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WINTER 2015-2016
WHEN THE HUNTERS BECOME THE HUNTED
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PREDATOR HUNTING WINTER 2015 - 2016
FEATURES
8 The Cat of Many NamesYou will probably fail but calling in a
moun-
tain lion is the ultiimate challenge in predator
hunting.By Jack Spencer, Jr
12 Stealth-Mode BobcatsEverything you need to know about
hunting
the ghost of the woods. By John Murray
18 Hunting Giant Wolvesof the NorthA Candian quest. By BJack
Spencer, Jr
24 The Mobile Hunters TriadA 4WD truck, a motorcycle and a
mountain
bike. By Ted Stotler
28 Calling in the Thick StuffTactics for hunting in the jungle
brush.
By Randy D. Smith
34 Predator Hunting on a BudgetAn experiment in putting together
an
economy rig. By Cary Rideout
42 Calling the CrowsIts just like coyote hunting except
the target has wings.By Art Isberg
46 Calling the Mountain WindsCareful analysis of breeze patterns
is a
key to hunting success. By Hunter Bodenchuk
50 Beast Hogs & Song DogsHow hog hunting and predator
hunting
go hand-in-hand. By Bob Humphrey
54 The Quiet WoodsSuppressors are becoming legal for hunting
in
many states. How and why to give them a try.
By Brian McCombie and Dick Jones
56 Reaching OutHow to extend your long-range shooting
with confidence. By Doug Howlett
58 Any-Country CoyotesHow to master the landscape in any
terrain that you hunt. By Mark Kayser
62 How Far? How Close?A survey of predator hunters on
everything
from driving time to how far they take shots.
By Andrew Lewand
66 Conditioned CoyotesDont let song dogs figure you out.
By Lance Homman
70 Get ComfortableThis predator hunting gear takes the
misery out of a tough hunt. By Mark Kayser
Predator Huntingis presented by the F+W Outdoor Group.
Copyright 2015 by F+W, a Content + eCommerce Company.
Contents
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EDITORS CALL|James Card
And There I WasWINTER 20152016
Vol. 10, No. 1
700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
715-445-2214
Editor |JAMES CARD
F+W Outdoors Editors | CHRIS BERENS ALAN CLEMONS
GORDY KRAHN
Contributing Writers | LANCE HOMMAN JACK SPENCER, JR
MARK KAYSER
ANDREW LEWAND
BRIAN MCCOMBIE
RANDY D. SMITH
TED STOTLER
Design Manager | SHARON BARTSCH
Graphic Designer | DANE ROYER
Advertising Sales | MARK BEAUCHAINE SCOTT BUCHMAYR
AMOS CROWLEY
MARGARET ANN HUGGINS
BRAD RUCKS
Advertising Assistant | LORI HAUSER
Predator Hunting Magazine is an annual magazine published
solely for information to readers. The publisher is not liable
for
authors or advertisers claims, or for negligence by
manufacturers
that advertise. Advertising rates available upon request.
Address
correspondence to: Predator Hunting Magazine, 700 E. State
St.,
Iola, WI 54990-0001.
Contact F+W about these quality outdoor magazines:
Deer & Deer Hunting
Ice Fishing Magazine
Trapper & Predator Caller
F+W, A CONTENT + ECOMMERCE COMPANY
JIM OG LE,CFO & INTERIM CEOPHIL GRAHAM, SVP, Mfg. &
Production
DAVE DAVEL, VP, Advertising SalesSTACIE BERGER, VP
Communications
F+W MAGAZINE GROUP
JAMIE W ILKINSO N, VP, Group PublisherDANIEL E. SCHMIDT, Content
DirectorMARK LILLA, Production Coordinator
David Koester is a travel writer that has a series of books
titled, And ereI Was where he chronicles his travels to far-flung
places in Africa, Asia andSouth America.
I get a kick of his choice of words: And ere I Was.ose four
words are powerful. It signals the start of what usually is a
good
story. Its those words that get people to stop what they are
doing, perk up,lean closer, and pull up a chair next to the
campfire.
I can only imagine some predator hunters swapping some
tales:
And there I was with this coyote five feet awayfrom me and it
looked like it had rabies
And there I was, with a dead battery 19 milesfrom the nearest
town when I thought I shouldclimb up onto this
And there I was, with the fox in the crosshairswhen I noticed it
only had three legs
And there I was, looking into the cave wherethe wounded mountain
lion ran into
Heres one of my And-ere-I-Was stories: And there I was, sitting
on astump with a compound bow in my lap. I was 14 years old and
waiting for awhitetail deer. By mid-morning I had seen a few deer
but none of them werein range. Before bagging it for the day, I
decided to try my new predator call.It was a simple wooden reed
call and I gave it a string of strangled toots, do-ing my best to
imitate a small animal dying a horrific death. en I waitedand
watched for a fox or coyote to come running in. Nothing appeared.
Icalled again and decided to wait another ten minutes before hiking
out.
Aer a while I got that feeling that something was watching me,
that Iwasnt alone. I slowly turned my head, scanning through the
brush and therewas the bobcat. Its body was hidden in the brush and
only its head was vis-
ible. I watched the bobcat and the bobcat watched me. It was
about 75 yardsaway, too far to shoot with my bow and arrow and I
didnt have a bobcat taganyway. It didnt matter. At that very moment
I learned that I had the powerto summon one of the wildest
creatures of the woods, to draw the predatornear and to look it
right in the eyes.
May this season bring many adventures and upon your safe return
fromthe field and forest, I hope you have plenty of And-ere-I
Was-stories toshare around the campfire.
COPYRIGHT 2015 BY F+W
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.PREDATOR HUNTINGIS A REGISTERED
TRADEMARK OF F+W
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THECATOF
NAMESMANY
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Icould smell the piss of the deer-tiger as I crawledalong a
steep rock canyon wall littered with territorialscratches, turds
and the unmistakable smell of rankurine. is is a well-known
historical haven for moun-tain lions to visit and deposit the last
remaining mor-
sels of their unlucky victims. On hands and knees, I scouredthe
broken terrain; inspecting pugmarks, stride length anddirection of
travel. An experienced feline hunter can tell a lotfrom sign if one
knows what to look for and how to read intoa cats passing remnants.
e cougars solitary and secretivenature oen makes them diffi cult to
observe and nearly im-possible to harvest while predator
calling.
e elusive mountain lion holds the Guinness world recordfor the
animal with the most names in the English language.Puma, cougar,
catamount, panther, screamer and painter areothers you have
probably heard. I typically refer to them asmountain lions or just
lions for short. e years I have spentpursuing mountain lions and
discovering the ever abundantamount of deer they kill and consume,
I tend to call them bytheir lesser known name of deer tiger as it
more appropri-ately best describes these effi cient deer-killing
machines.
Calling the Big Catere are many methods predator hunters can
employ whentackling mountain lions. e easiest and most reliable
meth-od is by the use of well-trained lion hounds. I have
person-ally treed well over a 100 lions while hunting during the
pastdecade with hounds in my home state of Nevada, so I
feelconfident enough stating the easiest way to fill a lion tag is
byfollowing a proven pack of hounds. Still hunting or trackingin
the snow another method, but barely a doable ordeal anda feat
seldom accomplished. Sitting on a lions kill can alsobe effective;
however, nearly most states do not allow shoot-
ing big game at night when most lions return to their killsto
feed. Calling in a lion is possible, but again, this methodalso
screams failure, but as with most challenging
endeavors,perseverance can prevail even in the midst of
compoundingimpossible odds. When I hunt lions in other states that
do notallow the use of hounds, calling is my preferred method.
eres really no magic sound when calling for lions, theresonly
the hard work of scouting and endless calling, callingand more
calling. e best predator caller in the woods is nobetter than an
amateur caller if there are no lions in the im-mediate area to hear
the sounds emitted from the predator
caller. In many states, hound hunting is not permitted so
call-ing is about the only viable option besides getting lucky
andstumbling upon a lion. In other states where running hounds
GETTIN G A MOU NTAIN LION
INTO RANGE IS TH E PIN NACLE
OF PREDATOR CALLING
JACK SPENCER, JR
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are a legal method, not everyone hasaccess to hounds or has
funds availablefor a $4,000 to $5,000 guided mountainlion hunt.
Many guided lion hunts areno guarantee and most hunts average30
percent to 50 percent hunter success.
If a hunter is dead set to call in a lion
then one is going to have to learn to be amore disciplined
predator caller. Youregoing to have to learn to pass on
othertarget-rich animals that will respondto your calling more
frequently than aprized lion. I can personally guaranteethat you
will call in more non-targetcritters such as coyotes, bobcats
andfox than lions. I have had coyotes comerunning to my calling
stands when call-ing for mountain lions on countless oc-
casions. I have had coyotes 10 yards outbarking at me, raking
their feet acrossthe dusty desert floor only to have the
dust they created blow right in my faceby a so gentle breeze.
Sometimes itsdamn right humiliating to put up withsuch
embarrassment; however, I keepmy eye on the prize and I dont give
into some cocky coyote kicking dirt inmy face. e truth of the
reality is that
harvesting lion by calling is one of theleast effective methods
to fill a lion tagaccording to mandatory harvest check-in data that
is oen required by gamedepartments.
They Will See YouI will justifiably go on record to statethat
from my observations and success-fully calling in lions in over the
yearsthat a lions eyesight is every bit as good
if not better than the sharp eyed ante-lope. Lions have
excellent diurnal, noc-turnal, binocular and peripheral eye-
sight. I do my best to blend in a wholelot better than I
normally do when I amtrying to coax in lions as they have
theability to pick you apart and can catchthe ever slightest of
movement.
Last year I had a lion coming intomy calling stand at a decent
trot, and at
about 60 yards out, he stopped, squint-ed at me, shied his head
in a circularmotion and ran away. By reading thecats body language,
the lion obviouslydetected me as I lay motionless tuckedback in the
brush. ese cats can spotyou even while camouflaged, snuggledin
against dense vegetation matter andnot moving a single muscle. ere
isa huge difference between calling ina lion and actually
harvesting one. I
called in five lions before I had an op-portunity to fire my
first shot.Recently I ventured out one morning
Left: Even snuggled tight against a rock crevice, the mountain
lion, more often than not, has
an uncanny ability to see the hunter before the hunter can get a
shot off. Middle: Inspecting alion-killed deer. Note the
surrounding tracks and scattered debris. Right: A cougar in its
primewinter fur make for an incredible trophy and calling one in is
the ultimate in predator hunting.
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[ THE CAT OF MANY NAMES]
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to do a combination of mountain run-ning, predator calling and
shed antlercollecting as the morning suns rayspeaked over the
distant hills. I found alocation where several canyons
meltedtogether with the presence of a few rockpiles that looked
catty. With a little
yellow FoxPro call, I let out a series ofprey-in-distress sounds
and not longaerwards across a semi-open canyon Ispotted two lions.
One of the two lionswas trotting towards my direction withits head
up constantly scanning, whilethe other stopped, sat on its butt,
andstarted licking itself about 90 yards out.
On this particular outing I was tot-ing my lightweight
single-shot H&RHandi-Rifle, so I had to be a little picky
on my shot opportunity. e oncominglion disappeared below me, so
I posi-tioned myself where I thought the lion
would show itself. I was off a little off onmy educated guess
and the lion showedup 20 feet to my right. rough pre-vious calling
experiences, I dared notmove my body with a lion within spit-ting
distance. I did no more than shimy eyes towards lions direction
and
blinked. e lion immediately ran off.Many times before I have
missed out
on these close encounters, but I still hadanother opportunity
across the canyonif the other lion would hang around.I looked over
to the other side of thecanyon and the other lion was
lookingdirectly at me. I cursed myself undermy breath for not
having my steadyshooting sticks, but I did my best tocalm down and
made the needed shot.
rough the small smoke cloud, I sawthe lion somersault in the air
aer thereport of the rifle on the first shot, and
I followed up with two more shots asit flip-flopped itself into
a nearby cave.Aer dark crawl into the cave, one largeprime winter
mountain lion lay at myfeet. It is an exuberant feeling when itall
comes together and the harder thechallenge, the greater the
reward.
e mountain lion is the ultimatesuper predator and is the
pinnacle ofpredator calling. Calling a lion withinshooting range is
an extremely rare featand for those fortunate predator call-ers
lucky enough to connect with thesewell-known man-killers, this is
the ab-solute grand slam.
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[ THE CAT OF MANY NAMES]
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EVERYTHIN G YOU NEE D TO
KNOW ABOUT HU NTING THE
GHOST OF TH E WOODS
JOHN MURRAY
BOBCATS
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Bobcats are consideredthe rarely seen phan-toms of the woods.
Mostpeople are completely un-aware of their existence and
would be quite shocked to realize theactual numbers of these
animals that re-side within their area. e truth is that a
bobcat is more likely to see you, ratherthan you seeing the
bobcat. Bobcatsare generally quite leery of humans andonce they
have a visual sighting of a hu-man, they will not linger within the
area.
Not only is a chance sighting of abobcat unlikely, but finding
any indi-cating sign of them within the woodsis quite a diffi cult
matter. Possessinglarge furry feet, it is almost impossibleto
locate tracks, unless there is snowon the ground. Droppings,
otherwise
known as scat, are also very diffi cultto find. Bobcats will
generally have afew toilet areas within their territory,and if this
toilet area is located on theground, they do a pretty good job
ofcovering their scat with dirt. Occasion-ally a bobcat will have a
toilet area ontop of a rocky outcropping. Remains oftheir prey are
not easily found. If a bob-cat does not consume nearly the
entireprey that it has killed, it will do a pretty
through job of concealing the remainsby covering it with
available forest mat-ter such as leafs.
e bobcat hunter must under-stand the bobcats habits in order
to
be successful. Many hunters assumethat a bobcat is nocturnal
because oflack of day sightings. Instead of beinga true nocturnal
species, bobcats aretechnically considered crepuscularmeaning
active in twilight hours. Most
activity begins approximately threehours before sunset and will
continueup until midnight. At about the mid-night hour, a bobcat
will typically beddown to rest. In the predawn darkness,an hour or
so before first light, the bob-cat will become active again and
willstay active until about three hours aersunrise. is is the
common pattern ofthe bobcat during most of the year.
is movement pattern can varydue to other factors. During the
bru-
tally harsh cold winters, bobcats willbecome considerably less
active dur-ing the frigid nights because their preyis much more
active during the dayhours. Another factor is based on hun-ger.
Should a bobcat make a kill andhave a substantial meal at the
begin-ning of its activity cycle, the bobcat willbed and rest and
will have absolutely nodesire to move again during that peri-od.
Sometimes there will be additional
hours of daytime bobcat movementduring periods of storm
darkened, ordull cloudy days.
NEVER HEAR THEM COMING
Movement of the bobcat is unquestion-able the quietist movement
of any ani-mal that has a comparable body size. Asquirrel, which is
considerably smaller,will make more noise. is is an impor-tant fact
to remember for the bobcathunter. Most diehard bobcat hunters
will tell you that they never hear a bob-cat approaching.
Bobcats are designednot to make any noise that will givetheir
position away to a potential dinercandidate. Bobcats have large fur
cov-ered feet and no matter what the terrainis, bobcats will rarely
make any noisewhen they are moving. is is quite im-pressive for an
animal that has a bodyweight that can exceed thirty pounds.
Not only is their movement quiet,but also this movement is also
slow and
methodical. Bobcats are always search-ing for prey when they are
moving.Effi cient visual stalking hunters thatpossess uncanny eye
sight and hearing.Bobcats possess a tremendous amountof patience.
Its approach will be slowand will stop oen to look and lay
whileconcealing itself within dense brush. Itis a true challenge to
see a bobcat if it isnot moving because of the natural cam-ouflage
color of the bobcats fur.
A bobcat is a carnivore and will eatpractically everything
within its homerange. For a male bobcat, that home
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[ STEALTH-MODE BOBCATS ]
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range can exceed twenty square miles.A female bobcats range will
be less.When it comes to dining choices, allcreatures large and
small are on thediner menu. Moles, chipmunks, mice,rabbits, skunks,
porcupines and squir-
rels are readily hunted and eaten. Evenfeathered animals,
including manytypes of small birds, and other largerbird species
such as woodpeckers,quail, pheasant, grouse and turkey arealso
welcome entries on the bobcatsdining list. Deer fawns are also a
po-tential meal and a bobcat will not hesi-tate to attack an adult
deer, which hasgrown weary of the struggle to movewithin deep
snow.
Bobcats are an opportunist predatorwho will live where they have
read-ily available food sources. Dense brushprovides cover and
concealment forall of the bobcats food sources. isis where the
successful bobcat huntershould hunt. Prime spots are within
theheavy cover of thick dense forests thathave plenty of new
growth. Edges ofswamps are great locations, as the wetsoil provides
great growing habitat fordense clumps of vegetation. If the
bob-
cat is spending time inside the diningroom, the bobcat hunter
needs to get inthere with the bobcat.
HUNTING METHODS
Bobcat hunting in the dense brush isundoubtedly the most
challenging typeof predator hunting. You have enteredinto the realm
of the bobcat, who seeseverything thing that moves and
hearseverything that makes a noise withinthe surrounding area. is
predator,
the bobcat, has a cloaking ability thatmakes it very diffi cult
to be sightedand the visibility-reducing brush com-pounds this
problem.
Using an attractant call to attract andlure a bobcat within the
hunters shoot-ing range is a very effective tactic andwill increase
your chances of having asuccessful hunt, as compared to sittingat a
stand waiting for a random bobcatto approach. We know that a
bobcat
will eat many types of different foods,but the calling hunter
should primar-ily focus on using two different calls,
which will be rabbit distress and birdcalls. Each of these calls
are time testedand have been proven to attract and
lure most any bobcat within the area.Woodpecker calls will get
the attentionof a bobcat, and a turkey call shouldalso be used,
especially in areas thathave concentrations of turkeys.
Every season we hear reports ofbobcats approaching turkey
hunterswho are using a turkey call to attracta turkey. is is not
some random co-incidence that bobcats are respondingto these turkey
calls. Bobcats will nothesitate to consume any turkey it en-
counters, whether it is on the groundor roosting within a tree.
Bobcats aresuperb tree climbers and many a roost-ing turkey has had
their evening restinterrupted by a bobcat.
A bobcat caller can lure a bobcat atanytime during the hunting
season, yetthere is a distinct advantage to callinga bobcat later
in the hunting season.e onslaught of winter has arrivedalong with
the snow that regularly ac-
companies it. is snow cover on theground will make the bobcat
muchmore visible within the brush, with the
only exception being new snow that hasstuck to most every
available branchand twig within the brush. Late season
periods will also have most vegetationshed its leafs, which
increases visibilityalso. A fresh snowfall also revels thosebobcat
tracks which would normallybe impossible to find during non
snowperiods. Track sightings increases yourodds of success because
you have a vi-sual indicator that tells you bobcats arewithin the
area.
Night hunting is a tactic used bymany bobcat hunters. Bobcats do
aportion of their hunting during the
darkness. Bobcat eyes are highly reflec-tive and will brightly
shine when thelight beam of a flashlight is directed atthem. Red or
green lens flashlights arerecommended for this night hunting,as a
bobcat is far less likely to spookwhen this is shined upon them.
ereare some drawbacks to hunting a bob-cat within the dark of the
night. If youdont have a hunting partner with youwho is performing
the duties of a light
holding spotter, it is quite a challengingtask to achieve a good
shot. It is veryimportant to remember that a bobcat
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[ STEALTH-MODE BOBCATS ]
When calling bobcats, the most important thing to remember is
that they move very slowly and theycould approach from any
direction, including from above.
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can see very well in the darkness and ahuman cannot. is gives
any bobcatan advantage of seeing the hunter be-fore the hunter has
a visual sighting ofthe bobcat.
SET-UP STRATEGIES
is concept of who sees who first hasdramatic effect on the
success of thebobcat hunt. e key to successful bob-
cat calling is to be able to see the bobcatonce it has been
lured close. So very of-ten, the bobcats are there, but the
callerjust does not see them. Calling in thedaylight hours will
level the playingfield for the hunter because the hunterhas
increased sight advantage.
e most effective calling times tolure a bobcat are at early
morning orlate in the day before evening. Whenthe bobcat hunter
ventures into the
brush to a prospective calling loca-tion, it is very important
for the bobcathunter to proceed slowly and quietly. If
a bobcat is within the immediate vicin-ity, many bobcats are
frightened awayby the oncoming approach of a noisyhunter busting
through the brush.ese frightened bobcats will not re-turn to this
area for a prolonged periodof time, no matter how skilled that
bob-cat hunter is at using attraction calls.
A ideal setup location to chose as astand is where the bobcat
hunter can
get his back up against a tree within alocation that can
effectively provide athree hundred and sixty degree viewof the
surrounding terrain. First andforemost, it is necessary to realize
thatthe bobcat can and will come from anyconceivable direction. Do
not ever sit.Never. Sitting has a dramatic impacton hampering the
hunters ability tobe able to look behind him. Remem-ber that there
is a very good possibil-
ity that the bobcat will approach fromyour backside. When at the
stand, thebobcat hunter should never make quick
movements, as the keen eye of a bobcatwill readily notice these
movements.Move in super slow motion. It is a goodidea to inch your
back around the treeslowly, so that you are able to visuallyable to
scan other areas.
ese areas of thick dense brush pro-vide limited range of
visibility at best.In many of these brush areas, the bob-cat hunter
may have a maximum visi-
bility sight range of no more than thirtyyards. Hand held calls
work quite wellto lure a bobcat to the hunter, but thehunter can
increase the odds by using aremote electronic call. e speaker
unitof the remote caller should be placedtwenty five to thirty feet
away from thelocation of the hunter. Any approach-ing bobcat will
be stalking the sourceof the sound coming from the speakerunit and
looking for any movement
of the prey that the bobcat believes ismaking the sound. If the
hunter is uti-lizing a hand held call, then the bobcat
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[ STEALTH-MODE BOBCATS ]
Adaptable and aggressive hunters, the bobcat will take to the
trees to kill roostingturkeys. They are strong climbers and fast on
the ground but their greatest trait isthe ability to perform a
slow, patient stalk on its prey.
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hunter is the actual source of the sound.e potential drawback to
this scenariois that there is a very good possibilitythat the
bobcat will see the hunter first.
LURE THEM IN
A call, either a hand held or remote,takes advantage of the
bobcats goodhearing abilities. e bobcat hunter cantake advantage of
the keen eye sight
of the bobcat by providing an actualsource for the sound that
has attractedit. If a remote speaker unit is used, thehunter can
tie a piece of feather or furon a length of fishing line or string
andhang it over the location of the speak-er unit. is visual
attractor will swayin any breeze and is best utilized byhanging it
three to four feet off of theground. is will give a good visual
at-traction for a bobcat to key on, which
will be away from the hunters standlocation. Better still, there
are remote controlled decoys that provide irresist-
ible fluttering, dancing movements toa visual attractor. When
using a handheld call, it is not advisable to use a vi-sual
attractor for the sole reason thatthis visual attractor will be too
close tothe bobcat hunter. e bobcat may spotthe hunter. Better off
to make the bob-cat get as close as possible in its searchfor the
source of the sound.
When the bobcat hunter is using ei-
ther a bird or distress rabbit call, it isbest to keep the
volume at a minimumrealistic level. e call should not beperformed
or played longer than aminute. Aer a minute of producingluring
noises, stop and look very care-fully around the surrounding area
forany signs of movement. Wait about fiveminutes and repeat the
calling sound.If there are any bobcats in the vicinity,they will
hear this initial volley of noise
and will have gone into search mode asthey approach. It is now
imperative tokeep the attention of the bobcat. e
next series of calling noises should beabout every two minutes
and this serieswill be continued at this time interval.
LOCATE AND SHOOT
A bobcat will never or very rarely come
running into the area to investigatethe source of the sound.
Almost everytime, the bobcat will sneak in slowly.e bobcat will
move slow, stop, layand look, then move again towards thelocation
of the sound. Be very, verypatient. e bobcat hunter should stayat
the stand for a least an hour duringthe calling process. It can
take that longfor a bobcat to come into view. Lookhard for any
signs of movement. Manytimes, the bobcat hunter may only seea piece
or portion of the bobcat as it isapproaching. Oen, when the
bobcatstops moving in its approach, it candisappear completely from
the view ofthe hunter, but it is more than likely stillthere. Focus
sight on the area where themovement was least seen and wait forany
sign of movement again.
As with every bobcat hunter, thechoice for a gun caliber is
always a per-sonal preference. It is advised not to use
too little or too large of a gun caliber. Aproperly placed .22
caliber long rifle candispatch a bobcat, but sometimes thebobcat
can travel quite a distance aer amisplaced shot. A heavy caliber
such asa 30-06 will knock a bobcat to the floor,but will destroy
the valuable pelt in theprocess. A good choice is to use eithera
.223 caliber or a 12-gauge shotgunloaded with number 4 buckshot.
Whenthe bobcat hunter is hunting withinthick dense brush, the
shooting range
will be rather close most times.If you are looking for a
challenge to
hunt one of natures top predators, getinto the thick dense brush
and call in abobcat. If you are successful, you canhold your head
high and be proud torecognize that you have called in oneof the
most wary of animals within thewild. And that, for any hunter, is
quitethe accomplishment.
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[ STEALTH-MODE BOBCATS ]
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A CANADIAN QUESTJACK SPENCER, JRNorthof
the
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A
s the aernoon pro-gressed I noticed a coy-ote running out of
thetrees across an openingand it didnt stop for hun-
dreds of yards. A short time later a pair
of ravens made some alarm sounds anddive-bombed something in the
brush.I guessed a wolf was near. About 20minutes later a pair of
coyotes emergednear the same area and they ran out ofthe thick
brush and started barking. Idont claim to be the best wolf hunterin
the woods or know the most aboutwolves, but when I hear a pair of
coy-otes nervously barking I know thatmeans there is a larger
species nearby.
I figured if a wolf stayed so close forso long, it was waiting
for darkness tohit the bait. I wondered if this was the
black giant that our guide had trail camphotos of and had eluded
his huntersfor years.
I have experienced some remarkable
predator encounters while blowingand sucking air on a varmint
call try-ing to entice wolves. Ive had grizzlyand black bears come
within 15 yards,coyotes within 10 feet and once a curi-ous otter
within six feet. I have huntedwolves from Idaho to Alaska with
someof the most dismal calling success onecould imagine. Eventually
when wolveswould come to my stand they eithermanaged to run past my
position or be
sheltered by a forest canopy with veg-etation so thick not even
a locked-onrifle could find a shooting hole. Even
threading-the-needle shots couldnt behad. Life is not always
easy for a die-hard predator caller while trying to col-lect a wolf
pelt.
A fellow wolf hunter directed me toKyler Knelsen of Wingmaster
Outfit-ting (wingmasteroutfitting.com) in LaCrete, Alberta Canada.
He was experi-encing phenomenal wolf hunting suc-cess by baiting.
By placing hunters instands nearby and patiently waiting forwolves
to approach the bait, they hadample shooting opportunities.
Huntingover bait while placed in a stand con-cept was all too
familiar with me per-
sonally on coyotes; however, I virtuallyhad no experience with
hunting wolvesover bait. One would think sitting on
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[ HUNTING GI ANT WOLVES OF THE NORTH]
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a bait piles in sub zero temperatureswould be a cinch to tag a
wolf; however,I quickly learned that is not oen thecase. Knelsen
has one of the highestwolf hunting harvest rates in the worldbar
none.
To sweeten the deal even more, I washunting with one of my good
friendsand war hero Lt. Colonel Roger Capps.
Roger was wounded a year earlier fromsmall-arms fire while
piloting Ameri-can troops in a Chinook helicopter in
Afghanistan. He was as happy as I wasto have the opportunity to
hunt wolvesin northern Canada.
Knelsen picked us up from our logcabin in the mornings and
droppedus off in remote blinds located deepin the bush. He had
blinds on and off
the ground that had shooting windowson all sides and most
importantly, hadsmall propane heaters. On the first day
the temperature was -41 below. Knelsencautiously reminded us
that we shouldnot turn on the heaters before daylight,so the wolves
would not see any illumi-nation in the blinds.
e first hour in the blind was ex-tremely cold, but once daylight
ar-rived the small heaters made the blindscomfortable. Without the
heaters there
was no way one could sit for 10 hourswithout being miserable. I
made it twohours once without the heater but the
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[ HUNTING GI ANT WOLVES OF THE NORTH]
The guide said it was the largestwolf taken by any of the
huntershe has guided over the years.
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weather had heated up to a balmy -10below.
Knelson showed us trail cam photosof 21 different wolves that
had visitedsix bait sites during the past few weeks.He also
reminded us that while thewolves regularly hit the bait, it was
rare
from them to do so everyday. Somemay only visit the bait sites
once a weekand even then only come in at night. Aweek before we
arrived, a hunter seenfour wolves and shot one; however,Knelsen
being the honest man he is,also mentioned that the hunter had
satsix days the year before and never sawa wolf.
On the first day I saw 91 ravens andnine coyotes all jockeying
one anotherto feast on the frozen remains of beef
bones. e coyotes appeared to be av-erage size except one that
looked to bein the 40-pound range and most weredark in color.
Knelsen advised notshoot any coyotes or we would likelyjeopardize
our chances for a wolf.
Roger had a similar experience and
saw may coyotes and ravens but nowolves. On the second day,
Knelsenmoved us to new blinds to keep us frombeing bored. at day 16
appeared atmy blind and I thought many were thesame coyotes that
visited the bait, butthen I saw several different groups ofthree
and four coyotes show up at thesame time. Knelsen had informed
methat three wolves where making therounds to this particular bait
site and
that one was a huge black male thatwas shot at three years ago
and quicklylearned to hunt at night.
Darkness falls faster in the far north, soI thought I should try
something andsooner rather than later. I opened thesmall window to
the blind, shoved myhead in the narrow opening and let out
my best subtle wolf howl. I closed thewindow and used my credit
card toshave newly formed ice off the window.I had only shaved a
small area when Iimmediately saw a wolf running righttowards my
stand. Let me be absolutelyclear with this statement, there is
nomistaking a big wolf for a coyote.
e wolf looked agitated and itneared the bait but it was looking
in alldirections trying to find the one who
dared to howl in his home territory.I didnt hesitate to take the
shot andI locked in on him. I still remember
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[ HUNTING GI ANT WOLVES OF THE NORTH]
Of six locations with trail cams, the wolves usually cameat
night and days would pass before they returned.
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the big yellow shiing eyes and thenthe bullet hitting perfectly
behind theshoulder. e big dog whirled aroundand headed for cover. I
knew the shotwas good but I decided to give him an-other one on the
run for good measure.He made it to the nearby brush line and
over a small rise. Even though the wolfwas running on the second
shot, I feltvery comfortable with the first shot andthe second was
nothing more than giv-ing myself a piece of mind.
Knelsen arrived at dark and wewalked to where I had last seen
thewolf and there the beast lay. He said itwas the largest wolf
taken by any of thehunters he has guided over the years. Iam 62 and
well over 200 pounds and
I had to really had to muscle the hugeblack wolf to get it off
the ground. I useda .243 with light bullets, but Knelsen
recommends at least a .243 caliber asthe minimum with larger
calibers be-ing better as he has tracked woundedwolves in the past.
One was a wolf shotwith a .308 three times before it was
re-covered. Shot placement, regardless ofbullet size, as with all
animals, is oen
the key.
Roger ended up harvesting a nice blackwolf the following day. He
mentionedthat his wolf came straight to the baitwithout hesitation.
In three days wehad two wolves down and later in thehunt I had a
huge gray wolf walk veryclose to the bait, but afforded me noshot.
e image of the huge gray wolf at
that stand will be etched in my memo-ry for the rest of my life,
so I guess themost sensible thing for me to do is go
back and try for him again next year.It is likely that less than
one percent
of all the hunters in North Americawill ever harvest a wolf, let
alone eversee one. Wolf hunting success can varygreatly.
Free-ranging wolves are hard topinpoint because of their nomadic
na-
ture; however, wolves are fairly easy tocall and bait only if
they are in the im-mediate area. I thoroughly enjoy hunt-ing wolves
and I even like eating them.Its not as bad as people might thinkand
I am living proof you can eat justabout any predator that walks the
earthand live to tell about it.
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[ HUNTING GI ANT WOLVES OF THE NORTH]
The wolves are unpredictable. Sometimes theyare regular vistors,
or in the case of one hunter,he sat for six days and never seen
one.
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The MobileHuntersTriad
A TRU CK, MOTORCYCLE AND A MOU NTAIN B IK E WILL PUT A
PREDATOR HUNTER INTO MORE PRODUCTIVE TERRAIN
TED STOTLER
E
verything was looking good just before firstlight, and then the
wind reversed its usualdirection. is meant that breezes wouldnow
carry my scent toward instead of awayfrom my planned calling area.
As I drove I
considered other roads that might allow me an approach
from downwind. e one road that would allow this re-quired a
four-wheel drive vehicle, but I didnt have one.Back then I drove a
standard pick-up. at alternativeroad was all dirt and had places
that were so steep andrutted that a standard drive could not safely
negotiateit. So with my plan foiled by unexpected weather, I
justpulled over at the first likely place and began calling atfirst
light.
I didnt get lucky and spent most of the day ponderingwhat might
have happened if I had 4WD capability. Myplanned choice of a stand
that morning was not far from
an old abandoned ranch site. It had a running spring,complete
with a resident pack of coyotes. If I could haveapproached from
downwind, there was a very good
chance that I would have called in more than one coy-ote at
dawn.
My hesitation about the 4WD truck was its extracost and also
that its increased capability would onlybe needed on occasionin my
mind not worth the ex-pense. On the way home I stopped off a
dealership, and
le a few hours later with a new four-wheel drive truck.I have
never looked back.
It doesnt take a serious predator hunter long to real-ize the
benefits of a true coyote rifle over a deer rifle.e latter will
work, but a rifle specifically designed forcoyotes is much better.
Likewise, a battery of specializedpredator rifles, one for a
perfect day, one to buck thewind, and a shotgun or semi-auto for
close fast actionwork, are much better than any single weapon.
e same goes for mobility. Over the years I havetried just about
everything, from cheap combat boots to
a new pickup truck. A helicopter is just plain out of
thequestion financially, or I would have tried one of those,too.
Time in the field has taught me that what is true of
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firearms is also true of vehiclesone will work, morewill work
better.
It seems to me that the fully capable coyote hunterneeds both a
battery of specialized firearms and a collec-tion of specialized
vehicles. is would include a four-wheel drive truck, a light
motorcycle and a mountain
bike. e main advantage offered by all of these vehiclesis the
time and energy they save opposed to travelingslow on foot, and
that time is better spent calling.
A hunter carrying full gear, a pack, a caller, and a
rifletravels 3 miles per hour on foot. e time spent walkingto a
stand is dramatically reduced by any of the threevehicles. ese
vehicles offer other benefits also, such asquieter approach, lower
scent signature, and more effec-tive visual concealment.
The Callers Workhorse
A good deer rifle can be used for predators, likewise,any
reliable vehicle can be used for getting you on standbut some work
better than others. Over the years I have
been calling in just about every type of specialized truckor SUV
imaginable, and based on that experience, andwhat I see other
experienced callers driving, I wouldhave to say that the best
four-wheeled vehicle for preda-tor hunting is the light to medium
4WD pickup truck.
e 4WD pickup truck serves several purposes. It
can negotiate both freeways and dirt roads, and haulanother
vehicle such as a motorcycle or mountain bike,hundreds of pounds of
other equipment, and harvestedanimals. While many SUVs have 4WD and
suffi cientweight hauling capability they lack the asset of
thetrucks bed. is open-air feature allows for storage ofthe messier
aspects of predator hunting such as blood-ied carcasses, and even
more noxious masking scentssuch as fox, coon, or skunk urine. Any
of these if spilled,or even stored in a confined area such as a
vehicle cab,can become overwhelming and can prove sometimes
impossible to eliminatea sure way to turn wives, chil-dren, or
friends into enemies of the hunt. e pickuptruck bed allows not only
for constant airing but can
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With a slim profile, an off-road motorcycle can navigate tight
trails betterthan an ATV and can be loaded into the back of a
pick-up truck.
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also easily be hosed down and cleanedin the event of the
unavoidable spill.
In the field the 4WD capability allowsfor travel on the worst of
dirt roads, andeasily moves over or through most mudand silt-sand
areas. e combination of
weight hauling, ease of maintenance,and accessibility to diffi
cult terrain,makes the 4WD pickup peerless amongvehicles types. It
is the hunters trueworkhorse and main battle pony.
at said, there are times when atruck, because of its size, can
be a realliability. One year I had the presidentof a local calling
club tell me that hismembership was in agreement that theCarrizo
Plains were a real bust, therewere few coyotes and none that
couldbe called in. I just couldnt believe that.My hunch was that
over-calling and toomany vehicles in the open were puttingoff the
local canines. On the Carrizo,like any plains area, there is very
little inthe way of foliage or terrain that couldhide a truck, and
few things can warnoff coyotes like the sight of a vehicle.
Sure enough a week later I tooka drive to that area and made
sure Iparked my truck in a rare low spot in
the terrain that completely concealedit. en I moved off down the
wash agood half-mile before I climbed out andset up. I took two
coyotes that summermorning in full daylight, one at aboutten
oclock. e problem hadnt beenlack of coyotes, but most likely
coyotesspooked by vehicle visibility.
ATV Pros & ConsI dont disparage ATVs but one troublewith
them is that when traveling far
from home they will need to be hauledby trailer, and compared to
the trucktheir total carrying capacity is limited. Ido realize that
there may be parts of thecountry where an ATV is just the
ticket.Anyone who can hunt a few miles fromhome would be a good
example of this.For the caller who takes down two ormore coyotes on
one stand, the ATVcan be much more helpful than a mo-torcycle or
mountain bike.
e ATVs strong suit is as a scoutingvehicle. Its four-wheeled
drive and nar-row width make it capable of accessing
rougher terrain. Like the motorcycleand mountain bike, the ATVs
lack ofa roof and outer body allow for wide-open view both up close
and distant.
One of the best ways to discover tracksand other sign over a
wide area is toride the ATV on dirt roads at slowerspeeds,
especially just aer a rainstormhas washed all old tracks away
leavingonly fresh signs of passing. Frequentstopping to glass
terrain, both close andfar, is much more convenient than in
afull-bodied vehicle.The MotorcycleNext to the 4WD truck I have
found the
most useful vehicle to be the motorcy-cle. e modern motorbike
offers quicktraverse of broken terrain that is notaccessible to the
four-wheel vehicle. Infact, a motorcycle will go almost any-place
that your feet will take you onlyfaster, and leave you more
physicallyrested and vigilant on ambush. Muffl edfor public places,
it makes less noisethan a larger vehicle and puts less ex-haust
fumes in the air to alarm distant
prey. A motorcycle can also be hauledin almost any truck bed and
is large tohaul plenty of gear in saddlebags.
Because it is smaller than a four-wheel vehicle the motorcycle
is mucheasier to conceal or camouflage whenparked. Camouflage tape
kits can be
purchased from any number of sellersand if you prefer not to mar
the surfac-es of your bike there is another way tocamouflage it. I
use a section of camonetting that can be neatly wrapped andcarried
in my pack. It is lightweight,easy to use and completely hides
theotherwise glaring visual liability. Likethe ATV, the motorcycle
offers thewide-open view for fast easy use of bin-oculars, and will
also serve as well forscouting as actual calling.
My use of the motorcycle has ledme to believe that the ideal is
a light-weight, single-cylinder, dual-purposetype. is type of
motorcycle comesfactory equipped for both on-road andoff-road use.
It has lights and turn sig-nals in order to be street legal, but
alsocomes with lower gear ratios and off-road knobby tires for
better torque thathelps pull you uphill on steep and
loosesurfaces.
More specifically, a 200-450cc engineis probably best. Anything
smaller doesnot have adequate power for some ter-
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[ THEMOBILE HUNTERS TRIAD ]
Once you get to your target location, ditch the cycle and head
out on foot. A camo tarp makes themotorcycle disappear in the
desert.
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rain and anything more means extraweight and more diffi cult
handling.e typical 200cc motorcycle weighs300-320 lbs. maximum. is
means itis also easier to load into a truck bed ormanhandle when
necessary in the field.More power and engine size means
theadditional weight, which is not goodfor mud or slit and will oen
bog down
less firm ground. Motorcycles also offera varied aermarket for
racks to carrycarcasses aer successful encounters.
The Stealthiest
Last but not least I would recommenda 10-15-speed mountain bike.
e onlyreal drawback to this type of vehiclewould be that it
requires more expen-diture of physical energy, but even soits at
least twice as fast and half as tire-
some as walking. e gearing allows foreasier mobility over
steeper and looserterrain. Also, the mountain bike has
two advantages over every other type ofuseful hunting vehicle.
First, it can gosome places that a truck, an ATV or amotorcycle
cannot go. Second, it can bethe most quickly and completely hid-den
from predator eyes than any othervehicle.
I find it ideally suited to terrain thatis the flattest with the
least or lowest
natural ground cover. Laid on its sideit requires no netting or
special cam-ouflage paint or tape. In fact, its biggestdrawback is
that it is so easy to hidethat the caller needs to be
especiallycareful to remember exactly where hele it. If not he may
have trouble find-ing it when returning from a stand. Anyincoming
coyote or bobcat would haveto pass within 4-5 feet to discover
it.
As with motorcycle, the mountain
bike is a great scouting and huntingvehicle, and it is easier to
transport ormanhandle in rough terrain than any
other vehicle. In fact, modern moun-tain bikes are so light they
can even becarried if necessary. For hunters likeme, who are
stealth and scent fanatics,it makes even less noise than walkingand
puts out no telltale fumes.
The Bottom Line
Depending upon what part of the
country we hunt all callers need goodreliable transport to
ensure maximumsuccess. e vehicles made available bymodern industry
are both useful andvaried. In order for the caller to realizehis
full potential in the field, and reapan ever more productive fur
harvest, heis best served not only a battery of spe-cialized
firearms but also by specializedmobility.
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[ THEMOBILE HUNTERS TRIAD ]
A mountain bike is one of the best all-around tools for a
predatorhunter that has to cover lots of terrrain. Sometimes it is
the onlyoption in areas where motorized vehicles are not
allowed.
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TintheCalling
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hick Stuff
T
he ideal predator calling setup comprisesa well-concealed
shooter overlooking abroad expanse of open ground with thewind and
sun in his favor. Any dog re-sponding to the call can be seen from
far
off as it comes in and the shooter has the luxury of wait-ing
until his target holds up for a nice stationary shot.Ive watched
this scenario played out many times onpredator calling videos. e
shooter waits with his riflebalanced in his cross-sticks and his
shotgun at his side.Most of the time the shotgun is only used if
the predatorhunter has time to make the switch. It makes for
enter-taining and sometimes exciting viewing and a lot canbe
learned about tactics and shot decisions. ese shotsare seldom
misses. When misses are shown it usuallyinvolves a far different
situation. e predator comes infrom an unexpected angle, surprises
the caller, never
leaves thick cover, or rushes by. A clean shot opportu-nity
never presents itself. e caller makes a rushed shotand oen misses.
In most of the country I call, the latersituation is usually the
norm.
ick cover and heavy foliage dramatically increasethe chances for
a lost predator. Such areas can be avoidedbut if that is where the
coyotes are then that is where youhave to call them. Sagebrush,
tall grass and thick under-growth force new tactics and different
shooting styles.
I am reminded of one situation that occurred not longago. My
partner and I were hunting unfamiliar private
land near Black Kettle WMA in western Oklahoma.We came upon a
broad and low river valley with highground overlooking sand
lovegrass a couple of hundred
yards from the river. Higher, more open ground rose ata steeper
angle from the opposite bank. e land wasfull of young, lightly
hunted coyoteseasy marks forcalling efforts. We set up near a
cluster of small locusttrees. I found a low position at the base of
the trees and
did the calling while my partner set up among the treeson higher
ground. I was not carrying a shotgun butrather an unfamiliar AR. I
was really more interested inmy partner getting the shot. I sat
there calling with therifle wedged between my knees blowing on a
howler/barker. A young coyote suddenly ran headlong into menot
stopping until he was no more than a foot or twoaway. Before I
could get the AR into position and thesafety off, he was gone. My
partner never saw him untilaer my futile shot attempt. We could
only joke aboutme getting caught with my pants down. e problem
isthat unless different strategies are used this will happen
over and over. It can get frustrating and a lot of coyotesare
getting a good education.
The Set-UpCalling from an elevated site will at least help the
huntersee a predator approaching. A caller doesnt have to bereal
high but high enough to be looking down on coverrather than through
it. I have a portable stool that willget my bottom off the ground
by at least a foot or so.is is important on flat open ground of
tall grass. Ob-viously the caller is exposing himself so good camo
and
tall background cover is an aid. I like to position my-self with
even a small tree or slope behind my callingposition or have taller
cover in front of me as long as
TACTICS FOR HUNTI NG IN THE JU NGLE BR USH
RANDY D. SMITH
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it doesnt obscure my shooting angles,and I try to use anything
that will breakup my outline.
I watch for well-used game trailswhenever possible. Coyotes will
ha-bitually follow those trails rather than
break through tall grass. ey will not
try to break through thick brush thatmight entangle them. ey
like to moveswily and see where they are going. IfI am using an
electronic call, Ill place itnear, above, or right on the game
trail.If I have a decoy I will place it where it
can be seen from the game trail upon
approach. If an open area of low coveris near Ill place the call
or set up so thatI can get a shot opportunity there andconcentrate
on the game trails that leadinto the open ground.
Gun ManagementI nearly always carry both a shotgunand a rifle
when I am calling and I al-ways call with the shotgun in my
handsand the rifle at my side usually wedgedin cross-sticks. It is
a tactical mistakein thick country to do it the other wayround. You
nearly always have time toswitch to the rifle for longer shots or
atpredators that have hung up but grab-bing for a shotgun and
getting a rifleout of the way when a predator sur-prises you is
nearly impossible. I carrya shotgun set up differently than mostdo.
I have an Aimpro Predator pumpaction shotgun customized from
atwelve gauge 590 A1 Mossberg. It hasa 1.5-4X-circle reticle
shotgun scopethat is always set on the lowest magni-fication level.
Red dot and tactical elec-tronic sights also work well. I prefer
theMy primary shooting rig for heavy grass and brush areas in this
12-gauge Aimpro Predator pump
shotgun with a Bushnell 1-4X circle reticle scope. The 3-inch
magnum Winchester Coyote loadsteamed with an extra full choke allow
for a credible killing range of 60-70 yards.
I prefer to set my electronic call in open areaswhen possible to
draw a predator out of cover.
If this is not possible I look for established gametrails as
most coyotes will usually follow them.
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circle reticle scope for quick shots andhave never felt hampered
by it and thebatteries never go dead on a scope. isshotgun is
equipped with an extra fullchoke and loaded with 3-inch
magnumWinchester Coyote loads since #4 buck
and 00 buck is illegal in Oklahoma.is gun is very versatile and
lethalout to sixty or seventy yards with thisload yet there is
still enough spread inthe pattern for quick shot resolutionsat
close range. If I am calling in heavysagebrush or plum thickets the
shot-gun is sometimes the only gun I carryas there is seldom a
credible long rangeshot opportunity anyway. I focus theshot attempt
on the predators head ifpossible with both eyes open to keepmy
bearings on the target in relation tothe background. In low light
it is easyto become disoriented if you take youreyes off the
target.
Tight shot patterns shoot throughbrush or tall grass much better
thanrifle bullets do. Aer taking my shotI always try to concentrate
on the tar-get to see if it is going down or movingoff. e same
tactic should be used if
you have a rifle. At longer ranges a sec-ond round is good
insurance if thereis doubt that enough shot reached themark.
Coyotes seldom go down froma shotgun hit like they do from a
riflehit unless the shot is closer than thirtyyards. ey will spin
or stagger giving
the shooter time for a second, morelethal hit. If the predator
goes downI always approach or track it with theshotgun at the ready
rather than a rifle.Marginally hit predators will bolt fromcover at
close range and a shotgun is
more likely to bring them down.
Calling StrategiesWhen I call in thick cover, whetherwith a hand
call or electronic call, Igo with very so calls at first.
Preda-tors, especially if you have made a
I often use this inexpensive folding stoolwhen calling over flat
areas in heavy grass orbrush. It gives me just enough elevation to
seeapproaching predators before they are right ontop of me. The
.243 Ruger American rifle is heldin reserve for hung up dogs at
longer ranges.
Even a slight elevation rise can prove a definiteadvantage when
calling heavy cover. The
higher you can get with the least exposure is a
definite advantage in heavy cover.
Coyote taken in thick cedar woods with a scoped 30-30
Marlin.While not generally considered a good calling round, a
.30-30 leveraction rifle is deadly and usually produces minimal
hide damage.
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stealthy approach to your calling site,are oen very close.
Whether or notyou announce yourself with an open-ing howl involves
more of a gut feel-ing than anything else. I will howl inmore open
country but dont very of-ten in extremely thick cover. If the
sea-son is right and coyotes are talkative Imight try aggressive
challenge barksbut generally I stick to estrus calls anddistress
cries for thick cover. On the
hunt described earlier there were sev-eral young, aggressive
coyotes in thefield. I had a lot of good responses fromshort barks
and challenge cries frommy mouth calls. In cold weather whencoyotes
are hungry Ill stick to distresscalls. If aer five minutes or so I
do nothave a response, I will increase the vol-ume to try to cover
longer distances. IfI suspect or see a predator approach-ing I will
decrease the volume or stop
calling altogether. Coyotes have goodhearing and will usually
approach theoriginal sound source location even if
it isnt playing.Call longer and soer than you
would over more open ground. I oencall the thick stuff for
thirty minutesand carefully watch the fringes for warypredators.
Bobcats also prefer thickcountry and they respond better to lon-ger
calling times. I call continuously forbobcats lowering the volume
as the catapproaches.
If you have a clear, good shot oppor-
tunity on open ground with tall covercloser to your position
take the shot atlonger range. Experience has taught meto take a
good open-ground shot ratherthan trying to lure a predator
closerthrough thick cover. e closer a pred-ator gets the more
likely he will makeout the caller and the easier he canwithdraw
without you having a shot.Try vocal barks, yips, or even a heyyou
to stop the predator for an open
ground set shot. I very seldom havetime to switch to a hand call
to barkthem to a stop unless the ground is very
open. is scenario calls for the rifle. Ifthe dog keeps on coming
through openground and back into cover withoutstopping switch back
to the shotgunand wait him out.
Finally, work in and out of your call-ing site as quietly as
possible. You justmight flush a predator passing in thearea. Again,
I carry the shotgun andsling the rifle for approaches and
with-drawals. I sling my electronic call and
my chair so that I have both hands freewhile moving. I avoid
approaches thatwill take me through thick brush thatmight tear at
my equipment, or createunnecessary commotion. e first placeI always
look when Ive finished call-ing is directly behind. I cant
rememberhow many times a coyote was standingbehind me when I
finished my calling.
When moving from one calling site to another it is good practice
to sling your rifle and haveyour shotgun in hand. Predators
occasionally flush from cover during such transitions and ashotgun
is better for quick response shots before the animal in lost in
thick brush.
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HuntingPredator
on a Budget
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N
ew stuff is great and nothing beats ashiny new rifle. But a new
shootin ironis not always possible. With the ris-ing popularity of
predator hunting andmore hunters becoming interested I de-
cided to see if I could put together an economy outfit. Atrue
predator-hunting rig that could tune the song dogsbut leave enough
cash for the other bills as well.
Parameters
With economy in mind I decided to be open to any typeof actionbe
it single, lever or bolt. All would be ac-ceptable if the rifle was
in decent condition and useda capable cartridge. Speaking of
cartridges I set mysights on a .22 centerfire and not necessarily
the currentmarket darling either. Along with the rifle, an
accurate
scope would be needed which hopefully the rifle would
be equipped with otherwise this would be an addedexpense. Any
well-rounded predator-hunting outfit re-quires a shotgun and I
expected this part of the searchwould be the least diffi cult or so
I thought. e low costrule made used firearms the only choice and I
would try
to complete the rig with all the additional equipment Icould
find or scrounge.
Bore Size
e starting point for this experiment was the rifle/scope
combination. A used varmint rifle today oencomes down to either a
.223 or .22/250 along with thehot .17 and .204 calibers. But I
approached the searchwith little concern about whats popular and
more aboutprice. e dealers used racks had plenty of choices but
Ifound most a tad too pricy. Being on budget doesnt al-
low for much wiggle room and very few rifles met all the
NEW IS NIC E BUT USED IS SOMETI MES THE ONLY OPTION
CARY RIDEOUTPHOTOS BY LORAIN EBBETT-RIDEOUT
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criteria. A Ruger Model 77 in .22/250was a possibility but
slipped by as did aRemington 788 in .222. Actually I shotthe
Remington several times and theold Bushnell 4X did a fine job aer
40odd years of knocks. e owner how-
ever was unwilling to drop the price
for my research purposes so the searchcontinued.
One rifle I briefly considered was aModel 70 Winchester in the
classic .220Swi. e Swi is a legendary cartridgethat set the
shooting world on its ear
when it was first offered. With breath-
taking accuracy and a muzzle velocityof 4,000 fps it still ranks
as a predatorround worth considering. But speedlike that couldnt
help but result in peltdamage so I wasnt interested. Little didI
know that .220 Swi would play a part
in my varmint outfit later.
History LessonsIt took much longer to run down a riflethan I
expected and aer multiple dis-appointments I fell back on the
bestsearch engine ever: WOM, as in wordof mouth! Its amazing how
the firearmscommunity works. All you have to do isput out the call
and pretty soon some-ones trying to sell you just want youneed. But
instead of a stranger it turnedout a local dealer contacted me and
Ihustled over to view his offering.
Sitting on the store counter in afrayed ratty old case with a
broken zip-per was a rifle. We talked a while and fi-nally he
pulled the scoped rifle out andhanded it over. I recognized the
SavageModel 340 right away and checked thebarrel markings expecting
either .22Hornet or .222 but it was stamped .225Win! Never heard of
that one I told the
trader who proceeded to educate mewith a detailed explanation
includingvisual materials.
To round out the Savage 340 rifle, the author picked up a
well-worn Mossberg500, a classic pump shotgun that could shuck
shells faster than grease lightning.
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On paper it was pretty much a .22/250Remington with very close
ballisticsexcept it had been out of production fordecades. Hmmm.
When questioned onammo availability he pulled out a worncardboard
with an antique looking Lee
Loader plus powder, primers and bul-lets. He also had four full
boxes of Win-chester factory 55-grain PSP ammoplus another of
unprimed rounds toboot. I really didnt know much aboutthe Savage
340 itself but once the dealermade it clear the whole works was
go-ing home with me we quickly agreedon a price: about what the
rifle cost in1970! I asked him to keep an eye out formore ammo and
he has since locatedadditional ammo. Having a good rela-tionship
with a friendly dealer is vitalfor anyone that is a hunter and
work-ing with a local neighbor is better inmy experience then a
voice on the tele-
phone or email any day. As an interest-ing aside the Savage was
a 340V whichwas the Varmint model and a true hide-hunters gun.
On Closer Examination
e scope proved to be a Bushnell 1.75-5x20 mounted on a set of
Weaver 11H1-inch rings sidesaddle style. I contem-plated replacing
it but since I was go-ing economy it had to stay. e scopeproved a
straight shooter able to placelead into a coyotes vital at
150-200yards. For the woods/farm countryshooting I do this is
acceptable. eladder and post iron sights provideclose range back
up. e rifle feedsfrom a 3-round detachable clip and asecond spare
was in the old gun case.Lock up is tight and the rifling whileused
is still in good condition. estock has the marks of rough usage
and
I doubt it has ever seen any attention inthe way of linseed oil.
Action wise itsnever jammed up and while the offsetscope mount isnt
too attractive but it issolid, and once properly screwed downthe
rifles accuracy is fine for the field.
Up Close ArsenalBesides a long-range option I wanted ashotgun
for those sneaky varmints whodri up close enough to count
theireyelashes. A shotgun is the ticket herebut I wanted to see how
low I could goin keeping with the project. Once againthe local
hunting community came tothe rescue with a contact. An
elderlyhunter was selling off a Mossberg 500.Now to say it was
battered wouldvebeen a compliment. Not a speck ofstain in the stock
and the faintest ofmemories of bluing. e barrel lackeda front bead
and the action practically
The Savage 340 in .225 Winchester with a Bushnell
1.75-5x20scope. The author bought it for what it sold brand new in
1970.
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worked itself. It turned out the decadesold pump gun was his
rough weatherspecial but aer he told me price I dugout my
wallet.
Once I got home I broke down therough weather special. It was a
stan-
dard Model 500 with a 3-inch chamber(on the plus side) and a
30-inch modi-fied barrel (not on the plus side) thatwas pocked
inside and out.
Remember that loose action? WellI have never handled a faster
work-ing pump or lever in my life. e darnthing is like lighting
with a broken infeel thats tough to describe. It just slamshome the
bolt, fires, ejects and reloadslike a corn shucker. e next step
wasto load up for fur. I knew that buckshotor heavy non-toxic shot
is the recom-mended round for coyotes but in keep-ing with my
budget I checked aroundfor other options.
At one time I remember every shot
Although the author got a good deal on a rifle in an obscure
caliber, eventually hewould have to reload cartridges to keep up a
supply of ammo and keep costs down.
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shell ammo box listed BB as fox loads.Well I wondered if this
recommenda-tion still worked. I purchased a box oflead BBs in
3-inch magnum. While pat-terning the load, I expected to see
gapsbut at 25 yards it ripped up a test paper
with authority. Pacing back to 35 yardsthe aim point still had
decent multiplehits with a decidedly non-modified pat-tern. For
varmint work tight chokes aresupposed to be the best but at least
inthis old pump the more open constric-tion seems to print very
well. It shootstight and a dozen or more lead BBs inthe breathing
apparatus of any predatorwill make it game over.
Squeaks, Squawks And SquealsOnce I had the rifle/shotgun
combolooked aer it was time to call em up.As luck would have it an
uncle of minehad mentioned an old coyote call andI was able to get
my hands on it. AScotch Model 1503 Varmint Call circa1970s. e long
rubber bellows is at-tached to a hardwood throat and thewhole
apparatus is 12 inches. Talk aboutretro! Using this is a serious
interactiveexperience but the darn thing is pretty
good at producing a decent series ofsounds. Volume is really
good and as abonus it doesnt take two hands to oper-ate. Aer a
little experimenting I foundit possible to work from various
posi-tions even hanging from a shirt pocketand merely nudging it. I
like the big bel-lows and can get the artillery in actioneven as it
continues to squeal drawing
the curious predator closer. While thereare countless modern
choices in var-mint calls this classic fits nicely in withthe low
budget varmint rig.
Clothes Make The Man
Hunters today have the greatest selec-tion of duds imaginable
that wick mois-ture away and keep you toasty dry. Butlike most
outdoors folk I wear someragged looking clothes. Stained tornand
faded are the watchwords of mywardrobe. Aer studying what the
wishbooks offered I wondered about maybefudging a bit on my low
budget rule.en while mall crawling one day with
my wife, she beckoned me over andheld up a nice camo jacket. It
was tooexpensive I said, and then she turnedthe price tag over. e
coat was $15 andinsulted AND a decent forest pattern toboot. Turned
out it was knock-off but
heck it was $15 and all it lacked wasa zipper tab. I quickly
found the storemanager and asked if it was priced cor-rectly. She
confirmed it and I made forthe checkout. For a facemask I pickedup
a thin mosquito head net and a cou-ple pairs of cotton camo gloves
at thefeed store and completed a simple low-priced predator hunting
outfit.
ABOUT THE .225 WINIn 1964 the varmint-hunting world was awash in
wildcatcartridges and the big gun makers noticed. Winchester hadits
.220 Swift in the Model 70 frame but this fine roundwas already 30
years old and the company was castingabout for an updated offering.
Over at Remington thelong awaited release of a wildcat round, the
.22/250, wassure to be a hit. So Winchester put its own
world-beatertogether. But unlike the scorching wildcat Big Ws
roundwas based on a different premise. Winchester took theDonaldson
.219 Wasp and its own .219 Zipper to producea balanced more than
capable varmint round. Rimmed
and looking like a necked down .30WCF the new roundwas called
the .225 Winchester. Rather than try to out run
the speedy Remington round, the .225 Win offered a
wisecombination of useable power, a round that maintains itvelocity
and had excellent reloading qualities. But as weall know the
.22/250 had a long head start with legionsof wildcatters familiar
with the round and a slight edge inspeed at the muzzle. With only a
couple rifles (Winchester70-670/ Savage 340) and Winchester as the
sole ammuni-tion maker, the .225 drifted for a decade. Eventually
rifleproduction ceased but the round hung on with
enthusiastskeeping its name from completely disappearing. As a
roundthat never received its due and one that actually makes
the
grade, the .225 Win is worth a look for any predator
hunterwhether they are on a budget or not.
The floppy Scotch Model 1503 varmint call from the
1970s. Keep an eye out for old predator calls as theystill work
in the field but also for their historical value.
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Post-Season Conclusions
Of course no experiment yields 100 percent satisfactory
re-sults. It is diffi cult to find ammo for the .225 Win so
reloading
is a must. While I never intend to load the round to the max,I
am not sure the Savage would be up to the repeated pound-ings
anyway. e pointed so point 55-grain bullets that camewith the rifle
are a bit fierce on fur pelts and I probably shouldlook at a .224
option that is gentler. Most of the reloading sup-pliers are now
offering what are touted as fur-friendly rounds.But being a
cheapskate I will likely wait until I reload all thebullets I have
in stock now. A higher priced modern scopewould be a smart move as
well but the Bushnell does whatIve asked of it so far. e dated
Scotch bellows call produces auseful series of attracting squalls
but it requires some practiceas any call does. It would likely get
me laughed out of a stand
but it works. My rough weather Mossberg is a fine shooterwith
the retro choice of lethal lead BBs. I have never checkedto see if
it is safe with steel loads and if it becomes law forupland work in
my area Ill just set it aside for a deserved rest.Final analysis? e
tools are up to the task.
For the person willing to work at it a low cost predator
hunt-ing rig that doesnt eat up the greenbacks in todays cash
tightworld is possible. ere are some surprising choices once
youbegin looking and it might just be a nice enough youll wantto
keep. I know I am keeping mine.
As an experiment in spending, the author put together a
budget-priced predator-hunting outfit and as this bobcat indictaes,
itproves it doesnt take much to get into the predator hunting
game.
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CallingCrows
the
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Everyone is familiar with the old adage, curiositykilled the
cat. Somehow I believe theyve pinnedthat moniker of the wrong
critter. e reason Ivecome to this is because of what took place on
myfront yard just days ago. Lets call it a little experi-
ment I cooked up to prove a point with a group of crows
thatregularly cruise up and down my street. I set out
full-bodyplastic crow decoys in my front yard next to busy street
traffi c.Back inside the house I sat at my offi ce window watching
andwaiting but not for long.
Five minutes later the decoys got the crows attention. atswhere
their endless curiosity kicks in. Four birds swung overthe lawn
making a quick U-turn before dropping down to agentle landing two
feet from their plastic cousins. ey eyedtheir artificial brethren
to see what they were doing that wasso interesting. It only took a
few seconds for the four to realizetheir new pals were frauds and
they vaulted back up into theair. But Id proven a point
conclusively. e unbridled curios-ity of crows is something they
cannot resist and any would-becrow hunter can capitalize on it. ese
birds are smarter thanany other American game bird but they can be
outfoxed.
Almost all first time shooters and a good deal of veteranhunters
crow hunt by passing shooting birds as they movearound each day.
However, using crow decoys is a more suc-cessful and more exciting
way to hunt these very same fliers.Youll get more shooting, get it
at birds in closer for surer killsand have the satisfaction of
bringing birds to your decoy setsand your calling skills.
DecoysOne of the most important things never pointed out
aboutcrow decoying is that you dont need the huge spreads
thatwaterfowl hunters use for ducks and geese. Ten or twelve
full-body crow decoys will pull in live flocks many timestheir
number. I like to place mine three to four feet apart andspread
them out in a feeding pattern, facing them in differ-ent directions
as live birds do when foraging. e clincher tosmall numbers like
this is by adding one or two flying decoys.
e Motto Crow, is a ground-staked decoy with wings thatactually
flap and adds life-like movement that increases thedrawing power of
your field sets. Another winged decoy isthe SilloSocks brand, which
is a fabric stretched over a frameand staked on a tall pole. A
third option to add power to yourfield sets is that standard
full-body plastic decoys oen have
a small hook in the back so they be suspended on tree limbsor
wires. ese appear like live birds that have landed and
areinspecting their pals below. eir drawing power comes be-
IT S LIK E COYOTE HUNTI NG
EXCE PT YOUR TARG ET HAS
WINGS.
ART ISBERG
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cause they are elevated and can be seen over long distanceswhere
field decoys might be missed because of obscuringground cover. ese
three simple additions to standard fieldsets give you a real edge
on wary birds.
CallingCrows have quite literally dozens of different calls in
their for-midable vocabulary from outright calling to squawks,
hails,groans and cries. Yet no would be crow caller needs to
learndozens of different calls or when to use them if he or she
justconcentrates on four or five basic calling sounds. ere are
two ways to achieve these: mouth calls and electronic calls.
Mouth Callsink of your calling in three simple phases and all
this ismore easily understood. First is the hail call, when youre
try-ing to get distant birds to notice your decoys. e call is
blownat the loudest volume with a two second break between
eachcall. It sounds like: CawCawCawwww! You can continueto use this
call until birds start to swing your way. If they turnoff at some
point, go back to it.
Second is the over-here call, aer the crows swing your
way and come closer. is is blown at medium volume. elast note in
each call is blown at a lower pitch like: CAwwCawwCaww. Wait
several second between each three-note
delivery and watch to see if the birds are continuing towardyou.
Should you hear them calling back which they of ten do,you know
your calls are solid.
e third is the all-is-well call or what some call the
feedingcall. is is blown with the least volume as birds close in.
Its ashorter yet more exited call that is blown with a faster
tempoin two parts: Caw-Cawwww, Caw-Cawwww, Caw-Cawww.Once the birds
are in shooting range, stop calling and tend tobusiness. Youve done
your job. Dont overdue it. Master thesecorrectly and you will be
calling crows convincingly.
Electronic CallsFor the hunter uninterested in becoming a
virtuoso withmouth calls, electronic callers will do all the work
for youbut at a higher price. ese calls offer some real
advantages.Not only do they have a much larger selection of calls,
butalso most of them cannot be matched with mouth calls.
Suchchoices as crows-in-distress, crow-fighting-owl,
crows-gath-ering, crow-death-cry, and hawk-attack are just a few of
doz-ens available. Choices like that can bring in crows that
haveeither been called before or even shot over. Starting,
stopping,changing calls is achieved by a simple push on a remote
con-
trol keypad. at also means no hand movement that mightgive you
away when using mouth calls. ese calls can also beset to run
non-stop as crows mill around decoys so you can
Crow decoys on the ground will make up your mainspread but also
attach some to tree branches and otherelevated perches for a more
realistic draw.
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concentrate on shooting and not calling.Speaker location is also
important. I like to place mine well
away from my blind off to one side of my decoys. is keepsthe
birds attention on that spot and not me.
More expensive calling units now offer dual speakers fora
surround-sound effect and optimum volume for reaching
out to distant birds. ese big calls run on battery packs andits
wise to keep a spare in your pack while afield. Cold winterweather
can sap battery power by almost half with extendedplay, so you
always want a back up handy. Carrying weightfor most electronic
calls is about three pounds and are easilyhandled in the field.
About RoostsAt days end, crows wing in from all points of the
compassgathering in roosts to spend the night. eir raucous
callingat these times can be easily heard a mile away. With so
manybirds flying into one spot its tempting to shoot roosting
sites.Dont do it. Shooting here will only scatter birds and
youllhave to start all over again to find new areas theyll
frequent.You can capitalize on shooting both pass and decoying if
youset up several miles away along the sky paths birds take
bothgoing to and from roosting sites at each end of the day.
Crowsare birds of habit. ey will follow these routes each day.
esmart way to hunt them is to shoot one area for a day or twothen
rest if for four or five days before going back. Rotateshooting
areas by having several you can move to. ats thesmart way to handle
roosting areas.
Timing TipsI learned a long time ago the daily movement and
timetableof crows is something well worth understanding for
steadyshooting. Any dedicated waterfowl hunter is the perfect
can-didate for crow hunting. Why? Because crows use the sameexact
schedule as ducks and geese. eyre up flying out ofroosts at first
light and make their final fli