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Author
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Topic: Weather too tough for predators?
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Cdog911
"There are some ideas so absurd only an intellectual could believe them."--George Orwell.
Member # 7
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posted January 15, 2005 11:19 AM
Bad weather all over the country it seems, and we've had our share as well. A week and a half ago, a major winter ice storm hit Kansas leaving nearly 100,000 people without power and over $30,000,000 in damages to infrastructure. In the week that followed, the residual ice and snow would melt a little during the day and refreeze into a three inch-thick glass-like sheet from border to border. Hunting has been terrible. I visited with a handful of other callers this morning and the few that had called anything in over the past few days all noted that they could only get them out of extremely heavy cover where they were able to approach to touching distance without the whole world hearing them as they crunched along on the ice, and that all those taken had bloody raw pads on their feet and toes from either walking on rough ice or the pads freezing down and leaving flesh behind. (Lows have been well below 0 for three days.) The local CO told me he's found two dead coyotes this week with advanced mange out in the middle of open fields where they just collapsed and died from exposure.
I thought it was interesting that although many of you guys endur much colder temperatures, that maybe your critters have adapted to the cold by growing protective fur on their feet whereas ours are simply not equipped for these conditions.
I guess that it can get too tough for a coyote once in a while, yet they still survive.
[ January 15, 2005, 11:20 AM: Message edited by: Cdog911 ]
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I am only one. But still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something; and, because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
Posts: 5440 | From: The gun-lovin', gun-friendly wild, wild west | Registered: Jan 2003
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Curt2u
Knows what it's all about
Member # 74
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posted January 15, 2005 02:28 PM
I know one thing, the weather is too tough for this predator today. Dumping snow and about 8-10 degrees. Not a coyote, cat or anything worth going out in this stuff for. LOL!
Good hunting
Posts: 236 | From: NW | Registered: Jan 2003
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center12
Knows what it's all about
Member # 487
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posted January 17, 2005 12:04 PM
Took 2 yesterday, both called out of very thickcover. I wish I would have looked at their feet, never thought about the ice tearing up their pads. Walking in just makes me want to cry, this ice is NOISY!!! Both dogs showed up in under 5 minutes, I guess they tolerated the crunch, crunch we made on the way in.
Posts: 12 | From: Kansas | Registered: Dec 2004
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Cdog911
"There are some ideas so absurd only an intellectual could believe them."--George Orwell.
Member # 7
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posted January 17, 2005 02:18 PM
Good deal, Center. Maybe they're getting hungry enough to risk a mistake or two. Two, in your case. I stayed in the shop and mounted a caribou for a customer rather than fight the cold. My partner called on the phone this morning and said he saw one south of Concordia tip toeing like he was pretty tender.
[ January 17, 2005, 02:19 PM: Message edited by: Cdog911 ]
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I am only one. But still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something; and, because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
Posts: 5440 | From: The gun-lovin', gun-friendly wild, wild west | Registered: Jan 2003
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center12
Knows what it's all about
Member # 487
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posted January 17, 2005 02:26 PM
Saw 4 other coyotes moving around during the day yesterday, but I also noticed everything was out and moving yesterday. Saw deer in the fields at noon, a daytime possum sighting, and the turkey's were out in force. On the way home, I saw a field that had to have at least 3000 Canada geese on it(big stuff around here) and another field with close to a hundred deer. I wish there was a good way to predict days like that, sure save a bunch on gas money.
You still producing calls?
Posts: 12 | From: Kansas | Registered: Dec 2004
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Cdog911
"There are some ideas so absurd only an intellectual could believe them."--George Orwell.
Member # 7
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posted January 18, 2005 03:45 AM
Yeah, just got a handful of zebrawood ones done yesterday, as well as some little bitty suckers made from leopardwood. Lotta sound for such a small call. Be turning a bunch of laminates in the next few days to get my inventory back up. Had one customer call a mtn. lion at the PM hunt this weekend with one of my PREDATR's. That's exciting stuff.
Sunday was like that around here. Had to run to Salina and saw a group of about 20 deer out digging thru the ice to get at some alfalfa along I-70. I think they're all hungry and wanting to get out.
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I am only one. But still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something; and, because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
Posts: 5440 | From: The gun-lovin', gun-friendly wild, wild west | Registered: Jan 2003
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center12
Knows what it's all about
Member # 487
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posted January 18, 2005 04:23 AM
I'll shoot you an e-mail later concerning a call, I sold my e-call and would like to expand my handcall collection.
I read the story over there, that fellow is going to be having "cat" dreams for quite a while! Shot or not, it was still a wonderful experience.
Posts: 12 | From: Kansas | Registered: Dec 2004
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