NYS Coyote Hunters

Thread >>>BUMP

Just wondering how things are going for the rest of the NYS hunters. More fox this year than I have sen in a long time. Yotes are plentiful, but not much action so far.

Well... the gun light got transferred from the .22 Mag to the .17 rem just after deer season ended. Got geared up for centerfire but between the holidays and the wind, snow, ect. the equipment has been sitting, calling me.

With the warm front coming in, I wanted to get out tonite (if it stopped raining) and figured animals would be active after the cold blast. Peeking out the door every half hour, finally.... the rain stopped! Nice dark nite, just the way I like 'em.

Reds have been coming in like crazy all season....I jumped over to the computer, downloaded 4 different gray fox calls on the MP3 player and figured I would see if I could scare up a gray or two. While I was on the 'puter I checked WBEN's weather bug, wind outta the SW 7 MPH...no rain on the radar... yes!

Well, I figured I would hit one of my favorite spots to start the nite. It hasn't been hunted in a month and a perfect setup for a west wind. NO way to get in the back door. I can see eyes in the orchards as I drive, yep animals are active tonite.

The Nitelite comes on as I leave the truck and make a short walk to get setup. Gun is next to me on the Bipod, The JS Converta-Caller speaker is out of the bag.... [beeep], where are my reading glasses so I can see the MP3 playlist? I fish around in the bag and finally find them. OK, now I have to keep panning the lite and try to glance down to find the call I want on the player. I scroll through a few score files looking for the gray fox files, finally give up and start the baby cottontail. Waa waa waaa ... nothin. Put the glasses back on, and finally find the Dennis Kirk Gray Fox "Special." I fire it up, and within a minute... back doored! I have a beautiful gray sitting next to me like a dog, looking at me wondering what the hell I am and why did I invade his territory. Quietly, I swing the rifle around and I flip on the gun lite for a easy 25 yard shot... nothin, no gun lite. I flip the switch again, nothing. The hand held lite is now on the ground, kinda aimed in his direction, I can still see eyes and I reach down to check the wiring on the light which has riped put of the connector on the battery mounted on the gun stock. I grab the hand held lite again, now he's walking slowly away looking over his shoulder as I focus on the JS caller only to hear terrible distortion as the caller battery slowly dies....

That was enough for tonite, tomorrow nite, it's the shotgun and hand call. All the other gear stays home. And hopefully Murphy won't be my hunting partner again.

Where else can you have this much fun and not pay admission?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Take care, Sparky
 
I hear ya brother! I went out today in Brookfield,some deer

and tracks but no fox or coyote tracks or no signs, zip nota

nothing zero zilch,,,,,,,,, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Admit it, your just old and you would rather be home playing on line "Delta Force" with the rest of us !!!!!! You forgot to call me by the way!!!!
 
jd,
I bet there's no fox in Edmeston. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif That's some of the best cover I've traveled through! Hope you been knocking those foxeees for a loop. I can't buy a predator over this way. Are there many hound men over that way?

Come to think of it hollenbeck, you got the same stretch of cover way up there. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Hmmm, I think all the fox from Delware county have packed up and headed your way......... Must be the better quality of life and lower taxes>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
Hello All,

I am in Ulster County, NY and am looking for a hunting partner and places to hunt. In the Kingston area here at the foothills of the catskills there is not the typical agriculture areas found in central and western NY so hunting is quite dificult. Access to land is also a challenge as from 9/11 the NYC sprawl has taken over the area and posted property is everywhere.

any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
NYPREDATOR

Do you have a access permit and hunting tag for the DEP property? There are a couple properties around the Ashoken Reservoir that they let you hunt with all of access permits. Which the application are on line.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/watershed_protection/html/wsrecreation.html

And down in Hurley there's a lot of State Land off Rte 209. I've been up Dug Hill Road working for the DEC and there was a lot of coyote sign in the area, only problem it can gets real steep fast.

Welcome and good luck to ya /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
CoyoteSmoker

Thanks for the information!

I actually hunt on Gills farm land at the base of dug hill rd but have not called in anything from the creek bottom. I did go up Doug Hill and hunted the State Land you mention you are working on 2 weeks ago but nothing came in.

I will try Doug Hill rd. again and see if i can get something. I actually grew up in Hurley and now live only five miles away north. Will you be in the area again? I would love to meet you and see if you could give me some pointers.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif I shot my first Red Fox Tuesday afternoon 1 mile East as the crow flies from Dug Hill just off rt. 209 it is also Gills Land as i have permision to hunt it. I will post a picture later today of the prime fur female Red.

I have found a den in the creek bottom just north on Hurley Mtn. road and shows some sign in the snow but but nothing is comming in to the call after 6 stands over the last month. I actually found the den by accident while deer hunting walking the brushy edge of creek bottom when i about stepped on a coyote at 10 feet! It was a very dark brown or black and it held tight until i walked past it then busted out and scared the crap out of me! I looked around the direction it went for a possible shot and walked up on the Den. I am about to set up a trail cam to see if there are specific times they are moving in the area.
 
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Congrats on the fox /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Right now getting anything to come in is great. During deer season around here there was fox and coyote tracks every where. Now can't find one anywhere.

Only get down your way for work. But in the next couple of weeks, let me look and find someplace half way where we can do some calling. I'll PM you to set something up. And you can give me some pointers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Hey,

Where you guys been?

CoyoteSmoker we're right over the hill from one another. How about chasing some of those coyotes over the mountain to me? Do you hunt along the Susquehana at all? Looks like there'd be a fox or two there.

Stay warm.
 
freebm

I thought I did. Nothing going on on this side of the mountain at all. Go out ever weekend and this last Saturday saw the first tracks since deer season. With the number of fox and coyote tracks I saw during deer season I should be knee deep in them.

I think everybody is over at Bark at the Moon. They've been shooting the fox's up.

Good Luck
 
Hey Gang,

Sparky's right........most fox I've seen in a long time. On the only couple of days out so far this season, throughout several sets, I was calling in mostly 2 on each set, and 3 fox on some. I actually had only one or two sets where only one responded, and there was just one set where nothing showed.

hollenbeck.....
Quote:
Also I think Hangunr started his own

forum also!!!!



Yeah......this has got to be the longest thread that PM has ever had.....I think they need a forum just for us NY boys.......LOL.

Good luck there Perri.........hopefully Fred will bring you flowers on your date.....LOL

Dennis never does that for me........sad.........he takes me for granted I think.......

Good luck fella's
Bob
 
What a lively thread! seems like its been going on forever but Im glad I finally found something close to home. I've been on a couple other message boards, but everyone is mainly westerners who deal with much different issues than we new yorkers do. I've made a whole lot of stands this year with no luck. I hunt erie county and some chattaqua county (western ny). Right now I'm targeting a specific red fox and have been doing everything I can to get him. The problem is the snow is getting so deep that I'm convinced he just holes up in the "severe winter storm advisory" weather we have been having lately.

What can you tell me about the snow and its effects on your hunting? also, something I have been trying a lot lately to try and spur on greater success is hunting at night, the moon has been getting near full, I think full tonight- that coupled with crisp white snow makes it possible to see forever without any aided light. I sit in the shadows of big pines in order to conceal myself, but if you guys have over whelmingly found that hunting at night under certain conditions, regarding weather or moonlight is unsuccesful, i might skip the extra effort. I switched mainly to night becuase I really want to get this stubborn fox, and i'm trying to play into his habits as much as possible. anyways great board, its going under my favorites
 
LOL

You guys are out of your minds. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Bob, Fred has his moments...............

Tell Dennis it's either carry you on his back or bring flowers. You'll get flowers.......

I think we all float around to different forums. Some are just friendly than others. Or at lest percieved that way. Funny thing is people say NY'ers are not very ..... neighborly like. Well, I don't see a whole of petty b*tching and squabbling in this thread. Sure we all have our own opinions, but we TRY to be civil. At least that's the feeling I get.

Johnny, I'm the last person who can offer pointers. What I will say is stick at it. Read all you can and ask specific questions. Give as much detail about your situation and you'll get back some very good pointers.

Good luck.
 
here is the situation. I have scouted and found exactly where a red fox dens, and where this critter is most active. His main den is located on a steep creek bed, in some exposed tree roots. The side of the creek with his den is about 15 yards of pines, and then 50yds of fields, with another thin row of pines looking across the field into the 15 yds of pines and his den-a spot I have set up and called. The opposite side of the creek is pines and steep ravines where I find dead mice, probably cached for later. The fox shows a lot of action in the pines and underbrush, but not a lot of action in the field, rather he patrols the edges of the field, but not as often as he explores the interior of the woods, the side opposite his den across the creek. How would you approach this scenario? where would you set up, what sound would you make(im leaning towards rodent or bird distress) what time of the 24 hr day would you hunt, basically what would you do to nab this critter.
I just took a bunch of time and drew up a layout on paint, but cant figure out how to post it as an image.
 
Hmmmm Handgunr should be able to help you with this one.

I for one wouldn't hunt right on top of his den. During your scouting have you noticed a ... directional route he/she takes or a pattern? I'd probably set up to try and catch him going back towards the den in the early morning hours. If he was unsuccesful after a night of hunting he may be receptive to a call. Call quietly with anything you haven't used in that area. If you're really feeling desperate, get a deer carcass and dump it three + hundred yards upwind of the den. Let him start eating on it and getting comfortable, then setup to call as he's heading out to eat in the evening.

Good luck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
JD,

Perri's right........you definitely don't want to sit on the fox's doorstep. Although I've killed a few by standing off to the side of a den I walked up on, it was an episode where I walked up on an unknown den where the fox hadn't been called out before. And I got lucky that the one's I shot were even home.
It usually doesn't work well as a "planned" exercise.

At this time of year, the fox are just starting to "pair up" for mating, and although some are paired, some aren't quite yet. After a couple have paired, their next task is to located a densite. If you know the den contains a pair already, then your chances of calling them out are much better. Especially if they haven't been hunted already.

What I'm getting at is, single fox don't really have a specific den they stay at solely. They will sleep in any old log, or hole that's big enough to hold them, or to get out of the weather. If a particular den is being used consistently, it's more likely a pair.

To hunt a particular area (and I think I understand the layout you described) you definitely want to approach from the downwind side. Although fox will more likely respond directly to a predator call more so than a coyote, they will circle downwind the same as a coyote if they are older, and have been hunted before. They learn not to go streaking in to a meal.
Usually the one's that come flying in are younger, less experienced foxes.

Approach the den area, or spot you desire to hunt, with the wind in your face. Calling a fox across a field is a lot easier than trying to do it with a coyote. Even an eager coyote will hold at the edge of a woods before breaking out in the open. And usually, they'll skirt the woodline to find concealment where they can cross and get downwind of "what they" percieve is an easy meal. Most coyotes I've ever called, if they do show themselves at all, they'll either come to the edge of the woodline and sit down and watch, or just a few feet out from the edge. Most sit inside the woodline, and unless you are sharp eyed, you miss them.
An educated or mature fox will do almost the same thing. Hold at the woodline, and maybe skirt the edge a bit. It's a sign of caution on both animal's parts, but where the coyote keeps his caution to the point where he can verify the meal, the fox will usually break much sooner and show itself.
Kinda like the kid who can't wait for mom and dad to get out of bed to open his Christmas presents.....

Depending on how wide the area is, or how much space you have surrounding the suspected site, I'd pick an area to call that was 100-200yds. downwind. They'll hear you just fine, don't worry. I've called them over 500yds. with a mouse squeaker, so it's no big deal. They've got phenominal hearing, and can hear a mouse's whimper through 2 ft. of snow.

Personally, I'd use a call that was "raspy" but not too loud. I use one of Carver's bullet calls, and it's amost irresistible to fox in particular. They usually come blasting in to it. And for the number of fox I've killed with it so far, it seems to call young and old fox in pretty much the same. I've seen some slight hangups, but nowhere near the amount with some of my old calls.

If you're trying to call the fox across a wide open area, which is difficult in many cases, use a moveable decoy. If they see something moving, that confirms it for them, they'll "rocket" to it. Normally, if I'm trying to call them out into an open area for a shot, I'll pick an area that makes it easy for them. A short or narrow open field, or a mostly open field that has a line of brush, or grass in it. Something they can comfortably use to get to you.

Also, I like to hunt the mornings from just prior to sunup on until about 9:00-10:00AM. As soon as I can see my crosshairs cleanly, I start calling. I get my best responses during those hours without needing a spotlight. Night time, I think, is always the best, as the fox and/or coyotes feel comfortable during their normal (dark) hunting hours. But, I don't have the gun light set up, (only handheld) so I tend to hunt the mornings more.

Hope this helps,
Bob
 
That is some EXCELLENT feedback! I certainly was calling right on top of the fox, and trying to get it to cross a field. On top of him is a dont do, and the cross the field seems like a hard to do. I was doing this into a crosswind, and the reason being- I was hoping to be able see the fox better by getting him to cross into the open. I think what I will do next is go to the area inside the woods with heavy track pattern, in the pines, downwind from the den and let her rip. I do not have a "decoy" as in the expensive kind, but I went to the dollar store and picked up a very furry teddy bear that I will wash with the no scent i sometimes use for deer hunting. I will then tie a long piece of twine around the teddy and drag him slowly towards myself in intervals. I do not worry about hitting branches or anything while pulling it, because all that stuff is pretty much covered by snow. What do you think of that "decoy"? I am concerned with the string- maybe I will use fishing line instead of twine.
as for calls, I have used only the cottontail distress, from a variety of different mouth calls, and a boom box with some of varmint al's greatest hits. I have saved what I was thinking would work very well, bird distress, mouse squeaks and rodent distress, and also a couple other hand calls that I still feel good about using the cottontail on. One call I have is so raspy im leaning towards not using it. It sounds almost like a crow call I got it from a friend and its called the double dog 2 in 1 predator call by quaker boy. It is my least favorite, but most raspy. Least favorite because it really does sound like a crow call. Going out this weekend to a different area, but next week I will certainly be hunting that fox heavily.

If anyone could tell me how to post pictures on this site, that would be great! i see the box below for image, but dont have an http web address with pictures, just have them saved on my computer. any help with that would be great.
 
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