Calling in DEEEEP snow

[FinsnFur]

I just watched Foxpros Fast and Furious where they were calling coyotes in two to three feet of snow. Man it was really cool.

Yeah maybe when pigs fly.


I always thought the coyotes yarded up in really really deep snow, like deer did, but I wonder if they actually do. My old ass could never get through it either to find out.

[Okanagan]

I haven't seen the video but have watched coyotes in DEEP powder, as in four to five feet and deeper.  I never tried to call any in that kind of snow, but in certain places and conditions I think it would be extra easy.

In the deep stuff, the coyotes I saw would travel by jumping up and ahead, plunging out of sight into the deep stuff, and then lunging up and forward again like a fish in a series of leaps above the surface.  It must have been exhausting, and they travelled from one area of lesser snow to another.  It looked to me like they would have a hard time catching prey.

  Both coyotes and ungulates gathered on plowed highways, plowed railroad tracks, etc. and did everything they could to avoid jumping off into the deep snow.  I think they would be hungry and easy to call along railroad tracks in such conditions.  Those were unusual conditions and if they lasted very long or every winter, it would almost exterminate the animals in that area, or they would migrate to better winter grounds.

As soon as the snow stiffens or compacts a bit, coyotes will run on top of it, changing the advantage to them in catching deer.

Another example:  a bobcat crossed a highway not far ahead of me during a time of powder snow about 2 1/2 feet deep.  The cat did fine on the plowed road, but off the road it floundered in powder snow deeper than it was tall.  There was no traffic and I pulled over beside it.  It would lunge through the snow like a swimmer in water just over his head might do, bouncing off of the bottom.  Sometimes it could get no traction and literally swam in the soft snow, churning slowly ahead.  Then it would get a foot on a stub of wood or something down in there and suddenly lunge ahead.  When it got under trees off of the right of way, the snow was shallow enough for it to walk.  It stopped and looked at me while it rested and panted a bit, then walked off up through the timber.  Fun to watch.





 

[FinsnFur]

You have an interestingly clarifying way with words, you know that Okanagan? 
I've never seen that in real life, but I have seen exactly what you described, on different shows.

By the way...there is no video, that was a pun

[canine]

I know I about killed a friend of mine a couple years ago, had him out calling in 2 to 3 foot of snow. He was complainin alot of shortness of breath so he wanted to call it a day at noon or so. The next day his sister called me and said that next morning he had a massive heart attack...The lucky part to this is while in the hospital for his heart attack they discovered a massive sized anurism on a blood vessel behind his stomach. So now I tell him when he jokes with me about tryin to kill him that I actually saved his life!!

To the topic...I have called coyotes in deep snow, if 1 to 2 ft. is deep, I called a female in a couple years ago that every other step she'd bust through and chin dive right into the snow. She finally made it to a tree in the field I was calling and nestled up against it, sat down and just looked my way. She had enough of that torture, so I shot her right there!

The worst part about deep snow is finding a place to park the truck....
JD

[Okanagan]

You have an interestingly clarifying way with words, you know that Okanagan? 
I've never seen that in real life, but I have seen exactly what you described, on different shows.

By the way...there is no video, that was a pun

Jim, thank you for the compliment.  Clarity is the best comment a writer can get, IMO. 

As to my naivety, well that's accurate as well.  I thought there was something odd about the video line! 

[FinsnFur]

I slipped out Tuesday this week, and I can't believe how much snow is actually out there.
I found my self waist deep many times and to my thighs the rest of the way.
I was drenched by the time I got to my stand, knowing full well there wasnt going to be anything alive within hearing range with all that snow.

I tried to take a pic, but with no where to set the camera, holding it up and pointing back at me made it look like something from Apollo 11