Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

[tbird86]

tbird86; Was it near the base of a cut bank, was it on a flat slope, what did it smell like, did it have a lot of fleas in and around it.

It's on a gentle slope 10-15 yards from the base of a tall terrace - probably as close to what you're calling a cut bank as we have around here (rolling farm hills in NW Iowa).
I didn't notice any smell or fleas, but didn't want to get right up in it & disturb it -- I can view this concealed from about 150 yards.

Female red fox at this time will have a strong musky odor similar to skunk, swift fox not so much but them and prairie dogs will have a ton of fleas in their den holes as do the red fox. Badgers dig rather large holes with dirt thrown back away from them often and not many fleas, rabbits usually have a smaller hole with a dust bath close by. Skunks make small holes like rabbits and swift fox do but you can smell them.

No swift fox or prairie dogs within a couple hundred miles of here. The excavated dirt was thrown back 6' from the opening.

 

[DSheetz]

Sometimes a red fox will throw dirt back quite a distance from the entrance the same as a dog will badgers will as well. Rabbits and skunks not so much. With red fox a lot of times when they have a litter of kits in the den you will see mom laying in the sun out away from the hole by a bush or similar object. Badgers here dig a new hole about every night till they have their young then they stay in it during the day till the young are ready to travel with them. You can look for tracks in trails close to it and not get right up to it to see what animal is the most active in that area.

 

[DSheetz]

What I am calling a cut bank is where there is grassy sod on a slop going into a draw then a steep nearly straight drop from 1 foot to 10 or 20 feet with a bare dirt face to the next level often with an animal trail on it then dropping off at a slop to the bottom of the draw. Terminology from one area to the next varies and sometimes it's hard for others to understand what I'm talking about because of it, and that is quite understandable.

 

[anwahs]

Tag

 

[RussellJ]

I have been studying on the one shot case lube and the one shot gun lube and cleaner and think that either one of them would work well to protect my loading dies better than WD40. I am also sure that the gun lube would work well for my firearms as does the frog lube. I believe that I will continue to use Frog Lube on my firearms for now but can see where any of these products would have a place to be used and reasons for each of them. As with any firearm and caliber they have their place and use that varies depending on what we intend to do with them. Daily use verses long term storage has a lot to do with my choice of the product used as well as the weather conditions. At this time, I have not experienced any problems with the Frog Lube and any of the weather conditions well below zero to well above 90 degrees F in dry dusty or wet snowy or rainy conditions so that has a bearing on my use of it on my firearms. Long term storage of some of my loading dies has a bearing on my decision to go with using one shot gun cleaner and lube on them. Time will tell me if there are better products made available. Thank You to all for their helpful input. I don't take this type of decision lightly as these items aren't cheap to buy in the first place and they shouldn't be needlessly replaced by my neglect or ignorance in taking care of them.

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[DSheetz]

RussellJ: I will look at them thank you for bringing them to my attention. They said that we have 13.5 inches of snow and are expected to get 15-20 inches more with winds gusting to 65 mph I'm sure glad I don't have to get out in this stuff and hope everyone that does remains safe, warm, and dry, this stuff kills animals and people please stay in out of it off of the roads the best that you can!

 

[RussellJ]

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[DSheetz]

We are up to around 20 inches of snow now and it's still snowing. It's supposed to stop this afternoon, thankfully the wind isn't blowing as hard as was predicted. I suspect that the helicopter will be out checking power lines calling into the power company the location of problems to save them time, tomorrow. Then it will be out hunting coyotes and fox. The fox should be curled up in a hole some place and if they have had their kits will most likely be staying in with them for a couple more days before venturing out for food. The coyotes will be curled up in a draw some place letting the snow cover them staying warm. If they have had pup's mom will be in the den with them, and dad will be the one curled up letting the snow cover him. This weather kills more fox and coyotes than man ever thought we could because the young will get wet, and chill then get phenomena from mom getting wet and going to the den to feed them. It also makes it easy for a little while to find other animals that have died from it then harder to find food from the lower numbers left latter on. For the sheep people life is tough as they will drift ahead of the snow into fence lines then pile up get covered by snow and die, cows and calves also will die from it. It's just plane hard for agriculture and wildlife when we get these deep snows this time of the year. Stay warm, dry, healthy and safe!

 

[windypants]

That's quite a storm! I'm sure we'll get one of those in the next couple of months. We have 20's, light snow and light north wind, but spring is coming! 50's and 60's by the weekend.

 

[CrossChoke]

DS
I just saw a face book posting of someone's aluminum goose neck horse trailer being blown/rolling across the prairie sideways. Near Clark Wy.
You can keep the wind.
I'm sure you heard the one about the WY. cowboy who had been riding his horse in the wind the day before. He said when the horse lifted his tail to fart and the wind blew the bit out of its mouth.

Hal

That was right up the road from my place. Wind and crunchy snow has been tough the last few weeks.
I saw a post back a few days about a three legged coyote. I too have been chasing one. At least 5 sightings over the last month. Finally ended it last week. Sneaky old male. I have to admit I did feel a little bad dropping a 490 yard bomb on him with the 25x47. But his day hade come. Upon recovery it looks like he had escaped a trap. I saved his skull and have it sitting with a bunch of other trophies. RIP Limpy the Coyote.

 

[DSheetz]

Broken and worn canines and incisors. It's a lot of emotions that take place when you have been after one like him and you finally get it done. The one behind him is at least a two-year-old from the looks of its canines. You can see how thick their ears are as well and that takes time and cold winters for that to happen. The last three years have been the windiest years that I can remember in at least thirty years maybe more. We have also gotten the most snow this year that we have since about 1980.

 

[APDDSN0864]

Nice work, CrossChoke! I'd have to see it in person to be sure, but the three legged dog looks to be about 5-6 years old. Certainly an old dog and one who will have trained quite a few pups on how to hunt and how to avoid humans. Good to take him out of the food chain!

It's been too windy here again today to much except paperwork. Winds steady at 25-30mph, then rising to 40-45mph with gusts in excess of 75mph. The wind blew something against the house at lunchtime that was so loud I thought a car had hit the side of the house. I went out to check and never did see what it was. Of course, anything not tied down isn't sticking around long to look at.

The stucco was dinged up near the dining room window a little bit, but not cracked. I couldn't stay out in it long because of the blowing sand and debris. It's 83F here today, Red Flag Warning continues for another couple of days. We might get some rain Friday, but I'll believe it when I see it.

I'd like to take up a donation for the Weather Service to get a new dartboard. The one they've been using to predict the weather must be pretty worn out.

Ed

 

[windypants]

Congrats, @CrossChoke! What bullet do you like in your 25X47? I like the 135 Berger in my 25 creed. It's not fast fast but kills well at any distance and good for long range. And doesn't wreck hides if they're worth anything.

 

[CrossChoke]

Congrats, @CrossChoke! What bullet do you like in your 25X47? I like the 135 Berger in my 25 creed. It's not fast fast but kills well at any distance and good for long range. And doesn't wreck hides if they're worth anything.

I'm shooting 133's at 2925. I have had a few not expand very well at 500-650. Just poked holes in them and required mercy shots. My thought is that there may not be enough resistance in a coyote for that bullet at that speed. The overwhelming majority are bang flop situations. 131 black jack really hit hard.