Tips for a hunting noob

[Sniper-T]

There we go... now we're talking the same language... I was starting to wonder about that whole Mars/Venus thing. lol

The season is actually quite long, opens with the first hunting season in mid April with Bear season , and runs through to the end of Feb... Trapping season overlaps this as well, and they are encouraging people to trap more and shoot less, as then it makes one more conscious of and likely to utilize the hide.

Here's a quote for you:

Big Game Hunting
Gray Wolf and Coyote
Licences
Gray wolves and coyotes can be hunted under the authority of any big game licence, and as such, there are no tagging requirements.

from here: Manitoba Hunting Guide

This means if someone want a pelt they can shoot it as long as they have a big game tag and take the hide. if they do not want the hide, they do not need any licence, they do not have to tag it, and they do not have to remove it from the bush. meaning, anyone can go out and shoot them at will.

and again... in a lot of areas they are paying upto $50 for the right front paw.

In some areas there is up to a $150 bounty for wolves.

I don't know if you saw my 'trapping thread' but I have been actively culling them for over a month now... (as nuisense control) in that time I have taken 6 foxes, 8 yotes and a wolf.... And this is just on my property. That I've taken with 2 single traps.

Now, even though trapping season is now open, the hides are still not worth anything because it is/has been too warm out... after the cold sets in, they'll come out with their winter fur, and I'll have a dozen or more traps out, and I'll save/give away/sell the hides.

And as for your next post... I do have a dog... a great big lab. so I'm not worried about anything like that to me or my place... but my neighbours with small children/pets/livestock... I try to help them out too. but for dogs... when I have more time another day... I'll tell the story about when we were dog sitting a husky "in heat", and how bold the yotes and wolves got

and not just for these critters... I shot a bear 2 weeks ago (ish) 25 from my house after it trashed my bird feeder and garden shed. and this Spring my neighbour lost a poodle to a cougar.

By the way... I'm a fan of Auel too. I attribute her to the reason I ended up with a degree in Archaeology/Anthropology

Peace!

[Sparrow]

When I commented on the picture, I said it was sad. And it is sad the state of that creature.

One other thing I though of, is probably a good idea to bury it or better yet - burn up the carcases. If you leave then there ... full of disease, mange, rot and possibly rabies ... other starving animals will eat it and the disease cycle continues. Which is bad for you, anyone bitten, livestock bitten etc ...

Side note Sniper: aren't men from Mars?

[bacpacker]

Yotes are becoming a larger problem around here as well. My former boss had killed 7 on his 11 acres and he lived pretty close to town 3 miles or less. We've had them here before but never had trouble yet. Since we got the chickens, I will be happy to remove them. Rabies is the big problem around here with yotes and coons in particular.
I read some of Auel's stuff as well years ago. Very good writer IMO.

[dragon5126]

I don't like that picture of the dead coyote at all. I would never kill them, unless they were a threat, which they aren't around here at all. They are small and look so much like a dog ... I don't see any reason to kill them, kind of a waste of time around here (now this is not commenting on places where wild game might be over run by them and a problem - I am commenting on the situation here in NB Canada where they aren't a problem at all).

You will change your tune when your poodle dissappears... Yotes eat domestic dogs like they are chocolate bars...

[dragon5126]

With the diseases that yotes carry, any big dog that would be left out to defend live stock would be put at risk of getting those same diseases. You cant innoculate against mange, and the innoculations you can give your canine are only 89-95% effective so your animal is still at risk. Th only way to prevent the spread of the disease is eradication of the source. You really do need to educate yourself much more about the dangers of coyotes. They will and commonly do pack up and attack larger dogs as a singular source of food. If you are seeing yotes in your drive way and you have a rottie in the house you should be damned worried about leaving the house at any time of day since they hunt at any time of day or night, and your rots presence is not doing anything to deter them. Add to the fact that they seem well fed, and are in your drive way means that they are HUNTING in your driveway...

[Sniper-T]

Well now, I've certainly done my part to de-rail this thread...

My appologies to the OP.

Back on topic...

We also have wild hog issues around these parts, mostly stemming from people who actually brought them in planning on farming them; then realizing after the fact, that there is no fence in the world that can contain these things if they want to get out.

So in an effort to cull them, they now have an 'open season' and no bag limit. meaning anywhere, anytime... shoot them (safe hunting/shooting laws in effect of course).

like Tennessee, we have a lot of big bush around here, and this is where they are moving into, so when we go hunting, it's an adventure. It is also often quite impromptu. Let me explain...

Myself, and my group of friends are all outdoors people, so we, or one of us could be out somewhere doing something. snowmobiling, quading, hiking, x-country skiing, etc. and if we see some fresh tracks, the phone call goes out, and we try to arrange a hunt for the next day. We try to get at least 4 people but the most success comes with groups of around 8. we'll go back out to the area of the fresh tracks, and spread out in a line, with the center person on the tracks. Then we stalk the animal(s) until we locate it, then try to get the 'wing-people into position to cut it off, and get into a shooting position.

We are generally in pretty heavy bush, and most shots are within 20 feet. we typically use .30-.30's or .45-.70's with open sights.

what type of terrain do you plan on hunting?
sight-line distances?

[The Stig]

Well now, I've certainly done my part to de-rail this thread...

My appologies to the OP.

Back on topic...

what type of terrain do you plan on hunting?
sight-line distances?

I'm along the gulf coast so lots of thicket/underbrush, lots of pine/oak trees....usually clumped together with irregular open spaces inbetween.

So shots can be up-close-and-personal, or 200 yards. Just depends.

[Sniper-T]

If they are abundant in your area, AND are allowed to under tennessee hunting regulations, I know guys that have been successful hunting them over baits. get yourself to one of those areas that you've got a decent line of sight, with some distance (a 200 yd clearing would be good) but set your bait in the middle, so you effectively cut yourself down to 100yds. This will give you more options for your position depending on the wind.

Hogs are very wary critters, and you'll want to be as scent free as possible, and downwind of where you hope they'll be. You'll also want to be invisible. either buy or make a blind, and utilize some local foliage to personalize it to the location.

Then hunker down, and use your best 'these here are some good eats' calls and wait.

[Sniper-T]

I mentioned a story about a husky in heat earlier… and since it is pertinent to this thread I’ll add it here (rather than the requested PM’s)

Two winters ago, my wife and I had the joy of dog-sitting for her sister of their young Husky pup… who happened to be a female in heat at the time. My wife picked it up from her sisters and took it home, we set up its’ bed in the sunroom, and dog-proofed the room. It should be said, that I am not a fan of having dogs inside the house! She put the leash on it and took it for a walk around in the yard, the whole time it’s whining and yowling, and making whatever other sounds a dog in heat makes, peeing all over the place, etc etc etc…

I get home a couple hours later, plow the driveway, shovel the steps etc, and when I get inside my wife says that she went to take Zoey (The dog) for a walk, but heard some coyotes and could hardly hold the leash. No Biggie, I grab her, and head out the backdoor with my wife, only to be stopped in my tracks on the second step by the sight of a coyote about 30 feet away in my back yard.

I stepped back into the house and grabbed a .30-.30, and a handgun for each my wife and myself. By the time I got outside again, that coyote was gone. I fired a couple shots into my berm, figuring that the noise would scare him even farther away. Reloaded, and off we went for a walk down my bush trails. We made it about a hundred yards and were both (all three-the dog too) stopped short again, as the bush seemed to come alive with howls A mixed bag of wolf, coyote, and fox calls ALL AROUND US. Literally, there were dozens and dozens of them.

We were walking by moonlight, but at this, I snapped a flashlight on and shone it through the trees, and there were eyes everywhere around us. They were all still baying barking and howling, so we turned around and started heading back to the house, basically dragging this snaky dog with us… she really wanted to go ‘play’. We hadn’t gone more than a couple dozen steps and we were stopped short again as instantly we were in absolute silence. Every animal stopped howling at the same time. I spun around and immediately fired off three rounds, and we high-tailed it back to the house. As soon as we slammed the door closed behind us, the howling started again.

We got back without incident, and got the dog back into the sunroom… but she stunk… I grabbed some paper towels and wiped her scent off her back legs, and put the paper towels in a ziplock bag, and threw them in the freezer. Since I had to work the next day, I put in a set of earplugs, and went to bed. My wife napped a bit on the couch but Zoey howled all night, and in response, the wolves and coyotes howled all night. I got up and went to work without incident, and came home earlier the next day, so I would still have some daylight. First we walked the dog up and down the driveway a few times, my wife didn’t want to get too far from the house (me neither) even though we were armed. Once the dog did her business, my wife went back in with the dog, I wiped her down again, and bagged the scent as before, but this time I took it with me, along with the rifle and a couple extra boxes of shells.

As I headed out to the back forty, I looked around, and saw that the ‘dogs’ had run a vigil around the house for most of the night, as they had packed down a ring through over 2 feet of snow, and had run it almost down to bare ground. When I got to the clearing in the back, I checked my wind direction and took the scent towels and hung them up in some brush. I backed off to a shooting position and within minutes they started to come in.

In less than hour (‘til dark) I shot 19 coyotes, 4 wolves and 2 red foxes. Normally, when you fire a shot at a pair or pack, the rest run away and are never to be seen again. But this day, they would run off a bit, then turn and come right back in. I left with a full magazine, but they didn’t look twice at me, they single-mindedly went after those scent towels and tore that whole area apart fighting over them.

In my absence, my wife loaded the dog back into her car and went back to her sisters’ place, where she stayed for the next couple days. I waited an hour, then fired up my sled, hooked onto the sleigh and went out to pick up the carcasses. It took three trips, and the next 14 hours to skin them all out.

I used the rest of the scent towels on a couple different occasions since then, but with less success, I still got a few yotes and another wolf, and they still came in without regard for their safety, but not in the numbers of that first shoot. In hindsight… I should have put the scent out the day before the planned shoot. Probably high up a tree, where they can’t get to it, and then go back the next day for the shoot.
I always keep an ear out for anyone saying the have a husky in heat, and will do this again!

[Sparrow]

With the diseases that yotes carry, any big dog that would be left out to defend live stock would be put at risk of getting those same diseases. You cant innoculate against mange, and the innoculations you can give your canine are only 89-95% effective so your animal is still at risk. Th only way to prevent the spread of the disease is eradication of the source. You really do need to educate yourself much more about the dangers of coyotes. They will and commonly do pack up and attack larger dogs as a singular source of food. If you are seeing yotes in your drive way and you have a rottie in the house you should be damned worried about leaving the house at any time of day since they hunt at any time of day or night, and your rots presence is not doing anything to deter them. Add to the fact that they seem well fed, and are in your drive way means that they are HUNTING in your driveway...

Thank you for your concern and advice. It is always appreciated.

Around here the land is in 200 acre plots. Lots of dogs and nobody has problems with coyotes, just next to me the guy has lots of sheep and their auzzie Shepard has digressed into a house baby and no longer guards the flock at all - still no problems with predators. I saw one, before I got this dog and the house/property was vacant for over 6 months.

Basically, where I am - they aren't to be feared. They're small, in good heath and mind their own business. However, I wouldn't be silly enough to keep our family Pomeranian outside ... a hawk would get it!