Tristate
Long Time Member
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- 9,734
Howdy folks. Just got back from a great adventure and learning experience in the Texas panhandle.
I got asked to guide a couple of aoudad hunts and I was told I could kill some predators at the same time. That sounded awesome to me. I have always been a very accomplished predator caller but I was never worth a damn a trapping predators. Back in my late teens and early twenties I tried trapping and I was really bad at it. For some reason lately I have had the bug to pick it back up and see if I could become proficient at it. Maybe an old man's temperament would change my outcomes.
Well I bought a bunch of gear after talking to several friends. Honestly one of the best sources of trapping info I had was my buddy Wade Lemon. He knew quite a bit and shared it openly with me. I tried a little three day weekend trap line with six traps at my mom's before going and playing in the panhandle. I caught one coon, one opossum, and one skunk, with 2 dig outs.
My main target was coyotes and bobcats. I figured if I could catch one of these after a week of trying in the panhandle it would be a success. Honestly I thought it would be a lot easier than it was.
I arrived a day before the first hunter and set out a dozen traps and did a little scouting for aoudad. The next morning I woke up to 4 inches of snow. I am really unsure what effect this has on trapping but reflecting back I don't think it was good. However I do know that when the snow breaks it's an awesome time to predator call. That evening the snow stopped and the wind flattened out to almost nothing. The client hadn't arrived yet so I grabbed the shotgun my call and headed out to a good evening spot. The first stand Went just as predicted and within 5 minutes I had a very dead coyote.
I quickly hiked back to the truck and hauled butt to my next set. It was late but I wanted to get 3 sets in before dark.
At the next set the coyote came in fast and serious just about 10 degrees off my stink. By the time I got the shotgun on him and pulled the trigger he was only 3 yards away. I can still remember seeing the pupils in his eyes. When I got up and stepped over to look at him smoke was coming out of his head.
Things were going as planned and I had just a little daylight left. I wanted a hat trick but I also wanted to finish with a bobcat set. I jumped in the truck and flew towards a canyon road that I know some bobcats were using back in the deer season. I went and set up and started calling. After a little while a coyote appeared over a knob at 4 oclock just outside of the range of my shotgun. I know this was a bobcat set but I ain't letting a filthy coyote in and out of any set if I can help it. After a little looking he dropped off the knob and headed north. When he got about a 100 yards away I soft called and here he came on a string. He disappeared behind a brushy mesquite and I used that moment to raise my shotgun, and nothing. He didn't pop out. I knew I hadn't busted him and I knew if he moved in any direction I would see. So what the heck was going on. I sat on the ready for probably 2 minutes. Finally I decided to soft squeak and see if he would commit. Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement. It was a large tom bobcat at 10 o'clock. I switched targets and pulled the trigger and that was that.
What a great evening of calling. When I got back to the bunkhouse the client had arrived and he was amazed at the size of the bobbers here.
The next morning the client wanted to try predator calling before we went after aoudad and I agreed. It was a good morning and we killed three coyotes real quick before heading out to find sheep.
Right off the bat we lucked out and the very first group we found was a band of 6 very good rams with 2 whoppers in them. I assessed the situation and realized there was no approach. I suggested we back out easy and come check them later to see if they had moved. Plus I had seen another big ram in my scouting we could go look for. We left them that day and while we found lots of other sheep no other mature rams were found that day.
The next day we went straight for the 6 rams. I picked them up quickly and they were in a great position for a stalk. I got gear and the client together and left a spotter on the hill. Off we went. We were about half way to our shooting spot when I peaked over a ledge to relocate the rams. They weren't feeding anymore and had gotten into a tight little group and were looking east. Something was wrong. After a couple of minutes they trotted over the hill and were gone. We never figured out what scared them and we never saw that band again. It was heart breaking.
We hunted the next morning and located a herd of ewes with two rams in it. we moved in for a shot but after examination I told the hunter these rams weren't old enough. He agreed and we hiked back out of the canyon. Back at the buggy the hunter told me his office was in meltdown and he needed to go home. He said he wanted to come back in September and try again. We shook hands and I got him back to a truck to get him to the airport. I also found out the next hunter cancelled right then. He had Covid now. That's when my luck stepped in. I was told I could go hunt aoudad now if I wanted. Soundes great to me. Running traps, calling predators and hunting sheep! This was going to be awesome.
SO far I had caught nothing in my traps. ZERO. That was about to change. all at once I had all kinds of action. First I caught a big ol' cotton rat.. Who says a trap is to big or set to light.
to be continued.......
I got asked to guide a couple of aoudad hunts and I was told I could kill some predators at the same time. That sounded awesome to me. I have always been a very accomplished predator caller but I was never worth a damn a trapping predators. Back in my late teens and early twenties I tried trapping and I was really bad at it. For some reason lately I have had the bug to pick it back up and see if I could become proficient at it. Maybe an old man's temperament would change my outcomes.
Well I bought a bunch of gear after talking to several friends. Honestly one of the best sources of trapping info I had was my buddy Wade Lemon. He knew quite a bit and shared it openly with me. I tried a little three day weekend trap line with six traps at my mom's before going and playing in the panhandle. I caught one coon, one opossum, and one skunk, with 2 dig outs.
My main target was coyotes and bobcats. I figured if I could catch one of these after a week of trying in the panhandle it would be a success. Honestly I thought it would be a lot easier than it was.
I arrived a day before the first hunter and set out a dozen traps and did a little scouting for aoudad. The next morning I woke up to 4 inches of snow. I am really unsure what effect this has on trapping but reflecting back I don't think it was good. However I do know that when the snow breaks it's an awesome time to predator call. That evening the snow stopped and the wind flattened out to almost nothing. The client hadn't arrived yet so I grabbed the shotgun my call and headed out to a good evening spot. The first stand Went just as predicted and within 5 minutes I had a very dead coyote.
I quickly hiked back to the truck and hauled butt to my next set. It was late but I wanted to get 3 sets in before dark.
At the next set the coyote came in fast and serious just about 10 degrees off my stink. By the time I got the shotgun on him and pulled the trigger he was only 3 yards away. I can still remember seeing the pupils in his eyes. When I got up and stepped over to look at him smoke was coming out of his head.
Things were going as planned and I had just a little daylight left. I wanted a hat trick but I also wanted to finish with a bobcat set. I jumped in the truck and flew towards a canyon road that I know some bobcats were using back in the deer season. I went and set up and started calling. After a little while a coyote appeared over a knob at 4 oclock just outside of the range of my shotgun. I know this was a bobcat set but I ain't letting a filthy coyote in and out of any set if I can help it. After a little looking he dropped off the knob and headed north. When he got about a 100 yards away I soft called and here he came on a string. He disappeared behind a brushy mesquite and I used that moment to raise my shotgun, and nothing. He didn't pop out. I knew I hadn't busted him and I knew if he moved in any direction I would see. So what the heck was going on. I sat on the ready for probably 2 minutes. Finally I decided to soft squeak and see if he would commit. Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement. It was a large tom bobcat at 10 o'clock. I switched targets and pulled the trigger and that was that.
What a great evening of calling. When I got back to the bunkhouse the client had arrived and he was amazed at the size of the bobbers here.
The next morning the client wanted to try predator calling before we went after aoudad and I agreed. It was a good morning and we killed three coyotes real quick before heading out to find sheep.
Right off the bat we lucked out and the very first group we found was a band of 6 very good rams with 2 whoppers in them. I assessed the situation and realized there was no approach. I suggested we back out easy and come check them later to see if they had moved. Plus I had seen another big ram in my scouting we could go look for. We left them that day and while we found lots of other sheep no other mature rams were found that day.
The next day we went straight for the 6 rams. I picked them up quickly and they were in a great position for a stalk. I got gear and the client together and left a spotter on the hill. Off we went. We were about half way to our shooting spot when I peaked over a ledge to relocate the rams. They weren't feeding anymore and had gotten into a tight little group and were looking east. Something was wrong. After a couple of minutes they trotted over the hill and were gone. We never figured out what scared them and we never saw that band again. It was heart breaking.
We hunted the next morning and located a herd of ewes with two rams in it. we moved in for a shot but after examination I told the hunter these rams weren't old enough. He agreed and we hiked back out of the canyon. Back at the buggy the hunter told me his office was in meltdown and he needed to go home. He said he wanted to come back in September and try again. We shook hands and I got him back to a truck to get him to the airport. I also found out the next hunter cancelled right then. He had Covid now. That's when my luck stepped in. I was told I could go hunt aoudad now if I wanted. Soundes great to me. Running traps, calling predators and hunting sheep! This was going to be awesome.
SO far I had caught nothing in my traps. ZERO. That was about to change. all at once I had all kinds of action. First I caught a big ol' cotton rat.
. Who says a trap is to big or set to light.to be continued.......
