Just curious if any of you have ever called predators. I used to be pretty hardcore and have called quite a few yotes and foxes to the gun, but have taken quite a few years off. I'm getting the itch again, the grounds I'm planning to bowhunt next year in NY's northern zone has got quite the yote population, and I'm thinking I can get to know the property, and put a dent in the yote population at the same time. It' been a while since I let the .223 eat anyhow.........:d . Anyone else predator hunt or plan to try it this winter?
I love coaxing in some yotes at sunrise:d After christmas I switch gears from deer to predators and birds. I mostly use hand calls and just sit next to big open fields so I can see a long ways. I recently started using a rabbit decoy. I have only used it once, but I had 2 yotes come in and check it out.
I have been calling for a few years now, I love it. I can't wait until deer season is over so I can force feed some Coyotes some lead from the .204. I'm also going after them with the longbow, should be good fun! I do my calling with hand/mouth calls, looking into some decoys this season!
We've had a significant decline in our Coyote population the past few years. At the same time we've had Bobcats move in, which we've never had before. I've got to check to see about the season on them, it's probably over by now. I sure would like to call one in and take it with my bow..
My neighbor trains 'yote dogs and his dogs are really good. Today, we were going hunting and he released the hounds. They found a trail really quick and within 20 minutes had the coyote cornered, by the time we made it through the brush and across the creeks (which were running really high due to the 52 degrees here today) the coyote was dead. We got that 'yote from the dogs and they were off on another trail. Spent 5 hours hunting and came home with 4 coyotes. (me - 2, neighbor - 1, dogs - 1). This is the first time I have hunted with dogs and have to say it was interesting, but I don't know if it's my cup of tea.
Not hunting them, but my boy and I are voraciously learning everything we can about predator trapping... I spend more time these days on the trapping boards than I do the bowhunting boards. Tell you a funny story real quick :D : My boy and I are in the local hardware store on Christmas Eve. We tell the people there we need to buy a 1 x 8 x 10 piece of lumber; of course, everyone sees a father-and-son combo so they've just got to ask what we're building... thinking some cutesy artsy fartsy project, no doubt. So when they ask, Matthew tells them proudly "We're building some rabbit box traps!" So they politely (each and every one of them, it was classic!) ask "Oh? What are you going to do with the rabbits once you catch them?" Matthew beamed proudly as he told them all "We're going to cut off their heads and use them in to catch coyotes in our traps!!" :D I couldn't have been prouder.
I LOVE predator hunting, but I don't get out that much and I don't call in much when I do. Usually I never get around to it until this time of year, and suprisinglly its pretty popular and the foxes are pretty slick and call shy. I grew up running the trap lines with my Dad. They are my earliest outdoor memories. If I had more time I would really like to get back into trapping. To me it teaches you how to be an incredible woodsman
I got 2 Johnny Stewart calls for Christmas, so I'm going to try calling some in New Years Day. We usually just drive around and pick them off when they (yotes) are in crp or wheat fields in the winter. Not much sport to it but it is fun.
Great story Greg, I trapped a LOT when I was a kid. Make sure to post up some success pics when you guys start getting on them.
I trapped for a brief stint when I was 13-14. I did fairly well, but my dad had tons of experience running trap lines, so he was a great teacher. I ended up trapping quite a few gray foxes, and one real nice red. Lots of raccoons as well. Fur prices were already at a low point, so I ended up not pursuing it much more after I had a few pelts. I wouldn't mind getting into predator hunting, I just don't have the time necessary to keep up with a trap line.
Just got done doing some last weekend. Saw three for the weekend but was also pheasant hunting so I didn't get real into it. Just when I came to a promising spot, I would make a set. Can tell that I hadn't shot my rifle in 5 years... oops. Also came to the conclusion that at extended ranges, nosler ballistic tips in my .22-250 don't work well. Rolled one of the coyotes three times and he still got away from me. One I didn't get a shot at due to a farm in the background during my only shot opportunity at it and the last one decided to sit 150 yards from me and try to decide what I was. Had a pretty good crosswind so I put it off fur and well I hit off fur.. doh! Was a fun weekend and kinda got the blood boiling for some more and with us setting record snowfalls up here this month they're gonna get pretty hungry this winter. I hope we slow done some on the snowfall though or else we're going to lose a lot of deer to the coyotes. Now if the fish would just stop biting it would make decisions for the weekends that much easier!
Not exactly the predator we were after, but she sure made for a pretty picture this morning on the trapline!
i wanna get into predator hunting with my bow but its super cold so ima wait till the spring or when a warm front comes thro
