Colorado newbie needs help

Anna

Anna

New member
Hi guys,

I stumbled across this forum just a couple months ago and I am really excited. Looks like a lot of good info here and if past experiences hold true, I am sure there are a lot of good folks here as well.

I live in Boulder County Colorado, in The people's republic of pain in the [beeep](boulder), almost exactly between Denver and Longmont. I have lived here since August of this year after living in denver since 2009. To say the least I found the entire procedure out here confusing, expensive and disappointing. When I realized I was moving to Colorado I got very excited... CO is a hunters paradise, right? I have not hunted before in my life, yet it has always been something i have been interested in. I frankly don't understand the licensing procedures, the special draws for big game, I don't really know many people out here that hunt. I would love to varmint, predator and big game hunt out here but it seems like it is a legislative nightmare.

That brings me to coyote hunting... I love shooting, I love being outdoors, I'd love to be out hunting and I think most ranchers would want to get rid of these coyotes, prairie dogs, rabbits, etc. But, I know nothing about it. I don't know where to start.

I have a few bits and pieces of equipment that I have acquired for hunting equipment. I have a weatherby vanguard series two rifle in .243 win, which i am an excellent shot with. I don't reload, yet but would like to learn how. I think the rifle I have is a decent enough rifle to kill coyotes with. I would like to note that I have no calls, no calling machine, no camo, no ghillie suit and no idea where to hunt or find hunting spots. Basically, I am totally lost out here. I have not hunted ever and but would really like to make some connections with people so that I can get my foot in the door..

Can someone on here point me in the right direction and help me get started?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice given
 
For big game Get a set of big game regs, and read it. Then read it again. Any questions you have after that you can call the DOW and ask, they are real helpful.
As far as living in Boulder County, just the yuppy and hippie libs suck, there are still a lot of good people that live around there.
The first thing you need to do is get your hunters safety card (if you don't already have it). Next thing is to get your small game license or small game fishing combo license.
As far as where to go there is a lot of national forest just west of Boulder be cautioned though the closer to town you are the more fruits and nuts you will run into in the woods.
Private farms and ranches are the safest was to avoid bunny huggers. The best way to gain permission to get onto a piece of private ground is to simply ask permission. Tracking down the land owner is the hard part. As far as calling goes the simplest was is to go to a sporting goods store and buy a mouth blown predator call. That will cost around $10-$20. I still use a mouth call more than the $500 fox pro.
NO NEED TO GET SUPER FANCY TO GET STARTED. Some camo, a gun, bullets, and a call are all you need to get coyotes to hunt you.
Hint: when calling coyotes always set up with something at your back, tree, tall weeds, bush. Never get behind them, too much movement and they will spot you before you spot them.

Good luck, Jess
 
Welcome to Predator Masters Anna!

What was said above is all true, that is the greatest thing about predator hunting, how little equipment you actually need. The rest are just "Wants". You dont even need camo if you can sit still enough. There is a coyote hunter that is known in the coyote calling circles by the name of Jay Nitsetter that once called in and killed a truck load of coyotes while wearing a Santa suit just to prove the point. The biggest keys to succes is being mindful of the wind and being where the coyotes are, no coyotes =no coyotes. Get out and scout for coyote sign such as tracks and scat, look for places where they cross fences(hair stuck in the fence, low spots and trails). Once you have found a place that holds coyotes, use the wind to your advantage, example, if you are going to be entering your property from the south, wait for a day with a north wind so your scent isnt being carried into the hunting ground before you even get set up. Coyotes love to circle downwind of potential prey sources(you blowing on a handcall sounding like a dying rabbit) so be sure to be able to see the downwind side and kill them before they hit your scent cone. Another little tip, I personally set up with more of a crosswind so i can see both upwind and downwind and because im right handed I try to have the wind coming off my right shoulder or right to left so that coyotes that are trying to grab my wind will be coming in at an angle that is easiest for me to swing my gun(easier for a righty to swing a gun to the left rather than to the right, and vice versa). Lastly, hunt your way into your stands, the hunt starts as soon as you get out of the truck, I forget this all too often and kick up a lot of coyotes on the way to where im going to call, one day i'll learn.

Im sure I left something out, any questions, feel free to ask.


Chupa
 
Welcome to the site...Some friends and I shoot Prairie Dogs in CO every few years and have access to three large ranches (largest is 75k acres) in SE CO...Unless they have changed the rules within the last year, there is no shooting of them on Public Land east of I-25...However, if you can get permission on private land, you're good to go...

We're planning on going back this next summer and if I remember, I'll let you know when...however, you need to plan on a couple more firearms so that one can cool for awhile...We usually take a minimum of four per person for just that reason..Possibly someone else will chime in, but land access is usually one of those things that is kept pretty secret since 'best friends' have been known to really screw up permissions by bringing more people into the picture...If it was a place that we could go on a frequent basis, there is no way I would even mention it now...

I used to have a friend that worked the Narcotics detail in Boulder and she took me on a tour one afternoon when I was passing through on a motorcycle, but while a beautiful area, not some place I would want to live with the idea of hunting/shooting..I used to shoot some of the GSSF matches out at the Weld County range in years past..
 
I'm moving back to Colorado Springs in May, I would be more then willing to meet up and go on some hunts together.
 
lived in denver since 2009, and just now looking to get into hunting? after moving to boulder?

get a copy of the small game regulations, big game regulations, and read them. some of it can be confusing, but most of it is not.

hunting here expensive??? small game license is pretty cheap, so are the big game resident licenses.
 
Wow, lots more posts then I thought I'd get. 5spd, hibs, and old turtle, check your pm as I sent you some responses. I do have a small game license already so, I'm good there. Just need to find camo that would work (I'm short) and either an electric call or a mouth call. There are so many choices of different things to purchase to get started. Camo I was thinking a ghilli suit, and a hellfire foxpro for a call. Would that work?
 
Originally Posted By: 6724lived in denver since 2009, and just now looking to get into hunting? after moving to boulder?

get a copy of the small game regulations, big game regulations, and read them. some of it can be confusing, but most of it is not.

hunting here expensive??? small game license is pretty cheap, so are the big game resident licenses.

I only just got a car. Can't really go hunting off public transportation. They frown on having a rifle on the bus. Got my hunting license. It was the rifle, and scope and soon the reloading supply kit that will be expensive. That and in the future the taxidermist!
 
if you are just getting started, there is no need to jump into reloading.

get decent camo, this time of year walmart closes out there camo clothes. you do not need a ghillie suit. all you really need is a jacket to cover up non-camo warm clothes, a pair of camo pants is good, but not absolutely necessary.
if a budget is your biggest problem, try a mouth call or two, if you have the money for an electronic caller go for it. starting out with mouth calls will help you learn how to hunt.
 
In terms of mouth calls what would you recommend. Is there certain brands I should seek or avoid? The reason I mentioned the ghilli was it looks like it would be very effective camo.
 
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i have 17 mouth calls, but only one that i use regularly. it is an Olt from the 70's or 80's. i am sure there are many good mouth calls out there, but i dont have any experience with them.

but just about any call can make sounds that a predator likes, just a lot harder if they are call shy.

i carry my one favorite mouth call all the time, when the batteries die or there is some other problem, i can keep hunting. lately my foxpro has been not working on occassion, nice to have a backup.
 
This always stirs the pot but if you have the money and you want one go ahead and get a foxpro right off the bat.the reason is a electronic call is very easy to use and you don't need a lot of practice to make it sound right. It's a big part of the learning curve that you get a head start on. All sounds are realistic ,you don't have any horrible sounding squeal because you didn't quite blow,bite or hold your mouth call right.also after using an electronic a while you will know from experience how it should sound.then if you decide you want to master a mouth call put your foxpro on the classifieds you'll sell it and won't take a huge loss but I bet once you try a foxpro you will always run a foxpro
 
For many, many years now Man has killed a large number of Coyotes (Predators)!

He didn't have a FoxPro the entire time!!

Grab some Hand Calls, open and closed reed and start to blow away! We all learned from our successes and our mistakes.

You will figure it out sooner or later:)
 
Originally Posted By: coloradocatFor many many years man had to rub sticks together to make fire too

Very good Grasshopper!

Where in Colorado you be located Puddy Tat??
 
i think one of the big problems that i have now with hunting pressure is that everyone and their brother has an electronic call. most of them have NO idea how to HUNT. they think that with their new electronic gadget that all they have to do is go play the caller somewhere and the coyotes will run up and beg to be shot.

i have, on more than one occasion seen callers hung out the window of a truck! doesnt do anyone any good, just educates coyotes and makes them harder to hunt.

start with a mouth call, it forces you to know your surroundings, pick your stands, and pay attention to the wind far more than using an electronic caller. sure, your success will be lower, but you will learn how to HUNT, not turn on a caller.

with everyone using a foxpro these days, i think sometimes a mouth call will work better. it is a sound that is different every time, and they have not heard it before!
 
Originally Posted By: AnnaWow, lots more posts then I thought I'd get. 5spd, hibs, and old turtle, check your pm as I sent you some responses. I do have a small game license already so, I'm good there. Just need to find camo that would work (I'm short) and either an electric call or a mouth call. There are so many choices of different things to purchase to get started. Camo I was thinking a ghilli suit, and a hellfire foxpro for a call. Would that work?

Forget any ghilli suit, NOT needed & you will toss it after the 1st time crossing fence lines!
Make sure any pants you get are not "crotch baggy" and fit good for fence crossings.
Get a few mouth calls & learn to use them.
I use turkey diaphrams for a wide coverage of sounds, you learn not to choke also.
Any FP call is good to go.
Don't overthink/do it, all you need are the basics you listed.
 
Originally Posted By: AnnaIn terms of mouth calls what would you recommend. Is there certain brands I should seek or avoid? The reason I mentioned the ghilli was it looks like it would be very effective camo.
Lack movement is your camo, no need for expensive camo...ever.
 
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