Baiting

pmack, congrats! That is a big one!


I had two out in the field last night running around at about 450 yards. I had half the mind to walk out there and shoot them but it was raining. I was hoping they would come into the pile but they never did. I set the caller out by the bait pile and did a few male and female howls but they never showed up. The wind was blowing to my house across the pond so they couldn't really come in down wind so maybe that had them nervous.
 

Good to see you having some success, Paul. Your experience sounds similar to mine in that one may find the bait and then not return for a while, sometimes weeks or months. Other times they return the next night or two. Makes it difficult to hunt that way.
 
My buddy killed one calling last night, and when I got home two were in my field. I killed this female. She weighed in at 28.75 lbs. Didn't get video on this one.

Here is the second female 28.75 lbs.

IMG_0587 by Double Up, on Flickr
 
Check the bait pile last night and I am getting coons and opossum that are not setting the alarm off. I think I need to lower it. We are getting a big temperature drop here so the bait pile was a busy place last night. I did see a cat when I check it. I dont have a bobcat tag so I wasn't going to shoot. You guys think it's a bobcat or my neighbors house cat?

 
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Dozer, it’s difficult to say about the cat. I didn’t see a long tail. If you have housecats nearby it’s probably be wise to let it walk.

As to coons and possums getting by without tripping the sensor, I had the same problem years ago when I first begain. I have since been placing the sensors about one foot or so off the ground and now nothing gets through undetected. Previously I had them placed too high and fox would get through without the alarm sounding. It would be good if possums would go undetected but catch coyotes, but I don’t know any way to do that with any degree of accuracy so as to not miss a coyote. Darn possums keep pinging the alarm during the night making it difficult to get any rest.
 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06
Dozer, it’s difficult to say about the cat. I didn’t see a long tail. If you have housecats nearby it’s probably be wise to let it walk.


Lets put it this way, my neighbors house is 150 yards from mine. Any time their cat goes missing for a day they call me asking where its at. So i think its best to let all felines go anyway.

Originally Posted By: 6mm06

As to coons and possums getting by without tripping the sensor, I had the same problem years ago when I first begain. I have since been placing the sensors about one foot or so off the ground and now nothing gets through undetected. Previously I had them placed too high and fox would get through without the alarm sounding. It would be good if possums would go undetected but catch coyotes, but I don’t know any way to do that with any degree of accuracy so as to not miss a coyote. Darn possums keep pinging the alarm during the night making it difficult to get any rest.

I have mine 20" off the ground. I am going to lower it to 12". I know for a fact that it missed the fox the other night but did get that coyote. Im not excited about the alarm going off all night on grinners but oh well.
 


Here's a photo of the approximate distance I placed my sensors before. Most are even lower now, more like where the black line is wrapped around the stake. I use 5 sensors at the bait site, surrounding an area. Nothing gets through without being announced.


49532376606_856cdc526f_b.jpg

 
I have a couple baits out where a paraplegic friend of mine can drive to and hide his pickup 150-175 yards away. He just called and said 4 coyote came in and he shot one, he is pretty excited. The Sightmark Wraith is working for him, wish I could afford a thermal I would put it on his rifle. I purchased the Wraith with fur money from last year, put it on his rifle, hoping he would hunt more than just the 3/4-full moon nights.
 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06
Spotstalk, that’s a very kind and generous thing you did, helping your friend. I salute you.

Most definitely. I hope his good luck continues.
 
He's a high school hunting/trapping/fishing buddy, we're 59-61 now. He called this morning, he had gotten cold in the truck and started it to warm up. This was about 2am, saw another coyote in the field so he shut the truck off. The coyote went straight to the bait. He shot it, so 2 down. He said the only issue was that I had placed the bait so he had to park he truck between 2 old buildings(shots were loud). I had to do that because the landowner cleans out snow there, otherwise no way in. I'm pretty sure the Wraith has allowed him to hunt more nights and stay longer. Hoping fur is still ok.
 
My wife and I had a nice steak dinner out with friends late yesterday afternoon. We got home around 7 last night and I decided to check the field about 8:30. This one was already in the field so she was out early. I reckon she decided to be my valentine. She weighed in at 30 lbs. Here she is in the Meat Wagon this morning.

IMG_0589 by Double Up, on Flickr

Here's the video:

 
Nice shot DU

I hunted until midnight last night. Came home and went to bed. Alarm went off at 5am. Got the gun out the window and it was a coyote. Pulled it back inside to load it and by the time I got it back out the window he was walking away in the brush.
 
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