deadrabbits
New member
Hi All! Been on the forum for awhile and its great! Ive predator hunted most of my 41 years going with my Dad since my earliest memories.....He wasn't the best caller in the world but we had a lot of fun together! My main hobby was always traditional archery hunting, as of 10 years ago I went calling dogs on a ranch I knew of with a friend and within a month I had a nice custom 22-250 and whatever I could get my hands on that I thought I needed! shouldn't have bought half the stuff! lol. Since then my chops have gotten a little better and Im learning every hunt I go on and probably always will! My Dad passed away about a year and a half ago and at 41, owning a construction business, that day I decided to sell it and start a taxidermy business as my Dad always wanted me to..... so here I am in CO having a blast and was blessed to find a business partner that is among the best in the world to build a business with and learn from as well! I have a decent trophy room, most all big game that ive gotten with my lonbow or recurve but through the years ive seen and now have done some awesome predator mounts. With my Dad, Grandpa and 2 best bird dogs passing and starting a new business and selling an old one most of my hunting got put on hold this year minus approx. 5-7 hunts. Only 3 of which were dog, cat and fox hunts....Well I happen to have about the next 3 weeks to go on a few 1-3 day dog and cat hunts and I desperately want to kill some dogs and possibly a cat or two, for my private "man cave" as I don't have any personal predator mounts and want a few that I love especially the shoulder mounts w a cool pedastool, a lifesize dog mousing w a snow base and a lifesize coyote sitting and howling...… Feb is always a tough moth historically for me though? I know its breeding season and the past luck ive had has mainly still been distress calls. I need to make the most of these hunts and want some dogs to mount in really different unique ways. Ive tried female inv. howls, pup in distress and challenge howls without consistent luck and the luck Ive had has been with distress calls. The last 2 years ive had my best luck with woodpecker distress and the same old cttn/jack calls..... I have 30,000 acres of private ranch land I hunt on in Nebraska that unless it gets trespassed on Im the only bowhunter or predator hunter on it and have been for a decade. its mixed corn, sage, CRP, gnarly canyons and river bottom throughout, its truly one of the most gorgeous places Ive ever hunted and loaded with dogs and cat, I get cats on my trail cams all the time and over the years have only killed 2.....Ive had plenty of dog action up until mid jan and it slows down. I shoot either a MVP .204 as my go to and shoot is well w 32grn vmax and my windy day gun is a older 110 243 that ive put a trigger on and topped it w a burris xtr 2 5-20x50 with illumination etc and just got a compass 204 for $200 nib that I put a Nikon BDC on before I wrote this. my MVP has a vxiii 3.5-10x40 and at a 100 w that gun I can cover 3 shots w a dime, this year I bought a LD Revolt that to me was a game changer! so nothing fancy gun wise but im a gear addict and have several different decoys, seats, packs, hand calls etc......matter of fact im pulling the burris asap and putting a vx freedom on my 243 bc I never shoot over 400 and its too much scope and Ill never use it as it should be used! I carry a 12 gauge Benelli M1 with a .670 full and its usually loaded with 4 buck or the few remaining Hornady coyote BB loads I have. So that's me and my gear/background and introduction! haha..... Sorry for bein so long winded I figured Id introduce myself while asking you guys fr some possible help on ideas of what I can or should do differently these next few weeks to hopefully get 5 plus dogs and a cat or even two on the ground to start filling up my man cave w cool predator mounts! Should I howl, fem invitational howl, pup in distress or just keep hammering away with my favorite bird and rabbit sounds? Ive had some luck starting off with howls and switching to distress calls but this year has been rough that way......Pleasure to meet everyone, you guys have some great reads that I often find myself 2 hours into the future reading one after the other! If theres anyone here in northern co, southern wyo or western Nebraska that ever wants to call what I believe to be some of the finest dog and cat country Ive ever hunted with me and show me some of their tactics, Ill provide the land and all the gate keys etc we need to explore and call miles of pristine country! I don't have one hunting buddy that predator hunts and only hunt big game with me and occasionally turkeys. So I mostly hunt alone but would love some company! its 3ish hours from fort colllins to where I hunt and I typically stay in a room about a half hour from the ranch or camp when its nicer but that's mainly to chase the muleys and whitetail. so any help, ideas would be great! or if you want to come along and teach me more Im always willing to learn barring you understand that this farm is strictly private and I have sole access besides the owner and his son and don't ever consider going there without me! lol..... believe me its happened even with what I considered a good friend so im leary and the rancher doesn't allow it anyway, as ive done countless mounts, farm work, etc over 14 years to get full privelages on this place! cheers
