Colorado predators

Hobbes

New member
Anyone hunt the mountains in CO? I've just moved here (Avon, CO) from IL. I have minimal experience hunting predators. What little I have hunted them involved inconsistent success. With the early bow season here and the long winter, I've got to check into other possibilites.

I'm a little concerned about predator hunting during the Elk/Deer rifle season though. I know of a few locations I've heard coyotes while elk hunting, but they are higher elevations that I don't think I could reach after the Big Game seasons.

I've never had the option to hunt bobcats before, so that really appeals to me. What are the possibilities of calling in a mountain lion? Does the snow push the predators out of the mountains as it gets deeper?

I don't even own a sufficient rifle at this point (22 mag). Considering the possibility of hunting larger game here in CO, I don't know if it is possible to have an all around gun that wouldn't cut a bobcat or coyote in half. What would be your suggestion? I was thinking maybe a used smaller calliber, something in the 22 cal range for predators or is there somethng sufficient for both that won't destroy the smaller predators?

I do own a couple shotguns that I turkey hunt with that would probably be sufficient for close range work. What are the regs on using shotguns for coyote/bobcat?
 
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You can use your shotgun for bobcat and coyote! I'd suggest getting yourself a 22-250 for predators, then if and when you find yourself looking for a mountain lion, you'll have enough gun for the task.
I think you'll find that mountain lions come down, only because thier food source comes down as the snow gets deep. Coyotes may too, to some degree, bobcats I think are happy in the deep snow, as long as they have snow shoes to hunt.
You're right in that as the snow gets deep, hunting up gets hard. Snow shoes become a nice investment.
Calling in them mountains during elk/deer season probably wouldn't be the best time to go. I hunt the plains, so I can find areas that the big game hunters won't be running into me much. There is some good looking sage country just noth of Wolcott. I don't no how hard finding access will be, but it looks like an area that should have some good number of coyotes!
 
Hobbes you are going to love hunting in CO high county. The predator are going to where to foods at, if the deer and elk are down so will they. I think you wil want two rifles (maybe more) to do what your after. You can hunt elk and coyotes with the same gun no problem. Shotguns are good for close in calling. Being an auto tech I like different tools for different jobs. I would say a good 30 cal for elk and 204 or 223 for the predators. JMHO.
 
I also think the snow pushes most of the animals down to lower country. The cats stay up there longer but they also come down. When you find rabbits you will find predators. You definetly need to hunt elk and deer also. My opinion of calibers is a 22-250 for predators and a 7mm for the larger game. As for places to go I think coyote are everywhere and the cats are really not to difficult to find. Learn to identify bobcat, lion and coyote tracks first then when it snows just go looking. I have been really suprised where I have found tracks. Good luck
 
Hobbes,

I hunted coyotes during the archery Elk season this year. We camped at around 9,200ft. and hunted from there up to 11,400ft. We saw coyotes and plenty of sign any place we went, we also heard lots of vocalizations at dusk. We mainly hunted meadows or open areas adjacent to dark timber. We had good luck with decoys and high pitch cottontail sounds. The first coyote came in within a minute of calling, the guy with me was pretty excited(first time). After the first stand he said "man lets do this all day", I had no objections. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It can be alot of work, but also alot of fun. Yalls coyote are a litte prettier than ours too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif.

Take care,

Todd
 
calling in the mountains i like to keep the volume down enough so it doesn't echo{huh i wonder if i spelled that right} it tends to confuse them if you can hear a echo.{i think i fixed the spelling /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif}
 
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