nealm66
Well-Known Member
So the guy they hired with the dogs sole purpose was to find the dens and dispatch them?
Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote
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No, they wanted him to work on coyotes all year long but him and his dogs were supposed to specialize in denning coyotes. I also specialized in denning coyotes as I found that to be about the best control method. But my real specialty was taking the older smarter coyotes that others had tried and not gotten yet. Him and his dogs were being tested at that point to see how well they did at it. The county had two other guys doing control work, but they didn't do a lot of denning, they snared and flew for the problem coyotes I denned but could only cover so much ground by myself, we all ground crewed for each other, the plane and helicopter. The county is 4265 square miles, so it takes a lot to cover it. So, if you have a guy flying and a couple of guys on the ground locating for them then the guys on the ground will take the dens while they are in that area and good dogs make that easier as well as faster. I took four dens in a day one time, 4 pups in one six in another, 8 in one and 10 in one for a total number of twenty-eight pups. but the guy in the plane got 9 adults off of those dens then went to another area and took more adults while the new guy who didn't areal gun took those dens. The guys on the ground crews give the plane GPS quadrats, you get there ahead of the plane sometimes locating the adults while it's still dark and take down the quadrants then move on to the next area. Often you locate call the plane or helicopter get them on the location and then haul butt to another area and locate more call them in and do it all over again making a mental note of each location that the coyotes answered at so you can go back pick up the aerial shot coyotes that are marked with ribbons by the plane then take the den. If the plane sees a den, they will mark it also with a ribbon It's kind of like the chaff a fighter jet uses to confuse radar only normally just one let go at a time. and these guys will get it right on top of the coyote I wouldn't want them dropping explosives at me or the gunners shooting at me. I ground crewed for a couple of them that could put two rounds in a running coyote on the same pass. My country is pretty open, and you can see for a long distance it has draws, hills and valleys, sage brush ect. but you can still see the coyotes once you have trained your eyes to know what you are looking for. Often the pilot and gunner will be looking for a moving target and it's hard for them to see a stationary coyote that blends well with the terrain. That's when the ground crewman gives them a mark and wing tip location as they pass over it. I got pretty good at seeing standing or lying coyotes and have shot them from the helicopter before the pilot saw them but would come to a hover. It was learned by calling and having them come set, stand or lay down not moving while others wouldn't see them. To my way of thinking a lot of coyotes are educated in that manner they just feel something is off or are on the edge of their territory, so they just observe and don't move then aren't seen, the caller gives up at that stand gets up leaves the coyote watches them leave then after a while goes over and low and behold smells human scent. Just my thoughts and what I have observed by being with others that didn't have themselves trained yet to see standing coyotes or other predators, what do you mean do you see that coyote or bobcat? Where is it? Type of thing.
I worked the old school way paid per predator; the other three guys worked for a monthly salary. That's why I had to pick up my coyotes and lay them by a gate. The plane and helicopter kept track of the numbers that I put them on as well, so we had a checks and balance system. They knew how many I put them on, and I showed how many they got. There was a bounty system in place, so I was to cut the ears off of the predators as well so that someone else didn't turn them in and get paid also. I have seen that happen before. I was put in another guy's area once and asked to cut the ears off of some coyotes as I was a guy drove by. At the next board meeting he was there and accused me of collecting bounty on someone else's coyotes. It was explained to him that I was doing what had been asked of me and that the other guy had been asked repeatedly to remove them but hadn't.
nealm66
Well-Known Member
For lack of better words, Wow!! My life feels so small right now lol
nealm66
Well-Known Member
Nope, I don't feel too bad. Still doing tree removal and logging at 56! Was talking with my neighbor in his 90's a couple weeks ago and found out he was the first president of the first hound association in Washington and his wife was the secretary for many years. His daughter said she's got a bunch of his trophies in her house. Thought that was pretty cool.
That is pretty cool! Tree removal is not an easy job a person needs to be in and stay in good physical shape as well as on the top of their mental game for that and not everyone knows how to do it safely. My brother did logging back east in that part of the world and several people he knew died doing it, so he went to working iron said it was safer lol. He ended up being a rigger and doing crane picks as well as heavy lift helicopter picks. Alcohol abuse got to him as it does to so many people. Smoking was my self-medication of choice for a lot of years. Asbestos and smoking didn't do me any favors. They tell me that I was considered a high-altitude worker for most of my life as I have spent most of my life above 5000 feet. I took a lot of time as a kid learning to track and stalk animals, then a long-time learning how to target specific animals that were killing livestock. It all works together to get the correct animal as quickly as you can, tracking, stalking, and targeting a specific animal, knowing how different species of animals generally behave. Learning where animals like to hole up at different times of the year and under different circumstances. Every one that does a job and cares about doing it well has things that they want to learn and will study till they do, so that they can do it to their satisfaction, but then if you are a perfectionist, you will just keep studying and learning it's a never-ending thing.
A friend of mine gave me a mountain cur dog. He was a black brindle a really pretty little puppy, after I had the eight-week-old puppy for a little over a week he got sick one evening. He vomited and had diarrhea I stayed up all night with him forcing American cheese and some milk down him so he wouldn't get too dehydrated. The next morning, I called the vet he said bring him in. The test showed he had parvo I figured it was a death sentence for him, but he made it. He wasn't much on working coyotes but was hard on racoons I had him out one night on a call from a guy that raised sweet corn and was having a problem. We put a bunch up a tree shot them out, the guy was with me, I called Gizmo told him to go load up, off he ran, I heard him jump in the back of the truck and we started to walk back to the truck. We walked a little way and the guy asked me aren't you going to call in your dog? I told him didn't you hear me tell him to go load up? He said He had. I said he'll be waiting in the truck when we get there, he was.
D we are in the middle of calving now , so as you no we have no shortage of coyotes yesterday morning there was a big male just standing on the ridge not far from the house , it was just before day light, I could make out his silhouette, the only thing I had handy was my 264 win mag , I shot him right in the middle of his chest , the rifle might have been a little over kill but I dont care it was 562 yards according to my range finder
Travler thank you for your input that was a good shot. It's the time of the year when they like a free meal of afterbirth isn't it! Thats why I like the 264 you did well. Most of the fur value is long gone at this time as well you could probably look at 1000 coyotes and not find one worth skinning now. I enjoy calving season watching the little guys stretching their newfound mussels learning to run and jump. A lot of the ranchers here have gone to AI now as it cuts calving time in at least half as well as insuring that they know what ones are and aren't open. Keeping bulls is a real pain in the butt so much fence repair can't keep then in always fighting with each other, wanting to go visit the neighbor's cows. How has your weather been for calving, I hope not too cold and windy with snow in it. Breading season is still on for the coyotes and I always figured if you got one female you took all of the pups, she was carrying out of the equation.
the calving is pretty good the kids know I like shooting coyotes , my record was 12 in one day , we have been AI,ing for about 25 years , all of our heffers and try to do as many mothers as we can , at my age it's tough to keep up with the kids , I turned 74 Last November but I still enjoy every day
Today seems more like late March here weather wise. It was supposed to have snow flurries starting after 10:00 AM but it started snowing at 8:00 AM and really hasn't let up much. It's staying right at freezing with windy conditions, I wouldn't want to be calving today myself the little guy's chill in this stuff. This is the weather that when we get it in April will kill a lot of coyote pups the same way mom crawls in the den with them her being wet and they get wet chill and phenomena sets in. It will do the same with fox kits in March. The ground is frozen hard so when it melts it runs off instead of soaking in, but I guess the reservoirs need filled too so there is good that can be seen as well. These are the days that I didn't go out and cut ruts in the two track roads, fight the snow, wind and bone chilling humidity. You all do your best to stay warm, dry and safe.
nealm66
Well-Known Member
I get to cussing all of our rain sometimes but definitely prefer it over your guys extreme cold. Saw a road kill coyote on my way into town that was a beautiful tan color. Looked big at a glance, almost thought it might be someone's pet dog but it definitely was a coyote. Just finishing up a shed rebuild for a sharpening shed today. Would've made a nice reloading room lol
