A Friends First Coyote Hunt

This short article was recently published in the Sportsman Alliance of Maine (SAM) January/February 2015 Newsletter . . . enjoy! 

I remember fondly one particular evening a few years ago when I had the distinct pleasure of taking a friend out coyote hunting. This particular outing, it was an impossibly frigid January evening but my friend as excited and I aimed to please. Heading out the door, I noted that the thermometer on the deck read -17 degrees F, cold enough where we needed to use extreme caution exposing any flesh to the elements for fear of frostbite. A brilliantly bright full moon cast eerie shadows throughout the woodlands making my eyes swear they could see movement even when there was none. The short walk to our set-up location did precious little to warm us in the brutal cold but that meant little as I looks at my friend and he was grinning.

After 15 minutes of sitting on a high granite shelf overlooking the edge of an expansive frozen swamp with the sounds of wounded snowshoe rabbit blasting on the electronic call, a chorus of several excited song dogs started howling LOUDLY west of our position. Immediately after this auditory barrage a very concerned friend, his adrenaline pumping and nerves slightly frayed, slowly turned his head in my direction and whispered "WE are going to DIE!" This comment was soon followed by a remark inquiring about how many rounds of ammunition I had decided to bring and how fast I could work the bolt action on my rifle.

As my friend was only along to watch and was not carrying a firearm as a true “friend”, to further frazzle his already frayed nerves, I cranked the electronic call to its highest volume and hit "lone coyote howl". My poor, poor friend immediately flinched violently in his seat, his eyes expanded to the size of dinner plates and I am fairly certain he released something from his lower intestine in an uncontrolled fashion. I had all I could do not to burst out in hysterical laughter. Repeating the call several more times I could tell the old boy was at the end of his proverbial rope and I whispered, "that was me" lest he attempt to run for it. Thankfully, my friend has an incredible sense of humor and all I received as a through description of where I could stick my electronic call instead of the physical beating I probably deserved.

In my friend’s defense, if you have never hunted predators like coyote, bobcat and bear you are likely unaware of how vulnerable it can make you feel, when a coyote howls or a bobcat or black bear silently stalks past you by only a few feet. The hairs on the back of your neck stand on end and goose bumps spring forth from your body as the primitive mind regresses to a time when man was the hunted and not the hunter of these beasts. The feeling is similar to what it is like to watch a horror movie; there is something unique inside each of us that simply enjoys a good scare. When you combine this adrenaline packed punch with the challenge of calling and the added struggle against the winter season, you begin to see the attraction of hunting these predators. The winter season is a playground for predator hunters high on the excitement of being able to hunt bobcat, fox, coyote and even raccoon.

While it is enjoyable to target each of these animals with game calling, another popular method is the placing of bait. Bait piles containing road killed deer carcasses frequently draw all four of these furbearers, making morning and evening sits especially exciting as the hunter is never sure what critter might suddenly appear. December marks the beginning of the coyote night hunting season and dedicated sportsmen not afraid to subject themselves to the fury of the Maine winter are typically richly rewarded. Constructing warm shelters, for sitting in on cold winter nights, is mandatory for hunters to be able to hide movement and remain comfortable for long hours when the mercury plummets. These shelters range from drafty old retired ice shacks to well insulated, propane heated condos with lazy-boy recliners and bunks. With the trick to killing more coyotes, directly tied to spending as much time as possible on a bait site, comfort certainly pays huge dividends.

After investing over a hundred hours last winter sitting on bait sites, I can tell you that the most important consideration is having a comfortable chair. On a calm still evening, were even the smallest sound is amplified, a chair that allows you to sit practically motionless for 6-8 hours in absolutely critical. Maintaining “baited sites” is a labor-intensive process and hunters employ a variety of methods to attempt to keep sites refreshed with bait and active. Hungry critters can wipe out an active bait site fairly quickly, leaving hunters with nothing more to hunt over than skeletons. To battle this problem, many employ filling five gallon buckets with meat and water, freezing them solid. This allows critters to smell and dig at the bait, only extracting small morsels at each visit. This keeps predators hungry and coming back often to check on the site. Another method, I employed this previous hunting season is taking 4 large logs, nail them together in a square shape and cover the top with chicken wire, bait is then place under this chicken wire frame. Predators are able to see, smell and dig at the bait through he chicken wire but it is extremely difficult for them to eat more then a tiny amount at each visit.

Several laws exist dictating the placement of bait. These include proximity rules related to distance from dwellings, campgrounds and roads. Bait sites must also be labeled with a clearly visible 2 by 4 inch tag with the name and address of the baiter. Bait sites are subject to Maine’s litter laws and must be cleaned up when requested to do so by the landowner or within 20 days from the last day the site was hunted over. It is illegal to place bait on ice of waters that serve as municipal water supplies, or their tributaries. Before determining where to place a bait site, hunters should become thoroughly familiar with these laws and limitations. Individuals without direct access to public land will find that many opportunities exist where hunters can place bait on the edging of frozen lakes and ponds.

Killing Animals for Sport

I admit I sometimes struggle with the thought of killing an animal that I don’t intend to eat. I typically overcome these feelings when I know that the harvested animal will be used for some practical purpose. Bobcat, coyote and fox are all furbearing animals, killed mainly for the purposes of population control, furs for clothing or hunting for sport. In hunting there is no catch and release and when a sportsman wants to pursue an animal that is a challenge to stalk and kill, success in this endeavor occurs with the death of that animal. Sure, I could photograph these animals but for me, it just isn’t the same . . . it is like eating a delicious meal but not being allowed to swallow.

Hunting bobcats, coyotes and fox is an extremely challenging endeavor, typically with 100 hours of time invested before a hunter is even presented with a CHANCE to see one of these wily and elusive creatures. The season under which these animals are typically hunted is winter where hunters must sit motionless for hours, in extreme cold, sometimes in the dead of night for that minuscule 1% chance at success. Harvesting one of these furbearers is the ultimate test of a sportsmans skill, perseverance, patience and mental fortitude. It the achievement of this monumental challenge that is the ultimate reward. The last bobcat I harvested was in 2010 and that amazingly beautiful creature adorns a wall in my house. A permanent taxidermied trophy, my mind replays every moment of that hunt, every time I gaze upon it. The skins of several other fur bearing animals adorn the walls of my house and the number of taxidermied mounts I own is approaching the level of obsession.

My 2014 bobcat (Pictured Above) will be made into a very expensive rug that will never see a muddy boot tread upon it and will cost me more money than I make in two months of writing. It is the price I am willing to pay to ensue my trophies are remembered and honored in some special way.

 Lastly, I have mixed feelings about the obligatory photo of a hunter posed over a game animal that they have just harvested. This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy pictures of young hunters smiling, posed next to their first deer or a proud hunter sitting beside that animal of a lifetime. I am not opposed to these photographs, I just tend to shy away from them, choosing to instead attempt to capture the animals end in the most respectful and picturesque way possible. Even with this statement, however, comes the fact that for an outdoor writer it is extremely difficult to build credibility, in the outdoor community, without proof of some level of hunting success and hunter success is typically documented with a picture of that sportsman posed next to their fallen quarry. In other words, if I write a story on shooting bobcats, I better have a picture of me sitting next to a bobcat as it is truly the only way to add credibility to a story.

 Thank you for listening to my short explanation. While it doesn’t throughly explain all the reasons why I hunt, I hope that for non-hunters my words help to better explain how the mind of this hunter works. No doubt some will look upon the killing of any animal that is not intended to be eaten as wasteful and the thought of pursuing animals for trophies just shy of obscene. Other people wear fancy shoes, flash expensive watches, dress in thousand dollar suits, drive sports cars and adorn themselves with diamonds and gold . . . I ask, are these “trophies” and “symbols of status” any more or less destructive than my collection of a few wild animals?

A Reader's Bobcat Hunting Success!

The following is a letter that was forwarded to me from the editor at the Maine Sportsman, from a reader that shot this impressive bobcat from the advice he garnered from reading my monthly column. I certainly makes my heart swell with pride when something I write assists another outdoor person in the field and reminds me once again why it is I write. Thanks to Nancy for providing me with Nate's story!

Dear Maine Sportsman Magazine,

My husband Nate is an avid outdoorsman. He enjoys the expanded hunting opportunities afforded by predator hunting. It allows him to basically hunt year round. On the 29th he donned his hunting gear and headed for the woods. He brought with him his screaming cottontail call by quaker boy. His favorite call.

He'd read recently, in the Washington county column of the Maine Sportsman, tips on calling in Bobcats by Steve Vose, so heeding the advice outlined in the article, he called a lot longer and waited patiently for the cat to come in. Normally calling in coyotes and foxes he calls for a 1/2 hour and moves if he doesn't call anything in. While hunting for bobcats he's learned to call more frequently and stay on the stand longer.

 It took an hour of calling to bring this bobcat in for the shot. He shot this bobcat in Bristol. He'd noticed many bobcat tracks in the rabbit hunting area recently which inspired him to go try to relieve some predation on the rabbit population.

He had made about his 10th call when he saw the bobcat coming through the furs. It slowly made its way to the brook, Nate was sitting on the opposite side of the brook bank. As it crossed the ice he made the shot. Nate was impressed with the size of the bobcat, the size was unexpected. It is a 24lb female bobcat. Let me know if you need any other details.

Nancy

Predator Calling Cats, Cross Country Skiing and Ice Fishing Efficiency

Predator Calling Cats 
Sportsmen looking for a unique challenge should try their hand at predator calling for bobcats. Being primarily nocturnal, sporting a well-camouflaged coat and possessing the ability to sit motionless for long periods of time, bobcats are elusive creatures and despite years in the woods, many sportsmen have never seen a bobcat in the wild.

Most harvested bobcats are incidentals, shot while hunting other predators like coyotes. To specifically target bobcats, hunters need to know the particular habits of these crafty and methodical felines. The first tactic to employ when hunting bobcats is to locate where they are hiding. Territory sizes vary widely, measuring up to thirty square miles for males to about five square miles for females. This means hunters must employ good tracking skills, identifying areas that hold bobcats or use game cameras to find where cats are most concentrated.

Bobcats have short attention spans when it comes to erratic prey sounds, so an effective technique is to turn on an electronic call and letting it play constantly. Popular sounds for luring bobcats into shooting range include a variety of bird and rodent distress noises with wounded woodpecker being a personal favorite. Bobcats will typically use heavy cover and their impressive stealth to slowly slink to within feet of unsuspecting prey before bolting the final distance to strike. Because of this, electronic calls are superior for bobcats, over hand held calls, as they alleviate the necessity of the caller to attempt to blow on a call for long amounts of time. Additionally, bobcats will not be able to stalk the caller but rather the remote electronic unit, allowing the hunter a better chance at a shot opportunity.

Motion decoys and visuals work well for cats as they rely on their incredible patience and eyesight more than their noses when stalking prey. Decoys need not be overly complicated and can be as simple as a turkey feather suspended from a tree branch with a piece of thread and allowed to move in the breeze.

When you are done with your calling sequence, just don’t get up and immediately crash out of your set location. Instead, stand up slowly, look, take a few steps, look and then look some more. Cats won’t necessarily run away like coyotes and foxes and when startled may freeze and hold tight, offering you a shot opportunity.

Success at calling in a bobcat is an incredible undertaking and any sportsman able to accomplish the feat certainly deserves a pat on the back. The last chance to shoot a bobcat is Feb 14th, so use the Birch Hill Road to check out the swampy thickets around Crawford and Pocomoonshine Lakes (Delorme’s The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (MAG), Map 36, D-1) for your chance at harvesting one of these incredible predators!

Cross Country Skiing 
The American Heart Association recently released a report that provided statistics showing that in a mile run, kids today are about a minute and a half slower than their peers 30 years ago. This means, kids today are roughly 15 percent less fit than their parents were as youngsters. Kids today are spending a majority of their time partaking in sedentary activities and aren’t running around, playing, biking and doing enough physical activity. This is obviously a major contributing factor to the nation wide increases in heart disease, diabetes and the obesity epidemic raging across the United States. As parents we have control over what our children do and instead of buying my children an Xbox this Christmas, I bought them both cross country skis.

Cross-country skiing is a fun family orientated activity and a fantastic way to remain physically active and healthy throughout the long and sometimes oppressive Maine winter. Many opportunities exist for those wishing to enjoy the sport of cross-country skiing this winter season.

Washington County is a maze of snowmobile trails and frozen lakes like Meddybemps (Delorme’s The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (MAG), Map 36, C-5) that offer skiing opportunities in just about everyone’s backyard. Favorites also include the Moose Horn National Wildlife Refuge (Delorme’s The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (MAG), Map 36, D-4) with over 50 miles of trails open to cross country skiing and the Down East Sunrise Trail (http://www.sunrisetrail.org) offering an additional multitude of possibilities.

The Efficient Ice Fisherman 
As I get older, it seems harder and harder to maintain the same level of excitement and enthusiasm, as I once did in my youth, at the prospects of waking before dawn, stumbling into the deep freeze and driving to my favorite ice fishing destination. To combat this problem and continue to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes, I have begun to become very efficient in my expenditure of energy when ice fishing. This includes bringing hot food and drink, a chair, portable ice shack and on cold days even a heater. These key pieces of equipment ensure that even on the coldest and most brutal of days ice fishing I can stay warm, dry and comfortable, conserving my mental and physical energy, increasing my enjoyment of the experience and the length of time I am able to stay on the ice.

Having small children, these pieces of equipment are almost mandatory as they provide kids with a sheltered spot to warm cold fingers and toes and drink their hot cocoa. As you head out to the ice this winter season, consider reviewing your ice fishing activities for efficiency, it may mean you spend more time on the ice and ultimately catch more fish!

Looking for an “efficient” lake to fish this winter, check out the easy access on East Musquash Lake in Topsfield (Delorme’s The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (MAG), Map 45, E-4). The fishing from the picnic area on route 6 is descent and on cold days you can fish right from your car!

WE are Going to DIE!

On this particular outing, the DDH and I were to attempt the most complicated of outdoor endeavors the dreaded late night/early morning coyote hunt combined with almost a complete day of ice fishing. While this would be a colossal task, for even the most die hard outdoorsmen, minus17 degree F temperatures kept us constantly watchful for frostbite and the onset of hypothermia, hampering our monumental efforts. At the conclusion of the two days we were rewarded by a ice fishing flag, a short salmon and some blood curdling late night coyote hunting.

The full moon cast eerie shadows throughout the woodlands making my eyes swear they could see movement even when there was none. After 15 minutes of sitting on a granite shelf on the edge of a frozen swamp, the sounds of wounded snowshoe rabbit, blasting on the electronic call, had a chorus of several excited song dogs wailing LOUDLY west of our position. A concerned DDH, slowly turned his head in my direction and whispered "WE are going to DIE!" This was soon followed by a remark inquiring on how many rounds of ammunition I had decided to bring and how fast I thought I could work a bolt action rifle. As a true “friend”, to further frazzle his already frayed nerves, I cranked the electronic call to its highest volume and hit "lone coyote howl". The DDH flinched in his seat (possibly from releasing something in an uncontrolled fashion) and his eyes expanded to the size of dinner plates. I had all I could do not to burst out laughing but immediately choked back this vocalization, as I frantically had to repeat, "that was me" lest he attempt to run for it.

In DDHs defense, if you have never hunted predators like coyotes, bobcats and bears you are unaware of how vulnerable it can make you feel. When a coyote howls or a bobcat or black bear silently stalks past you by only a few feet, the hairs on the back of your neck will stand on end like you are conducting electricity. Goose bumps spring forth from your body and your primitive mind regresses to a time when man was the hunted and not the hunter of these beasts. I sometimes feel it is similar to watching a horror movie, there is something unique inside each of us that simply enjoys a good scare. When you combine this adrenaline packed punch with the challenge of calling and the added struggle against the winter season, you begin to see the attraction of hunting these predators.

New Years Eve Bobcat

I wanted to share a few pictures of a male bobcat I shot this morning at approximately 8:30 AM using my new Christmas present the Fox Pro Spitfire electronic game call. The bobcat weighed approximately 30 lbs and was a little more than 3 feet long from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. I had been using the "raspy woodpecker" on the 3-4 volume level when about an hour later he came slowly slinking in through the underbrush. One shot of 125 grain Remington core lokt from my XL7 Marlin in Springfield .30-06 dropped him cold. Taking him to the taxidermist tomorrow for a full body mount . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!