Baiting

[DoubleUp]

GrizleyHunter, yep I'm still scratching my head on that one. It was the first one I've had a shot on since Dec.8th. I intended to let him feed and get comfortable at the bait site and perhaps toll in a few others, but my lust for coyote blood overcame me. I reckon I could do like Flip Wilson and claim the devil made me do it, but it was just me.

I'm still seeing fresh track in the wheat field behind my house. So he is there just isn't coming back on the bait yet.

I did have some crows but I killed two with one shot and that sort of discouraged them. I also cover my bait with wire baskets during the daytime, so that helps a lot.

 

[GrizleyHunter]

DoubleUp,
If you can kill two birds with one stone that means you are the man,if you can shake the lust for coyote blood(myself I am always cool and calm)LOLOLOLO and never miss you will stack them up soon.
GLTU

 

[Jackal87]

Yea dont have an ideal setup for baiting like you since I cant do it at my house. my hunting spot is a few miles from the house so I have to do a baiting/calling combo usually. I have had the camera on the bait(nothing but crows, buzzards) I catch a few walking at other areas @ all different times. no real pattern at all. got all year round in va so I got plenty of time

 

[Jackal87]

Originally Posted By: DoubleUpJackal87, I'm not really sure what your setup is or how/when you are hunting it. I think those who are being most successful with baiting have a situation where they can be at home and bait in their yards or an adjacent woods or field.

This allows the use of an alarm system to notify them when something is on the bait. That way they don't have to leave home and spend hours of daytime or nighttime sitting in a blind waiting for a coyote, fox, or bobcat to be there when they are.

6mm06 has as good a setup as can possibly be rigged. He has spent a good sum of money and lots of time and effort to get his baiting setup right even equipping with infrared scope, camera, etc. and many nights of waiting on a coyote to show when he's there at his camp, but it hasn't happened.

It is very hard to be there when they are there unless your (there) is your home. That way you're going about your normal business and routine until something triggers the alarm. I killed a bunch of coyotes last fall on my baitpile but it is at the back of my yard and I have two alarms to keep me alerted. I also have cameras to let me know if the alarms miss something that doesn't come into the range of the alarms.

I use mostly dogfood and table scraps because I don't want rotting carcases and buzzards all over my yard. I have pear trees in my yard and that is what got them visiting there naturally. They love fruit including watermelons. They were also after the Canada geese which nest on my pond and killed the gander and five goslings last spring. That is when I declared war on them.

Give us a little more info on your setup and we'll all pitch in to try to help you get the best advantage possible. Coyotes are really hard to pattern from my experience, and will show when you don't expect it. Hence the advantage of an alarm system.

I figured everything right on this one last week. Except I flat out missed him at 150 yds at 6:30 in the morning. It happens!

your shooting from that house in the back of the picture?

 

[DoubleUp]

No, my home isn't in the picture. That house is about 350 yds away and up the road a little.

I think Brian Downs who posts on here sometimes has had some measure of success combining calling and baiting. Seems like I also remember that he tries to force them to feed at the time he desires. Maybe he'll read this and jump in with his pattern. As I remember he baits heavy and then starts diminishing the bait after he gets them started and baits at the same time each day, so they'll have to compete to get something which forces them to get there soon after the bait is put out. I believe he also scatters some pieces of bait around in the field to force them to take longer to get the bait, but also increases the scent zone where they might come across the odor. Anyway it's his method so maybe he'll see this and explain it to you.

Griz, right I'd like to tell you I waited until I had two lined up and did it with mathematical precision, but alas that would be a long stretch on the truth. Just a reminder that who we keep company with can have a dire effect on us as well.

 

[dannyk]

Well I sat this morning from 5:10 a.m. to 10:30, nothing at the bait site, tried a female invitation call and the yotes were carrying on something fierce, both sides of the blind, but they will not come into view in either of the four shooting lanes. Very little snow for our area and very mild, all the scat I'm seeing on my snowshow trails are full of rabbit hair, and we have a healthy rabbit population so I believe that is my problem, no snow, no cold and lots of rabbits.

 

[dwilson]

There has to be coyotes in the area in order to kill them. I beleive that is 6mm06's problem. What you do for the future is think...what would make a coyote want make this home? Maslow's basic needs come to mind. I always baited year around. Yea maybe the predators wont eat slot of the bait...but mice and smaller game will.If there is plenty of food in the area then predators will set up camp. Yes they may be nomads but will also return more periodically for easy prey and food. Plan for the future.

 

[6mm06]

Jackal87, that bobcat is unusually marked and would make a great trophy. We have a few more days left in the season for you to get him. You may be able to call the cat easier than a coyote, at least that's been my experience.

DoubleUp said it pretty well when he mentioned my setup. I have indeed invested a lot of money, work and time into it and don't have a single coyote to show for. Of course, half the fun is the process and it's been worth it. I've had a great time experimenting with all this. Either way, I've got a neat little hideaway to go to and relax a bit, and I enjoy staying down there, and enjoy the night vision equipment as well. There's more to hunting than just the kill, though I admit things get a little frustrating without it sometimes.

I also think DoubleUp said it right when he mentioned being able to shoot or hunt from your home. If you are fortunate enough to have your home placed near a good area, then I'm sure it's much easier. The coyotes don't hit the bait every night, making it difficult to hunt a remote spot like mine.

February 5th was the last day a coyote has been to the bait, according to my trail cameras. Between that and bad weather, I've not had a chance to hunt much lately, but there's been no activity anyway so it really didn't matter.

As to what Dwilson said, I don't think we have an abundance of coyotes. I have seen three this entire winter that I can identify by their markings via trail cameras. That's all I am aware of that has come to the bait. As well, we don't have a big rabbit population here, at least I rarely see a rabbit anymore. I think the coyotes travel these hills for great distances and don't remain in just a small area, at least that's my opinion. They make a visit to my site whenever they are near.

Next year I am considering moving the bait site further from the cabin and see how that might work.

As to hawks, ravens, crows and buzzards, I too have noticed very little activity on my bait this season. Last year the buzzards especially were a real problem, but hardly a one this year. Don't know why, but that's good.

A few days ago, something came to the bait site, but neither of my two cameras captured what it was. There were tracks in the snow but I can't determine what from the photo. The snow had melted when I checked the camera, so no evidence to determine what it was except for this photo. I tend to think it was a dog.

 

[Jackal87]

6mm06 I havent seen him before or any other cats for that matter but I just got the camera last fall and it runs everyday.Its hard to let them soak for a long time im kinda excited to see what I catch. probably get another one and have them on different rotations. how long do you usually let them set ive been doing 1-2 weeks and usually have 500 photos but I have corn out to for the deer census

so I get alot of squirrels and racoon pictures also. somebody said they bait heavy all year long..how is this done with just dog food or shooting deer with damage stamps?

if i had some extra money this would be the ultimate baiting camera http://www.buckeyecam.com/

 

[6mm06]

Jackal 87,

Wow! That is some kind of camera. I didn't see a price listed and am afraid to ask how much.

As to how often to check trail cameras, I don't have a certain length of time. I'm only about a mile away from the farm so I go down there often. Sometimes I check it daily for a while and then other times I let it go for a few days. I try to keep an up-to-date idea of when coyotes might be coming to the bait, so I don't let the cameras sit very long before I check them. I also try to see if a pattern is established as to when they hit the bait.

This year trying to pattern has been difficult since the coyotes hit at various times from late evening to early morning. Last year I could just about bet the farm that one would show up between 9:00 - 10:00 PM.

I personally don't bait during the summer months, but I may try things a bit different this year. I'm really wanting to take one with the night vision so I may decide to hunt a bit during the summer for a change. Usually I begin putting out some bait around late October or November or when the weather begins to turn cold. I generally put out larger portions early in the season to get the coyotes to coming to the site, then I lessen the amount to just a few 2" size pieces, maybe 8 to 10 pieces. That generally keeps them coming and also cuts down on problems with other critters always being on the bait. Generally I bait daily or every other day when I bait in that manner, if the bait has been taken. Sometimes it hasn't so I just leave it alone until they get it. Sometimes I wire a larger piece of meat to a stake, maybe a deer leg or part of a rib cage or half a back bone, just enough to keep them interested and hanging around. I also put out a few small chunks of meat around it that's easy for them to get. I have photos of coyotes pulling at the wired-down bait. They get used to it after a while, but seems they are always skiddish at the bait site regardless. My thoguht is to give them a few pieces of 2" stuff to taste, and to have the larger, wired-down piece to maybe hold them at the site a bit longer, thereby giving me a better chance of a shot.

You might try to call that bobcat. If it's using the area you stand a good chance of calling it.

Pulling at the bait

Eating Small Portions

 

[Jackal87]

Where in va are you? photobucket is killing me bout to toss this comp out the window

here is a pic of what I got setup now the pics from the page before are on the road that circles the property Here

 

[dwilson]

6mm06...do you have any other pictures of the track. Like in a straight line or over the track itself? Its hard to tell from that vantage point.

 

[6mm06]

I got one road-killed deer, plus I got a deer myself on the farm and used the carcas of that. As well, a friend gave me parts of a deer he was going to throw away, ie the head, legs, rib cage, backbone etc. It all had meat on it and served as bait.

I cut up the road-killed deer, mainly in small chunks, put 8-10 pieces in quart sized zip lock bags and put in the freezer (old freezer in a storage building). That has lasted me quite well this winter and I still have more left.

I live about 7 miles from the small town of Coeburn, in the Southwestern part of the state. I'm about 45 miles west of Abingdon off I-81.

Dwilson,

Here are some photos of the cabin / bait site area to give you a better idea. This winter I have hunted the 60 yard site that has a walnut tree where I place the infrared lights. I have also set a 16' 4x4 post at the 135 yard site that I intend to give a try with infrared lights. There is a pop-up blind in the briar patch where I hunted from last year.

The prevailing wind blows from the cabin to the left when looking at the bait site, so it doesn't blow to the bait site - generally.

Views from cabin to bait site

View from 60-yard bait site to cabin

 

[Jackal87]

Nice setup think I saw the building of this in a earlier post..took me a while to get to the end

no wonder you got more activity your up in the hills

 

[Pickens]

I would like to start to bait some of the smaller properties that I hunt, however, this time of year finding road kill is tougher. I was wondering what else I could use besides road kill. I've used predator pile in the past but I'd rather buy something a little cheaper. Please let me know some of your guys' secrets.

 

[deerslyr1]

you can use dog food, also table scraps work well,ie...chicken bones , tbones etc.also it doesnt have to be deer road kills, skunks, possum,raccons, squirels anything. also i have would in my area you have to either wire down the bait or cover with some rocks or the will just drag it off and eat it else wear.

 

[DoubleUp]

All of the above, plus fruit especially in the summer months. I had an excellent fall season but I started baiting way back in July when they were eating the pears off my trees. It was easy to get them started on dry dog food and table scraps since they were already coming for the pears. They love watermelon. They will even eat each other, so there isn't much they won't eat. They can't afford to waste protein.

Here is a picture of two coyotes preparing to eat one that I had just killed less than 30 minutes before these two showed up. Unfortunately for them, their meal was seriously interrupted with lead poison.

I know it would take a couple of days but it would be well worth your time to go back to page one and read the entire thread. There is a wealth of knowledge and many valuable tips and insights on baiting in these 64 pages.

 

[duckstopper]

We went to a local butcher shop and asked for scrap meat. He was more than will to give us as much as we wanted because he was going to have to pay someone to dispose of it.

Also, if you have someone in the area that butchers deer for customers, try them. They have to get rid of the scraps, legs, etc. somewhere.

 

[deerslyr1]

i have found they wont eat each other around here....i shot a yote at the begining of jan, skun it and it still lays 20 yds from my bait pile....they wont touch it but they hit my bait most every night (guess they are not hungry enough) my favorite bait has been a deer carcass, more specific the spine and ribs, they love it, also its easy to wire up so they cant run off with it. think about it what dog doesnt like a marrow filled bone!

 

[dannyk]

Well, my partner and I sat over the bait this morning from six a.m. to around eight a.m., nothing showed so we decided to go hunt one of my favorite spots. The wind was light and we had a fresh couple of inches of new snow. After parking the truck we put on the snowshoes and hiked about three quarter of a mile from the truck and set up to call on the backwaters of the local dam.

This was taken from the stump I was sitting on, barely five minutes into the rabbit distress this male came on a trot with the wind at his back concentrating on the decoy, a quick bark to stop him and the rest is history.

three more sets and nothing showed, the wind and snow got more intense so we called it a day, a few more pictures from the calling area.