Pawnee Grasslands a bust!

Predator Paul

Predator Paul

New member
THE BAD NEWS
Took a trip to the Pawnee Grasslands in Northern Colorado on Saturday, I have always wanted to see and call this area. Not only was there no "sign" of Coyote activity, there was no Coyotes. At least we could get any to come in.

THE GOOD NEWS
Took a trip to the Pawnee Grasslands in Northern Colorado on Saturday, I have always wanted to see and call this area. Got to meet 1SHOT1 and had a good time, and lots on conversation about everything from work to childhood.

We did see some very light sign around a couple of the private ranches and saw one coyote at the very spot we saw the sign. It took him one glance at the vehicle and he poured the "nitro" to the carb and didn't even give me the normal 300-400 yard stop and look. He had SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE! I don't remember ever seeing a coyote run this hard with no shots fired. :eek:

This place has all the signs of being:

*A Heavy traffic area
*Over called
*lots of drive-bys
*Drought stricken
*low food supply
*Very burned out

We did get a response from my howl on the first set. The 3 or so dogs were (what seemed to be) on private land. We gave them a good 30 min to get thier butts to us but nata. We thought that was a sign for a good day but it was really a different story! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Anyway, Pawnee = Nawnee. 1SHOT1, get your butt down south here and I can show you some decent calling! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Yeah,I hadly ever call anywhere near there,You are right on all points.Waaaaay too much pressure! -My partner went out yesterday,(I Had To Work.) called a big 0 down by deer trail, he said it was too bright and almost too windy to call.(Plus it was the first day of the plains deer season). most all of the good calling in nor-east Co.is on private land.
 
Same spit, different state, for me. Spent the morning out with a new acquaintance. Made four stands, saw nothing. At one setup, something (maybe) flushed about forty pheasants and a dozen deer, but never showed. But, like you said, I got to shake a new hand, enjoyed some new conversation and had a good time nonetheless. May try again this afternoon and see what shakes.
 
What Paul ment to say is" The Grasslands SUCK!!" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
Still I must say that the trip was still fun, as well as educational. I want to say thanks to Paul for being willing to take out a rooky and show me the ropes, I was very impressed with the sets that we did as well as hs calling skills.He sure knows his sh*t!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

1shot1
 
Yes Paul little help here. I'm in Aurora and everything east of the Rockies seems to be private. any tips on how to gain permision?
 
The problem I see on the Pawnee is that a lot of people use it for TGT shooting. hopefully winter will slow them down. I did see lots of rabbit when i was there; all around 4:00 to 5:30 AM so there is food. but Paul is right about them only beeing close to private land. the 2 I called I had lure from Private in to public land. (they dont like it)
 
LONEHOWL,
Ranchers seem to be pretty good about Coyote hunting, and that's all I do. If you start talking Deer or Birds in the eastern plains, they get a little picky. A guy should really get out in the summer and ask around. I say that every year. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Colddog,
This is my personal opinion but......
I try not to knock on a door with camo's on. I think peaple with prime land see enough Orange and Camo that it must bring a bad feeling. Showing up in your regular Joe clothes is much less intrusive and you seem like just a normal guy. Having a youngster with you even adds to the package. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I always bring a change of clothes for comfort AND knocking on doors while treking home. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

1SHOT1,
You are too kind! I didn't show you sh!# /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Well, maybe I showed you the Grasslands SUCK!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


Hope this helps.
 
The best way to gain permission to hunt on private land is to knock on thier door! My family are farmers in eastern Colo. so 1 thing I've been taught is to get off your ASS and( don't be afraid of their dog) and Knock on the door.I don't thik I have been turned down more than 2 or three times,(usually because they have somebody w/ an intrest similar).Pauls right about apperance,.Also-,After you get ONE landowner to let you in,all you need do is mention his name and I'll promise you the neighbors will let you in. They are usually hunters too! And most apperciate the frusteration of good hunting access. I also have other tricks wich I will never tell here.(Too many eyes) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I took my daughter to the Rosvelt national Forest a couple of weeks ago. She is eleven and wants to learn to call predators. Thre different locations and... nada. The only thing we saw was two big SUV with around 14 or more people TGT shooting and drinking. Bad combination. So we left at once.

I see more yotes and reds in littleton and the DTC than in public lands. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Next week is my son's turn and I'm thinking about driving to pueblo or something like that. Any sugestions.
 
Yup, the Grasslands get hammered and there ain't much cover. I've made 40+ stands this year for 1 dog.

Anyone ever hunt the are northwest of Graig or the area west of Grand Juction?

What about north out of Denver, like in southern, southeastern Wyoming?
 
I just got back from a 4 day trip. we called Colorado Nebraska South Dakota Kansas my partner and I have been doing it for 20 year. We saw 4 coyotes none called none shot.
 
Jitter, 240 page,
Nobody will ever convince me this "drought" in Colorado hasn't kicked Coyote butt all over the state. I had to work like heck for the Coyotes and Cat I got last year. NONE of the Coyotes I called came from anywhere but drainage and bottom land.
I hope we get some water and we recover over the next couple years.
I have never hunted the NW corner you mention but it has always looked inviting. I may do it this winter.

Paul
 
I lived in Denver in 96. Pawnee Grasslands was a bust then as well. Comanche Grasslands in the SE was pretty good. Walden in the north central part of the state was absolutely killer. Some of the best calling I've seen. I have a friend in Cheyenne that I used to visit and I would call along the way from Denver. Very spotty calling, very shy coyotes.
 
Yeah, kinda slow now. I didn't work on mon, so I decided to go callin'.
made 5 sets by my lonely and din't see $H!T. All on private land, all "honey holes"
, We've seen this before though, just wait three weeks ,it'll be a hole diiferent story.
I think the coyotes in mixed farm ground move in sept ( after the wheat and sunflowers are harvested)
then they kinda hole- upp ti'll all the corn is done.
I don't know why? Mabey just too much food out there.
Colo. might be dry now, but nowhere near Az. or Nm.(annualy),
and I always seem to find lots of coyotes down there when I hunt.
 
Originally posted by mudpuppy:
[qb]Colo. might be dry now, but nowhere near Az. or Nm.(annualy),
and I always seem to find lots of coyotes down there when I hunt.[/qb]
Click to expand...
Good point! Kind of brings me some hope. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Yeah Paul, Last Feb.I had two bad days in a row.
Really started doubting myself, the following weekend I think we called 11 , 7 on 1 set. It was so frikken dry that month, I called and shot a coyote that had a half dryed out turd hanging out the rear. First ( and hopefully the last time), I ever see that.
 
Mud,
I'm dying from laughter over here "half dried turd" that's too funny. We just came back from elk hunting in southern Colorado (San Luis Valley), and from the sounds of it the yote population is doing good, lots of tracks around a gut pile, and plenty of howling at night, also fairly still dry. Only problem is making time to get out of Denver to make the stands. I think the yote "drought" perception here in Colorado has more to do with the wide open expanses they have to roam, you just need to put in the time in good areas and they will come. Just my 2cents.
 
I don't know if it's the drought, the mange, rabies, distemper, whirling disease, CWD, west nile, aliens or exactly what it is, but I KNOW something is different this year as far as calling coyotes goes. In previous years one of my favorite pieces of ground real close to home here would have produced between 12 and 15 yotes by now. This year one called, one killed. I hear no howling and see very few tracks. Their just not there this year for whatever reason.
Something else I keep thinking about is the fact that last year 90% of the yotes I called and popped were bigger, more mature coyotes. Very, very few offspring of the year. Most years the yearlings out number the mature ones about 5 to 1.
Another thing I find strange is I'm seeing NO magpies anywhere! I know they say the west nile virus is hard on the crows, magpies and some other species, but I don't think even the experts know exactly how hard it is on em.
I really hope things get better. THIS SUCKS
dc
 
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