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Author
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Topic: A successful afternoon
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scruffy
Knows what it's all about
Member # 725
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posted January 02, 2006 09:18 AM
Well, Saturday afternoon I met up with 2dogs in his "neck of the woods" (a little over an hour north and a little east of me). As I got farther and farther north driving up the land got more and more open. I found myself looking more at the stretches of land going out in both directions than watching the road. Also, as I got up there more and more of the white peanut brittle snow was on the ground. We got rid of all of ours the middle of December. There's still a bunch up there, and I forgot my whites. Oh well, live and learn... Next time I'll remember to ask...
We first did some spot and stalking of some of the sections he has permission to hunt. I'd never done this before, driving, glassing with binoculars, see a possible coyote and pull out the spotting scope and set it up on the window to get a better look. We did that for an hour and a half or so. No coyote(s) but I got a taste of the spotting part of spot and stalk. Maybe next time up there will be fluffy fresh snow and we can spot one and I can get a taste of the stalking part.
We then headed for a couple farms to do some calling. The first farm had tracks and scat and 2dogs had called a big black coyote in very close a while back. We walked as quietly as we could on the peanut brittle snow but it was futile to do it quietly. If you weren't crunching through the ice that looked like snow it was packed down and you were nearly falling down it was so slick (didn't fall but lost track how many times I almost did...) We get to our spot, setup on opposites sides of the hill top, down from the crest a ways, calling into opposite valleys, it was a perfect setup (excluding the loud crunchy snow....). We didn't see anything come in.
So we headed out to another farm that 2dogs had called coyotes at and walked in, again, seeing sign as we were walking in. Again the setup was perfect. Again, some crunchy snow.... 2dogs did the calling this time, I was the "shooter" covering the downwind side down the hill a ways setup in a small pocket of cover overlooking a terriced picked corn field with a timbered creek at the bottom of the hill. It looked like a perfect setup. 2dogs called, man can he call. He had his ecaller going and his handcalls going. The howling sounded awesome, the distresses incredibly raspy, and the calls really carried.
At one point I thought we had a taker. I heard something 100 to 150 yards ahead of me go under a 5 strand barb wire fence. It's a sound I've herd many times (I have 4 strand barb wire on my place and I hear my dogs going under the bottom wire all the time). There was 10 feet or so of tall grass between the fence and the picked field, and a little hill infront of me 100 yards. I hoped whatever it was that went under the wire was just on the other side of the little hill and was going to come out into the field of up along the fence, but it never did, and I never heard another noise. Maybe a coyote was walking from the creek, following the fense, saw me as he reached the top of the little hill (I was watching both the top of the little hill for a coyote from the east and the end of a few terrices for a coyote circling the call from the west so I might have missed seeing him if I was scanning the terrices). If he saw me he likely would have crossed under the fense to get himself seperated from myself and the call. Oh well, you get some and you loose some...
On the way to the truck and also driving back we compared our calls, electronic and handcalls. We blew our different assorted howlers and open reeds and compared sounds. Being on the sending end of my calls I don't know what they sound like on the receiving end. I had alot of questions and 2dogs answered them, like the difference in sounds in the different cones I have for my howler, and just how well they were carrying.
We also compared our "goat muncher" calls that he makes. I had put a vinyl reed on mine and it does great cottontail and pup howls, but isn't very raspy. 2dogs goat muncher (with lexan reed I think) was very raspy, louder, also did good howls, but his blew mine away in the distress department for volume and the sound carrying (that was apparent all afternoon on the two stands). I asked him what the reed material was and it was some that I had sent him a while back to try. Go figure... ![[Smile]](smile.gif) So the first thing I did when I got home was cut a reed from the same reed material I gave him, with the instructions he gave me on the taper.
2dogs, that technique you showed me (cupping and waffling) that I sucked at duplicating, I'm getting better and the new raspy reed makes that call come alive!!!
To alot of you guys this might sound odd, but in the 10 years I've been calling I can count using the fingers on one hand the number of times I've called with an experienced caller would could tell me how my calls sound on the receiving end. I consider it a great help to have someone who can tell me how my calls sound both on the receiving end on how they sound but also out there a distance to tell me how they are carrying. Thanks 2dogs!!!
We didn't get a smelly coyote or two into the back of the truck, but I did get a taste of spotting and you helped me in both my howling and on my distress calls. And in my book that's more successful than bagging a couple of coyotes any day. ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
later,
scruffy
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Git R Done
Posts: 361 | From: south central Iowa | Registered: Nov 2005
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2dogs
Knows what it's all about
Member # 649
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posted January 03, 2006 06:14 AM
Geeeez Scruff,
After reading your post. Felt naked on a stage for all to see. [Checked to see if "Turtle" was covered] ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
Yup, had fun regardless. It's always good to be with a friend, who has the same passion for coyote's.
Gave myself a chuckle, when I coughed into my howl, that one time. While we were sitting there on the roadway, blowing our calls ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Hmmmmm ![[Confused]](confused.gif) ....Suppose, coyotes cough during a howl, LOL!
In a couple more wk's when all the deer carcass's are gone. Should be more productive callin, eh ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Posts: 1034 | From: central Iowa | Registered: Apr 2005
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scruffy
Knows what it's all about
Member # 725
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posted January 03, 2006 06:52 AM
sorry to "expose" you like that.
Hey, with the new reed and blowing it the way you taught me (still practicing, found practicing cupped hand movement without call helped "train" my hands) I hit the woods for the 45 minutes I had at the end of the day yesterday to remove some of the devil squirrels that have been harrassing me when I'm deer and coyote hunting.
In 45 minutes I got 3 male squirrels. I had a couple barking at me as I walked into my west timber, after I sat down 1 came right in from infront of me and got in my face and then jumped tree to tree and circled behind me. I turned around to find him and another that had snuck up behind me, dropped them both at probably 10 to 15 feet. Had a few squirrels barking at me, one particularly loud to my left, but they wouldn't come in. 5 minutes before I was out of light I called a couple series on the "goat muncher" like you taught me and in he came, well maybe it was him, there's lots of rabid squirrels in that stand of timber. He came in, got in my face, then circled behind me, saw his two predecesors on the ground and then he looked back at me , and then he dropped to the ground also. I gathered up the three squirels, all laying a few feet from each other, and headed back to the house with about a half dozen squirrels barking their discust at me... ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif) More for next time...
The little 870 express 20 gauge youth I got recently with fiber optic sights, mod choke, and #4 hevishot pheasant load (1 1/8oz, 1300fps) worked really well at killing them, but at 10 to 15 feet it completely tore them up. This is the start of a 'lil turkey gun' project, and so far it's going good. The previous owner said that it wouldn't open after a shot was fired. He said it's had about 100 rounds through it. I tore it apart to fix it and found he likely never cleaned the bore before shooting it. I assume it had some oil in the barrel from shipping (my 870 super mag and 2 extra barrels did) and as it was fired that oil turned to very hard baked tar. It took awhile, but I got it all out of the chamber and the bore and it now cycles perfectly. The 3" mag #4 hevishot cycled every time, which is good since I'll likely use 3" mag #6 hevishot on the turkeys. Should make a very nice little short turkey rig for carrying around all day. I'll just have to see if the 1 1/4 oz 20 gauge #6 turkey loads pattern anything like the 1 1/2 oz 12 gauge #5 turkey loads I've been using.
Anyway, here's a pic of the three agressive male squirrels, the middle one came to the goat muncher call (also in the pic). They're big, they're mean, they hate me.
later,
scruffy
[ January 03, 2006, 06:59 AM: Message edited by: scruffy ]
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Git R Done
Posts: 361 | From: south central Iowa | Registered: Nov 2005
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2dogs
Knows what it's all about
Member # 649
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posted January 03, 2006 07:07 AM
Scruff,
Ya know, barking squirrels isn't necessarily a bad thing. The 2nd coyote I called in [Fall time, 2yrs ago].
I was slowly/quietly, stalking into that large CRP area, [where you called that coyote in last fall].
Anyways...,as I was creeping in. I heard a squirrel barking @ something in a timbered draw a 150-200yrds away. I paused...looked, couldn't make out exactly where he was treed or what treed him ![[Frown]](frown.gif) .
Thought to myself...Hmmmm, either a coyote or feral cat. Had him tree'd.
Well I crept over the opposite side of the CRP hill. Sat down...waited for about 5-minutes. Commenced to squallin.
Within a minute or so...[I'm slowly panning Left to Right...looking for a taker]. Out of the corner of my eye. I see this big Black dusky coyote loping pronking, looking. He came from my blind side from that treed squirrel draw.
We seen each other the same time. He instantly kicked on the burner's[flat-out] down hill for that timbered creek. I was ripping rds off on his hiney all the way .
Posts: 1034 | From: central Iowa | Registered: Apr 2005
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Jrbhunter
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Member # 459
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posted January 04, 2006 05:54 AM
You guys gotta take more pictures! I want to see what kind of country Iowa has to offer, specifically west-central Iowa, but all you "Ioweeans" refuse to take pictures for me.
Posts: 615 | From: Indiana | Registered: Dec 2004
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2dogs
Knows what it's all about
Member # 649
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posted January 04, 2006 06:51 AM
Jason,
I rarely take pic's.
My hunt area. If you go to [Terra Server]. Click on Marshalltown, Iowa.
Then go straight West 12 miles, from Marshalltown. To the 1st little town on the map[State Center, Iowa]. I hunt between Marshalltown & State Center.
North side, of Hwy #30. That connects the two towns.
Posts: 1034 | From: central Iowa | Registered: Apr 2005
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scruffy
Knows what it's all about
Member # 725
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posted January 04, 2006 07:59 AM
quote:
but all you "Ioweeans" refuse to take pictures for me
Why would I take pictures for someone that calls us "Ioweeans"???
later,
scruffy
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Git R Done
Posts: 361 | From: south central Iowa | Registered: Nov 2005
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2dogs
Knows what it's all about
Member # 649
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posted January 04, 2006 08:09 AM
Hey, Scruff
Anyone who lives south of Des Moines...are considered [Missourian's]
Hmmmm, got 1/4 Missouri Mule in me, myself
Posts: 1034 | From: central Iowa | Registered: Apr 2005
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scruffy
Knows what it's all about
Member # 725
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posted January 04, 2006 08:45 AM
No, ![[Razz]](tongue.gif) That's the southern two tiers of counties that are considered "northern-northern missouri." I live in the 3rd tier of counties from the south, so I'm firmly in Iowa.
I've heard said that if the southern two tiers of Iowa counties was given to Missiouri it would raise the IQ's of both states.
Lots of good coyote calling down there in the southern two tiers, very hilly, so steep you need some really tall shooting sticks in some of my favorite "honey holes" down there. Killed more coyotes in that part of the state in the last year than any other, even more than around home here where I do 80% of my calling...
Maybe the coyotes down there have a lower IQ?
later,
scruffy
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Git R Done
Posts: 361 | From: south central Iowa | Registered: Nov 2005
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Jrbhunter
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Member # 459
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posted January 04, 2006 09:43 AM
I heard a rumor that a lot of our live trapped coyotes are shipped to Iowa for the running pens. God forbid one of those things get loose in your state... the IQ of your coyotes could double each spring as that gene pool spreads!
(Gee, this is almost as fun as IU vs. UK basketball jokes)
Posts: 615 | From: Indiana | Registered: Dec 2004
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scruffy
Knows what it's all about
Member # 725
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posted January 04, 2006 10:37 AM
JRB, I honestly can't think of any Indiana jokes that I've heard. I guess Indiana doesn't really show up on our radar of interesting states.
Sorry.
Do you have anything to add to the thread like how your squirrel hunting this year is going? I saw a post on your forum about the lack of squirrels this year, something about you guys not having any nuts?
later,
scruffy
[ January 04, 2006, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: scruffy ]
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Git R Done
Posts: 361 | From: south central Iowa | Registered: Nov 2005
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted January 04, 2006 11:10 AM
".....raise the I.Q. of both states"
Now that's a good one, I don't care who you are.
Good hunting. LB
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 32366 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Jrbhunter
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posted January 05, 2006 06:20 AM
We're so straight we eat our hotdogs from the middle out.
I guess our squirrels picked up on that and refuse to put nuts in their mouth... I hear it ain't that way out in Iowa.
Posts: 615 | From: Indiana | Registered: Dec 2004
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scruffy
Knows what it's all about
Member # 725
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posted January 05, 2006 07:00 AM
JRB, , I thought we were talking about squirrels. I was refering to masting crops: acorns, walnuts, hickor nuts, etc, and that this was a low production year (or was it last year?) for Indiana.
later,
scruffy
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Git R Done
Posts: 361 | From: south central Iowa | Registered: Nov 2005
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Jrbhunter
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posted January 05, 2006 08:00 AM
Haha, Okay, our squirrel hunting sucked. We had a good mast this year but LAST year was devestating to the squirrel population. I guess they didn't make it through the winter of 04-05.
I know guys that kill 100+ a season and they failed to break 10 this year. I usually take 20-25 and I think I killed 3. Starting to see more now... out in the fields through the days... so I'm sure they'll make a comeback. Perhaps it is just the ever-popular "cycle" that takes hold every 7 years or so.
Posts: 615 | From: Indiana | Registered: Dec 2004
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scruffy
Knows what it's all about
Member # 725
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posted January 05, 2006 11:14 AM
We had a poor mast last year also. But there must have been enough corn and stuff for them to munch on. The numbers were noticibly lower last winter, but they're numbers are already back up again this year.
On the "cycle" thing, I've been in discussions before and some feel that the coyote population has a cycle. What do you guys think? If so, from the local people I've talked to about the local coyote population we are on the high end of the population curve of that cycle this year.
later,
scruffy
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Git R Done
Posts: 361 | From: south central Iowa | Registered: Nov 2005
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Jrbhunter
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posted January 05, 2006 11:25 AM
I agree that the coyotes are on a cycle... and they are high right now. I believe in the theory that everything revolves around this cycle and as the food chain trickles down in dependancy each animal gets its turn.
Right now we are REALLY high on hawks and REALLY low on Squirrels. That can't last long... the hawks will have to suffer over the next year or two. Once the hawks get low I expect mice to come back strong... then fox will prosper once again. It's not exactly "Clockwork" but I believe it has a strong impact on nature.
I think that at some point animals break the cycle by over or underpopulating. Right now we are wayyyyy overpopulated with turkeys and no amount of fox pups is going to catch up with them. This will take something drastic, like a disease or a drought. Mother nature has a way of ordering those up occasionally and things always seem to work out.
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