cross off the right edge of his shoulder thinking I would get a couple inches of drift into him, shot and hit exactly where I aimed, not squat for drift, missed him clean and he about turned inside out. Plan on checking on him at day light the next couples days, may get another shot. I have hit coyotes with a 50 grains in a 22-250 and had similar spins and runs like the female did......... I like this CZ in 204.

 

[DSheetz]

ReemtyJ , excellent job they get hooked up well don't they . He won't fall for the puppy sound easily next time . You can try two short howls and two quick barks repeated several times , that's asking where are you when they are looking to locate the pups or their mate so try to use a higher pitch for a female . Did you check to see how many pups she had ? When you get to the right hole you will find puppy tracks , scat and mashed down grass around it as well as be able to smell the pups they have their own smell by now . Use some deet on your pants cuffs ,shirt sleeves and collar it helps keep the fleas at bay . It's a feeling you get from it that nothing else gives you it's probably too late as you most likely are already addicted to denning coyote now . The military blouse their pants cuffs to help keep creepy crawlies from crawling up them . but that's how I got the nick name cricket we didn't blouse ours in the Navy it's amazing how fast you can get them off with an unknown wandering around in them .

 

[nicholasjohn]

74Honker ,

I am also wondering how I can get adopted by DSheetz , ReemtyJ , or Nicholasjohn , and I am nearly 70 years old .
They all 3 live in GOD's country , or have spent many hours , days , months , or years in Mondamtana or Wydamoming , if I am remembering the correct spelling and pronunciation of those 2 state's names .

DMP25-06

DMP 25-06,

Thanks for the compliment, Sir. I'm flattered to see my name included with these two gents, but I'm no expert in the field like they are. I think that if you can talk them both into putting on a clinic about hunting & calling coyotes, I'd be honored to be invited to come along to make the coffee. That's probably how I'd best serve. ( I may be of further service if the subject of calling crows happens to pop up, because in my youth I had the rare privelege of being schooled up on that language by a handful of world class experts.) Mostly, though, I view myself as being a really good student rather than entertaining any delusions of having any serious expertise. A realistic way to describe my level of knowledge is to say I know just enough about it to be able have a lot of fun trying to fool Mr. Yote. Sadly, though, I've educated far more coyotes than I've skinned.


Nick

 

[DMP25-06]

Sadly, though, I've educated far more coyotes than I've skinned.


Nick

Nicholasjohn ,

I have definitely made considerable contributions to the higher education/learning of Coyote U. , and their 4 legged students .

DMP25-06

 

[DSheetz]

You all have made good contributions to this post and they are appreciated . We are all still learning it never stops with coyotes keep them coming and keep learning from them and teaching each other what we find out

 

[Reemty J]

We were on our way over the hump this morning and had a coyote cross the road, easy to tell he was a male, figured he was headed back to a den. We went over the hill a 1/2 mile and turned around and drove back he was 200 yards off the road and when I stopped he started trotting, couple barks stopped him for a second (he was quartering away to the right and he was looking back over his right shoulder) and I put a 39 grain SBK behind his ribs thru the guts into the heart lung area. Dropped on the spot flopped a little and was done, sure liking how that 204 spanks them. When it hit was a loud wet whop sound........more to come in the next few days

 

[DSheetz]

This time of the year was his tail bare or looked like the hair had been pulled out of it ?

 

[DSheetz]

A person needs to be aware of where the small livestock is , sheep goats ect . If you kill only one of the pair and don't take the den you make it harder on the remaining one to feed the pups so then they are more likely to turn to the easiest food supply lambs, goat kids and such . I spent a lot of time cleaning up after others that didn't bother to take the time to get more then just the easy ones or didn't think about what the end results would be by not planning out what they needed to do . I have seen pups live by eating grass , bugs and cow pies . They don't grow well and are runts most of the time and you end up with some small coyote that know how to avoid people . think about it and make a plan before you leap so you know where you will land and not have a wreck in the end .

 

[DSheetz]

A male coyote will let the pups play with his tail when he is puppy setting and they are learning to catch and kill by doing so . He will often end up with a tail that looks like it has mange . When an older female has pups she will often pull the fur off of her stomach to line the nest in the den with it to help keep the pups warm . You can't just count the nipples to see how many pups she has had you need to look at the uterus and count the knots were the pups were attached . There is a lot to learn to do coyote control properly most of us learn by making mistakes as we remember the mistakes best . Study your quarry and know them well , pay attention to what you do , think about what the consequences of your actions may be down the road will what I do today make my life harder tomorrow , will it make life harder for my friends that are trying to make a living raising livestock . A stich in time saves nine kind of thing perhaps .

 

[DMP25-06]

A person needs to be aware of where the small livestock is , sheep goats ect . If you kill only one of the pair and don't take the den you make it harder on the remaining one to feed the pups so then they are more likely to turn to the easiest food supply lambs, goat kids and such . I spent a lot of time cleaning up after others that didn't bother to take the time to get more then just the easy ones or didn't think about what the end results would be by not planning out what they needed to do . I have seen pups live by eating grass , bugs and cow pies . They don't grow well and are runts most of the time and you end up with some small coyote that know how to avoid people . think about it and make a plan before you leap so you know where you will land and not have a wreck in the end .

DSheetz ,

The information that you have just posted , is something that I , and probably 99% of all hunters , have never thought about . I always considered it to be good fortune that I had harvested a coyote , my hunting of predators has always coincided with hunting during the fall and winter seasons , and never during the puppy-rearing time of the year .
You are a "Predator Control Specialist" , and the livestock breeders/producers livelihood is very much dependent upon the elimination/removal of the animals that prey upon their animals , which is the service that you provide .

This is great information that I will pass-on to the grandson of a rancher friend of mine in the Texas Panhandle .

Again , thank you , and ReemtyJ for information that you have posted , and the education that you are still providing to all of us .

DMP25-06