Byron South seminar

[Frogman]

     Wv_yoter and I attended the Byron South seminar at Sportsman's Warehouse in Pittsburgh today.  This was my first such seminar so I don't have anything to compare it to.  In my opinion it was an excellent seminar.  About 75 people were present.  The seminar was sponsored by Sportsman's Warehouse and Foxpro and was free.   Also present at the seminar was Mike Dillon of Foxpro.  The seminar was scheduled for two hours, but Byron and Mike were very gracious and stayed over for about 45 minutes to answer further questions and talk.
     Byron used a PowerPoint presentation to guide his seminar.  He suggested that if anyone had questions that we should ask them at any point during the seminar.  He had several video clips to illustrate points.  I think the big crowd exceeded Sportsman's Warehouse expectations as there were not enough chairs for everyone and lots of people had to remain standing through the seminar.
     Following are some of the salient points as I remember them.
     Byron explained that he is from East Texas which has terrain and plant cover very similar to areas East of the Mississippi.  His video "Hunting in the Thick Stuff" was shot in this part of Texas.  Not as many coyotes as we might imagine.
     Know your hunting area.   Hunt places where there are coyotes.  Don't waste your time in areas where you aren't sure there are coyotes.   Scout.  Talk to landowners, etc.
      Know your gear.  Be sure you can put down the fur when you do get one in.  Don't just practice shooting from the bench.  Practice from the sticks.  Be able to shoot quickly.
      Setup.    What you do before you begin calling is much more important than what you do after beginning to call.  Slip into your stand location quietly.  Keep movement to a minimum.  Wind.  Byron used the analogy of a pie to explain using the wind to your advantage.  Think of yourself in the middle of the pie.  Downwind of you is a slice of the pie making up about 20 percent of the pie.  Be sure you keep that slice of the pie toward the area you least expect the coyote to come in.  Be aware of thermals.  Scent settles into valleys early in the morning and rises as the day warms up.  Try to setup with the sun behind you.  Try to stay elevated.  Byron suggests stands of 15 to 20 minutes.  Probably 85% of coyotes will respond in that time frame.
      Cover scents and misting.  Byron hasn't used either for the past 15 years.  The coyotes sense of smell is so acute that he feels cover scents and misting aren't much help.  Use the wind!  However if cover scents and misting gives you confidence then by all means try it. 
       Calling.    Byron prefers to use prey distress sounds early in his stands.  If nothing responds you haven't lost anything.  You haven't scared anything away.  Later in the stand he goes to a few lonesome howls.  He usually finishes with KiYis.  He suggested using several different sounds.  Try to find the one that hits their hot button.  These sequences aren't set in stone.  He may vary the sequence depending on the circumstances.  On hard to call dogs he suggested doing some lonesome howls, some assembly barks and howls, then shut up for quite a while.   He suggested running the e-caller continuously as opposed to 2 to 3 minute breaks in between sequences.  He feels this will keep responding dogs coming.  Doesn't want to give them time to think about the situation too much.  Byron feels that coyotes may respond to prey distress sounds even if they are not hungry.
     Foxpro features.  Byron spent a little time covering the features of the FoxPro e-callers.  If you are still reading this you probably already know this information, I won't repeat it here.    The FoxPro guys did have a new Grey Fox sound that we listened to.  We also got to see the new Scorpion call.  FoxPro raffled of a Jack in the Box decoy and passed out ball caps to the first 50 to grab them.  They also had 10% off coupons valid at Sportsman's Warehouse til Jan. 31.
      I was impressed by this seminar and hope I have summarized it accurately.  My memory isn't so great sometimes.  I hope wv_yoter will jump in here and contribute his take on the seminar.  Others in attendance should also feel free to chime in.

Jim   
     

[wv_yoter]

Jim, I think you summed it up pretty good. It was very well done and the guys from FoxPro were very helpful, answering questions for at least forty five minutes after the seminar was over.There seemed to be several guys from PPHA there also.

[LBLDOG]

Im jealous, sounds like you had a awesome time! I wish I could have went to that. I have a BASS PRO but its 2 hours away.

[CCP]

Byron explained that he is from East Texas which has terrain and plant cover very similar to areas East of the Mississippi.  His video "Hunting in the Thick Stuff" was shot in this part of Texas.  Not as many coyotes as we might imagine.

BS. There have been coyotes in east Texas since the beginning of time. There have not been coyotes  east of the Mississippi until recent years. Also East Texas don't look like nothing compared to the East USA. How many Mountains are in East Texas???

Don't believe me ask a real Biologist that studies coyotes and ask are there more coyotes in east Texas or East of the Mississippi.

Byron took the opportunity to cash in on the new Eastern hunter. In the video hunting the thick stuff he continually said HERE IN THE EAST trying to give the impression he was in the EAST yeah east Texas. It would be like me being here in North East Alabama and keep saying "Here in the North east Bla Bla Bla.

He took the same coyotes he has been calling in for years in the wide open and said hey lets go down to them there woods and call them to show the easterners how to call. You see not quiet the same concept when many of us have a low population and only woods to hunt in.

Now under the Know your hunting area, Know your gear, Setup, Cover scents and misting, and  Calling I have not seen one thing you could not get from right here or any other coyote forum.

I did noticed the people that talk him up as being so good are the ones that know so little. This is not a personal attack on you as an individual. It just grips the ass of guys that have put in there time and have worked so hard here in the real east. "That is EAST of the Mississippi to have someone come in and try and tell us how it is here.

Think about it he makes a living coyote hunting? He travels all around the country coyote hunting? Why the hell wouldn't he have filmed his Hunting the thick stuff here in the real East instead of every other sentence saying here in the east when actually he was in east TEXAS.

Do a search on PM for his Hunting the thick stuff and also think about the other people at the seiner and think of how many are good competent coyote hunters that reply to him.

I was alright with Byron and his video's when he was hunting coyotes when he started hunting eastern coyote hunters to make a buck I started not liking him so much. When you become a successful Eastern coyote hunter you will better understand what I am saying.

[THO Game Calls]

And that my friends, is the God's Honest Truth.

Al

[Jrbhunter]

Im jealous, sounds like you had a awesome time! I wish I could have went to that. I have a BASS PRO but its 2 hours away.

Which one is that LBL?

[Bopeye]

Big Kudos to my little buddy CCP. Byron South would be hard pressed to find a coyote turd in my neck of the woods, much less a coyote. However, he's always welcome to come and show this dumb, ignorant hillbilly how to hunt my home turf...........

[ErictheRed]

I did noticed the people that talk him up as being so good are the ones that know so little. This is not a personal attack on you as an individual. It just grips the ass of guys that have put in there time and have worked so hard here in the real east.

I don't post much, but I would find it hard to take it any other way.

[weedwalker]

 Richard, you nailed it. 

[Jimmie in Ky]

Eric, it is not an attack on you or anyone else that has recently joined the sport. Please don't take it that way. It's just that some of us met Byron on the net many years ago about th time he started making videos. Byron is pretty danged sharp when it comes to marketing his work. It's the ethics we question. At the time of the videos release it was touted as being done in the east as in east of the Mississippi. We still remember that and it still gets our dander up.

There was another fellow , not quite as sharp, tried the same stunt a year or so ago. He was not as lucky as Byron.

When you see such videos advertised ask where they were done if you can. What types of terrain might be in them. With Keekee's and Rich's videos you are likley to see something you can relate to. Hills hollows and flatland are all represented in them . A variety of pastures,  crop fields and hill country are all there. I don't yet know how much detail on setup Rich is going to get into, but I am sure you are likely to see something you can relate too. I can find ground here that looks like east Texas if I look hard enough. Thing is there is a larger variety of terrain types and other problems we have to deal with . Jimmie

[bigben]

this is not a attack on anyone but this same debate is going on in a pa hunting forums and two guys I consider great coyote hunters said the same thing.  coincidence? 

here is a linky then to the other debate

http://www.huntingpa.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=477762#Post477762

[George Ackley]

Frog,
there was things Byron tryed to pull off that i didn't like but, after it was brought to his atention it was worked out.
Byron put's on a really good seminar , there are many tactics he talks about and many thing he said that make sense for hunting eastern coyote ((take from his presentation and apply it)) to your neck of the woods that's all you can do pal, he put on a free seminar for guy's that are new to the game FREE being the key word. every body has a different opinion on hunting technic. get out there try what you learned and as time go's on integrate what you know , what you learn and what you going to learn to hunting your area .I for one Believe Mr. South to be a strait  shooter , a good guy and a he11 of a hunter. just like most of the guy you meet on the net, there  have been things i didn't like that he done to make a buck but i still see him as a good guy and alway have

George

[George Ackley]

 Jimmiein ky

Wow,, things change A

I don't remember these feeling you have NOW about Byron and his sale tactics being brought up in a  9 page thread we had on another sight that you chimd in on 

well like coyote hunting , i guess things change with every set up 

[wv_yoter]

Richard , you didn't offend me. I am new to coyote hunting, so I had no idea about what happened on PM when Byron was releasing his video.

[HaMeR]

I went to see Byron 2 years ago. Not only was he a good speaker but he took all the time necessary to answer any question you had until you understood. Then he moved on. He's a very good salesman & from the one video I've seen a purdy good shot. I think what impressed me the most wasn't his eagerness to make a buck for selling videos but rather his passion for passing along the info that he does to try to make everybody a better coyote hunter. That may go along with the "very good salesman" comment I don't know. I haven't been around him much to judge his character. But I do think he wants us all to be better predator hunters.

As far as East coyotes VS West coyotes,,    ,, I guess you just gotta find where they are & feed em what they're hungry for while learning to be patient & practicing your setups & shooting skills. I know that sounds all too easy but thats just the way I take it from fellas that shoot quite a few every year.

[George Ackley]

WELL SAID

[Silencer]

Filming in PA... interesting.  Wonder how many they got on tape.

[FinsnFur]

this is not a attack on anyone but this same debate is going on in a pa hunting forums and two guys I consider great coyote hunters said the same thing.  coincidence? 

here is a linky then to the other debate

http://www.huntingpa.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=477762#Post477762

That's funny Bigben  :roflmao:
Not surprising, but funny.

Byron's a good shot....that's all I'll give him. I've known Byron long before his first video ever came out, and I dont have the time of day for him.

[Bopeye]

I guaran dang tee ya.........I don't think not one damn person I know of is an expert at coyote hunting. PERIOD!!!
To include the GREAT ONE HIMSELF.............

[keekee]

I guaran dang tee ya.........I don't think not one damn person I know of is an expert at coyote hunting. PERIOD!!!

I could not agree more Bop!


But there are several out there that are walking books of knowledge on Coyotes.


Brent