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Author
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Topic: Did you catch it?
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Tim Behle
Administrator MacNeal Sector
Member # 209
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posted October 03, 2006 07:17 PM
Did you catch it?
In a recent thread on this board, We had a top notch contest hunter, try to entice another contest hunter into joining a contest. Then a third top notch contest hunter jumped in on the offer.
Did you notice what the offer was for?
It wasn't about offering expert calling, or even never miss shooting.
What these three "Experts" were talking about was Location.
Killing a bunch of coyotes, be it for fun, fur or a contest, has little to do with expert calling ability, or the ability to outshoot a mercenary sniper. Guys with mediocre calling skills and half decent shooting skills, can and do win contests.
But the guys who win them often, do it because of location. How many times have you heard it said that "You can't call a coyote that isn't there" That is probably the most true statement you will ever read.
It doesn't matter if you are calling coyotes or trapping them, if you don't have a good location, you aren't going to get the numbers. A good friend of mine took 21 coyotes in just over a month with the same trap in the same set. It wasn't that his set was so perfectly made, he happened to be in a good location. I've literally taken dozens of coyotes over a season, while another set just a hundred yards or so away didn't connect all season. On of my top coyote locations, was the back corner of a little five acre plot. It had nothing to offer the coyotes, other than a covered passage way leading to a hole in the fence, between a favored bedding area and hunting area.
Location is the key.
The best advise I could give to a new or struggling caller or trapper would be to quit worrying about buying the latest sounds or videos or any other gimmick. Buy a book on tracking, and memorize it. If you have snow on the ground. It is worth taking a day off of work, cutting a track and then following it for an entire day. Keep kicking up that coyote and see how he reacts. Learn the areas that he prefers to bed down. ( The first place you will kick him up in the morning ) Learn where he hunts, ( Where he came from before bedding down that first time ) Take note of where he craps or leaks on a bush, these are going to be boundary markers, and other coyotes will hit the same spots.
Learn what that one coyotes life revolves around. Then try to apply that to other coyotes until you pick up the pattern.
You don't need the latest of sounds, the newest, coolest camo pattern, or even expensive lasers. First you need to learn to find the coyotes, then you can buy all of the little toys to make life more interesting.
"You can't call a coyote that isn't there"
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Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take
an ass kickin'.
Posts: 3160 | From: Five Miles East of Vic, AZ | Registered: Jun 2003
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Brad Norman
Okie Dokie
Member # 234
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posted October 03, 2006 07:48 PM
Great post Tim!
Posts: 298 | From: Oklahoma | Registered: Aug 2003
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Rich Higgins
unknown comic
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posted October 03, 2006 09:22 PM
That one should be printed and filed.
IP: Logged
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albert
Knows what it's all about
Member # 98
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posted October 04, 2006 06:03 AM
While there is a lot of truth to what Tim writes I feel that the location aspect of it is over emphasized.
While it's absolute that you can't kill a coyote that not there. I feel that the biggest struggle for beginners is learning the ability to set up in a fashion that allows you to see and then kill the coyote.
This is the difference between beginner and pro and why the large difference in results of hunter working the same area.
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for what it's worth, eh!
Posts: 195 | From: Parkland, saskatchewan, canada | Registered: Feb 2003
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Rich Higgins
unknown comic
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posted October 04, 2006 06:51 AM
You are both absolutely right Albert, but about two different subjects. Tim, was initially talking about contest hunting and then broadened the subject a bit.
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tawnoper
Knows what it's all about
Member # 497
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posted October 04, 2006 07:42 AM
Good post Tim. I did catch that when I read that earlier post.
Posts: 53 | From: socal | Registered: Jan 2005
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RedRabbit
Knows what it's all about
Member # 796
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posted October 12, 2006 06:43 AM
Id agree that is spot on, though once a person developes some experience they they can determine what areas have coyotes without looking for the more obvious signs like tracks and scat.
I been using the lay of the land approach creeks, benches, sharp cut draws, or canyons and dense cover along these areas, food and water and access to it is almost always a key element for me.
Tim I swear Ive read you mentioned lay of the land before..
Posts: 241 | From: SE IDAHO | Registered: Jan 2006
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