YIP,YIP,YAHOOOOOWW!

[davep]

Had coyote on my "to do" list for this year.
And since my WVA bear hunt w/ hounds sort of fell apart, and since one of my boys just HAD to help catch a coyote, and since I NEEDED to get away from everything for a couple days, we headed on up to Garrett county Sunday. (sent in my absentee ballot couple weeks ago ;D)

Had spent a few hours looking at maps and Google Earth, and talked to a few folks, and hit State ground.

Greeted by unseasonably warm temps (near 70 Monday!) AND snow left over from the week before. Couldn't get into a few areas I planned on, and another had JUST been clear cut. Got a few sets in Sunday evening.

Sunday night, camped in the truck. Stuck cooler UNDER truck bed, wedged against receiver. KNEW I shouldn't but figured since bear season had just ended, they'd be too spooked to mess with it.

Wrong.

Woke up sometime before midnight, TRYING to figure out what the thumping UNDER my feet was, and WHY the truck was moving!

Between my Ninja-like reflexes trying to get untangled from my sleeping bag, spinning in circles, smacking my head on the gear shelf I put in, and me screaming like a little girl, the poor thing ran off!

Got a few more sets in Monday, and then took the boy to check out a few waterfalls and squirrel/grouse hunt a bit. Even got in a few sets HOPING for a fisher, plus a couple weasel boxes.

Tuesday, EARLY, visited with a buddy I used to hunt up there with 20 years ago.
Left his shop a couple of eight, and stopped to check two nearby sets we made the day before on state land, CLOSE to the entrance,in a small opening in a very thick patch of brush in a cutover. Gates were locked, so hadn't been able to get back to where we had wanted.

Anyway, not 100yds from the truck and hear chain!
Once I got within 20 yds could see a coyote!
And once we got closer, could also see it was about to pump the stake right out of the ground!

I quickly leveled the gun and fired!
And missed!
Next one between the eyes, and dropped it like a rock!
Went over, admired it for a minute or two, then went to check the other trap about 15 yds away in another small opening off the same trail. Nothing, so pulled the set.

Round the brush to the first set, and who is up to greet me, but the coyote! This time I waded right in and took care of business.
When skinning, saw that first shot had literally bounced off the skull due to flat angle and had simply knocked it out.Glad it hadn't come to when we were kneeling over it!





So pulled that set, then ran around restaking and remaking earlier sets, some went with double stakes, others with 24" rebar, and put in a few more for the last night.

Also, had "Coonzilla" at one set.
This was by far the biggest coon I've ever caught. Wish I had a scale!


So, learned a whole lot, caught my first coyote, and most importantly, we had a blast!

Next time, FISHER!
(and weasel ;D)

[morgan]

Good Job Dave. Congrats on the yote. Nothing like those yellow eyes looking right thru ya is it ? Now you know to dbl stake on anything that will likely connect with a coyote. Fisher are supposed to be easier than yotes as they think they are the Kings of the woods. Go get em Tiger.

Met your Fisheries friend last weekend, I think they had a good time...asked me a lot of quesions at Youth Day. I have some pics to put up when I get time.

[shedslave]

Cool davep.Have always wanted to havest a coyote,but with a bow.I have a larger sub-speices (wolf) from a few years ago in Alberta.Had a yote running around my neck of the woods a few years ago.Numerous people had seen him.A friend and I watch him trying to run down a fawn one spring.I been waiting to cross paths during archery season,but no luck in 2 years.Think he might have move on.I'm a newbie trapper.Started 3 years ago only because I was offer hunting rights to trap a few beavers out a pond.Caught 5 the first year including a big male.We estimated his weight to be between 60-70 pounds.His mate I couldn't not catch the first year I believe she became so trap sly.I did manage to get her the second year and give her to a owner of a wet-land company.He weighed her and she was 58 pounds.Just two huge beavers I thought.I going to want to pick your guys mind in a couple of months on sets if your guys don't mind.And again congratulation. Trapping needs this youth movement or the art will be lost forever.

[Bartman]

Wow, that is really cool. Did you manage any grouse while you were up there?

[brettgerhart]

That's Awesome Dave! Me and a couple of buddy's got some Coyote huntin to do up in Pa! I am from Somerset county, just above Garrett. Got a lot up there! Going to help a couple of farms out!

[BIG FOX]

great Yote... good hide on him.. Look forward to killing my first one some day.. sure miss the west coast..

[davep]

Bart, never saw a SINGLE grouse!
Very few squirrels too.
Looks like very poor acorn crop up there this year, at least where we were.
Heard it was an up year for grouse, so maybe I was just in the wrong spots.
I know a few places in Alleghany Co that have been good in the past.May try to get up there soon.

Funny thing was, where that big coon was was a long abandoned farmyard/barnyard.
Only real soil in the whole county! Rock free and fairly rich.
First time I walked in there in the am, had woodcock popping out one or two at a time all around me. When I got back to the truck, I was frantically looking for the state regs, only to find season opens this coming weekend. They were back the next morning as well.

Last woodcock I killed was off Egypt Rd over your way a LONG time ago.



Morgan, yeah those yellow eyes about burned a hole in me. The definition of WILD!

Saw the big galoot today. You must have made a good impression on him and the kids last Saturday.
He showed up with a TPC mag, and a a bunch of questions.
And you're right, his older boy is REALLY interested!



Brett, good luck.Seems to more up that way every year. And I'm PROOF that some ain't all that bright!

[morgan]

When unmolested coyotes are no harder to catch than foxes. What makes people think they are smart is the fact that the population density is much lower than foxes and they have a home range roughly 10 miles in any direction..baring geographical features. Any given coyote can be here tonight and 10 miles away tomorrow night and not come back for a week or 2 if the prey base is there. They are a good deal more territorial than foxes at certain times of they year....like the spring when denning. Territorial boundries are breaking down this time of year and will continue to do so till pup dispersal in late Dec and Jan. Then, after mating season they go back up real fast.
Shedslave....any set that will catch a fox will catch a coyote, same lure etc. What do you have for traps and what is your experience level. PM me. I will help you if I can. Couple things to remember but yotes are not rocket scientists. That beaver you made trap shy is just about the toughest animal to get....they can turn into ghosts when spooked and make you tear your hair out if you have to get the last one.....

[morgan]

Dave...ps.....a black coyote was caught this week between Boonsboro and Hagerstown, big rough looking yote...."black as the county road" was the description given me.

[Hardcorehunter]

Dave very cool. A farmer on the out skirts of Waldorf has a 300 acre farm and three coyote sightings. I have permission to trap but am not confident in my abilities to set efficiently. Maybe you can hook up with me over there one afternoon? I'm sure I can get some pointers from your son.

[shedslave]

Thanks morgan will do.

[davep]

Nick, we can take a look at it one afternoon, but I'm the blind hog finding an acorn sort of trapper! Just happened to cross paths with one unlucky coyote.

Morgan, as always, thanks for the info. I went up early thinking they'd be dispersing now, and I wanted mine to be the first set they seen.

And I like the " black as the county road" description. Reminds me of an OLD man I knew when I was a boy: when someone got mad or embarrassed, he'd say they was "redder 'n a pack of Winstons".

[bucksathome]

man that is a great looking coyote ,congrats on that one Dave!

[morgan]

Dave...ya ain't too bad, the proof is in the pudding. Was that coon blue at all when you skinned it ?

[davep]

I expected it would be, but once I got thru the INCHES of fat, from what I could see it was nice and creamy. I did scrape a little just to see, but froze it when I got home until I have a bunch to do. Can't believe a couple hundred miles makes that much difference in timing. Elevation? Or do the bigger ones just prime up sooner?

The coyote, however, had tons of hair roots visible. Sort of surprised me, but being as this was my first, I really don't know what to expect.

And I learned that they're a little harder to peel than our greasy grays.
Hung her from a 1 1/2" branch, peeled pretty easy until I got almost to the shoulders, then got tight. Tried to use my weight and SNAP, branch broke. Wound up on my arse with a half-nekkid coyote on top of me! The boy was right amused. Found a bigger branch.