Lessons learned

[Jimmie in Ky]

Went to the LBL friday and met Semp for a little hunting and scouting trip. After reading a couple fo new post I decided I need to tell the story of the day.

Thursday night into friday morning we had rainy conditions. Rains were heavy during the night and tapering off to light showers by late morning. These conditions set things up for any tracks found to be fresh, and any scats found had to be fresh enough to be held together even with the heavy rains. Heavy rains during the night would wipe out all tracks and any made late would still show but be weathered by the rains. Anything not weathered would have been made after the rains stopped. This kind of tracking conditions show me the direction of travel towards the bedding areas.

We met at noon and went down the trace a ways to a side road that went indirectly to the area I intended to hunt that afternoon. We checked numerous travel lanes in knew about along that road . We found a set of tracks made late in the morning at a powerline heading off to the south east . Only set along that road. Checked several other roads working my way back into the core of this area trying to learn how many groups may be in it. I have not been able to get a decent idea of how many groups are working that zone and still don't have a good count yet.

Finally found another set of tracks near the area I intended to hunt leading into that place. We then drove around to where I was going to park on another travel lane in there to check it. Here we found at least two sets of tracks made late in the morning going into the heart of what I have always believed to be this groups bedding area. We then moved in and took the other fork from what I normally do when working in there.

First setup was just a couple of hundred yards from the road in a saddle. I had points leading out into  the brushy hollows on either side of the ridgeline. I placed Semp where he would get an easy shot if they came in from the west hollow or down the ridgeline along th road. Since I had the rifle I took the downwind side of things and setup to call. About ten minutes in I hear a small sound to my far right, looking north .I look that way and see only a patch of color that is not right. This patch of color is totally wrong for a coyote but the size is right. I give a lip squeak since I am not sure of what is down there. It turns out from behind the big whiote oak and takes a few steps my way. Red gold is the best way I can describe the color of this coyote. It has every intention of downwinding us and not giving the shot to Semp who is to my left. When it steps behind a couple of large white oaks I shift my position so that I can get a shot when it clears the brush. This animal is moving very cautiously and taking only a few steps at a time coming up the hill. As I squeak to keep it coming I am looking for a spot to stop it in order to take the shot. It finally apraoches an open area about thirty yards out and will soon be getting my wind. I am using a new round for the mag, previously untried. Its accuracy is unquestonable but I was concerned that the bullet might not be constructed right for the job. It wasn't. I could see where the bullet hit th animal when I fired and it started walking towards me biting at the spot where something had stung it. I should not have been able to see where the bullet entered even at that distance. When I tried for a second shot it saw me and went over the hill. I called for another ten minutes or so and we went to look for it. I got it moving again and put another round in it from the sound. It humped up and kept on going over another hill into a thicket. In a few hundred yards of travel there was only a couple of drops of blood in one spot. Without a blood trail we could not follow along close enough or even find this animal in the trash it entered. I can only hope the second bullet entered deeply enough to finish the job. This bullet is now regulated to squirrel hunting only or target practice. If you hunt with the 22 mag use the heavily constructed winchester 40 grain hollow point. The remington 34 grian rounds were worthless in my opinion. Had I been using my shotgun this would have been a bang flop at this short distance.



We made two more setups in the area that were uneventful. After leaving there we took another road to make some locator howls. Making several stops we located one group that I already knew of, where they should have been. I then took another road to look for another possible group. When I stopped to make another howl the group we had located fifteen minutes before answered again . This is the first time I have had that happen and it gave a better oportunity to to be sure where they were. So I will be attempting this again in the future so that I can better pinpoint the where abouts of groups.

Looked for another group I knew about but no answers or sign of them where I thought they should be. When we went back to the visitors center for Semps truck we heard them as I was working on a map for Semp to use in the future. They had moved for some reason and were not using the old bedding grounds. I think human traffic in the area had caused this but cannot be certain. Also located another bunch near the visitors center to the south of it while standing there.

Lesons learned, they will howl a lot sooner than I had previously believed after howling.We can use this to better locate good areas. All the testing we can do at home doesn't tell us a thing until we get a product in the field for use, an extrememly accurate round may still be worthless.From what I saw not even a head shot would work with this round, it is just too lightly constructed, instead of breaking the rib it turned and exited. Territories in the north end of the LBL are much larger than in other portions farther south, why is a question for a later date,they are also feeding more on the deer herd than other groups. Populations are averaging about four animals to the group that I have heard. Pup crop came up short again this year for sure.

Had a good day out there with Semp and look forward to meeting him once again. Jimmie

[FinsnFur]

Nice breakdown Jimmie....sounds like you was busy 

Hey are you locating them during the day, and getting answers regularly?.....seems odd, we rarely get replies during the day here

[Jimmie in Ky]

I try to begin locating right at sunset if I can. I always use that first hour of darkness to find them. Any later than that and I believe they may be too far from bedding areas to do me a lot of good. When we left the last setup the sun was already behind the horizon. We got to Semp's truck about 6:30 pm.  This was when I heard the last two groups howl on their own. Any time I hear a group howl I mark it on a map for later checking when I have good light. This helps me cut down on ground work.

Under cloudy and still conditions these animals will react to a howler during the day. A lot of times you can just get out of the truck and hear them diong their thing without prompting them. But that doesn't happen too often. I have only been there when the conditions were right for this twice.

Under the tracking conditions we had anything made late morning was the only thing we were going to see. Nothing else would have showed up because it would have been washed out by the rain. This was a big help. It showed me that the areas I thought were correct, were. Tracks pointed right at them. That first set I found showed me a direction to look in for that group since I have not been able to locate them previously with the howler. Good reason for that since they are closer to the trace than I had thought.

If you notice from the post I have made about the LBL I am picking my trips according to the weather patterns. By using them to wipe out sign I get a fresh reading without a lot of useless sign from several days of coyote travel within a territory.Makes it a lot easier when YOU know just how old the sign is when they left it. Jimmie

[FinsnFur]

10 -4...makes sense
A thought you were getting replies while eating lunch at the truck or something 

[KySongDog]

Had another great afternoon with Jimmie at LBL. That first setup was awesome.  We may not have gotten the yote but I sure learned a BUNCH about calling, setup and location. Just as well. I wasn't planning to eat the yote anyways.      :roflmao:

The main thing to me is this....it was FUN! And that's the primary reason I hunt in the first place.  Thanks Jimmie!

Semp

[sdLBLhunter]

I hunted Tuesday and Wednesday before the rain and had a bit of luck finding coyotes....unfortunately I walked up on them and they tucked tail and bolted.  Jimmie, if you wouldn't mind, I would love it if we could meet up some time and you could show me how its done in LBL.  I can read all your posts and learn a lot from them, but first hand experience is second to none. 

Also, I've found that bunch of yotes just south of the north visitors center as well.....I came damn close to hitting one of the suckers a couple weeks ago:)  Ever since I've heard them howling on the west side at night. 

I found a lot of scat in zone 2 that was almost completely white, grey, and brown hair.  I assumed it to be squirrel hair, but reading your post about them feeding heavily on deer, maybe this hair could have been deer.  In this situation would it have been better to use a fawn distress even though its obviously not that season? 

[KySongDog]

Jimmie, if you wouldn't mind, I would love it if we could meet up some time and you could show me how its done in LBL.  I can read all your posts and learn a lot from them, but first hand experience is second to none. 

Whoa there, SD!  I found Jimmie first!     

Just kidding...you won't go wrong with Jimmie showing you around.   

Semp

[sdLBLhunter]

haha, can I just borrow him for a bit if I promise to return him 

[Jimmie in Ky]

The distress sound you use doesn't matter as much as you might think Sd. You could use any sound you wish and it will work. Main thing is to be near enough for them to hear it in those hills. That is the hard part of it, finding the danged things 

Let me see how things are working for this week. After this rain and snow leave out we should have good tracking conditions again and we can try and find that powerline group or work on some of those you have been trying to find in zone two. Two is a tough nut to crack anyway. Jimmie

[sdLBLhunter]

Hey Semp.....I'm going back on my promise to give Jimmie back to you....sorry....

[KySongDog]

Hey SD

I told ya you wouldn't go wrong with Jimmie.  How about we rassle for him.   I'm an old fart so ya shouldn't have too much trouble.       :roflmao:

Semp

[sdLBLhunter]

haha, well, maybe we can talk him into doing a 3 man hunt....heck, as things are going right  now, these large party hunts seem to be doing well 

[Bopeye]

these large party hunts seem to be doing well 

Easy dude...........don't say "party" too loud around a bunch of us rednecks. Next thing you know we'll be........uh.........well you know what could happen.....