Tracking game?

T

Tommy Johnson

New member
Just curious to know how some of you find your game once its down out in the high brush in the pasture at night. I find myself not taking a shot because I think too much. I wont take a shot because I think I wont be able to recover it.

Let me know Im trying to change my losing streak.

(Maybe I ought to stop thinking)
 
Hunt pastures where the grass isn't any taller than a dead coyote laying in it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif And after the shot just look for a fury lump laying in the short grass.

Just kidding.Good question Tommy looking forward to seeing everyones input.
How ya been?
 
we hunt with 2 or more people !!! the shooter leaves the gun empty and the crosshairs where the yote fell!!we use walky talkys to guide the pick up guy there!! if you take your eyes off you can walk past or up the wrong draw!!! we have all done that a time or two!! thats what works for me!! grandpa fudge
 
Hi Tommy,

I assume we are talking Coyotes here. At night shooting is harder, and you may not be shooting the animal at the angle you believe you are, and distance is hard to judge, elevation etc.

Best insurance for night hunting is a larger caliber. Example - If you hunt with a .223 in the day time, step up to a .243 (or whatever)at night. Use a low power scope. You may have to fix some exit holes, but you won't have to track. Usually........

Also knowing the terrain you are hunting in helps, at least take a look at it in the daytime to indentify areas that could give you trouble.

Best of luck
 
Hey Tommy, I always mark the animal down with a tree, or something that is close by. As for tracking, it's just like in the daytime. I use a very bright flashlight. I usually keep calling for a bit, after the shot, so it's important for the shooter to get a good idea of where the animal was a the time of the shot. If he is wounded, that is more of a challenge. Then we slow down, find the nlood trail, and track them. We sometimes(when we don't forget) use our radios too, but we don't have too much trouble finding game. Randy
 
Thanks for the replys guys. I invested in two 2-way radios last season and they seem to help.

Ray, I may need to carry me a little lawnmower around and take care of them overgrown areas. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Randy what power flash light do you have?
 
You're right Bob, I've used a lab on occasion. I have a jack Russel pup that will be going some this year... (if I don't kill him first)..Just kidding, but they do have a mind of their own.Randy
 
Randy, I know what you mean about the JRT. They're like cats, .. they don't have owners, they have staff. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Remember it ain't the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
When I hunt at night, I follow their tracks in the snow. Blood trail too.

Not too tough.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Randy
 
When deer hunting, I use the pinch type close pins with reflective tape on the outside edge. We clip them to branches near the blood trail or place a branch in the ground with the reflective close pin attached. One hunter always stays where the blood was last found and the other(s) look for additional signs. In an open field we use 1/8" or 1/4" dowels with pins attached for our makers. You get a real good idea of the travel direction when you flash a light back at the markers.

Wife keeps wondering where her close pins went, but it works well for us over the years. A year or so ago we found some that were advertised for marking your way to a stand, and have been using them for the last couple of years. They have the reflective tape on and are painted bright orange for seeing during the day.
 
Classic example of what happens regurlarly, Last year I went on a hunt with Ray (Purdygood), about 4 am a coyote came in via a low lying draw and stopped at about 100 yrds, I shoot and we both heard a distinct "meat report". After looking around where he was standing, nothing.

Of course after anytime you shoot, hit or miss, its lights out. So you really have to rely on a "meat report".

I shoot a 22-250 that rarely leaves an exit, may be Ill change to my .308 so itll leave me a trial. Thanks guys.
 
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