How's everyone doing with Coyotes? - Page 7

HunterDave · #**181** 01-13-2017, 11:45 PM

Took advantage of the milder weather today to hang snares. I didn't have a lot left out there. Boy, after that storm the Yotes sure were moving. I had no problem whatsoever setting on sign.....lol. More snares going up tomorrow. Round two......exciting times!

HunterDave · #**182** 01-15-2017, 07:16 PM

Caught two rat tails today. The super moon must have burnt the the fur right off!

It looks like the rest of the fur is okay but I'll have to thaw them to have a better look.

shakeyleg02 · #**183** 01-15-2017, 08:03 PM

Good job dave ...

Brecoop · #**184** 01-15-2017, 10:03 PM

Somewhat new to calling coyotes tried today for a few hours with no luck. Didn't even see one. I know they are here I can hear them every night it seems. How long should a guy sit in the same area after calling? Should you move? Any ideas would be helpful.

HunterDave · #**185** 01-15-2017, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brecoop

Somewhat new to calling coyotes tried today for a few hours with no luck. Didn't even see one. I know they are here I can hear them every night it seems. How long should a guy sit in the same area after calling? Should you move? Any ideas would be helpful.

Hi Brecoop. You should post this in the Hunting section. There are a lot of hunters there to give you tips.

spot and stock · #**186** 01-15-2017, 10:17 PM

Been a slow week for me. Major weather change down south here -30 to +3 in three days. Fresh bait today so should get it rolling again.

Seem to have done the mange a favor in the area, last bunch have been good again finally. Went through a couple weeks at 75% toss away.

Dave, dont think those two would get inside my shed.

H380 · #**187** 01-16-2017, 04:30 PM

Slow here too now that the weather has warmed. One today but a good one. They had been passing this bait on the river so I threw out a ribcage and a leg bone. They were cleaned up today and she must have left the ice looking for more

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Tfng · #**188** 01-17-2017, 12:05 AM

I got out and did a check tonight. Just three coyotes and two were mangey. Some of my spots were blown in pretty bad and it was a bit of an adventure getting into them. The kids had a great time though they love busting through snow drifts in the truck lol. It's easy to laugh and giggle when you're not the one running the shovel if you get stuck I guess.

HunterDave · #**189** 01-17-2017, 01:46 AM

Crashing through snow drifts with the kids......Awesome! I did a little of that yesterday doing my checks. I love those new DuraTraks!

Shed day/night for me so no checks. Checks and hanging snares at two new baitsites tomorrow and then more shed time. 21 dogs to skin. So glad that you guys told me to freeze the pelts and do them later, it took a lot of pressure off. I wasn't thinking and was way too busy for a supposedly retired guy.....lol.

I had a little mishap yesterday that didn't concern me too much but it does a bit today. I fell in a dead pit and scratched the back of my wrist up on the bare ribs of a cow that were sharp from coyotes chewing on them. When I got home I scrubbed it up with hydrogen peroxide but it's festering up and looks a little weird. De-scabbed and scrubbed it again tonight but no bubbling from the H2O2. Maybe just inflammation? I had a tetanus shot last year but I'm wondering what kind of weird disease I could contract. I'll see what it looks like tomorrow I guess.

spot and stock · #**190** 01-18-2017, 09:19 AM

No good Dave!! Coyotes seem to be on the move again in my country. 4 in the last 2 days 2 really good, one rubbed and one mangy sucker. Finally had to try a fence line set and it worked like a charm. I've always avoided them in the past but may have to take a closer look in the future where there are no deer.

Seen all end of the mange spectrum this year from damn near naked to a polished nut sack. Currently at 25%.

HunterDave · #**191** 01-18-2017, 01:49 PM

Awesome shed, S&S!

I know a couple of guys that have pulled their snares because they figure that all the yotes will get rubbed when this soft snow freezes again. I'm taking a different approach and taking advantage of this mild weather to start new bait sites and hanging more snares. Quality will start to deteriorate, no doubt about that, but I don't think that a $150 coyote will go to a $30 dog over night. I'll keep hammering away until the quality deteriorates to the point that it's no longer worthwhile, maybe keep going if I'm taking out a lot of mange/mite dogs. Last year with El Nino it was worthwhile for me to go right to the end of February.

spot and stock · #**192** 01-18-2017, 02:24 PM

You bet I'm going to keep trying to hammer the mange this year. Drastic weather change is shown in my pictures. The fence line coyote and the other two were caught 24hrs apart and only about 15km. 10" of snow gone except the drifts in less than 24hrs. Any snow my dogs have to rub on is gone lol.

HunterDave · #**193** 01-18-2017, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spot and stock

Dave, dont think those two would get inside my shed.

You'd turf them because of some mange on the tail? The tail doesn't matter so you can cut it right off. If you are throwing those ones out you're throwing away money. They ended up being okay and I skinned them tonight. A wash and some Borax to the red belly and I should get decent coin for them at auction.

Here are pictures right after combing:

Rat Tail. Other than the tail the elbows were bare. Some red belly.

Second coyote with the start of mange on the tail. Some red belly but that was it.

H380 · #**194** 01-18-2017, 10:55 PM

So if if goes to auction minus the tail is it gonna be graded as damaged?

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

PCP_ECOM · #**195** 01-18-2017, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H380

So if if goes to auction minus the tail is it gonna be graded as damaged?

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

no it will not, and from ears up doesn't effect either unless whole head missing

HunterDave · #**196** 01-19-2017, 12:23 AM

From the back of the ears to the base of the tail is what's graded. I tracked the grades of my Yotes last year and damaged heads and missing tails never effected the grades at all. If it's salvageable I'll try but I won't waste my time polishing a turd.

H380 · #**197** 01-19-2017, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

From the back of the ears to the base of the tail is what's graded. I tracked the grades of my Yotes last year and damaged heads and missing tails never effected the grades at all. If it's salvageable I'll try but I won't waste my time polishing a turd.

Polishing a turd .. good way to put it ..lol. I'll be done here by end of Jan . last 2 had a touch of rub and from what happened in last years NAFA sale where they said similar dogs were rubbed I wont waste any more that look like that .

HunterDave · #**198** 01-19-2017, 03:36 PM

To be honest I'm not 100% certain what is meant by the term "Rubbed".

Is that where the guard hair is pulled out when a coyote lays in the snow and the guard hairs freeze into it and gets pulled out? I know how the quality of the fur deteriorates towards the end of the season with the under fur thinning and eventually the guard hairs start to break making them shorter. Last year I had two late season coyotes that looked "woolly" that graded Semi. I'm guessing that they were rubbed? Anyone have a picture for an example of what rubbed looks like?

I'm going to keep hammering away until I think that the fur is too bad to continue. It also helps to manage the populations and taking out the mange dogs helps to improve the quality for next year. I start later in the season to catch prime coyotes, that I can control. I can't control the quality of the late season dogs but I think that it would be comparable to XLY and ELY dogs in October. I'm okay with $50 - $70 late season coyotes if that's all there is to catch. No good for bragging rights for a high average but I'm more concerned with the bottom line.

To me it sounds early to be talking about rubbed coyotes but Trappers know their own areas. Happy trapping!

HunterDave · #**199** 01-20-2017, 12:31 AM

Shed was getting crowded so I took a load of fur in. Time to fill it back up. It's a full house tonight.

H380 · #**200** 01-20-2017, 07:58 AM

Rubbed to me is when the guard hairs on rump and flank are gone and only gray woolly under hair remains , happens pretty well each year at this time when the dogs pair up and start mating . The ones Ive had arent really that bad yet but are on their way . Also saw my first gopher of the year yesterday , a sure sign that the coyote season end is close at hand ..

Those semis you had last year , what did they pay ? Were they some of the mysterious $38 ones when the sale went all to pieces ?

HunterDave · #**201** 01-20-2017, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H380

Were they some of the mysterious $38 ones when the sale went all to pieces ?

No, but I know which ones you mean. Those ones were graded Western Heavy and in that section of the auction (I had several in that string). The two that I had graded Semi and were on a different auction page under "Semi". I have caught a few like them in previous years, even at the beginning of January, where the short guard hair causes the underfur to become more exposed making them look wooly. I suppose that the next step would be matting. They were big, old adult male dogs with a thick, heavy hide that sounded like cardboard when you gave them a snap after drying as opposed to the wax paper sound that I like to hear. I have pictures of them and I'll post them up when I find them. Photobucket is messing with my computer and freezing my browser though.

These didn't sell at auction but were later sold under private treaty. Obviously, someone thought there was value in them and there is a market for them.

435407 XL-LGE I-II DK 3-4 18.00 23.82 23.82

547076 XL-LGE II DBR 1-4 40.00 52.94 52.94

The bottom line is $76.76 CDN or a two coyote average of $38.38. I'm okay with putting up fur for $38.38 per hour (approx) but given the value of higher quality coyotes, I wouldn't target them at that price unless that's all that there is to catch (ie end season coyotes).

drake · #**202** 01-20-2017, 01:34 PM

Dave, I mean this with all due respect....if you're willing to target "late season" sub prime coyotes what is your reluctance to target "early season" sub prime coyotes?....

HunterDave · #**203** 01-20-2017, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drake

Dave, I mean this with all due respect....if you're willing to target "late season" sub prime coyotes what is your reluctance to target "early season" sub prime coyotes?....

You don't have to be so polite with me, Drake.

That's a great question, Drake! This has been discussed before and some people took offence so I'm not going to preach that my way is the best, but it certainly works for me. I've been accused of being a hypocrite for my thoughts on this so it's nice to be able to offer an explanation for why I think the way that I do.

First, I don't have a choice with the quality of the fur of late season coyotes but I do with XLY and ELY ones. At any given bait site that I have there is a limited number of coyotes to catch so when it stops producing I start a new bait site and move to target the local pack somewhere else. I've found that the first two weeks are the best at a bait site and when you will catch the most coyotes. After that you catch the transient passing through. I'm talking generally in this area. There are exceptions to that as I currently have a bait site that I started in November that is still producing good numbers.

Typically the coyotes around here prime up on November 15 but this year I had a few caught after November 19 that had some blue to the hide. I could target local packs in October for an average of $70(?) or I can wait until about November 15ish when they are prime and catch the same coyotes that are valued at an average of $120 (?). To me it makes sense to do it that way as it takes less effort/expense and maximizes my profit. Besides, I'm usually busy targeting muskrats in October and pre-baiting with frozen blocks of muskrat carcasses.

I am more concerned with catching quality vs quantity so putting up big numbers of lower quality coyotes doesn't appeal to me much. To be honest, my primary concern is the bottom line as opposed to putting up large numbers. I blame my thinking on my previous career where I was always concerned with doing things in the most efficient and effective way that will produce the best results. I have crunched the numbers for several different scenarios prior to choosing what I think works best for me.

There is a lot more to consider when deciding what is best for you and it's a personal decision to make. What works best in my area may not work in all areas. The amount of land that you have available to trap, the density of the coyote population in the area, amount of bait available to you, the amount of time that you have to invest in trapping and many other things all come into play when deciding what works for you.

IMO, if you have an unlimited amount of area to trap and set up bait sites, along with tons of bait, then early season trapping makes sense to do. I have neither of those things so I have to be more selective in the way that I do things. I think for the average Trapper that has limited access to areas to trap and a limited resource for bait, like me, it is better to concentrate on catching quality coyotes.....but that's just my opinion and what I offer as advice to anyone that asks me.

I don't fault anyone for any way that they decide to do things that they think is best for them and I don't judge anyone for doing things differently from me. For a number of reasons what works for me may not work for someone else. As you know, I will offer suggestions to anyone that I think I could help improve their bottom line and I'm constantly seeking advice from other Trappers to improve mine. When someone PMs me with their opinion and advice I welcome it, in fact I encourage it, and it doesn't offend me in the least.

For anyone reading, I'm still looking for someone who traps early season dogs who'll share what their average is with me. Who knows, maybe it would encourage me to seek more land to trap and target early coyotes? Despite the low cost of muskrat right now it'd be hard for me to give that up simply because I truly enjoy trapping them. Now that I think about it, one early dog per day = $70(?) vs 30 muskrats per day x $5 = $150.

WOW! Long winded or what? I really got on a roll.

HunterDave · #**204** 01-21-2017, 11:09 PM

Update to the two coyotes with the mange tails. The one on the left is the rat tailed one and the fur is thick and very nice. It should bring good money at auction. The one on the right is the one with the tail partially mange. Unfortunately, it's thin at the shoulders and will definitely be downgraded for that.

APAShooter · #**205** 01-23-2017, 11:34 AM

IMG_20170122_163527_171a.jpg

Just when i was thinking it was coming to an end.. picked up 5 of the nicest dogs of the year yesterday!!

HunterDave · #**206** 01-23-2017, 01:06 PM

Congrats! What area did you get them in? They still look very nice just north of Edmonton.

APAShooter · #**207** 01-23-2017, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Congrats! What area did you get them in? They still look very nice just north of Edmonton.

I'm down south, open prairie country... i'm a believer that they are still in good shape till mid Feb for sure, maybe longer if the winter holds.

HunterDave · #**208** 01-23-2017, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by APAShooter

I'm down south, open prairie country... i'm a believer that they are still in good shape till mid Feb for sure, maybe longer if the winter holds.

Thanks, I like to keep tabs on what other guys are seeing. Pretty darned slow last week with the milder temps and my bait was thawed and disappearing fast from the birds. Not a coyote track anywhere! It's cooled off a bit so hopefully things pick up. I'm going to make one last big push to catch prime coyotes before they deteriorate too much. I hope that I'm not doing it too soon because bait is hard to come by at this time of year and when I run out I'll have to go to blind sets. End of season is coming......time to giver!

H380 · #**209** 01-23-2017, 10:14 PM

I think we will be good this year much longer than they did last year APA , kinda hit the skids end of Jan later year . I was gonna pull stakes this Saturday but caught 2 nice ones today that have me rethinking that idea .. maybe next Saturday lol. Bumped one from his bed today and he ran thru a snare ..bonus

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

APAShooter · #**210** 01-24-2017, 08:55 AM

[QUOTE=H380;3451994]I think we will be good this year much longer than they did last year APA , kinda hit the skids end of Jan later year . I was gonna pull stakes this Saturday but caught 2 nice ones today that have me rethinking that idea .. maybe next Saturday lol. Bumped one from his bed today and he ran thru a snare ..bonus

Don't worry my friend... ill keep the coyotes busy... you have all those little bundles of cash that are about to start dropping to worry about!