West Virginia hunt. Long w/pics.

[HaMeR]

First-- Thank You Jim & Jason for doing your very best to get me a Bobcat. It is certainly appreciated very much. Even tho we didn't score on one it had nothing to do with a lack of effort on your parts. Thank You for trying!! 

Second-- Thanks to your wonderful wives & children for allowing me to drag you away for 3 1/2 days. Family time is very important these days with all the uncertainties in the world. I certainly appreciate that as well. 

Now then on with the show. I'll try to do this & keep your interest peeked at the same time so here goes.

Jim & Jason PM'ed me when I opened a thread on Bobcat hunting here. They were very helpful in gettting things together. Jim got me a nice map & even sent a PM with food & hotels in the area. They took me to their private lands which is full of critter sign. It's all over the area & was in various forms of age. We were on old tracks to fresh tracks but couldn't seal the deal. I guess it wasn't meant to be. And it had nothing to do with a lack of effort on their behalf because there was predator sign everywhere we went. I couldn't ask for any more than that. 

Wednesday afternoon was a blur for me. I didn't realize how fast the last 4hrs of daylight can literally disappear in the blink of an eye. But it did & back to the hotel I went.

Thursday AM was 17* I believe. Jim & I got to the bottom of his lease just in time. After a lengthy walk to the bottom we made 1 stand & came up empty. So on down the Little Kanawha River we went. When we got to a bend in the trail this is what we seen. A beautiful sunrise. This pictures doesn't do it jstice as it didn't capture the fog rising off the water.


We continued down to an abandoned house & made another dry stand. Then on up into the hollow we went. We got set up with Jim to right along the river & I was to the left just starting up the hill with the FX3 between us. We had a L to R crosswind which soon changed to a direct headwind. Shortly thereafter I heard a dog bark behind me. Busted. It got too thick to go any further quietly so we headed back to the truck to go pick up Jason. On the way out we found a nice set of cat tracks & would come back later in the afternoon for it. That was dry as well.

But with a view like this I couldn't complain.


On to Friday. Jason had obligations so he couldn't make it so Jim & I headed out early again. We got there a little early & just waited for some sunlight to peek over the top & off we went. This where we found the freshest cat & coyote tracks. But again we came up empty handed on these stands. So we went back to truck & further out we went. We ended up at a primo cat area. We didn't see any cats but they are definitely in the area. I took Jim home to open his scuba shop & went to the WMA by myself where I found some interesting sites & some beautiful country. I made 3 stands there to no avail. I found cat & coyote tracks & scat in there. Back to the hotel.

Saturday AM found Jason & I heading to the WMA again. We found more sign & made several uneventful stands then moved onto another area of the WMA. We thought for sure something would come to the call here. But it didn't. So we scouted for Jim & Jason & headed out. We went back to where I was the evening before & called some more to no avail & decided to call it quits.  We had planned a dinner for that evening & I was headed home afterwards.

It was a great trip & we all had a great time. I hope to do this regularly as I know there are cats there & success can be had.

Thank You JIM & Jason & Best of Luck to you in your hunting down there!! 

[FinsnFur]

Remind me to send you more film...or a bigger memory card    :roflmao:

That does look like some thick country I'm glad you guys were able to hook up and pull this off.  Next time we want fur!

[wv_yoter]

Glen, it would've been cool to put some fur down, but there's always the next time.

[Hawks Feather]

You are going to allow Glen back?       Dang Glen, you must have not talked so much when you were with them.   :roflmao:

Jerry

[iahntr]

Still sounds like a good time. 
Thanks for sharin.

[coyotehunter_1]

Guys...I think HaMer is holding out on us. 
No pics of those lovely WV ladies?    


Fur or not   ... Glad you all had a good time.   

[Coulter]

Sounds like you guys had some fun. I went out this am and made a couple stands in freezing rain. It was nice being out there, but it would have been nicer to find a fresh track that wasn't of the ungulate nature

Sure is some pretty country down that way.

Steve

[HaMeR]

There woulda been fur down but the Wife had to work!!  :roflmao: :roflmao:

Jerry-- They want me to show them how to crow hunt. 

Jim-- Not too much to take pictures of huntwise but it wasn't due to lack of effort.    I aint much on story writin as you can tell so I'll work on that for ya.     I forgot to Thank You for this board as well. Thanks Jimbo!! 

[studabaka]

Well I haven't called in anything since LBL either, but that's just how it goes [least for me]. It sounds like a great trip and that sure is some pretty country. Having snow is cool cause ya get a much better view of what's moving. Did ya circle your setups after you called to see if anything snuck in? Them cat's can be funny like that.

[Frogman]

Nice post on our adventures Glen.  wv and I enjoyed your visit.        But, there must be a WV law against murdering trees and assaulting bottles.   :roflmao:   :roflmao:   Looking forward to learning how to get after the crows.  They are still in season here til mid March I think.      Some of us may need some work on our wing shooting skills?!?!   

Here is another photo of a well dressed and accoutered bobcat hunter:



Jim

[HaMeR]

Stu-- We did have a good time. Wish you coulda been there.    Snow is good for seeing incoming bogeys but the way it played out on us was temps in the low 40's during the day causing the snow to melt & get slushy then they would drop to the teens overnight & refreeze everything making a silent approach impossible. It was tough hunting for sure & we ended up hunting the ridges early in the day where the sun was hitting 1st.

I tell ya, if you got any quit in ya at all you will not be a coyote hunter in West Virginia.  That's what makes hunting with Jason & Jim so enjoyable. I have a whole new respect for those fellas. They've killed 4 W Va coyotes in their 1st 11 months to date. 

[cathryn]

whered ya'll go?
Im from Jackson County.

I didnt catch any this year but i did see 2 , both at night near a lake close by.  I caught 2 last year in #11s set for coon and it was quite an experience. 

[HaMeR]

Wirt & Ritchie Counties. Hughes R WMA & some other places off of 47. I really can't divulge too much info or they'll make me missing.   

We spent a lot of time on Jim's private ground & I don't honestly know where it's at.     I know it has steep hills on it tho. 

[cathryn]

LOL, dont worry i been through the windy roads of Ritchie county a coupole times and i got no desire to go back..  so i aint gonna come encroach on their territory.

[HaMeR]

   You're smarter than me then!!  Well that don't say much.    I plan on going back & hunting with them fellas again next year.   

I honestly don't know where some of that land is. Jim had me waking up every AM @ 4:30 & wouldn't let me get back to the hotel til after 9!! He's a good guy to hunt with for sure. Heck,, he didn't even mind my stopping to look at the scenery now & again.  Next time thru we'll holler at ya!!

[possumal]

Good story and great pictures.  It is obvious you had a great time, which is the most important part.  You'll smack a big kitty next year, sure as can be.  It might be a good idea to do all the tree shooting before you go though. 

[HaMeR]

Thanks Al!! I hope I can connect next time. And those trees,,, it was in the middle of a clearcut.