This is topic New Member Needs Help in forum Predator forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by coyote man (Member # 757) on December 18, 2005, 05:39 PM:
Hi
I am a new member here as of today and I need some help. I have been calling coyote's for over 10 years, mostly in Calif. I now live in Oregon.
Here is my problem. I have acquired several thousand acres in which to call on, with most of the terrain being rolling hills and oaks. There is very little heavy timber. All the landowners are raising sheep and the coyote's have a feast everyday. I know the coyote's are there as the landowners will see as many as 3 a night killed. They usually only take a couple of bites and leave it lay.
I use only hand calls and do not own an ecaller at this time. I have tried over 10 different distress calls and have had no luck at all. Howls also have not been succesful nor has puppy distress sounds. I am at a loss as to what to do in this situation. I have always had success in the past but not in this situation. I would appreciate some comments from the group.
Al from THO game calls recommened this group to me.
Paul
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on December 18, 2005, 06:35 PM:
Welcome to the New Huntmasters, coyote man. Glad to have you on board.
You just need to be persistant, things will fall into place. There is nothing like success to show you what works and what doesn't. I have known people that have hunted coyotes for two years, or more, without a kill. Best thing is to hunt with someone that has done it before. It's real easy to set up your stand for failure, just as easy to do it correctly, once you have been shown the difference. For some people, it comes second nature and for others, it's a revelation, once they have actually seen it done.
In fact, that pretty much describes my own experience. I probably tried calling off and on for two years and then I went out with a guy that knew the ropes. That's all it took, one day with an experienced caller was worth a lot more than two years of blunders, on my own.
Don't give up. You know they are around, the rest should be easy.
Good hunting. LB
Posted by 2dogs (Member # 649) on December 19, 2005, 04:17 AM:
Welcome, coyote man.
Tough deal, ya have there. Makes me think of a couple things going on.
1. If it's in the winter. Sounds like atleast 1-coyote enjoys [just killing sheep]. As he/she isn't feeding on the carcass much.
2. My other thought is, a [feral dog[s]]. Or a farm dog. They tend to just enjoy, the killing part.
Regardless, I would take all the carcass's. Make a "bait-pile" in a wide valley near the "killing area". Get an e-caller with a lamb distress or sheep distress. Set-up the caller, by the pile.
Then make my set-up, up on the hillside. Above the valley.
Good shooting
[ December 19, 2005, 04:19 AM: Message edited by: 2dogs ]
Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on December 19, 2005, 04:38 AM:
Bait piles are a lot of work for only a couple of kills.
If it were me, I'd walk the perimeter fence around the sheep, and hang a snare in every crawl under. Just put the snare about 3" out on the side away from the sheep.
The guilty canine and his friends will be waiting for you in the morning.
Posted by TheHuntedOne (Member # 623) on December 19, 2005, 05:36 AM:
When I spoke with Paul on the phone, he did not mention he was a tapper, but maybe the owner of the property is?
Anyway, would it be worth his while to find those places were the coyotes were sneaking in, and take a stand a bit aways and try to ambush them? No calling, just sit till they come through? Early and late in the day? Might work for one or two at least.
Maybe putting one of the dead sheep close to where they come through and use a lamb distress on an E caller? Or even a decoy? Heck a boom box with a burned CD of lamb sounds, covered by a fake lambs wool car seat cover cut to cover the boom box might make a convincing decoy.
The other thing I might try if there is snow on the ground is to back track them a bit and set up my ambush in the woods, or what little woods there are, before they hit the pasture. They will still use cover to approach the fields I would think.
Al
THO Game Calls
Posted by Jrbhunter (Member # 459) on December 19, 2005, 08:35 AM:
Snare em' 50 yards off a carcass. 10" Loop 10" off the ground. Any open place on the incoming trail will be fine... crawlunders are easy but open land works.
If they are eating a couple bites off a fresh kill and leaving multiple kills to rot every night it probably isn't coyotes anyways. Set some snares and find out what you are hunting. If the guy is losing that many sheep... and you aren't calling any coyotes in... you need to try something different to help him out.
[ December 19, 2005, 08:37 AM: Message edited by: Jrbhunter ]
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on December 19, 2005, 09:50 AM:
jr might be right , it could be feral dogs.
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on December 19, 2005, 02:39 PM:
I'm leaning more towards feral dogs, or farm dogs for that matter. How often have you had a producer tell you the coyotes are just "thick", only to get there and find nary a sign of coyotes anywhere? Then, when you ask the farmer if his dog ever barks at the coyotes, he tells you how ol' Shep just lays around all day sleeping and doesn't bark at anything. Well, ol' Shep is dog tired because he's been up all night harassing the sheep.
I'd focus my efforts on vocalizations in this case, if the problem is, in fact, coyotes. With plenty of food, their motivation won't always be hunger. But if the pop'ns are that high, they'll definitely be interested in addressing any threats of interlopers.
Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on December 19, 2005, 05:46 PM:
quote:
The guilty canine and his friends will be waiting for you in the morning.
I didn't choose those words by accident.
I'm a firm believer that most "Coyote kills" are actually the work of domestic dogs.
Posted by Doggitter (Member # 489) on December 19, 2005, 06:24 PM:
Paul, sounds like maybe you're in the Medford/Grants Pass area? Or are there rolling oak hills on the east side I've forgotten about? I'm sure no expert but you suppose I give you a partner for a couple times out might help? I'm west of Eugene a little ways. Planning on going east real soon again here. Loren.
Posted by squrilsniper (Member # 753) on December 20, 2005, 06:03 PM:
Doggitter he said several thousand acres, that would probably put him east of 97. with sheep. formaly from medford don't remeber any sheep or roling hills for thousands of acers. just my .02
Posted by coyote man (Member # 757) on December 20, 2005, 06:25 PM:
Hi
I am calling east of Roseburg, OR. I went out today and took a closer look at some of the sheep that had been killed. Several had just one or two bites out of the hindquarter and some had there throat torn out. Would this tend to be feral dogs or coyotes? I have been out at daylight and late into the evening with no success.
Paul
Posted by Q-Wagoner (Member # 33) on December 20, 2005, 11:54 PM:
It is hard to say what it is for sure coyote man unless you see some tracks or other positive sign. It is not uncommon at all for coyotes to kill sheep and leave them lay. Not at all but it is more common at different times of the year. This time of the year I would think they would be eating more than they are if they are coyotes but it is hard to tell. They are all different. Coyotes can and do go on killing sprees and kill for the pure pleasure of killing. Sometimes stress sets them off; sometimes they are training pups to hunt. Sheep are easy to kill. I think as soon as they are born they spend the rest of their life trying to die. LOL Once a coyote or coyotes figures it out he will be killing until the day he dies.
Bate piles do work even if they don’t eat they will investigate them whenever they are in the area.
Maybe Cal will drop in and give you his 2 cents. That kind of thing is what he does for a living so I am sure he can get you straitened out.
Good luck and good hunting.
Q,
Posted by Norm (Member # 240) on December 22, 2005, 04:32 PM:
I would follow Tim's advice; If you can set some traps, then consider setting some in areas where you can avoid the sheep stepping all over them....
You can call them, but you are more apt to find the the root cause of your challenges with some cable and set steel;
Posted by coyote man (Member # 757) on December 22, 2005, 08:10 PM:
Q
You had mentioned in your relpy a man named Cal that might be able to help me out. How would I get ahold of him?
Paul
Posted by Cal Taylor (Member # 199) on December 22, 2005, 08:58 PM:
I'm around, but Q pretty much already answered everthing pretty well. With out some pretty specific info and skinning a sheep or two it's really hard to tell. And everyone else pretty well summed up that it could be dogs, but coyotes are a definate possibility. There should be a Wildlife Services trapper that the rancher can contact that may help figure things out, but thats no guarantee either.
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