We need a forum on baiting here. What do you all think.
Or if there is one I can't find it.

Jim

You're standing knee deep in it now.


Welcome to Predator Masters.

if you have questions or tips, post away.

This forum is about calling not baiting. I have not seen one thread about baiting.

Jim

Jim,welcome to the forums. You have not seen a thread regarding baiting because very few predator hunters use bait. There would be very few posts in a specific forum. There is an occasional post about baiting once a year or so, just doesn't seem to be much interest. When there is such a post it seems to be on a ranch where they drag out dead cows or sheep and pile them up. For most of us baiting is too restrictive. As a rule we like to run and gun.ymmv.

Take a listen to this Radio talk show. There seems to be a lot of people interested in baiting.
I like to call coyotes and bobcats my self but baiting is another alternative. Just a thought.
Baiting
Jim

Jim,

Azmasteblasta pretty much said it. Most of us enjoy the ablility to lure them in with a call, but also most of us won't pass up an opportunity to take one over bait if the opportunity presents itself.

Last year a cow had calved on the family farm and ended up with two dead calves. We don't know if they were still born or if the coyotes killed them. The guy who runs cattle on our farm notified me that he saw two coyotes feeding on the dead calves earlier that morning, so shortly afterwards I set up overlooking the area.

I hadn't set there long before one showed up. I was about 100 yards away, wind was right, and there was a snow on the ground which helped me see the yote approaching better in the timber. I took it with a 6x45 AR.

Later in the early spring of this year, I shot a coyote with a .22 magnum as the yote was feeding on some deer parts I thad thrown out on the farm. My son does taxidermy work and I have been throwing out the leftovers in a particular place. I was out walking about with my new toy, a Ruger 77/22, .22 mag. and just happened upon that one. It was just a shot of opportunity that I didn't expect at the time since it had been quite a while since I had thrown out any scraps. I guess the coyote was used to coming there.

I think baiting can be productive, especially during cold times when the coyotes are hungry, but you may be in for some long waits. You might try setting up a blind at a distance and keeping watch on the bait once the yotes are hitting it. A trail camera could be useful to let you know if and when you have activity. I've thought of doing the blind deal myself. Sometimes it's nice to just sit and watch rather than run and gun all the time, adds a little variety.

Still, I mainly call them. Either way, a dead coyote means more fawns running around, not to mention a lot of other animals.

Let us know how it goes.


Calf-eating Coyote




.22 Magnum Coyote

Great Pictures!

Jim, if you want to talk baiting send me a PM and I'll talk your leg off. I know a lot of guys have a limited amount of ground to hunt and they often over call it. I hear them complaining that they can hear coyotes howling but they can't call them in. Those can be ideal places to hunt over bait.

I realize a lot of guys only hunt by calling them but farmers around here want them killed any way legally possible. Hunting over bait can be very effective if you do it right.

I prefer to call them too but when a farmer tells me he will pay $25.00 for every one I kill on his land I use other methods if calling doesn't work.

I have no problem with baiting or calling or trapping or
just sitting and waiting.
I've used all those methods and am happy just as long as I
get the critter(s) that are causing me problems.

Jim,

That was the very first show I ever recorded. Baiting is still near and dear to my heart though. It seems that baiting is more prevalent in the north east. This could be in part to heavy cover and fewer coyotes. Could be that yankees just like to sit in the cold and stare at meat on the ground for hours on end. If I lived in New Mexico or Nebraska I probably wouldn't bait nearly as much as I do. Check out this article in PX from Andrew Lewand http://www.predatorxtreme-digital.com/predatorx/200912?pg=33#pg33
Should give a little more insight on baiting. If you ever want to talk baiting shoot me a pm. I would trade four baited coyotes for one hard charger coming to the call. It just gets my blood pumping.

Brian Downs

Thanks guys for all the comments, I really appreciate it.
I guess I am just lucky, I have millions of acres of US timber land just out my back door not 20 yds from my property line. I have a storage shed in my back yard and have ordered a hunting blind window to put in the back of the shed, where I can put a bait pile at any distance I want. I also ordered a driveway sensor that will let me know when anything is near the bait. (lazy mans hunting blind)
I also ordered a XLR 250 Kill Light to mount on my scope.
With my propane heater going in my shed I am set up for night time hunting in comfort. Yea I know lazy,lazy,lazy.
But I have an excuse, I am 72 yrs old.

Jim

Your setup sounds sort of like mine.
I have windows in the tack room on the barn and also the
other garage. Tack room has power to it and I just plug
a little heater in when needed. Garage will have power 1
of these days. Either place gives me some almost clear
shots at around 200 yards. Have used both places calling
and baiting.

RJM Acres
Yeah that sound like my set up. I have power to my storage shed. I have a electric heater I could run.
I live in the foot hills of the Cascade mountains and every year about this time of year the Deer migrate to lower ground because the snow gets too deep and the coyotes follow them. I have a little kit fox that visites my cat on the front deck every night to share the cat food. I just don't have the heart to shoot him. He don't seem to be afraid of me when I go out and talk to him. He just stands there and looks at me.

Jim

I think that would be a good idea. I bet it would get just as much traffic as the night hunting forum, maybe more.

Keep any eye on that kit. You just never know when they
will decide to revert back to nature and take your cat with
it.

My tack room needs a new floor before I use it much more.
Idiot that built it didn't do it right and the rain has
run down the walls and rotted the floor and a few joists.