First chuck with my Henry 17HMR

Nailed my first chuck with my Henry 17HMR. One shot with iron sights at about 40 yards. See the video, photos and story on the 2008 Hunting page.

Congratulations, and thank you for sharing. Hope all is well. We are in final stages of moving our factory to Bayonne New Jersey.

Anthony Imperato, President
Henry Repeating Arms, Co.
110 8th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215

7/17/2008 UPDATE

I just received another email from Anthony Imperato. He said that Henry Repeating is moving into a 109,000sf facility on 3 acres on the Bayonne waterfront and they expect to be in by Oct 1st. It's great to hear that the business is growing and I wish them luck in their new facility.

This year's squirrel hunting season started out at a crawl at best, but I'm pleased to say that it's turned into a lot of fun this month. I recently started saving tails to attract coyotes when that hunt begins in January. The plan is to attach a few to a stick which will be planted in the ground and doused with CoyoteBomb. I'm sure my wife will be happy when the tails are gone, though I plan to grow the collection a bit more over the next few weeks.

Two more in the freezer

Ya, I know. Wednesday was supposed to be my last hunt of 2007, but I couldn't resist squeezing another one in today. It was just perfect out and there was no one else hunting the area. The temperature has gone up to 47F and it was sunny!!! There was a beautiful fog on the ground at 9am. How could I resist, being my last day of vacation for the year. Most of the snow was gone and the leaf-covered ground was wet and soft so I was able to walk almost silently. Toes down first, then the heal. Stop every 5 steps or so in areas that have good potential. Listen and look, then take a few more steps and repeat, staying as quiet as possible.

Within a few minutes I spotted my first squirrel. Like Wednesday and in the same area, it was running from the ground to the tree. This time I wasn't going to let it go. It paused for a second at the base of the tree and I nailed it with the 17. It was still moving a bit on the ground so I shot it again. No more waiting for them to die. I've lost 3 this year by not shooting them when they hit the ground, which allowed them to crawl into the heavy brush wounded. Now I make sure they're dead before I even reach them. These 17HMR CCI Game Points do one heck of a lot of damage. The bullet is smaller than a 22, but it really makes a major hole. That was one in the bag.

I didn't see another for about 30 minutes, until a squirrel began barking at me from a tree, running from branch to branch. It's very rare in this area to come across a squirrel that barks. Most just run and disappear. This one ended up running into a hole, so I took a seat and waited. After a half hour, I reluctantly gave up. I've found that there's a window of opportunity in this area between 9am and noon. After that everything goes quiet. It was already 10:30 so I couldn't waste any more time on this one, though I hated to throw in the towel. I'll leave him for next time.

As I approached the hot area I discovered last time out, I saw 4 squirrels at a distance run across an open area one after another and climb into a tree!! Around here, once in a tree they never come out. I had a shot at the last squirrel when it hesitated for a moment at the base of the trunk. It was a long shot without a scope, but I hit it and rolled it backwards. It was a head shot and I managed to blow its face off, which is good for the meat but not for photos (which is why I hid its face in the photo). It was quite nasty.

Minutes later I saw 3 more do something similar, but they were way too far out. In both cases I waited for about 20 minutes before moving on. Man is that frustrating. On the way back, I found a stump of a huge tree that must have been cut down years ago. It was 4-5 feet in diameter and made a perfect butcher block. I used the opportunity to rest a bit and carve up my game.

Here's a few tips: Carry a bunch of those thin plastic gloves that you can buy at CVS. They keep your hands from getting covered with blood in the field. Carry a pair of pliers. They really help when pulling the fur away from the flesh, especially if you wait a few hours before gutting them. They also make it easier to break the paw bones. Don't forget to bring some large freezer bags. Cut off the tail, put it in a clean bag and save them for coyote hunting decoys. Put the meat in another with a handful of snow to keep the meat fresh. Remember to pack everything out. Throw the gloves in the bag with the meat, but leave the remains for the animals to feed on.

That's it for now. Hmmm. If the weather holds, maybe I can go out again tomorrow...

If you’ve been following this blog, you know this is the first year that I’ve squirrel hunted since I was a kid. I’ve learned a few things from personal experience since September that I’d like to share with you:

• If it’s been cold and you get a few hours were the sun comes out and it warms up, that’s the time to hunt.
• Don’t bother hunting before 9:00 am. The squirrels are still in bed.
• Keep your eyes pealed at a distance. They will often sense your presence 50 yards or more away.
• Look for trees dropping nuts and little holes in the ground where they have been digging.
• Gut your squirrels soon after bagging them. They are much easier to skin. Bring a sharp knife and a pair of pliers to brake the bones so the paws are easier to remove.
• If you don’t see nests, don’t be discouraged. They are likely living in old trees.
• Carry freezer bags. You can carry your gutted game and protect your cell phone and camera should you get caught in the rain.
• Put a few stones in your pocket when you leave the parking lot (read below).
  

My buddy Rob reminded me to throw a stone on the back side of the tree to get the squirrel to turn. The problem has been that every time I get in that situation, I can't find anything to throw within easy reach. Next time I'm going out with a few stones in my pocket.
That’s it for now from Gutpile Bob :)

Final 2007 Post and Squirrel Recipes

If I end up not hunting tomorrow, this will be the last post of 2007. Coyote hunting with Arne begins in early 2008, so look for the '2008 17HMR Hunting' button to check in on my 2008 hunts. I will continue to squirrel hunt as well until the season ends in late February, so check the 2008 page for new stories.

SQUIRREL RECIPES

If you search the Internet, the number of squirrel recipe sights seems endless. Here's a quick list to get you started. The number after the name is the number of recipes I counted on their page. Write me if you find one that you really enjoy.

• Food Down Under (56)
• Squirrel Recipes (30+)
• Cooking w/ SusieQ (4)
• Jerry's Bait and Tackle (12)
• Mike West's Squirrel Stuff (40+)

Here's one that Rob Becher just sent in:

"You may want to cook them like rabbits. Thaw & quarter them. Try a can of cream of mushroom or chicken soup mixed with 1/2 can water & pour over the top & bake."

A quick Christmas Eve hunt

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY HUNTS WITH THE 10/22

My wife wanted me to stay home this morning and help clean up the house for Christmas tomorrow. I told her that since it rained yesterday and warmed up into the low 40s this morning, I just wanted to hit the woods for a couple of hours. I made it to the parking lot by 9am, were there were only 2 SUVs. One guy was leaving as I pulled in and wished me a Merry Christmas and left. A lot of the snow had melted, so the fields were a swampy mess. I did a quick walk through my usual area and saw nothing. Instead of turning around where I usually do, I kept walking a bit further and what do you know; I spotted what appeared to be a small squirrel in a dense clump of trees about 100 yards away. It caught sight of me and ran from the front to the back side of the tree. I knew that if I took my eye off that tree, I'd be unable to distinguish it from those around it when I got into range. I got about 30 yards away and hid behind a clump of trees. I looked around the trunk of that tree and those surrounding but saw nothing. I then looked through the branches and somehow spotted something very small at the very top of the tree. It looked like a bird on a branch, but I watched it and it didn't move. That's not normal. I had my Henry 17HMR with iron sights, so this would be a long shot; around 75 yards. I leaned up against a tree, got a bead on it and squeezed off a shot. I saw it move, but it didn't change position, run or fall. I fired again and it rolled over and dropped. What a shot! I wasn't shooting that good at the range! I picked up the squirrel and what I thought was a small one turned out to be the biggest one of the year. I had put 2 bullets through its neck about an inch apart. The first shot must have wounded it and the second did the job.

I decided to open my first Christmas present so I gutted this one in the field. I didn't feel like getting home and struggling to get the fir off. I pulled out my knife and after a bit of cutting, the fir came off like a glove. It was still warm and felt good on my cold fingers (I know that sounds nasty but it's true). I've been carrying freezer bags with me, so the meat went into the bag with a handful of snow. The tail was beautiful so I kept it to use when making my coyote decoy. Remember I said that I hadn't seen a crow in the woods all year? Well all of a sudden there were a half dozen cawing and circling. How the heck did they know I was there? They didn't land so I didn't get a shot, but I'm sure they ate well as soon as I left. Merry Christmas!

"Great shot......You lucky devil. I couldn't get out today at all. The wife had me cleaning and cutting up all kinds of things for our family get together. A friend of mine came by with a black squirrel that he shot for my brother in florida, he's going to have it mounted to go along with his all white albino squirrel he shot down there..... salt & pepper shakers I guess hahahaha....Anyway, congrad's on the hunt." ~Arne Thompson

"Nice gray. Best eating, imho. Mostly fox squirrels here and they can be a bit on the tough side if you get an old one. Believe it or not, there ARE grays in your state! LOL but they don't make it this far south (all of a coupla miles) not sure why unless the fox squirrels don't get along with them. Neck shots are pretty much fatal too. And if you use a shotgun on 'em............oh my. Totally uncalled for. Is for kids or guys that can't shoot. With my Ruger 10/22, I used to take nothing but head shots. Then I put a scope on it. Made it too easy so I took it back off! Grew up hunting them and rabbits. Great early memories. Shot one in a pin oak once. Landed in a small crotch in the tree. Figured I could just shoot him out. He was already very much dead and with about 4 head shots trying to dislodge him he wasn't budging. Climbed that dang tree, knocked him out with a stick. Pin oaks here have lots of little branches that stick out all over the place and did I get scratched up! Aint doing that again. Watch their tail too. If it's a good head shot, the tail, when they fall outta the tree, spins like a helicopter! Not sure why it does that but does it every time. I would take 5 bullets as a challenge. Get 4 squirrels and bring one bullet home! Dad was impressed with that! Hope Christmas was fun and hope you got lots of kewl 'toys'!" ~ Jim Drescher

Jim must have better eyes than I do. At these distances I'm lucky if I can see the squirrel's head.

Nailed one without the scope

It's the first day of my Christmas vacation (I'm taking all next week off!), so I thought I'd spend a couple of hours in the woods this morning before finishing my Christmas shopping. A couple weeks ago I removed the scope and laser bore sighted the Henry 17HMR in at the range. I enjoy shooting the Henry much more without the scope. It's lighter and perfectly balanced, and target acquisition is very fast. Today it was right around the freezing mark with a half foot of snow on the ground covered with a sheet of ice. The kind of snow that you crash though with every step. It was very tiring to talk through so I limited my hunt to a couple of hours. This area has been dead the last 4 hunts, but I know there are squirrels around, nesting inside the trees. Today I was lucky to spot one watching me from a hole in the trunk. I was about a 40 yard shot, in a standing position without anything to brace myself against. This had to be a quick shot. I got a bead on its head and fired. I nailed it, but instead of going deeper into the tree, it rolled out and grabbed onto the trunk. I took a second shot and dropped it. There's a sense of real accomplishment when you hit a squirrel with iron sights. I find it amazing how steady I can hold the Henry because it's so beautifully balanced.What a great way to start the holiday weekend...at least for me. Have a very Merry Christmas!

Monday's Hunt

I pulled into the parking lot and right in front of me was a rabbit caught in my headlights. It booked it and that was the last rabbit I saw today. About an hour after I started my hunt, I saw a squirrel and I plugged it with one shot at about 50 yards. After that I saw 5 more squirrels, but they were far away and scrambling through the branches. Even when I tried to wait them out, they didn't return. I think the problem was the abnormal heat. It's October 22 and in the 80's! That's unheard of. I doubt squirrels are gathering nuts for winter when the think it's the middle of summer. I'll try again tomorrow. For you bird hunters, they stocked at 1:00 and a lot of guys were walking to their trucks with birds.

I met two brothers who were bird hunting together. They asked me about my Henry 17HMR, and they seemed really excited about the rifle and that I was squirrel hunting. I told them that most of the guys I came across couldn't figure out why I wasn't hunting birds. These guys were squirrel and coyote hunters. The brother 'Bob' joined the Army the same year I joined the Navy, so we had a lot in common and walked and talked about guns and hunting for about 45 minutes. They used to have a business selling automatic weapons when that was legal. When the laws were changed, they started selling military sniper rifles. It was a very interesting discussion, and that's the kind of thing that really makes hunting fun. It's not just about harvesting animals. It's experiencing nature and the people we meet along the way. I'll be out again tomorrow.

Opening Day 2007

It's October 20th and opening day of hunting season. When I arrived this morning it was still dark, the rain had stopped, it was in the 60's and there were 37 vehicles in the parking lot. As soon as it got light enough to aquire a target, everyone headed into the woods. Some jackass in front fired his shotgun into the air so he could say he took the first shot. Thanks for scarring the small game looser! I've become accustomed to entering the woods silently to hunt coyotes.

While there I had 3 deer sightings before 9am, with a total of 4 deer spotted. One young guy told me that he shot 2 rabbits very early on a path with a 17, so of course I had to check it out. That kid was the only person all day that told me that he got anything. I said 'Hello' to just about everyone I passed and asked them if they had any luck. NO ONE said they got anything! I didn't see a single bird flush even though there were a lot of dogs running around with their bells ringing. One guy said to me, "I wonder if they even stocked? So we spend all of our money on this stuff and we come home with nothing". We both laughed, but he was right. I rarely remember coming home empty handed. I usually came home with at least one pheasant, and a squirrel or rabbit. Today I didn't see a single rabbit, and I spotted my first squirrel at 9:30 and bagged it; 3 1/2 hours into the hunt. As I walked back, a car stopped and a guy with his wife asked me if I had any luck. We started talking and come to find out, this guy hunts coyote at my old spot! He even had a photo of a coyote that he took in his yard. Small world.

"All of a sudden I heard the sound of nails tearing down the back side of the tree that I was leaning against!"

At one spot, I saw 4 squirrels flying around in a clump of trees. I got a quick shot at one, but blew it. I decided to give my feet a break and sit down for 10 minutes or so with my back to a tree to see if they'd return. All of a sudden I heard the sound of nails tearing down the back side of the tree that I was leaning against! It must have been the same squirrel that I took a crack at a few minutes earlier. I was a telephone lineman in the Navy and the sound brought back memories of burning down icy telephone poles. I never saw the squirrel, but at least it was some kind of action. It was now 1:30 and I had been walking 6.5 hours and my feet were killing me. I didn't see anything else on the way back to the parking area, so I decided to call it a day. Quite disappointing. The new Cabela's opened Friday, so I'll check that out with my family tomorrow. I also put in for 3 vacation days next week (Mon. - Wed.) so I could hunt, but that's not looking to promising either. Monday it's supposed to be 80F (Oct 22!!) and the next 2 days they're predicting rain. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Hope you had a better opening day than me!

Shot a coyote this morning

4:00 am
Woke up, cooked a bacon and egg with black coffee breakfast to get my cholesterol and caffeine levels up to normal. Took a shower and hit the road.

5:30 am
Arrived at my destination, hosed myself with bug spray, put on my face netting, hat and ProEars. Grabbed my Henry lever action rifle, threw on my backpack and headed into the woods. Reached my setup point, set up my tiny chair and shooting stick, then walked out into the clearing about 25 yards with my Predator Bomb. I misted the ground with Coyote, Fawn and Fox spray for about 8 seconds each, then headed back to my position. I started calling with my reed call, then switched on my tiny iPod shuffle with the little speaker that I show toward the bottom of this page.

I was all settled in, when all of a sudden I noticed that it was really starting to rain. I couldn’t believe it, but the sky didn’t look bad so I thought it was just a passing shower. Then I said to myself, “Wait a minute” and took off my ProEars. It was silent. What I was hearing were the drops of water from last night’s rain falling from the leaves. Then I took off the ears, it was as if I were deaf! They were so comfortable that I forgot they were on, and I could hear every snap of a twig. It was as if my hearing was amplified 10 times. I could hear everything, and when I took them off, it was as if I could hear nothing. Fantastic. No coyote was going to sneak up behind me with these ears on.

6:30 am
I’m sitting with my rifle on my lap and out of nowhere, a dark gray coyote silently appears in the exact spot that I had misted. It had its nose buried in the grass and had no idea I was there. With tree branches to my left, I couldn’t see it until it was right in front of me, and walking through the grass it was absolutely silent; even with the ProEars. I found that amazing. I received no howl in response to my calls; it was just there. My 17HMR was at half-cock in my lap, and very slowly I pulled the hammer back. Click! The coyote quickly lifted its head with its ears straight up and looked right at me. It was only 25 yards in front of me and the shot was totally clear. The scent confusion that I had read about had this guy so absorbed that he ignored me and went back to smelling the grass. I slowly raised my rifle onto the shooting slick and into my shoulder, put it in the crosshairs, and once again the coyote lifted its head and looked right at me. This time it knew something was up and darted to the right. I squeezed off a round and its rear quarters spun around, but it kept moving like a rocket. I got off 2 more shots; one was a possible hit and the third was just an excuse to shoot. I waited another hour (this time with my rifle positioned on the shooting stick), but nothing else appeared. I could hear a coyote calling faintly in the distance in reply to my calls, but I would have never hear it without the ProEars on. I think these guys had my number and were not about to come around again.

"The scent confusion that I had read about had this guy so absorbed that he ignored me and went back to smelling the grass. "

7:30 am

Packed up and started following the trail of the coyote. I was amazed that it left a very clear path through the grass and brush, and I was able to follow it quite a ways until I came into a maze of paths that could have been created by deer that morning. So that was it, and I headed back to the Jeep.

"Everything felt right and worked well even though I screwed up and let my guard down. If my rifle was ready I would have had an easy head shot and that coyote would be history."

This was a great morning. Everything felt right and worked well even though I screwed up and let my guard down. If my rifle was ready I would have had an easy head shot and that coyote would be history. The ProEars just amazed me, and opened up a new world of sound and awareness. The Predator Bomb worked as advertised and I discovered a new way to draw them out. My new mouth call and tiny iPod Shuffle calls even worked. The coyote looked right at me and didn’t see me, so my camo was hiding me well. And as expected, the Henry shot great. A larger caliber would have taken it down, but state law doesn’t allow it. You really need to hit a vital organ with these small calibers to get a kill when hunting such a hearty predator. If Arne was with me and we both got a bullet into it we would have brought that coyote down. Arne's wife made him go to a wedding and he hates them as much as I do. When he reads this he'll hate them even more.

"Don't hunt the same areas over and over. Two or three times a season per spot is maximum."

Predator Xtreme magazine, August 2007

NOTE: I use camo tape on my GoldenBoy, but let me warn you that it could damage the brass coating around the trigger area. Use it at your own risk.

Hmmmm?

Predator Bomb

I went hunting at 5:30 this morning, but a lightening storm started before I got out of the car. I was disappointed that I never got to try Predator Bomb (see my post on the PRODUCT page), and since it hadn't rained at my house, it was a good time to try this stuff out. I took the FOX scent and misted a bush in my yard. Then I got my Jack Russell, who always goes out first thing in the morning to pee, and let her do her thing. She peed as usual, then started sniffing around as always. All of a sudden... BOYNG! ...Her eyes bulged out and her head turned directly to the bush I had sprayed in a fraction of a second! I never saw her turn so fast and lock onto something. In moments she was all over that bush and rolling around in the grass I had misted. I ended up having to give her a bath at 8am. If the coyotes respond like Sandy did, we are going to have a lot of fun!

"...Jack Russell terriers have about 125 million olfactory receptor cells, compared to humans who have a miserly 5 million..." MORE

Hit 3 spots by 9am

I took a vacation day and got up at 4am to hit the fields again (OK, my wife already called me an idiot). It was supposed to start raining at 9am, so I figured I could get a few hours in before it began. I arrived at the spot where they dum to road kill at 5:30 and watched the spot for an hour. Then traveled a short distance to a beautiful spot with a scenic wide path that runs parallel to and about 40ft above the river (A horse obviously beat me to the spot this morning). The bank to the left of the path climbs about 20ft and gives you a beautiful view left, right, down to and across the river. I found a nice spot and stayed their an hour. I noticed that my calls were bringing birds in. A hummingbird hovered about 9 ft from my face, then hopped from branch to branch in front of me before rocketing off. Then some small, colorful birds did something similar as they watched me and started chirping their heads off. At least I was calling something in. The final spot was adjacent to a cow pasture. This is a beautiful area with open areas so I set up my chair under a tree and went at it. A red squirrel came running down the tree to investigate and got almost close enough to touch before it saw my eyes move and did an abrupt 180. By 9:00 it started to rain, so I stopped at the office where I work to talk to Arne. He thinks that the coyotes are wise to our calls and said we need to go in with only distress calls. I'll give it a shot, but you can't prove by me that there's anything there. But I'm a glutton for punishment so I'll be back.

Hunted a new field today

It's a beautiful Saturday morning, and I headed out at 5:15 am to hunt. Arne had to work, so I went by myself. About a mile from my spot, a pickup gets behind me and as I pulled off the road to park, the pickup stops. Guess who? It's Arne! He's been there since about 5:00 waiting for me because the company decided that he wasn't needed at work this weekend. He shot me an email last night, but I hit the sack at 9:00 since I was planning to get up so early. Well, I missed his email and he thought I was a no-show, but I made it before he headed out without me.

I agreed to follow him to a location about 5 minutes away that I've never been to. We walked the trail and found a place to hunt from. Arne was concerned that the area had become so overgrown since he was last there that it was difficult to see much. We ended up staying for about an hour and then left. We heard nothing but it was an opportunity for me to try out my new Dan Thompson call. Maybe that's why we didn't hear anything ;)

We then drove to the location where I had originally parked and there was clearings at the edge of the field where we set up. The wind was in our face and we were in the shade. This time I didn't use my call, but let Arne use his mouth call followed by his electronic unit. Again we waited it out for about an hour, but there was nothing. Arne had to be in New York today, so he called it quits and I packed up and headed toward another field. There was corn growing 6-7 ft high, so I walked the edge of the field. Deer must have been sleeping in the area because there were fresh, wet holes in the brush. Arne said he saw a half dozen or so deer on the way in, so his day was made before he even started to hunt. He said that he thanked The Lord for letting him see that this morning.

COMPARE THIS WITH THE JULY 7TH POST BELOW

I decided to stay a bit longer and set up in one of the holes. Since I was alone, this was a good time to practice my calling so I broke out my Dan Thompson Red Desert Coyote Howler and went at it. Almost immediately something started howling back in the distance. I kept calling and he kept howling and this went on for about 5 minutes. All of a sudden it stopped and didn't start again. I have a feeling it was a domestic dog and someone clobbered it to make him shut up (or brought him in so he wasn't attacked by a crazy coyote). It was fun anyway to get a response. By 9:00 the temperature has risen above 70F the area was quickly loading up with bugs and bees. I decided it was time to pack up and leave. On the way home I saw 4 tiny turkeys feeding on the side of the road. They were the smallest I'd ever seen, between the size of large doves and small chickens. Seeing things like that make it worth getting out in the morning, even when I strike out hunting. This is one of the risks we take hunting something that's truly wild and not stocked. You really have to work for them.

Hunting the road-kill dump

Arne had to work today, so I went out by myself, leaving at about 4:45 am and getting to my spot at 5:30. This time I first hit the spot where Arne saw the coyote last weekend; the road kill dump. Again there were no signs of carcases. It rained last night and everything was wet. The temperature was between 55 and 60 and all you could hear was the water dripping off the leaves. I borrowed Arne's electronic call and staked out a tree near the spot where the coyote was seen. I laid out the speaker wire about 25 yards ahead of me, set up the little chair and started calling. I could hear plenty of birds and what sounded like a nearby turkey, but no coyotes. I remained there for about an hour. Before I left, I walked up to the speaker to roll up the cord, and when I turned around and looked back at where I was sitting I couldn't see it! I was absolutely amazed at how well the camo worked on the chair and backpack.

Next I backtracked a bit and walked a trail that leads down to a pond. The bullfrogs were croaking up a storm, and I walked the path for about a mile. I couldn't find a good place to set up so I backtracked, and about half way up the hill I found an open area with some large trees and rocks. I set up there and gave out some calls, but again, nothing. I stayed there about half an hour and headed up to my car. It was about 8:30 and already the street was loaded with old people with walking sticks walking along the road and making there way into the woods. It was time to clear out. Discouraging.

I've gotten used to the fact that out of every 10 times out, I may actually see something 2 times.....so 2 out of 10 isn't that bad, thats what keeps me going out.. 6 out of 10 I'll get them to answer me, but ya know what, the other 8 times doesn't mean that they are not there in the bushes watching me, they may have caught my scent and are just out of my view... Anyway, we'll get one soon. ~Arne

Private Land Coyote Hunt with Arne

Today was my first experience with coyote calling. Arne (at left) and I hunted state land early this morning. I woke up at 3:30 and arrived at around 5am. Arne must have been psyched to go because he showed up only a few minutes later.

A couple days ago I started preparing for this hint. I bought a new camo shirt, a shooting stick (which I found to be a necessity due to the Henry's heavy octagon barrel), a roll of camo tape and a 9 oz spray can of Sawyers Premium Clothing Insect Repellent. This stuff is really nasty. If you get it on your skin you have to hose yourself down with running water for 15-20 minutes. You spray your pants, socks and shirt down (take them off first!) outside of your house until they are wet. Then let the clothes dry for at least 4 hours. This stuff is nasty so don’t get in on you or inhale it! It not only repels ticks, it kills them. One treatment lasts for 6 weeks and 6 washings. I bought a special plastic storage box to store the clothes in when they’re in the house. This morning I put the treated clothes on, then sprayed the rest of my body with regular bug spray and I did not get a single bite. That’s a first. Arne used the bug spray alone and said he had gotting eaten.

The first place we walked to was an open field. We noticed a hole under a tree in the bushes that a deer had likely slept the night in. I took that spot and Arne took a seat on a large rock to my left under the tree. I set up a tiny 3 legged folding chair which saved my butt from getting soaked to the skin. I then set up my aluminum shooting stick. Arne had a folding tripod that worked nicely as well.

Arne had 2 methods of calling; a standard reed-type call and an electronic system. The electronic unit had a remote speaker that he set out about 25 yards in front of us. First he made a few loud locater howls, followed by a series of calls which included a pack of coyotes pups and various wounded animals sounds. This was followed by ten minutes or so of silence, then the process was repeated. I heard a coyote in the distance call back, but nothing from our field. In time, we decided to move on, so we drove over to our second spot, the field where they dump the road kill. For some reason there was nothing there, nor any sign that anything had been there for some time. Arne gave a couple mouth calls, and a return call came from the north. We staked out 2 positions; Arne to the west near the top of the hill and I went east to a lower position. After about 10 minutes of waiting, Arne jumped up and said that a dog popped up about 35 years from him, but he didn’t have his Ruger 22 in a ready position, so it turned and disappeared. He said that’s it for this spot, so we headed to a farm just south of us where he had permission to hunt. I met the farmer and he gave me permission to hunt his fields as well. As we began walking into the field, I noticed a series of fresh dog tracks in the mud. Arne said they were coyote, so we walked into the fields, found high ground and set up with our backs to trees about 50 yards apart. The calling sequences began again, but there wasn’t a sign of anything. After about 45 minutes we headed deeper into the woods. There were paths beaten down, but other than that there was nothing around.

"Today was my birthday 07-07-07, which was supposed to be a lucky day, but the only ones lucky were the coyotes."

Today was my birthday 07-07-07, which was supposed to be a lucky day, but the only ones lucky were the coyotes. The weather was perfect; started out in the mid 60’s and was in the mid 70’s when we quit. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the hardest part of the morning was trying to stay awake, having gotten up at 3:30, remaining still in the beautiful surroundings for extended periods of time and being surrounded by dozens of chirping birds. I’m used to walking for miles combing the fields for chucks, so this proved to be a very restful way to hunt. I learned a lot from Arne today about calling techniques as well as setting up, clothing and the rest, so though we didn’t get anything, I found it a productive morning. Thanks Arne for the instruction. The two of us will be hitting up the farm fields after work in the near future. Hope this write-up gives you new coyote hunters some insight into preparation as information regarding what to expect.

Use your iPod to call coyotes

I located a tiny, inexpensive solution for something that can play the mp3 files on Coyote Al's web site. First I loaded the sound files onto my iPod Shuffle (it's that little white thing on top of the speakers, but any MP3 player will do). To get the sound out, I found a really tiny speaker/amp system for $19.99 and runs off one AA battery. It's called:
iSymphony Portable Mini Speaker for all iPod models and other portable devices. Model No. T-SPKR1B. I've seen others brands out as well which you can even pick up at a CVS.
My concern was that it wouldn't be loud enough so the salesman said it could return it if it didn't do the trick. Well, it's so loud that my wife started yelling at me to turn it down and my sleeping dog came to investigate who was at the other end of the house. In my area you don't need to broadcast for very long distances, so I think this will be perfect. I'm sure it won't replace a standard call, but it will be a good addition.

7/4/07 Today I used the combination of a standard reed call, this iPod call and Predator Bomb to call in a coyote. It works!

Caught in a hail storm

Today was the last day of my sister's week-long visit with us, so at noon I took her to the airport, got her on a plane, and later headed out to get a couple hours of hunting in before dusk. It turned humid and the temperature was in the low 70's, which was a switch from the upper 80's with zero humidity that we've had all week (My vacation week!). Arriving at my spot, I put on my gear and walked the path into the forest. Two guys were fishing at the beginning of the trail, but other than that, I was alone.

I walked for about an hour and since it was already 6 pm, I thought I'd better start heading back. I took a short break, did a bit of plinking with my Henry 17 HMR and started the return trip down the hill. Less than half way down I began hearing distant thunder and it was getting dark fast. I stepped up the pace and before I knew it, it was so dark that I was starting to have difficulty seeing. The light rain that had started minutes ago was turning into a downpour. Cracks of lightening were exploding directly overhead and it was really getting creepy. The water level on the path was now about an inch deep and I was soaked to the skin. I suddenly appeared to be surrounded by small white stones. The rain had turned to hail and it was hopping on he ground all around me, quickly getting bigger and really starting to sting.

What immediately came to mind was a trip my wife, sister, brother-in-law and I took years ago to SkyLine Drive in Virginia. The week was a scorcher and it had been around 100 degrees. On our last day, the sky turned very dark and the temperature dropped 40 degrees in a minute. Hail the size of ice-cubes began raining down. My brother-in-law was caught outside the cabin, and we saw him standing on a picnic table under the open umbrella, covering his face so as not to be hit by hundreds of air-born ice-cubes that were bouncing up from the ground.

What if something similar happens today? There was no place to hide, so I picked up the pace, hoping that I could make it to my vehicle before things got really bad. It was a relief when the hail changed back to a torrential downpour. When I reached the tree line at the start of the path, there was a huge crack of lightening directly overhead. I now had to run about 50 yards through a clearing to make it to my Jeep, turning myself into a lightening rod. I figured that in about 10 seconds there would be another strike, so I ran as fast as I could, opened the door and dove in. I attempted to take a few photos for you but my camera had gotten wet and it's now history. Oh well; no coyotes, but one hell of a memory. I'll try to do it again tomorrow.

Rob sent me this today in response to my story...

Bob,

Sounds like a story out of "Out Door Life" This Happend To Me...
You could have spiced it up with something like:

"The hungry coyote that I was hunting was actually tracked me knowing I was lost in the storm..."

I love it! I'll need to do a re-write. Thanks Rob!

New Jersey Game Commission stocking coyotes to reduce toddler over-population

Tuesday, 22 May 2007 2:56PM

MIDDLETOWN, NJ (AP) -- For the second time in as many months, a coyote has attacked a child here. Police and state wildlife officials set traps Tuesday morning, and were looking for the animal. Five-year-old Brayden Gazette and his 8-year-old sister, Sydney, were walking in the street near their home at about 8:30 p.m. Monday when the animal bolted from some nearby woods and bit Brayden on his head. ``He came out so fast I didn't even hear him,'' Sydney Gazette told radio station WCBS in New York. Her screams frightened the animal away. ``I would never let anything happen to my little brother,'' she said Tuesday.
Brayden Gazette suffered injuries to his face and back of his head requiring several stitches, and was released from Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, police Lt. John McGuire said.
Soon after the attack, a coyote was spotted in the same housing development. Police fired a shot and the animal appeared to twitch, but a search found neither a carcass nor a blood trail.
The attack came more than a month after police said a coyote grabbed a toddler who was playing with a young relative in the back yard. Efforts to catch the coyote in the first attack turned up nothing. Both attacks were near Naval Weapons Station Earle. Navy personnel are participating in the search. Residents in that area have reported numerous coyote sightings in recent weeks, and several pets in the area have been killed recently, police said. The township is some 40 miles southwest of New York City.

I sure hope he's reaching for something bigger than a 17 HMR!

Walked the fields today

I had the day off from work today, so I headed up to the river area where I had seen the dead coyote last year. This time I didn't take my rifle, but simply walked with my camera. I don't think I've ever heard such silence (can you hear silence?). When I stopped and listened, there was absolutely no sound. Nothing. Every animal within a couple of miles must have been aware that I was there.

Signs of a coyote problem

I returned to the fields after work Monday. It was in the lower 80's and weather was absolutely perfect. I walked the area from 4:30 till 7:00. In that time I did not see a single woodchuck, squirrel, rabbit...nothing. Saturday I saw 4 deer at this spot but not a single small game animal, nor a trace of one. I hunted this area from the beginning of chuck season last year when there was still snow on the ground, right through the summer. I saw plenty of deer and turkeys, but almost no woodchucks or holes. I am now absolutely convinced that the grounds are completely hunted out by coyote. Chuck season closes after next week for a month while turkey season is open. Over that time I'm going to read up on coyote hunting. I came across this dead one along with some droppings made of fir. I'm guessing that belonged to coyotes as well.

At least these kids are seeing woodchucks

I have no idea where these photos came from or who these kids are, but I would like to take them hunting with me. Oh, and kids, feel free to bring your furry friends along.

First hunt of 2007

My wife says I'm crazy, and maybe she's right. Getting up at 4:15 on the one day a week I get to sleep, the plan was to get to corn fields just when it's light enough to see. Everything was in the car and ready to go before I went to bed. Coffee was going and I took a quick shower. All was on schedule and going well, until I get into my Jeep and realize that I'm almost out of gas and everything is closed. So I ended up doing a lot of coasting in gear, and made it to my spot on vapors. After the 5" of rain we had this week, everything was a swampy mess as I had expected. There were deer and turkey tracks everywhere, and I ended up seeing 4 deer and hearing a turkey close by. No sign of woodchucks though (as if that's unusual for this place). When I arrived at about 5:15 it was 31F. By the time I left at 9am it was 75F. I ended up getting a lot of exercise which I badly need, seeing some wildlife, but not once shooting my 17 Magnum. It's time to look for a new hunting spot or start hunting the predators that are cleaning out the small game. Hmmm. Coyote hunting could be fun.

Next I headed for the range to get in some shoot'n. See the RANGE page for that story. I was asked me why I am wearing blaze orange when it isn't a requirement this time of year. It's to keep from being accidentally shot by kids who shoot 22s in these fields. Since most hunting is out of season, kids think they have the fields to themselves. I think it's a good idea to make yourself known. I have a feeling that a woodchuck is going to hear me before it sees me anyway. When I start hunting coyotes the tactics will change.

My first chuck of the year.

Got'm with Remington 22LR hollow points in my Henry 22LR lever action.

It's my understanding that it's the driest Spring on record. Yesterday must have changed that because it started raining hard Saturday night and didn't let up till today. I've come up empty looking for woodchucks at Roraback over the past month, but I reasoned that if there's anything living in the ground, the water would likely force it out. So right after work I headed for the fields. I pulled into the driveway across the street from the DEP headquarters (the first time I parked there) and started combing the fields around the farm. It was like a swamp and my feet were covered with mud and soaked. The area was filled with fresh turkey and deer tracks, so that was encouraging. They were nice to see, but of course they're out of season. I walked through the 4 fields behind the farm and for the first time there were squirrels. About a half dozen in one field. I backtracked to the farm house and looked closely around the structure because it just seemed like a good place for a woodchuck to hang out. I didn't see anything, and proceeded to comb the two fields to the left of the farm. The gnats were murder and it was like a mud pit. I didn't see anything in either field, but there were lots of tracks there as well. I then left the fields, crossed the street and combed those fields. I was soaked and it was time to go.

I walked down the street toward the farm where my JEEP was parked and unloaded my rifle as I walked. As I neared the JEEP, I looked at the hill next to the farm which was about 100 yds away and there stood a good size chuck looking straight at me. I said, "I don't believe it!" My gun was unloaded, so I slowly reached into my pocket, pulled out a single bullet and hand loaded it directly into the chamber. I slowly closed the action and began walking toward the chuck. It was already on the move, likely toward its' hole, so I moved in quickly. The chuck then dissapeared from sight and I saw a large hole nearby. I moved about 20 yards away and got down on my stomach to wait him out. Not 30 seconds later my cell phone rings!!! It was my wife. I whispered to her that I was right in front of a chuck and I'd have to call her back (Damn! I knew that would happen!). I laid there for about 5 minutes and then I saw him come out. My scope was sighted in at 50 yards, so I decided to use the iron sights instead. I squeezed off one round and it went down. My first kill of the year and I really worked for it. And get this one; Saturday I walked the fields in the rain and I lost my scope's protective covers. While I was walking through one of the fields today, I looked down and there it was! What are the odds of that happening? On the way home 2 deer ran in front of my JEEP and into the woods. I said to myself, "This was an excellent day!". I wish Jamie could have been with me. Maybe next time. Bev was upset when she heard of the woodchuck's passing and said that she'd be holding a funeral service for it.

I'd settle for road kill right about now.

Well, I went to the fields around the DEP building at Roraback and I swear to god that someone fired a neutron bomb on the grounds because there's not a single living mammal to be seen anywhere. After about a half dozen trips this month in which I've walked the fields for about 2 hours each time, I've come across one single squirrel (excluding the 3 deer I stumbled across my first day out and the 4 turkey that crossed in front of my car). That's it for small game One squirrel. Not even a chipmunk! One lousy hole in the ground. I mean there's not even any road kill around. So that's going to be it for a long time at that place. Maybe I'll check back in a month or so, but right now I'm wasting my time and getting blisters on my feet for nothing. If I would stock my freezer with robins, I'd be doing OK because that's about the only like on that property. And I went everywhere. I was hoping that I could at least bag one chuck to encourage Jamie, but as it stands I won't take him back there because he'd just loose interest in hunting. I think I'll have to wait till small game season starts in the Fall to take him with me. Until then, I'll just take him to the range.

Yesterday I saw a woodchuck run into a hole about 3 feet from me as I took my daily walk around the block during break time at work. It must have known that I was unarmed

This photo is the only thing I shot today. It's of the windmill that stands next to the DEP farmhouse. It is a beautiful place.

Hunting at Roraback after work.

Went hunting at Roraback right after work today it was sunny and in the upper 60's, so I couldn't pass it up. All I got was a good walk in because the place was as dead as a doornail. I mean nothing! The only thing I shot were a few photos. After 2 hrs of walking I saw one squirrel and one chuck hole (photo below). Lots of fresh deer tracks, but that's it. I mean I walked for miles through a half dozen fields and saw nothing. Not even a squirrels nest. I don't know if this place is hunted out or if things will pick up later. I'll give it a few more days since the place is so close, but I'm starting to have my doubts. I'll return tomorrow and the day after because it's going to be sunny and in the 70's and I just want to get outside. After that it's Easter weekend which means no hunting for 4 days. I'll let you know if anything happens. Looking on the bright side, I don't have to clean my gun tonight.

Jamie's First Hunt

Jamie and I went to Roraback today. It was a dismal morning, overcast and drizzling but the rain cell was scheduled to move out by noon so we decided to head up to Harwinton. By the time we hit Terryville, the rain had turned to a light snow. We thought the snow was over for the year. Snow is better than rain, but either way, no woodchuck in his right mind would venture out of his hole on a day like this.

We parked in the DEP parking lot and walked the 3 corn fields. other than a half dozen robins we saw jumping around the cornfield, there was no sign of life. This was the first time Jamie was out walking with his rifle so I was hoping we'd see something. No such luck. We walked for about an hour, then decided to get back in the Jeep and scout out another area. The last time I tried this I got lost, but this time I came armed with a decent map. The road I was looking for turned out to be a dead end with a parking area that butted up to a golf course. It was posted for hunting, so we decided to follow a stream and take a look around. Again, the place was still. I told Jamie to take a couple shots, figuring it would make the stop more interesting. He couldn't believe how much louder the rifle sounded in the woods than on the range. Being surrounded by trees, there's lots of echoes in the woods.

The next drive took us on a road through the center of Roraback heading south. There was a dead coyote at the entrance of the first place we stopped. I checked with the DEP and state law doesn't require that dead yotes be turned in. I guess they left it there so the CO could get a head count, but they could have at least moved it off the path.

The next place we stopped at was beautiful and we took a few photos that are posted here. At the foot of the trail there's what used to Roraback's hunting lodge, which is situated directly across from a beautiful pond, circled by pines. To the right there's a good size river. From the entrance through the center of the area is a wide, well kept path with cement bridges crossing streams. It's just a wonderful place and I'm amazed that I work so close and had no idea this was here.

We walked the trail for about half an hour and I could tell that Jamie was getting tired. There were some glass beer bottles that some boozers were nice enough to leave us, so I set them up for Jamie and he blew them to bits. He's always wanted to do that :) I then cleaned up the mess and we headed back for the Jeep. It's much to cold and wet for most small game to be out, but I did hope we could stumble across some deer as I did yesterday or a few turkeys as the day before. No such luck, but Jamie had his first day out in the woods with a gun and he said he had a good time. He fell asleep in the car a few minutes after we left and slept all the way home. Oh ya, there were a half dozen chickens in the road on the way back that I had to stop for. I have no idea where they came from. Are chickens in season?

Roraback WMA

Walked the fields at Roraback WMA in Harwinton today. I left work at 3:15 and headed out during a dark, rainy afternoon. I had my heart set on walking the fields to see what was there, so I parked near the DEP building and headed into the corn fields with my 22. As I expected, nothing was moving. Everything was very still, though I did get very close to 3 deer. 2 came up behind me at about 25 yards, then started to run when they saw me. I later came up on another as I came down the hill of a corn field. The deer was at the wooded edge about 50 yards away and took off running. They made the day worth while. I walked until 5:30 then headed home quite wet. I'll return (possibly with Jamie) on a sunny day. Woodchucks should be coming out, so I have my hopes up for this place. There's 2,222 acres to explore, and it's only 4 miles from work.