Chris Avena 's Entries

• 05 Jun 2011
  Scientific Study: Eastern Wolves are Hybrids with Coyotes

  Wolves in the eastern United States are hybrids of gray wolves and coyotes, while the region's coyotes actually are wolf-coyote-dog hybrids.   ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Wolves in the eastern United States are hybrids of gray wolves and coyotes, while the region's coyotes actually are wolf-coyote-dog hybrids, according to a new genetic study that is adding fuel to a longstanding debate over the origins of two endangered species. The study is unlikely to impact the management of the endangered red wolf in North Carolina and the eastern Canadian wolf in Ontario, but it offers fresh insight into their genetic makeup and concludes that those wolves are hybrids that developed over the last few hundred years. Some scientists have argued that the red wolf, Canis rufus, and the eastern Canadian wolf, Canis lycaon, evolved from an ancient eastern wolf species distinct from the larger gray wolf, Canis lupus, that is found in western North America. Wolf experts who adhere to that theory say the new study is interesting but falls short of proving anything. They say it doesn't explain why hybrids appear only in some places and note that western wolves don't hybridize with coyotes but often kill them. In the study, published online earlier this month in the peer-reviewed journal Genome Research, 16 researchers from around the globe led by Robert Wayne of the University of California-Los Angeles, used information from the dog genome — the animal's entire genetic code — to survey the genetic diversity in dogs, wolves and coyotes. It was the most detailed genetic study of any wild vertebrate species to date, using molecular genetic techniques to look at over 48,000 markers throughout the full genome, said Roland Kays, curator of mammals at the New York State Museum and a co-author. In a previous study of the dog genome published last year in the journal Nature, a Wayne-led international team of scientists reported that domestic dogs likely originated in the Middle East and shared more genetic similarity with Middle Eastern gray wolves than any other wolf population. The recent study showed a gradient of hybridization in wolves. In the West, wolves were pure wolf, while in the western Great Lakes, they averaged 85 percent wolf and 15 percent coyote. Wolves in Algonquin Park in eastern Ontario averaged 58 percent wolf. The red wolf in North Carolina, which has been the subject of extensive preservation and restoration efforts, was found to be 24 percent wolf and 76 percent coyote. Northeastern coyotes, which only colonized the region in the past 60 years, were found to be 82 percent coyote, 9 percent dog and 9 percent wolf. In a study co-authored by Kays last year in the journal Biology Letters, museum specimens and genetic samples were used to show that coyotes migrating eastward bred with wolves to evolve into a larger form that has become the top predator in the Northeast, filling a niche left when native eastern wolves were hunted out of existence. The hybridization allowed coyotes to evolve from the scrawny mouse-eaters of western grasslands to robust deer-hunters in eastern forests. The genetic techniques used in the recent study allowed researchers to estimate that hybridization, in most cases, happened when humans were hunting eastern wolves to extinction, Kays said. "The few remaining animals could find no proper mates so took the best option they could get,'' Kays said. L. David Mech, senior research scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Northern Prairie Research Center in St. Paul, Minn., and founder of the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minn., is skeptical of the theory that eastern wolves are hybrids. "How do you reconcile this with the fact that gray wolves typically don't breed with coyotes, but kill them?'' Mech said. "We have no records in the West of wolves hybridizing with coyotes, even in areas where single wolves looking for mates have dispersed into the middle of coyote country.'' Mech also questioned whether the study tested enough Canadian and North Carolina wolves and whether those specimens were true representatives of those populations. Although 48,000 genetic markers sounds like a lot, it's actually a relatively small part of the entire genetic code, Mech said. So the evidence of a unique eastern wolf ancestor could simply be in another part of the code that wasn't analyzed, he said. Several researchers who consider the eastern wolf species separate from the gray wolf weighed in recently in an online discussion of the new study. Brent Patterson, a genetics researcher at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, called the study "an important step forward.'' But until more samples are analyzed, the hypothesis that a North American wolf evolved independently from the gray wolf was still viable, he said. "It's an academic issue,'' Mech said. "It's nice to know what the origins are from the standpoint of curiosity, but from a conservation standpoint, it shouldn't make any difference.'' David Rabon, coordinator of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Red Wolf Recovery Program in North Carolina, said the federal agency has taken the position that the red wolf is a unique species that warrants protection. The new study, while interesting, won't likely change management decisions, he said.

  1328 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  Scientific Study: Eastern Wolves are Hybrids with Coyotes

  Wolves in the eastern United States are hybrids of gray wolves and coyotes, while the region's coyotes actually are wolf-coyote-dog hybrids.   ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Wolves in the eastern United States are hybrids of gray wolves and coyotes, while the region's coyotes actually are wolf-coyote-dog hybrids, according to a new genetic study that is adding fuel to a longstanding debate over the origins of two endangered species. The study is unlikely to impact the management of the endangered red wolf in North Carolina and the eastern Canadian wolf in Ontario, but it offers fresh insight into their genetic makeup and concludes that those wolves are hybrids that developed over the last few hundred years. Some scientists have argued that the red wolf, Canis rufus, and the eastern Canadian wolf, Canis lycaon, evolved from an ancient eastern wolf species distinct from the larger gray wolf, Canis lupus, that is found in western North America. Wolf experts who adhere to that theory say the new study is interesting but falls short of proving anything. They say it doesn't explain why hybrids appear only in some places and note that western wolves don't hybridize with coyotes but often kill them. In the study, published online earlier this month in the peer-reviewed journal Genome Research, 16 researchers from around the globe led by Robert Wayne of the University of California-Los Angeles, used information from the dog genome — the animal's entire genetic code — to survey the genetic diversity in dogs, wolves and coyotes. It was the most detailed genetic study of any wild vertebrate species to date, using molecular genetic techniques to look at over 48,000 markers throughout the full genome, said Roland Kays, curator of mammals at the New York State Museum and a co-author. In a previous study of the dog genome published last year in the journal Nature, a Wayne-led international team of scientists reported that domestic dogs likely originated in the Middle East and shared more genetic similarity with Middle Eastern gray wolves than any other wolf population. The recent study showed a gradient of hybridization in wolves. In the West, wolves were pure wolf, while in the western Great Lakes, they averaged 85 percent wolf and 15 percent coyote. Wolves in Algonquin Park in eastern Ontario averaged 58 percent wolf. The red wolf in North Carolina, which has been the subject of extensive preservation and restoration efforts, was found to be 24 percent wolf and 76 percent coyote. Northeastern coyotes, which only colonized the region in the past 60 years, were found to be 82 percent coyote, 9 percent dog and 9 percent wolf. In a study co-authored by Kays last year in the journal Biology Letters, museum specimens and genetic samples were used to show that coyotes migrating eastward bred with wolves to evolve into a larger form that has become the top predator in the Northeast, filling a niche left when native eastern wolves were hunted out of existence. The hybridization allowed coyotes to evolve from the scrawny mouse-eaters of western grasslands to robust deer-hunters in eastern forests. The genetic techniques used in the recent study allowed researchers to estimate that hybridization, in most cases, happened when humans were hunting eastern wolves to extinction, Kays said. "The few remaining animals could find no proper mates so took the best option they could get,'' Kays said. L. David Mech, senior research scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Northern Prairie Research Center in St. Paul, Minn., and founder of the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minn., is skeptical of the theory that eastern wolves are hybrids. "How do you reconcile this with the fact that gray wolves typically don't breed with coyotes, but kill them?'' Mech said. "We have no records in the West of wolves hybridizing with coyotes, even in areas where single wolves looking for mates have dispersed into the middle of coyote country.'' Mech also questioned whether the study tested enough Canadian and North Carolina wolves and whether those specimens were true representatives of those populations. Although 48,000 genetic markers sounds like a lot, it's actually a relatively small part of the entire genetic code, Mech said. So the evidence of a unique eastern wolf ancestor could simply be in another part of the code that wasn't analyzed, he said. Several researchers who consider the eastern wolf species separate from the gray wolf weighed in recently in an online discussion of the new study. Brent Patterson, a genetics researcher at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, called the study "an important step forward.'' But until more samples are analyzed, the hypothesis that a North American wolf evolved independently from the gray wolf was still viable, he said. "It's an academic issue,'' Mech said. "It's nice to know what the origins are from the standpoint of curiosity, but from a conservation standpoint, it shouldn't make any difference.'' David Rabon, coordinator of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Red Wolf Recovery Program in North Carolina, said the federal agency has taken the position that the red wolf is a unique species that warrants protection. The new study, while interesting, won't likely change management decisions, he said.

  Jun 05, 2011 1328
• 01 Jun 2011
  Mountain lion shot in couple’s yard near Hamilton

  By PERRY BACKUS - Ravalli Republic Photo courtesy of Mahar family Geoff Mahar poses with the mountain lion he shot in his front yard Saturday evening after it attacked a goose. The mountain lion killed a sheep on the Mahar property earlier that day. After an eventful day, Geoff and Karen Mahar were sitting down to a late dinner Saturday evening when their prayers were answered. That morning, the couple had discovered that one of their sheep had been killed by a mountain lion at their home northwest of Hamilton. Geoff followed a 50-foot-long blood trail from his backyard pasture to find the sheep's carcass buried under some leaves and sticks. "It was a real obvious lion kill," Geoff said. "It had teeth marks on the back of its neck and rake marks down its sides. The front shoulder had been eaten away." Local Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist Lou Royce gave Mahar permission to shoot the mountain lion. A friend showed up with his hounds, but they weren't able to find the predator. Later, a U.S. Wildlife Services trapper set some traps around the carcass. Geoff spent the rest of the day working on a new shed. The day was nearly over when the couple sat down for their evening meal at about 8:30. "I remembered that I hadn't asked the blessing," Geoff said. "I prayed: Lord, it would be a small thing in your sight if we could get this lion thing finished." About 10 minutes later, the couple heard a ruckus coming from in front of their home. When they looked out the window, they saw a mountain lion race up the driveway and leap over the fence to pounce on their goose, just 10 yards from their front door. "Karen was immediately outside yelling at the lion," Geoff said. "I told her to get back in the house, and I grabbed my gun. All of this was happening in a flash." Geoff shot the lion in his front yard. This wasn't the first time that a mountain lion has killed domestic animals in the area, but Geoff said it did seem odd that it didn't show any fear when his wife started yelling at it. "It didn't shock me at all to have a sheep killed, but it was disconcerting that the lion wasn't at all afraid of us," Geoff said. Royce said it was unusual for the mountain lion to return so quickly to the Mahar home. "Typically, you would see them return at night," Royce said. "Having it come back so soon and kill a goose, it was probably a good thing that Geoff had a chance to get it before it could kill anymore." "I think it probably would have kept getting in trouble," Royce said. With the late winter and cold spring, Royce said people who live in the wildland/urban interface should be aware that predators may stick around in the lower elevations a little longer than normal this year. "Bears are just now starting to come out in force," Royce said. "They didn't have a great summer last year to put on weight, and now they're facing this long, cold spring. "They're hungry and there's not a lot of feed up high yet. People really just need to get rid of attractants. Those birdfeeders and cat and dog food on the porch attract bears." In some cases, people are going to find that bears aren't going to be afraid of them while feasting on food that's been left outside." "It's not the bear's fault," Royce said. "They're just hungry and they want to get some calories. It's not their fault that it's right up against people's homes." Royce also cautions homeowners against using attractants like salt or grain to bring in deer. "Many times, when we have a problem with predators, we'll find that someone in the neighborhood has been feeding deer," Royce said. "I've seen 30 deer in a front yard of someone's home. I understand that people like to see wildlife, but they often don't realize that it also brings in predators." Mahar's place was not the problem, Royce said. "He has livestock, but he keeps it cleaned up," Royce said. "There are not a bunch of turkeys or deer eating the leftover grain that his livestock wasted, but I'd put money on a bet that within a mile of his home there is someone feeding wildlife." Geoff is happy that he doesn't have to worry about the mountain lion anymore, especially since there are young children residing nearby. The mountain lion was estimated to be about 3 years old and weighed somewhere between 100 and 130 pounds. "It couldn't have worked out better for us, although my wife was pretty upset to lose her goose," Geoff said. "It was 2 years old. It was a mean old thing, but you still hate to see your animals killed like that. It didn't have a chance." The lion was a powerful animal. "The wether was big," Geoff said. "I couldn't drag that wether 5 yards. The lion had no problem dragging it 50 feet." Reach reporter Perry Backus at 363-3300 or pbackus@ravallirepublic.com.  

  1433 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  Mountain lion shot in couple’s yard near Hamilton

  By PERRY BACKUS - Ravalli Republic Photo courtesy of Mahar family Geoff Mahar poses with the mountain lion he shot in his front yard Saturday evening after it attacked a goose. The mountain lion killed a sheep on the Mahar property earlier that day. After an eventful day, Geoff and Karen Mahar were sitting down to a late dinner Saturday evening when their prayers were answered. That morning, the couple had discovered that one of their sheep had been killed by a mountain lion at their home northwest of Hamilton. Geoff followed a 50-foot-long blood trail from his backyard pasture to find the sheep's carcass buried under some leaves and sticks. "It was a real obvious lion kill," Geoff said. "It had teeth marks on the back of its neck and rake marks down its sides. The front shoulder had been eaten away." Local Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist Lou Royce gave Mahar permission to shoot the mountain lion. A friend showed up with his hounds, but they weren't able to find the predator. Later, a U.S. Wildlife Services trapper set some traps around the carcass. Geoff spent the rest of the day working on a new shed. The day was nearly over when the couple sat down for their evening meal at about 8:30. "I remembered that I hadn't asked the blessing," Geoff said. "I prayed: Lord, it would be a small thing in your sight if we could get this lion thing finished." About 10 minutes later, the couple heard a ruckus coming from in front of their home. When they looked out the window, they saw a mountain lion race up the driveway and leap over the fence to pounce on their goose, just 10 yards from their front door. "Karen was immediately outside yelling at the lion," Geoff said. "I told her to get back in the house, and I grabbed my gun. All of this was happening in a flash." Geoff shot the lion in his front yard. This wasn't the first time that a mountain lion has killed domestic animals in the area, but Geoff said it did seem odd that it didn't show any fear when his wife started yelling at it. "It didn't shock me at all to have a sheep killed, but it was disconcerting that the lion wasn't at all afraid of us," Geoff said. Royce said it was unusual for the mountain lion to return so quickly to the Mahar home. "Typically, you would see them return at night," Royce said. "Having it come back so soon and kill a goose, it was probably a good thing that Geoff had a chance to get it before it could kill anymore." "I think it probably would have kept getting in trouble," Royce said. With the late winter and cold spring, Royce said people who live in the wildland/urban interface should be aware that predators may stick around in the lower elevations a little longer than normal this year. "Bears are just now starting to come out in force," Royce said. "They didn't have a great summer last year to put on weight, and now they're facing this long, cold spring. "They're hungry and there's not a lot of feed up high yet. People really just need to get rid of attractants. Those birdfeeders and cat and dog food on the porch attract bears." In some cases, people are going to find that bears aren't going to be afraid of them while feasting on food that's been left outside." "It's not the bear's fault," Royce said. "They're just hungry and they want to get some calories. It's not their fault that it's right up against people's homes." Royce also cautions homeowners against using attractants like salt or grain to bring in deer. "Many times, when we have a problem with predators, we'll find that someone in the neighborhood has been feeding deer," Royce said. "I've seen 30 deer in a front yard of someone's home. I understand that people like to see wildlife, but they often don't realize that it also brings in predators." Mahar's place was not the problem, Royce said. "He has livestock, but he keeps it cleaned up," Royce said. "There are not a bunch of turkeys or deer eating the leftover grain that his livestock wasted, but I'd put money on a bet that within a mile of his home there is someone feeding wildlife." Geoff is happy that he doesn't have to worry about the mountain lion anymore, especially since there are young children residing nearby. The mountain lion was estimated to be about 3 years old and weighed somewhere between 100 and 130 pounds. "It couldn't have worked out better for us, although my wife was pretty upset to lose her goose," Geoff said. "It was 2 years old. It was a mean old thing, but you still hate to see your animals killed like that. It didn't have a chance." The lion was a powerful animal. "The wether was big," Geoff said. "I couldn't drag that wether 5 yards. The lion had no problem dragging it 50 feet." Reach reporter Perry Backus at 363-3300 or pbackus@ravallirepublic.com.  

  Jun 01, 2011 1433
• 31 May 2011
  Rockledge boy, 10, wrangles 6-foot alligator

  ROCKLEDGE -- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers were called to a home in Rockledge on Wednesday after they were told a 10-year-old boy dragged a 6-foot alligator home from a nearby canal. Michael Dasher said he was fishing with his friends from the side of the canal, near Green Road and Fiske Boulevard, when something caught the hook. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Michael Dasher said he was fishing with his friends from the side of the canal,  near Green Road and Fiske Boulevard, when something caught the hook --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The line snapped," Michael said.  His friend, Kentral Welch, said he thought Michael caught a big one.  "I thought it was a really big fish until I saw his face," Kentral said.  The boys said Michael hooked a 6-foot alligator. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The boy was somehow able to capture the animal, which wildlife officials measured at 5 feet 9 inches long,  and drag it home without getting seriously injured. He did have a few minor scratches on his hands and arms. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael said the alligator ran at him, so he started hitting it with sticks. He said at one point he jumped on the back of the beast.  Michael was somehow able to capture the animal, which wildlife officials measured at 5 feet 9 inches long, and drag it home without getting seriously injured. He did have a few minor scratches on his hands and arms. His grandfather, Benjie Cox, said when he saw the alligator in the front yard he called the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and wildlife officials.  Cox said after he gave Michael a stern talk about what he had done, the officers gave him one, too. He said they told him that if he was older, he would have been arrested and charged with a felony. Cox said the alligator seemed like it was in bad shape, but wildlife officers said they were planning to release it back into the St. John's River.  Michael said he learned his lesson and will run if he ever sees another alligator.  

  1158 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  Rockledge boy, 10, wrangles 6-foot alligator

  ROCKLEDGE -- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers were called to a home in Rockledge on Wednesday after they were told a 10-year-old boy dragged a 6-foot alligator home from a nearby canal. Michael Dasher said he was fishing with his friends from the side of the canal, near Green Road and Fiske Boulevard, when something caught the hook. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Michael Dasher said he was fishing with his friends from the side of the canal,  near Green Road and Fiske Boulevard, when something caught the hook --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The line snapped," Michael said.  His friend, Kentral Welch, said he thought Michael caught a big one.  "I thought it was a really big fish until I saw his face," Kentral said.  The boys said Michael hooked a 6-foot alligator. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The boy was somehow able to capture the animal, which wildlife officials measured at 5 feet 9 inches long,  and drag it home without getting seriously injured. He did have a few minor scratches on his hands and arms. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael said the alligator ran at him, so he started hitting it with sticks. He said at one point he jumped on the back of the beast.  Michael was somehow able to capture the animal, which wildlife officials measured at 5 feet 9 inches long, and drag it home without getting seriously injured. He did have a few minor scratches on his hands and arms. His grandfather, Benjie Cox, said when he saw the alligator in the front yard he called the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and wildlife officials.  Cox said after he gave Michael a stern talk about what he had done, the officers gave him one, too. He said they told him that if he was older, he would have been arrested and charged with a felony. Cox said the alligator seemed like it was in bad shape, but wildlife officers said they were planning to release it back into the St. John's River.  Michael said he learned his lesson and will run if he ever sees another alligator.  

  May 31, 2011 1158
• 29 May 2011
  Cull Coyotes For Better Deer Hunting

  Can culling coyotes on your deer lease help the herd? Lots of factors affect the answer. by Mark Kayser Coyote Density Most prey species have cyclic, annual reproduction rates and as the habitat that sustains them decreases, so does the population of the prey. Predators follow suit and also decrease as prey diminishes. Litter sizes shrink and inefficient hunters succumb to the best hunters in a pack. This has been proven in research studies involving predators such as coyotes and Canada lynx in the context of snowshoe hare cyclic trends. Your first goal is to determine if you are dealing with a high coyote density or an average population. Most states have animal damage control offices that deal with predator and nuisance animal control. The United States Department of Agriculture might have an animal damage control officer in your area. These specialists work daily with predators and can tell you if you live in a “problem” area or if trying to control coyotes would be a waste of time. You can do your own research. First, do you routinely find evidence of deer mortality on your property? Do you find fawn parts, adult deer parts and deer hair in coyote scat? Can you trace those kills back to coyotes or are they scavenging road kills from a nearby highway or taking advantage of deer wounded and lost during the deer season? Listen at dawn and dusk and count the number of howls you hear. You can also trigger howls with a siren or recorded howls. This will give you an idea of how many coyotes are in the area. Finally, look for tracks and scat, and count your sightings. If you hunt the property regularly keep notes of when, where and how many tracks, scat and sightings you come across. Ask your hunting partners and lessees to do the same to broaden your perspective of the local coyote density. Habitat Inventory If you have a large property consisting of several hundred acres that include food plots and dense cover, you might be actually ringing the dinner bell for coyotes. Quality habitat increases the all-around prey base and that might attract coyotes. That can be both good and bad. The Quality Deer Management Association attempts to keep its members abreast of the latest in information to aid deer management practices. This organization has updated its members on new research conducted by students and faculty of Mississippi State University regarding predator and deer relationship. The study, which lasted nearly 10 years, indicated that deer managers who conserve and enhance habitat aid deer by creating better fawn hiding locations and overall escape habitat. Plus, the habitat increases other prey species that will attract the attention of predators looking for an easy meal so they won’t be as apt to focus on deer. Location Where you manage deer also should influence your decision to control coyotes. Deer in southern latitudes have less overall stress throughout the year due to increased browse and less winter stress. Deer in northern latitudes often have a feast or famine lifestyle with abundant browse from spring through fall, but suffer through severe conditions due to snow and cold in the winter months. After being rundown from the rigors of the rut, northern deer easily succumb to predation when deep snow and cold enter the equation. I’ve seen a pack of coyotes run down a tired buck and strip it of every ounce of edible meat. Although that isn’t the norm, coyotes tend to have an advantage on northern deer when conditions merit. Another negative factor facing northern deer is their practice of yarding and herding up in large groups, again attracting coyotes. It’s not unusual to see coyotes approaching winter herds of deer and running them to see if any weak animals are in the group. I’ve witnessed it dozens of times and have watched coyotes do the same with my saddle horses. If you try and manage deer in a northern region that has a high coyote density, keep your eye on the conditions to see if coyotes are targeting stressed herds. Research Results Several studies have been undertaken on the predator-and-prey relationship, specifically the coyote’s impact on prey. Each study differs because of location, duration and resources available to conduct the study, but you can glean a few important facts from each. To begin with, several studies strongly support the notion that coyotes prey on fawns in the spring. One study conducted on the coastal plains of South Texas clearly showed fawn survival could be substantially increased by decreasing coyote densities. Two study areas, each consisting of 5,000 acres, were designated. They were five miles apart. One was designated a predator removal site and the other as the control site with no predator control at all. Predator densities were similar prior to the two-year removal period. During the first year the whitetail deer counts indicated a fawn-to-doe ratio on the predator removal property to be at 0.47 and 0.12 on the control property without predator removal. During the second year the fawn to doe ratio jumped to 0.82 on the predator removal property and 0.32 on the control site. Interestingly, similar jumps in productivity were seen in bobwhite quail and Rio Grande turkeys at the removal site. Another study took place over eight years in the Welder Wildlife Refuge in South Texas. Researches coyote-proofed 1,000 acres of pasture with raised and buried fence. The top of the fence was charged with electricity to ensure that coyotes were kept out. All coyotes were removed, but deer were able to cross the perimeter fence and cattle were introduced to replicate typical agricultural conditions. Researchers discovered that fawn survivability was 30 percent higher in the enclosure as compared to the unregulated refuge. Over the next five years, the whitetail density increased, but declined after that period due to decreased food supplies and increased parasites. What do these studies prove? First, the studies took place in areas where deer habitat was not altered. Therefore, as fawn survivability increased along with the overall deer herd, the food base did not. The carrying capacity of the land could not keep up with the animals found within the research sites. That’s not the case on most managed properties today. Quality management programs supplement nutrition in addition to maximizing food plots. Savvy managers have at least 5 percent, if not more, of land cultivated in food-plot programs. Most of the better properties I’ve been on actually have an abundance of food to meet the demands of area deer as well as those migrating to the property during severe winter weather. Next, in several of the studies the predator removal program was only implemented for a short window of time, two years or less. After removal had concluded, coyote numbers began to rise because of predator dispersion and fawn survivability again decreased. One of the studies showed that any coyote removal program of less than six months in time had little effect. Solid results were only seen after nine months or more, and had to be continued to keep fawn survivability high. Short-term bursts of coyote control were only recommended for problem coyotes, particularly those preying on livestock or that had learned to prey on adult deer effectively. Finally, you won’t find a “one-size-fits-all” answer to predator management for optimum deer production. The MSU study clearly illustrated that properties managed with the greatest potential for habitat can achieve quality deer production with little or no predator management. If you have a chink in your plan and are short on habitat, coyotes can pressure your deer, particularly your annual fawn crop. They could be eating the next trophy on your property before it has a chance to grow. Most deer managers take a “no-tolerance” approach to coyotes. Greg Simons manages more than 300,000 acres for deer in Texas with his outfitting business Wildlife Systems and has managed properties for hunting for 20 years. As a biologist with a wildlife and fisheries science degree from Texas A&M University, Simons believes firmly in controlling predators on his property and has the data to prove it. Simons is managing nearly 200,000 acres in west Texas for mule deer and has implemented an intensive predator control program to increase fawn production. After six years the results are obvious and only affected by Mother Nature. “We track the fawn crop on our property and before we started managing the predators our fawn crop was less than twenty-five percent. After one year of predator control, fawn production jumped to eighty percent and has been averaging seventy percent or higher since,” explains Simons. “Last year we only had two inches of rain from January through August so we were in a severe drought, but we still managed to keep fawn production at fifty percent. I can only guess what it would have been without predator control, but I’m sure the percentage would have been much lower.” Currently, Wildlife Systems has multiple leased properties under intensive predator control, but Simons stresses that you can’t hope for miracles on a small property, especially if it is only surrounded by barbed wire. Regardless of your efforts you will continue to have coyotes unless your neighbors also implement a predator-management program. If you own a high-fenced property with net or woven wire fence, you might have better luck managing coyotes. From his experience Simons knows that coyotes prefer to slide under a net fence instead of going through it, leaving easy-to-find clues of their entrance. These slide areas are perfect locations for snares to catch the invaders. Simons stresses that once you commit to a predator management program you need to continue it through the duration of your deer management program regardless of the size of a property. If you stop controlling the predators the vacuum you create will quickly be filled by other coyotes. In a year or two you’ll be back to where you started, advises Simons. If you want to increase fawn production on your property, consider increasing the habitat base and following a stringent predator management control program. Even though people might never agree on coyote control as a whole, I think we can all agree that any fragile fawn or weak adult deer will become a snack if a coyote finds it. It’s your choice whether you want to decrease that opportunity by decreasing the coyote population.

  1627 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  Cull Coyotes For Better Deer Hunting

  Can culling coyotes on your deer lease help the herd? Lots of factors affect the answer. by Mark Kayser Coyote Density Most prey species have cyclic, annual reproduction rates and as the habitat that sustains them decreases, so does the population of the prey. Predators follow suit and also decrease as prey diminishes. Litter sizes shrink and inefficient hunters succumb to the best hunters in a pack. This has been proven in research studies involving predators such as coyotes and Canada lynx in the context of snowshoe hare cyclic trends. Your first goal is to determine if you are dealing with a high coyote density or an average population. Most states have animal damage control offices that deal with predator and nuisance animal control. The United States Department of Agriculture might have an animal damage control officer in your area. These specialists work daily with predators and can tell you if you live in a “problem” area or if trying to control coyotes would be a waste of time. You can do your own research. First, do you routinely find evidence of deer mortality on your property? Do you find fawn parts, adult deer parts and deer hair in coyote scat? Can you trace those kills back to coyotes or are they scavenging road kills from a nearby highway or taking advantage of deer wounded and lost during the deer season? Listen at dawn and dusk and count the number of howls you hear. You can also trigger howls with a siren or recorded howls. This will give you an idea of how many coyotes are in the area. Finally, look for tracks and scat, and count your sightings. If you hunt the property regularly keep notes of when, where and how many tracks, scat and sightings you come across. Ask your hunting partners and lessees to do the same to broaden your perspective of the local coyote density. Habitat Inventory If you have a large property consisting of several hundred acres that include food plots and dense cover, you might be actually ringing the dinner bell for coyotes. Quality habitat increases the all-around prey base and that might attract coyotes. That can be both good and bad. The Quality Deer Management Association attempts to keep its members abreast of the latest in information to aid deer management practices. This organization has updated its members on new research conducted by students and faculty of Mississippi State University regarding predator and deer relationship. The study, which lasted nearly 10 years, indicated that deer managers who conserve and enhance habitat aid deer by creating better fawn hiding locations and overall escape habitat. Plus, the habitat increases other prey species that will attract the attention of predators looking for an easy meal so they won’t be as apt to focus on deer. Location Where you manage deer also should influence your decision to control coyotes. Deer in southern latitudes have less overall stress throughout the year due to increased browse and less winter stress. Deer in northern latitudes often have a feast or famine lifestyle with abundant browse from spring through fall, but suffer through severe conditions due to snow and cold in the winter months. After being rundown from the rigors of the rut, northern deer easily succumb to predation when deep snow and cold enter the equation. I’ve seen a pack of coyotes run down a tired buck and strip it of every ounce of edible meat. Although that isn’t the norm, coyotes tend to have an advantage on northern deer when conditions merit. Another negative factor facing northern deer is their practice of yarding and herding up in large groups, again attracting coyotes. It’s not unusual to see coyotes approaching winter herds of deer and running them to see if any weak animals are in the group. I’ve witnessed it dozens of times and have watched coyotes do the same with my saddle horses. If you try and manage deer in a northern region that has a high coyote density, keep your eye on the conditions to see if coyotes are targeting stressed herds. Research Results Several studies have been undertaken on the predator-and-prey relationship, specifically the coyote’s impact on prey. Each study differs because of location, duration and resources available to conduct the study, but you can glean a few important facts from each. To begin with, several studies strongly support the notion that coyotes prey on fawns in the spring. One study conducted on the coastal plains of South Texas clearly showed fawn survival could be substantially increased by decreasing coyote densities. Two study areas, each consisting of 5,000 acres, were designated. They were five miles apart. One was designated a predator removal site and the other as the control site with no predator control at all. Predator densities were similar prior to the two-year removal period. During the first year the whitetail deer counts indicated a fawn-to-doe ratio on the predator removal property to be at 0.47 and 0.12 on the control property without predator removal. During the second year the fawn to doe ratio jumped to 0.82 on the predator removal property and 0.32 on the control site. Interestingly, similar jumps in productivity were seen in bobwhite quail and Rio Grande turkeys at the removal site. Another study took place over eight years in the Welder Wildlife Refuge in South Texas. Researches coyote-proofed 1,000 acres of pasture with raised and buried fence. The top of the fence was charged with electricity to ensure that coyotes were kept out. All coyotes were removed, but deer were able to cross the perimeter fence and cattle were introduced to replicate typical agricultural conditions. Researchers discovered that fawn survivability was 30 percent higher in the enclosure as compared to the unregulated refuge. Over the next five years, the whitetail density increased, but declined after that period due to decreased food supplies and increased parasites. What do these studies prove? First, the studies took place in areas where deer habitat was not altered. Therefore, as fawn survivability increased along with the overall deer herd, the food base did not. The carrying capacity of the land could not keep up with the animals found within the research sites. That’s not the case on most managed properties today. Quality management programs supplement nutrition in addition to maximizing food plots. Savvy managers have at least 5 percent, if not more, of land cultivated in food-plot programs. Most of the better properties I’ve been on actually have an abundance of food to meet the demands of area deer as well as those migrating to the property during severe winter weather. Next, in several of the studies the predator removal program was only implemented for a short window of time, two years or less. After removal had concluded, coyote numbers began to rise because of predator dispersion and fawn survivability again decreased. One of the studies showed that any coyote removal program of less than six months in time had little effect. Solid results were only seen after nine months or more, and had to be continued to keep fawn survivability high. Short-term bursts of coyote control were only recommended for problem coyotes, particularly those preying on livestock or that had learned to prey on adult deer effectively. Finally, you won’t find a “one-size-fits-all” answer to predator management for optimum deer production. The MSU study clearly illustrated that properties managed with the greatest potential for habitat can achieve quality deer production with little or no predator management. If you have a chink in your plan and are short on habitat, coyotes can pressure your deer, particularly your annual fawn crop. They could be eating the next trophy on your property before it has a chance to grow. Most deer managers take a “no-tolerance” approach to coyotes. Greg Simons manages more than 300,000 acres for deer in Texas with his outfitting business Wildlife Systems and has managed properties for hunting for 20 years. As a biologist with a wildlife and fisheries science degree from Texas A&M University, Simons believes firmly in controlling predators on his property and has the data to prove it. Simons is managing nearly 200,000 acres in west Texas for mule deer and has implemented an intensive predator control program to increase fawn production. After six years the results are obvious and only affected by Mother Nature. “We track the fawn crop on our property and before we started managing the predators our fawn crop was less than twenty-five percent. After one year of predator control, fawn production jumped to eighty percent and has been averaging seventy percent or higher since,” explains Simons. “Last year we only had two inches of rain from January through August so we were in a severe drought, but we still managed to keep fawn production at fifty percent. I can only guess what it would have been without predator control, but I’m sure the percentage would have been much lower.” Currently, Wildlife Systems has multiple leased properties under intensive predator control, but Simons stresses that you can’t hope for miracles on a small property, especially if it is only surrounded by barbed wire. Regardless of your efforts you will continue to have coyotes unless your neighbors also implement a predator-management program. If you own a high-fenced property with net or woven wire fence, you might have better luck managing coyotes. From his experience Simons knows that coyotes prefer to slide under a net fence instead of going through it, leaving easy-to-find clues of their entrance. These slide areas are perfect locations for snares to catch the invaders. Simons stresses that once you commit to a predator management program you need to continue it through the duration of your deer management program regardless of the size of a property. If you stop controlling the predators the vacuum you create will quickly be filled by other coyotes. In a year or two you’ll be back to where you started, advises Simons. If you want to increase fawn production on your property, consider increasing the habitat base and following a stringent predator management control program. Even though people might never agree on coyote control as a whole, I think we can all agree that any fragile fawn or weak adult deer will become a snack if a coyote finds it. It’s your choice whether you want to decrease that opportunity by decreasing the coyote population.

  May 29, 2011 1627
• 29 May 2011
  Understanding a Coyote's Will to Survive

  Understanding the battle for survival will make you a better coyote hunter. by Randy Smith Besides the normal struggle for food and shelter, a coyote’s daily life is constantly fraught with territorial challenges, quarrels over dominance, environmental threats, disease, and hunter peril. Their survival is constantly challenged, but in spite of all the threats they have flourished. Coyote learn quickly and have long memories. Older coyotes are masters at survival and teach each other well. Because the coyote is so intelligent, it has a longer learning and maturity curve. Coyote have a relatively complex social life. The more you understand that social life, the better your chances. Life Cycle Tactics I normally begin serious calling in late September and in the past have enjoyed pretty good success, especially on young dogs. Shooting can be quite good through October. November brings an influx of big game and upland bird hunters and calling gets tougher. During those times I concentrate on areas not normally associated with pheasants or deer. Fringe dwellers are the coyotes that I have the best luck calling in late October. With no wary adult to supervise them, these sexually immature males are easy to call. They are often hungry and stressed because they have lost the support of the pack. They are also very curious, especially if they have not encountered a caller before. This is the period when distress calls work very well, and most dogs can be called into very close range. This is also the reason there are more coyote road kills in late fall. Young nomads often scavenge road kills and have not learned the dangers of such a practice. Their desire for an easy meal becomes their death warrant when they are suddenly surprised and bewildered by the lights of an approaching auto. Consequently it is a good strategy to set up over bait during this period. I do the bulk of my calling in January and February after the close of deer season. Stress is greatest during these months and I have traditionally had my best luck using distress calls, social howls and barks. The combination of distress calls with bait works very well. This is the time of year when I often get opportunistic shots early in the morning and late in the evening by just driving the back roads and catching individuals on open fields still trying to fill their bellies. Excellent calling can be had when it is snowing heavily, or the first clear day just after a snow. To me, this is the very best calling time. I have always had my best luck under these conditions. I’ve called dogs throughout the day with no apparent break in the action. Blizzards tend to force them to hole up, so they are out just after the storm to fill their bellies. Calling is especially good in protected wooded areas. Breeding Season Tactics Depending on the latitude, breeding season can begin by mid-January. Until the breeding season, I concentrate tactics around the coyote’s desire for food and comfort, or the lack of experience of juveniles. During the breeding season, the coyote population is in its greatest annual period of change. This is the season of the coyote wars. One or several males competing for a female may be challenging an area, and females coming into estrus are searching for a new mate. Researchers (KSU-1968), (Feldhamer, Thompson, Chapman -2003). (Sacks, Bannashch, Chomel, Bruno) contend that secondary or “Beta” females will come into estrus 12 to 17 days after the Alpha female. Since the Alpha pair has bonded, the Beta female must go out on her own to find a mate. Coyote social behavior and nature’s calling combine to cause an unusual amount of relocation, confrontation, pair bonding, and territorial challenge. This also extends the daylight hours that coyotes are active. A hunter is more likely to see more coyotes during the day throughout the breeding season. Breeding pairs can often be caught on open ground as late as mid-day, when the hunter is changing calling sites. Rather than wasting time and ammunition trying to gun down a running pair from the road, take note of these areas and the time the dogs are sighted. Set up for the following morning or next weekend. Chances are the pair will be there. Breeding pairs are establishing den area territories, so they keep a fairly predictable route. These open areas may well be challenging grounds and contain traffic from several different social levels including females in heat, independent males on the make, and Alpha pairs trying to confirm a territory. A great deal of territorial marking may be taking place and be drawing in the dogs. This is a time for aggressive calling using howlers, territorial challenges and the estrus chirp. I normally use a .243 for long range shots and for bucking the traditional windy conditions of the season. An advantage is that it’s normally not as cold in March and sitting in a blind or on a hillside is not uncomfortable. You can wait longer for something to develop. A good pair of binoculars is a must for observing game trails and activity. The disadvantage to breeding season is the weather is unpredictable. It can be warm and still, then a howling wind kicks in, or even a sudden shower or snow squall. Coyotes react differently to each weather situation and a caller can never be sure what those reactions might be. On the other hand, weather changes contribute to the unsettled nature of coyote society and can be an advantage to the caller. Use higher volume on a windy morning. Breeders may not respond as aggressively to traditional distress calls because they have territorial matters foremost on their mind. It may be necessary to go for the long shot off a well braced bipod. Many times my calls do nothing more than stop them for an easier shot opportunity. I’ll use a short bark on my howler to pull this off. If I do connect, I’ll leave him lay, stay in position and keep calling rather than disturb the area. This is also a period when you may run into bold packs that will eagerly cross open ground and come right into the call. They will aggressively defend territory and react boldly. This is driven by Alphas in a quest for territorial control, and pack support is utilized to reinforce their status. This trait can significantly improve calling success. Last season I called in five at one time the first weekend of April. This demonstrated to me that some packs will remain together later than commonly believed. A good low chair or butt pad helps the hunter remain still for longer periods of time. A cover scent is practical in close, still conditions, but on open ground in breezy conditions I don’t bother. Breeding season is an excellent time to deploy the howler and an estrus “chirp” call. I use a high pitched howler to mimic juvenile males or females in heat. Whole family units may come in to defend territory. Single males may also frequent the area checking scent markings and challenging for territory. A howl from a perspective breeding female may be all the encouragement he needs to move in. I don’t recommend overusing the howler, especially later in the morning. At that time of day it is better to simply wait in ambush from the high ground until you see something and then try to entice with a high pitch bark or the good old distress cry. Late day singles may well be nomads looking for a meal at a time when they are less likely to encounter dominate aggressive packs. You can often tell which cry to try by watching the coyote’s body language. If he is advancing at a fairly brisk trot with head low, poking and prodding, digging and searching, a distress cry will probably encourage investigation rather than a territorial challenge. However, if he is moving cautiously with his head held high, frequent stops where he scans the area, moving to high ground and pausing to investigate, an estrus chirp or challenge bark will be more successful. This dog is either on the prowl for a territorial challenge or he is looking for a mate. An estrus “chirp” is a short, brisk vocalization best made with an open reed mouth call. It is a great attention getter and works similarly to a bark with a howler. It is higher pitched and sharper than a howler bark and often convinces a potential suitor or rival to come in for a look. The best location for breeding season is the back country where there is little human traffic in the early morning and plenty of food resources. This is a good time to wear wading boots and cross streams that may turn back other callers. Breeding season coyotes are going to frequent areas of less human traffic and a sound strategy is to go where others don’t and remain in the area later in the day. Large concentrations of rats, mice, and birds are good indicators, as are lambing and calving grounds. I’ve had very good luck recently by overlooking open ground over a mile stretch between lambing ground and good den sites. I like the sand hills where there are acres of farmland bordering good, well foliaged den areas. Winter crops are still short and ground cover is slight. Dogs often pass across these open fields on their way back to heavier cover after a night of foraging. Most of all, coyotes are more aggressive and preoccupied during breeding season. They are more likely to get involved with social activities and let their guard drop. Beginning callers should try their luck in the spring during breeding season before becoming too discouraged. Mistakes we all make are often countered by the natural aggression and confusion that develops during the coyote breeding season.

  3307 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  Understanding a Coyote's Will to Survive

  Understanding the battle for survival will make you a better coyote hunter. by Randy Smith Besides the normal struggle for food and shelter, a coyote’s daily life is constantly fraught with territorial challenges, quarrels over dominance, environmental threats, disease, and hunter peril. Their survival is constantly challenged, but in spite of all the threats they have flourished. Coyote learn quickly and have long memories. Older coyotes are masters at survival and teach each other well. Because the coyote is so intelligent, it has a longer learning and maturity curve. Coyote have a relatively complex social life. The more you understand that social life, the better your chances. Life Cycle Tactics I normally begin serious calling in late September and in the past have enjoyed pretty good success, especially on young dogs. Shooting can be quite good through October. November brings an influx of big game and upland bird hunters and calling gets tougher. During those times I concentrate on areas not normally associated with pheasants or deer. Fringe dwellers are the coyotes that I have the best luck calling in late October. With no wary adult to supervise them, these sexually immature males are easy to call. They are often hungry and stressed because they have lost the support of the pack. They are also very curious, especially if they have not encountered a caller before. This is the period when distress calls work very well, and most dogs can be called into very close range. This is also the reason there are more coyote road kills in late fall. Young nomads often scavenge road kills and have not learned the dangers of such a practice. Their desire for an easy meal becomes their death warrant when they are suddenly surprised and bewildered by the lights of an approaching auto. Consequently it is a good strategy to set up over bait during this period. I do the bulk of my calling in January and February after the close of deer season. Stress is greatest during these months and I have traditionally had my best luck using distress calls, social howls and barks. The combination of distress calls with bait works very well. This is the time of year when I often get opportunistic shots early in the morning and late in the evening by just driving the back roads and catching individuals on open fields still trying to fill their bellies. Excellent calling can be had when it is snowing heavily, or the first clear day just after a snow. To me, this is the very best calling time. I have always had my best luck under these conditions. I’ve called dogs throughout the day with no apparent break in the action. Blizzards tend to force them to hole up, so they are out just after the storm to fill their bellies. Calling is especially good in protected wooded areas. Breeding Season Tactics Depending on the latitude, breeding season can begin by mid-January. Until the breeding season, I concentrate tactics around the coyote’s desire for food and comfort, or the lack of experience of juveniles. During the breeding season, the coyote population is in its greatest annual period of change. This is the season of the coyote wars. One or several males competing for a female may be challenging an area, and females coming into estrus are searching for a new mate. Researchers (KSU-1968), (Feldhamer, Thompson, Chapman -2003). (Sacks, Bannashch, Chomel, Bruno) contend that secondary or “Beta” females will come into estrus 12 to 17 days after the Alpha female. Since the Alpha pair has bonded, the Beta female must go out on her own to find a mate. Coyote social behavior and nature’s calling combine to cause an unusual amount of relocation, confrontation, pair bonding, and territorial challenge. This also extends the daylight hours that coyotes are active. A hunter is more likely to see more coyotes during the day throughout the breeding season. Breeding pairs can often be caught on open ground as late as mid-day, when the hunter is changing calling sites. Rather than wasting time and ammunition trying to gun down a running pair from the road, take note of these areas and the time the dogs are sighted. Set up for the following morning or next weekend. Chances are the pair will be there. Breeding pairs are establishing den area territories, so they keep a fairly predictable route. These open areas may well be challenging grounds and contain traffic from several different social levels including females in heat, independent males on the make, and Alpha pairs trying to confirm a territory. A great deal of territorial marking may be taking place and be drawing in the dogs. This is a time for aggressive calling using howlers, territorial challenges and the estrus chirp. I normally use a .243 for long range shots and for bucking the traditional windy conditions of the season. An advantage is that it’s normally not as cold in March and sitting in a blind or on a hillside is not uncomfortable. You can wait longer for something to develop. A good pair of binoculars is a must for observing game trails and activity. The disadvantage to breeding season is the weather is unpredictable. It can be warm and still, then a howling wind kicks in, or even a sudden shower or snow squall. Coyotes react differently to each weather situation and a caller can never be sure what those reactions might be. On the other hand, weather changes contribute to the unsettled nature of coyote society and can be an advantage to the caller. Use higher volume on a windy morning. Breeders may not respond as aggressively to traditional distress calls because they have territorial matters foremost on their mind. It may be necessary to go for the long shot off a well braced bipod. Many times my calls do nothing more than stop them for an easier shot opportunity. I’ll use a short bark on my howler to pull this off. If I do connect, I’ll leave him lay, stay in position and keep calling rather than disturb the area. This is also a period when you may run into bold packs that will eagerly cross open ground and come right into the call. They will aggressively defend territory and react boldly. This is driven by Alphas in a quest for territorial control, and pack support is utilized to reinforce their status. This trait can significantly improve calling success. Last season I called in five at one time the first weekend of April. This demonstrated to me that some packs will remain together later than commonly believed. A good low chair or butt pad helps the hunter remain still for longer periods of time. A cover scent is practical in close, still conditions, but on open ground in breezy conditions I don’t bother. Breeding season is an excellent time to deploy the howler and an estrus “chirp” call. I use a high pitched howler to mimic juvenile males or females in heat. Whole family units may come in to defend territory. Single males may also frequent the area checking scent markings and challenging for territory. A howl from a perspective breeding female may be all the encouragement he needs to move in. I don’t recommend overusing the howler, especially later in the morning. At that time of day it is better to simply wait in ambush from the high ground until you see something and then try to entice with a high pitch bark or the good old distress cry. Late day singles may well be nomads looking for a meal at a time when they are less likely to encounter dominate aggressive packs. You can often tell which cry to try by watching the coyote’s body language. If he is advancing at a fairly brisk trot with head low, poking and prodding, digging and searching, a distress cry will probably encourage investigation rather than a territorial challenge. However, if he is moving cautiously with his head held high, frequent stops where he scans the area, moving to high ground and pausing to investigate, an estrus chirp or challenge bark will be more successful. This dog is either on the prowl for a territorial challenge or he is looking for a mate. An estrus “chirp” is a short, brisk vocalization best made with an open reed mouth call. It is a great attention getter and works similarly to a bark with a howler. It is higher pitched and sharper than a howler bark and often convinces a potential suitor or rival to come in for a look. The best location for breeding season is the back country where there is little human traffic in the early morning and plenty of food resources. This is a good time to wear wading boots and cross streams that may turn back other callers. Breeding season coyotes are going to frequent areas of less human traffic and a sound strategy is to go where others don’t and remain in the area later in the day. Large concentrations of rats, mice, and birds are good indicators, as are lambing and calving grounds. I’ve had very good luck recently by overlooking open ground over a mile stretch between lambing ground and good den sites. I like the sand hills where there are acres of farmland bordering good, well foliaged den areas. Winter crops are still short and ground cover is slight. Dogs often pass across these open fields on their way back to heavier cover after a night of foraging. Most of all, coyotes are more aggressive and preoccupied during breeding season. They are more likely to get involved with social activities and let their guard drop. Beginning callers should try their luck in the spring during breeding season before becoming too discouraged. Mistakes we all make are often countered by the natural aggression and confusion that develops during the coyote breeding season.

  May 29, 2011 3307
• 27 May 2011
  Making Sense Of Scents

  Choose the right kind of scent and technique to attract and stop a buck in his tracks. by Jack Young Most hunting-related scent products are designed to eliminate human odors. Four scent categories include: masking, odor-adsorbing, odor-eliminating, and oxidizing. Each has advantages, disadvantages, and preferred applications. Masking Scents Masking scents are most misunderstood. Covering one scent with another is a poor approach to odor management. Game possess olfactory senses many thousands times better than humans. Dousing oneself with masking scents means game animals simply smell you and the cover scent. Adsorbing Scents Odor-adsorbing products are better solution, but after active ingredients (baking soda, activated carbon, Abscents crystals/powder) reach carrying capacity they will adsorb no more. They’re certainly effective but require frequent recharging. Odor-Elimination/Oxidization Odor-eliminating or oxidizing products prove most effective on a wider variety of odor sources and have become the industry standard. Active ingredients chemically neutralize or oxidize odors. In the first case key chemicals react with odor molecules to turn them into inert, odorless compounds. Oxidizers quickly accelerate the break-down of odor compounds to make them disappear. Scent Lures And Tools Unlike masking or odor-eliminating scent-control products designed to camouflage game-spooking odors, bowhunting lures are meant to attract attention. These contain urine, glands, or hormones to arouse sexual interest from game. Some also contain “curiosity” agents that many deer feel inclined to investigate. The latter are used for early seasons preceding the rut. In general, game lures, like “doe-in-heat concoctions, are most effective during rut periods when males seek female companionship. Many over-zealous bowhunters dump entire bottles of lure around stand sites hoping to attract full-out charges from love-crazed bucks. It could happen, but it is highly unlikely. Effective approaches to sex-lure attractants include creating drag-lines to bring trailing bucks within range and placing scent pods to stop animals in desired shooting lanes. Regarding drag-lines, take care to assure that your human scent doesn’t mix with the scent line. Tie a clean length of cord to a long switch, a wick, or clean cloth saturated with lure attached to the end. Hold the branch at arm’s length. This distance, plus the added reach of the switch, will help leave your drag-lines free of human scent. If you know that your boots are completely scent-free, you can apply lure scent to your boot soles and trail in. Create a multitude of drag-lines around stand sites. Each line vectoring toward your stand can help bring a rutting whitetail buck in for a closer shot. Too, by paying attention to wind direction, you might actually be able direct animals away from your downwind quarter and avoid being winded. Scents Can Stop And Distract Using scents or lures to stop or distract animals is also effective. Place scent-charged wicks or scent pods upwind of your position to create standing shots at preoccupied animals. Placing scent pods behind stumps, tree trunks, or rocks might also stop deer while also blocking their vision, allowing you a chance to draw your bow undetected. Scents of all kinds can prove to be highly effective tools to regular bowhunting success. Use today’s array of scents to disguise your own scent, to better position animals for the shot, but do so wisely. Avoid desperate measures and always, always watch that wind to prevent educating animals in your hunting area—or sending them into retreat at the moment of truth.

  1542 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  Making Sense Of Scents

  Choose the right kind of scent and technique to attract and stop a buck in his tracks. by Jack Young Most hunting-related scent products are designed to eliminate human odors. Four scent categories include: masking, odor-adsorbing, odor-eliminating, and oxidizing. Each has advantages, disadvantages, and preferred applications. Masking Scents Masking scents are most misunderstood. Covering one scent with another is a poor approach to odor management. Game possess olfactory senses many thousands times better than humans. Dousing oneself with masking scents means game animals simply smell you and the cover scent. Adsorbing Scents Odor-adsorbing products are better solution, but after active ingredients (baking soda, activated carbon, Abscents crystals/powder) reach carrying capacity they will adsorb no more. They’re certainly effective but require frequent recharging. Odor-Elimination/Oxidization Odor-eliminating or oxidizing products prove most effective on a wider variety of odor sources and have become the industry standard. Active ingredients chemically neutralize or oxidize odors. In the first case key chemicals react with odor molecules to turn them into inert, odorless compounds. Oxidizers quickly accelerate the break-down of odor compounds to make them disappear. Scent Lures And Tools Unlike masking or odor-eliminating scent-control products designed to camouflage game-spooking odors, bowhunting lures are meant to attract attention. These contain urine, glands, or hormones to arouse sexual interest from game. Some also contain “curiosity” agents that many deer feel inclined to investigate. The latter are used for early seasons preceding the rut. In general, game lures, like “doe-in-heat concoctions, are most effective during rut periods when males seek female companionship. Many over-zealous bowhunters dump entire bottles of lure around stand sites hoping to attract full-out charges from love-crazed bucks. It could happen, but it is highly unlikely. Effective approaches to sex-lure attractants include creating drag-lines to bring trailing bucks within range and placing scent pods to stop animals in desired shooting lanes. Regarding drag-lines, take care to assure that your human scent doesn’t mix with the scent line. Tie a clean length of cord to a long switch, a wick, or clean cloth saturated with lure attached to the end. Hold the branch at arm’s length. This distance, plus the added reach of the switch, will help leave your drag-lines free of human scent. If you know that your boots are completely scent-free, you can apply lure scent to your boot soles and trail in. Create a multitude of drag-lines around stand sites. Each line vectoring toward your stand can help bring a rutting whitetail buck in for a closer shot. Too, by paying attention to wind direction, you might actually be able direct animals away from your downwind quarter and avoid being winded. Scents Can Stop And Distract Using scents or lures to stop or distract animals is also effective. Place scent-charged wicks or scent pods upwind of your position to create standing shots at preoccupied animals. Placing scent pods behind stumps, tree trunks, or rocks might also stop deer while also blocking their vision, allowing you a chance to draw your bow undetected. Scents of all kinds can prove to be highly effective tools to regular bowhunting success. Use today’s array of scents to disguise your own scent, to better position animals for the shot, but do so wisely. Avoid desperate measures and always, always watch that wind to prevent educating animals in your hunting area—or sending them into retreat at the moment of truth.

  May 27, 2011 1542
• 27 May 2011
  What’s The Perfect Buck-To-Doe Ratio?

  When it comes to deer management, a one-to-one match-up is not necessarily the best thing going for either your herd, or your hunting. by Mark Kayser If you’re a do-it-yourself deer manager as most who hunt their own piece of ground are, one recurring theme that you’ve heard about is that a one-to-one buck-to-doe ratio is optimum. Managers of the most famous deer-hunting operations in the country sure push that notion, but is it always valid? One-to-One Ratio Argument There are two main arguments for the one-to-one buck-to-doe scenario. First, it can aid in maintaining a healthy herd. If a property holds too many does and fawns, the nutrition of the herd can suffer as a result of overbrowsing. By keeping the doe population in balance, the overall herd will benefit — ample browse for bucks might lead to better antler growth, under the right conditions. Does and fawns will also benefit, since healthy does birth healthier fawns, and are more likely to birth twins. More food throughout the year also means the deer won’t have to use all their fat reserves to make it through difficult periods of winter or drought. The second reason to work toward a one-to-one ratio is to increase hunting success. If bucks and does are present in fairly equal numbers, rutting activity should be much more pronounced during daylight hours. Bucks in more competitive situations cover a lot of ground looking for willing does. That increases the likelihood that they’ll be spotted by hunters. When One-To-One Isn’t Practical For effective herd management, the majority of the deer that use your property should also stay on your property. In most instances that means the property should consist of at least 500 acres, though many deer managers I’ve talked with actually place that figure higher, even as high as 5,000 acres. Needless to say, it takes a lot of land to keep deer close to home. If your property lacks the fundamental living requirements to keep deer happy, you can also expect them to leave — at least temporarily. Cover, food and water are necessary to hold deer, otherwise they’ll wander across your property and the neighbors’. You’re trying to follow the tenets of quality deer management — harvest more does and let bucks mature — but are your neighbors? It won’t help your management efforts if bucks that bed down on your property get picked off on adjoining land because that’s where they have to go to take advantage of food plots and the does that are attracted to them. It’s not always a bad thing to have a few extra does around. Whitetail expert and outfitter Cody Warne endorses the idea of having MORE does than bucks in the herd. He’s not against a one-to-one ratio under the right conditions, but having a surplus of does isn’t always a bad thing. Warne’s property lies in central South Dakota, where winters can be tough on deer when the snow piles up. “I don’t mind wintering extra does, says Warne, “because I know that if we do have a severe winter and I end up losing deer from winterkill, it’s the does that will be the key to my herd bouncing back fast.” Plant for Healthy Deer If you do decide that a one-to-one buck-to-doe ratio is right for you, be sure to provide the herd with ample amounts of the right feed. After sampling the soil, research the best food plot crops for the area, taking into account average temperatures and rainfall. If you choose clover, remember that the seed needs to be planted in low, moist areas. If you pick the right location, such as a lowland pasture, clover will reseed itself well for about four years. If you plant it in the wrong place, such as a hillside or in dry soils, it won’t last a season. Besides choosing the best growing location, be sure the food plot is in an area where wildlife will readily access it. Placing it in an open field or next to a busy road might deter wildlife from visiting it during legal shooting hours. Plant it where deer will feel secure. You probably live in an area where various types of grains and legumes will grow well. It almost goes without saying that you should plant forage that is universally appealing to wildlife — especially deer — during the longest period possible. Otherwise, choose a crop that is economical. Generally a mixture is better than a single crop, in case one seed variety should fail. Hunter’s Specialties Fall Mix (www.hunterspec.com) is a top example. It includes a mixture of plants with a range of protein from 27 to 35 percent. With the right food, the herd will prosper.

  1214 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  What’s The Perfect Buck-To-Doe Ratio?

  When it comes to deer management, a one-to-one match-up is not necessarily the best thing going for either your herd, or your hunting. by Mark Kayser If you’re a do-it-yourself deer manager as most who hunt their own piece of ground are, one recurring theme that you’ve heard about is that a one-to-one buck-to-doe ratio is optimum. Managers of the most famous deer-hunting operations in the country sure push that notion, but is it always valid? One-to-One Ratio Argument There are two main arguments for the one-to-one buck-to-doe scenario. First, it can aid in maintaining a healthy herd. If a property holds too many does and fawns, the nutrition of the herd can suffer as a result of overbrowsing. By keeping the doe population in balance, the overall herd will benefit — ample browse for bucks might lead to better antler growth, under the right conditions. Does and fawns will also benefit, since healthy does birth healthier fawns, and are more likely to birth twins. More food throughout the year also means the deer won’t have to use all their fat reserves to make it through difficult periods of winter or drought. The second reason to work toward a one-to-one ratio is to increase hunting success. If bucks and does are present in fairly equal numbers, rutting activity should be much more pronounced during daylight hours. Bucks in more competitive situations cover a lot of ground looking for willing does. That increases the likelihood that they’ll be spotted by hunters. When One-To-One Isn’t Practical For effective herd management, the majority of the deer that use your property should also stay on your property. In most instances that means the property should consist of at least 500 acres, though many deer managers I’ve talked with actually place that figure higher, even as high as 5,000 acres. Needless to say, it takes a lot of land to keep deer close to home. If your property lacks the fundamental living requirements to keep deer happy, you can also expect them to leave — at least temporarily. Cover, food and water are necessary to hold deer, otherwise they’ll wander across your property and the neighbors’. You’re trying to follow the tenets of quality deer management — harvest more does and let bucks mature — but are your neighbors? It won’t help your management efforts if bucks that bed down on your property get picked off on adjoining land because that’s where they have to go to take advantage of food plots and the does that are attracted to them. It’s not always a bad thing to have a few extra does around. Whitetail expert and outfitter Cody Warne endorses the idea of having MORE does than bucks in the herd. He’s not against a one-to-one ratio under the right conditions, but having a surplus of does isn’t always a bad thing. Warne’s property lies in central South Dakota, where winters can be tough on deer when the snow piles up. “I don’t mind wintering extra does, says Warne, “because I know that if we do have a severe winter and I end up losing deer from winterkill, it’s the does that will be the key to my herd bouncing back fast.” Plant for Healthy Deer If you do decide that a one-to-one buck-to-doe ratio is right for you, be sure to provide the herd with ample amounts of the right feed. After sampling the soil, research the best food plot crops for the area, taking into account average temperatures and rainfall. If you choose clover, remember that the seed needs to be planted in low, moist areas. If you pick the right location, such as a lowland pasture, clover will reseed itself well for about four years. If you plant it in the wrong place, such as a hillside or in dry soils, it won’t last a season. Besides choosing the best growing location, be sure the food plot is in an area where wildlife will readily access it. Placing it in an open field or next to a busy road might deter wildlife from visiting it during legal shooting hours. Plant it where deer will feel secure. You probably live in an area where various types of grains and legumes will grow well. It almost goes without saying that you should plant forage that is universally appealing to wildlife — especially deer — during the longest period possible. Otherwise, choose a crop that is economical. Generally a mixture is better than a single crop, in case one seed variety should fail. Hunter’s Specialties Fall Mix (www.hunterspec.com) is a top example. It includes a mixture of plants with a range of protein from 27 to 35 percent. With the right food, the herd will prosper.

  May 27, 2011 1214
• 25 May 2011
  New York Seeks Changes to Bear Hunting Season

  The state Department of Environmental Conservation wants to open new areas east of the Hudson River to bear hunting and establish uniform bear hunting season dates across the Southern Zone starting this year.   ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The state Department of Environmental Conservation wants to open new areas east of the Hudson River to bear hunting and establish uniform bear hunting season dates across the Southern Zone starting this year. DEC Commissioner Joe Martens says black bears are thriving in New York and have expanded their range considerably in recent years. He said expanding bear hunting will help ease homeowner and farm conflicts with bears. The proposed changes would open bear hunting in all of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Rensselaer, and Washington counties, and the portion of Rockland that was not already open for black bear hunting. Public comments on the changes will be accepted by DEC through July 5. ___ Online: www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/propregulations.html

  1050 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  New York Seeks Changes to Bear Hunting Season

  The state Department of Environmental Conservation wants to open new areas east of the Hudson River to bear hunting and establish uniform bear hunting season dates across the Southern Zone starting this year.   ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The state Department of Environmental Conservation wants to open new areas east of the Hudson River to bear hunting and establish uniform bear hunting season dates across the Southern Zone starting this year. DEC Commissioner Joe Martens says black bears are thriving in New York and have expanded their range considerably in recent years. He said expanding bear hunting will help ease homeowner and farm conflicts with bears. The proposed changes would open bear hunting in all of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Rensselaer, and Washington counties, and the portion of Rockland that was not already open for black bear hunting. Public comments on the changes will be accepted by DEC through July 5. ___ Online: www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/propregulations.html

  May 25, 2011 1050
• 22 May 2011
  What’s The Very Best Deer Gun?

  Hunters have argued forever over which gun is “the best” for whitetail. Here are tips from an expert on how to pick a good deer gun. by Keith Sutton  While visiting a friend’s deer camp recently, I was amazed at the variety of guns being used by the 15 guys who were members of that camp. My hunting companion was shooting the Rifled Deer version of the Browning Gold 12-gauge slug gun. His brother was shooting a Ruger Model 96/44 lever-action in .44 Mag. A father-and-son team went the bolt-action route. One was shooting a Sporter LT version of Winchester’s Model 70 Classic chambered for .270. The other was hunting with a .243 Remington Model Seven SS. There was one guy shooting buckshot in an old Remington 12-gauge double-barrel, and another shooting an ancient military carbine of some sort. In fact, just about every kind of rifle and shotgun you can imagine was being employed by this ragtag band of deer hunters. This started me to thinking: if a new deer hunter had dropped into this camp, hoping to get advice on what kind of gun was best to use for killing a whitetail, the poor guy would undoubtedly have gone away confused and frustrated after hearing all the opinions floating around. Selecting a good all-round deer gun can be a daunting task for sure. Some hunters prefer a super-accurate long-range rifle, but those are typically heavy, with long barrels. If you have to carry one of these guns over long distances in rough terrain, you might wish you’d gone with a lightweight stalking rifle instead. If you go with a lightweight model, however, you usually give up some of the true “tack-driver” accuracy obtainable with a long-range specialist. Also, light rifles are harder to hold steady for accurate shooting.     Lever-action, bolt action or semiauto? The variety of deer guns can confuse the inexperienced. Which is best?     And that’s just one aspect (weight) of one type of gun (rifles). Then there are shotguns to think about, and different action designs, cartridge power and a variety of stocks and barrels to consider. The variations seem endless, and some hunters become frustrated when trying to choose a gun that incorporates all the features they consider necessary in the ultimate deer gun. Aaron Pass, one of the country’s foremost gun experts and shooting writers, says rifles are the way to go if your state gives you the option — pick a shotgun only where legally required or dictated by special safety situations. “In most cases,” Pass notes, “the new specialized slug guns with rifled barrels and sabot slugs are very effective and accurate out to 100 yards or a bit more. Beyond 125 or 150 yards, the steeply dropping trajectories and loss of energy make even these slugs questionable. Traditional Foster-type slugs from smoothbores are rarely accurate beyond 75 yards. Buckshot is unreliable beyond 35 to 40 yards.” So what about actions? Which is best — lever-action, pump, bolt-action or semi-auto? Hunters generally agree that the time-tested bolt-action is considered to be the most inherently accurate. But Pass adds to that line of thinking: “It is also the action type most easily refined to greater accuracy. Levers, pumps and autoloaders are all capable of various degrees of practical hunting accuracy and allow faster follow-up shots. However, if one of these is not as accurate as a shooter desires, there’s not much that can be done about it.” And then we come to caliber. Pass says, “For truly all-around deer hunting (a national standard), a cartridge that shoots a 120- to 150-grain bullet faster than 2,500 fps is adequate out to 200 yards or so. As velocity increases, so does effective range.     Deer can be hunted with any gun legal where they will be taken, including handguns. Test firing a variety of guns at the range can help in narrowing down the selection.     “My personal favorite deer rifle is a Winchester M70, in .270 Win. with a 1.5x-6x Burris scope and a synthetic stock,” he continues. “I don’t shoot at extremely long range and there’s no ‘normal’ deer hunting situation I can imagine that this rig is not capable of handling. That said, there is no inherent magic in any of the above criteria. There are plenty of other combinations that would work just as well.” Whether you want long-range accuracy, a rifle that’s a joy to carry or some other specialization, Pass recommends buying a new rifle in the configuration you desire. “The well-known rifle models — Browning’s A-Bolt, Remington’s 700, Ruger’s 77, Savage’s 110, Weatherby’s Mark V, Winchester’s 70 and others — designate the action design,” he says. “Gun makers attach a wide variety of specialized stocks and barrels to these basic actions to create a variety of specialized rifles. Hunters should check out the manufacturers’ catalogs, or visit a gun shop, and choose a combination of features that achieve the goals of functionality and design.” In the end, finding the ultimate deer gun is largely a matter of personal preferences. Buy a gun you like that’s legal for your hunting area, one you believe will get the job done where you hunt. That’s the first step toward achieving your goal.

  1206 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  What’s The Very Best Deer Gun?

  Hunters have argued forever over which gun is “the best” for whitetail. Here are tips from an expert on how to pick a good deer gun. by Keith Sutton  While visiting a friend’s deer camp recently, I was amazed at the variety of guns being used by the 15 guys who were members of that camp. My hunting companion was shooting the Rifled Deer version of the Browning Gold 12-gauge slug gun. His brother was shooting a Ruger Model 96/44 lever-action in .44 Mag. A father-and-son team went the bolt-action route. One was shooting a Sporter LT version of Winchester’s Model 70 Classic chambered for .270. The other was hunting with a .243 Remington Model Seven SS. There was one guy shooting buckshot in an old Remington 12-gauge double-barrel, and another shooting an ancient military carbine of some sort. In fact, just about every kind of rifle and shotgun you can imagine was being employed by this ragtag band of deer hunters. This started me to thinking: if a new deer hunter had dropped into this camp, hoping to get advice on what kind of gun was best to use for killing a whitetail, the poor guy would undoubtedly have gone away confused and frustrated after hearing all the opinions floating around. Selecting a good all-round deer gun can be a daunting task for sure. Some hunters prefer a super-accurate long-range rifle, but those are typically heavy, with long barrels. If you have to carry one of these guns over long distances in rough terrain, you might wish you’d gone with a lightweight stalking rifle instead. If you go with a lightweight model, however, you usually give up some of the true “tack-driver” accuracy obtainable with a long-range specialist. Also, light rifles are harder to hold steady for accurate shooting.     Lever-action, bolt action or semiauto? The variety of deer guns can confuse the inexperienced. Which is best?     And that’s just one aspect (weight) of one type of gun (rifles). Then there are shotguns to think about, and different action designs, cartridge power and a variety of stocks and barrels to consider. The variations seem endless, and some hunters become frustrated when trying to choose a gun that incorporates all the features they consider necessary in the ultimate deer gun. Aaron Pass, one of the country’s foremost gun experts and shooting writers, says rifles are the way to go if your state gives you the option — pick a shotgun only where legally required or dictated by special safety situations. “In most cases,” Pass notes, “the new specialized slug guns with rifled barrels and sabot slugs are very effective and accurate out to 100 yards or a bit more. Beyond 125 or 150 yards, the steeply dropping trajectories and loss of energy make even these slugs questionable. Traditional Foster-type slugs from smoothbores are rarely accurate beyond 75 yards. Buckshot is unreliable beyond 35 to 40 yards.” So what about actions? Which is best — lever-action, pump, bolt-action or semi-auto? Hunters generally agree that the time-tested bolt-action is considered to be the most inherently accurate. But Pass adds to that line of thinking: “It is also the action type most easily refined to greater accuracy. Levers, pumps and autoloaders are all capable of various degrees of practical hunting accuracy and allow faster follow-up shots. However, if one of these is not as accurate as a shooter desires, there’s not much that can be done about it.” And then we come to caliber. Pass says, “For truly all-around deer hunting (a national standard), a cartridge that shoots a 120- to 150-grain bullet faster than 2,500 fps is adequate out to 200 yards or so. As velocity increases, so does effective range.     Deer can be hunted with any gun legal where they will be taken, including handguns. Test firing a variety of guns at the range can help in narrowing down the selection.     “My personal favorite deer rifle is a Winchester M70, in .270 Win. with a 1.5x-6x Burris scope and a synthetic stock,” he continues. “I don’t shoot at extremely long range and there’s no ‘normal’ deer hunting situation I can imagine that this rig is not capable of handling. That said, there is no inherent magic in any of the above criteria. There are plenty of other combinations that would work just as well.” Whether you want long-range accuracy, a rifle that’s a joy to carry or some other specialization, Pass recommends buying a new rifle in the configuration you desire. “The well-known rifle models — Browning’s A-Bolt, Remington’s 700, Ruger’s 77, Savage’s 110, Weatherby’s Mark V, Winchester’s 70 and others — designate the action design,” he says. “Gun makers attach a wide variety of specialized stocks and barrels to these basic actions to create a variety of specialized rifles. Hunters should check out the manufacturers’ catalogs, or visit a gun shop, and choose a combination of features that achieve the goals of functionality and design.” In the end, finding the ultimate deer gun is largely a matter of personal preferences. Buy a gun you like that’s legal for your hunting area, one you believe will get the job done where you hunt. That’s the first step toward achieving your goal.

  May 22, 2011 1206
• 22 May 2011
  Perfect Practice For Bowhunters—Part 2

  In part 1 I discussed preparation and general archery practice techniques. Now we get into making practice real and succeeding in the moment of truth. by Mike Strandlund, Editor, Bowhunting World Match your practice sessions to actual hunting situations. A big game hunter doesn’t need to shoot quarter-size groups. What he needs to do is shoot groups the size of a vital zone under adverse shooting conditions. During practice sessions, vary your angles, distances, and shooting positions. Too many hunters shoot again and again from the same place in the same way. This gives them an exaggerated impression of their hunting accuracy. A whitetail’s not going to give you a couple of warm-up shots. You must be able to put that first arrow in there from odd angles and unknown distances. The best practice is to set up a course of targets at varying distances and uphill/downhill angles. If you plan to hunt exclusively from treestands, it makes no sense to practice on the same level as your target. Shoot down a steep bank, from the roof of your garage, or, better yet, from an actual treestand. Practice in the clothes you’ll wear hunting. Practice both quick shooting and holding full draw as long as you can. Again, practice as if your first arrow is your only arrow. As well as a realistic setting, you should use realistic targets. Most bowhunters benefit greatly from using lifelike targets of game animals. They help you pick and hit vital zones and practice visualization. An archery club range with a whole zoo of Styrofoam game animals is an ideal place for a bowhunter to practice. You might even set up your own course with treestands, ground blinds, and different types of animals. The next best thing to lifelike targets is a target without a bullseye. This might be a couple of hay bales, a plain straw butt, or my favorite – sand dunes. (I seldom miss.) The worst thing to use is a target with a bullseye. Turn your target around, or paint the front a solid color. Then pick your own imaginary bullseye, as you’ll have to do when shooting at game. While you practice, learn your effective range. Many bowhunters have a rude awakening when they shoot at life-size targets. Try it, to find your realistic shooting range, or else use this rule: If you can keep five of six arrows in a 9-inch circle (6-inch circle from a treestand), you’re within effective deer-shooting range. If not, wait for a closer shot. If you use a compound bow, make yardage calculation a science. For the archer with a bow sight, shooting accuracy is proportional to accuracy in judging range. You can practice range estimation constantly while walking through the woods. Pick out a tree in your path, guess the yardage, and step it off. When you get there, pick out another tree and do it again. Training really can enhance your ability to judge distance. Note that changes in vegetation thickness and elevation will change your depth perception. This method is even better, of course, if you bring your bow along and do some stump-shooting. Some bowhunters believe in electronic rangefinders. It is very difficult to take a reading on an animal that has entered bow range, but you can get the range of an object in the animal’s path and be ready to shoot when it gets there. One technique few bowhunters practice is shooting at targets behind and just to one side of a tree. The obstruction can create a psychological block (which I don’t completely understand) that causes some archers to shoot toward the tree, others away from it. Test it to see how it affects your shooting – before the target behind that tree is your buck. The Moment Of Truth When taking your long-awaited shot, you must not only be in control; you must act correctly – do the right thing at the right time. Some hunters have a knack for making wise decisions in a split second. Most make mistakes when not given time for deliberation. We can all benefit from planning. Start by placing your stand precisely. Position it so you are concealed as you draw, so you’re not trying to shoot an animal that has spotted you. When using a treestand, try to select a place where you are concealed by a thick mast background, where there are big tree trunks or thick bushes that will conceal your draw. Place an animal or food scent behind the obstruction to pique the animal’s curiosity, so it may pause with its head hidden and vitals exposed. Position the stand for the most comfortable shooting position based on where the deer will likely be when you shoot. Usually, your platform should be on the opposite side of the tree from where the animal will likely approach. When hunting from a treestand or blind, step off distances in each direction and place subtle markers at yardages that coincide with your sight pins. Test the system by shooting practice arrows at the markers. When a deer gets near your stand, you can correlate his position with a marker and know the exact range. When in your blind or treestand, use your time waiting to plan your shot. Imagine all the possibilities of an animal coming by. Would you shoot if it paused between those big trees, or wait on the hope it would take a few more steps and offer a closer shot? If the animal was trotting, or offered only a rear shot, would you take it? Decide now. Being aware of what you can expect, and having a plan for each situation, gives you confidence. Confidence at this moment is what makes the difference between a hit and a miss. Practice drawing, aiming, even shooting in all directions from your stand. I always bring a couple practice arrows when I hunt. As soon as I get on my stand, I take a couple shots at the most likely places a deer will be. Since I’ve just made considerable commotion getting into my stand, the noise of shooting doesn’t have much chance of spooking deer. I’ve found out several times that the calculation on my first shot was wrong – once it was 10 minutes before a deer was standing there. If an animal you don’t care to shoot nears, wait till it’s at a good spot for a shot, and see if you can draw undetected. Aim at a spot near the animal (not directly at the animal, should the string slip) and analyze your performance. This will also tell you if you make too much movement or noise as you draw. When it comes time to actually take the shot, there are several things to consider. Is there brush in the way? Remember the trajectory of the arrow. The shot may appear to be clear, when in reality the arrow would strike a branch above your line of sight halfway to the target. Conversely, a bush just high enough to obscure the target may not actually be in the way – the arrow could rise above it in its arc and drop into the mark. Once you’ve checked for obstructions and decided to shoot, you must ignore them. If you’re worrying about hitting a twig, you probably will, because arrows tend to go where your attention is focused. Read the animal’s body language. Is it extremely nervous or fairly relaxed? A very nervous whitetail will almost surely jump the string, especially if the woods are still and the shot is long. In such cases, aim at the bottom of the vital zone. If the deer doesn’t jump, you’ll hit where you aim; if the deer does react in the typical crouch/leap manner, the arrow will probably strike higher in the zone as the deer coils – still a lethal shot. In essence, mind the details. Minor things, like a heavy coat or a stiff-brimmed hat, that interfere with your bowstring, or a stand that creaks as you prepare for the shot, can be a major blow to your odds of success. Finally, pick a spot. Bowhunters hear this phrase to the point of annoyance, but it’s still amazing how many violate this basic principle of bowhunting. Even experienced shooters can miss, only later to realize it was because they were aiming at the whole animal instead of that certain hair just behind the shoulder. This point is most critical for instinctive shooters, but applies also to sight shooters. The more precisely you aim, the more precisely you’ll shoot. There are other ways of improving bowhunting accuracy. Each archer has his own weak points that he must improve. Find yours and practice hard in a way that corrects them. The confidence you gain will make bowhunting more fun, and the skills you obtain will collect you more venison.

  1699 Posted by Chris Avena
• By Chris Avena

  Perfect Practice For Bowhunters—Part 2

  In part 1 I discussed preparation and general archery practice techniques. Now we get into making practice real and succeeding in the moment of truth. by Mike Strandlund, Editor, Bowhunting World Match your practice sessions to actual hunting situations. A big game hunter doesn’t need to shoot quarter-size groups. What he needs to do is shoot groups the size of a vital zone under adverse shooting conditions. During practice sessions, vary your angles, distances, and shooting positions. Too many hunters shoot again and again from the same place in the same way. This gives them an exaggerated impression of their hunting accuracy. A whitetail’s not going to give you a couple of warm-up shots. You must be able to put that first arrow in there from odd angles and unknown distances. The best practice is to set up a course of targets at varying distances and uphill/downhill angles. If you plan to hunt exclusively from treestands, it makes no sense to practice on the same level as your target. Shoot down a steep bank, from the roof of your garage, or, better yet, from an actual treestand. Practice in the clothes you’ll wear hunting. Practice both quick shooting and holding full draw as long as you can. Again, practice as if your first arrow is your only arrow. As well as a realistic setting, you should use realistic targets. Most bowhunters benefit greatly from using lifelike targets of game animals. They help you pick and hit vital zones and practice visualization. An archery club range with a whole zoo of Styrofoam game animals is an ideal place for a bowhunter to practice. You might even set up your own course with treestands, ground blinds, and different types of animals. The next best thing to lifelike targets is a target without a bullseye. This might be a couple of hay bales, a plain straw butt, or my favorite – sand dunes. (I seldom miss.) The worst thing to use is a target with a bullseye. Turn your target around, or paint the front a solid color. Then pick your own imaginary bullseye, as you’ll have to do when shooting at game. While you practice, learn your effective range. Many bowhunters have a rude awakening when they shoot at life-size targets. Try it, to find your realistic shooting range, or else use this rule: If you can keep five of six arrows in a 9-inch circle (6-inch circle from a treestand), you’re within effective deer-shooting range. If not, wait for a closer shot. If you use a compound bow, make yardage calculation a science. For the archer with a bow sight, shooting accuracy is proportional to accuracy in judging range. You can practice range estimation constantly while walking through the woods. Pick out a tree in your path, guess the yardage, and step it off. When you get there, pick out another tree and do it again. Training really can enhance your ability to judge distance. Note that changes in vegetation thickness and elevation will change your depth perception. This method is even better, of course, if you bring your bow along and do some stump-shooting. Some bowhunters believe in electronic rangefinders. It is very difficult to take a reading on an animal that has entered bow range, but you can get the range of an object in the animal’s path and be ready to shoot when it gets there. One technique few bowhunters practice is shooting at targets behind and just to one side of a tree. The obstruction can create a psychological block (which I don’t completely understand) that causes some archers to shoot toward the tree, others away from it. Test it to see how it affects your shooting – before the target behind that tree is your buck. The Moment Of Truth When taking your long-awaited shot, you must not only be in control; you must act correctly – do the right thing at the right time. Some hunters have a knack for making wise decisions in a split second. Most make mistakes when not given time for deliberation. We can all benefit from planning. Start by placing your stand precisely. Position it so you are concealed as you draw, so you’re not trying to shoot an animal that has spotted you. When using a treestand, try to select a place where you are concealed by a thick mast background, where there are big tree trunks or thick bushes that will conceal your draw. Place an animal or food scent behind the obstruction to pique the animal’s curiosity, so it may pause with its head hidden and vitals exposed. Position the stand for the most comfortable shooting position based on where the deer will likely be when you shoot. Usually, your platform should be on the opposite side of the tree from where the animal will likely approach. When hunting from a treestand or blind, step off distances in each direction and place subtle markers at yardages that coincide with your sight pins. Test the system by shooting practice arrows at the markers. When a deer gets near your stand, you can correlate his position with a marker and know the exact range. When in your blind or treestand, use your time waiting to plan your shot. Imagine all the possibilities of an animal coming by. Would you shoot if it paused between those big trees, or wait on the hope it would take a few more steps and offer a closer shot? If the animal was trotting, or offered only a rear shot, would you take it? Decide now. Being aware of what you can expect, and having a plan for each situation, gives you confidence. Confidence at this moment is what makes the difference between a hit and a miss. Practice drawing, aiming, even shooting in all directions from your stand. I always bring a couple practice arrows when I hunt. As soon as I get on my stand, I take a couple shots at the most likely places a deer will be. Since I’ve just made considerable commotion getting into my stand, the noise of shooting doesn’t have much chance of spooking deer. I’ve found out several times that the calculation on my first shot was wrong – once it was 10 minutes before a deer was standing there. If an animal you don’t care to shoot nears, wait till it’s at a good spot for a shot, and see if you can draw undetected. Aim at a spot near the animal (not directly at the animal, should the string slip) and analyze your performance. This will also tell you if you make too much movement or noise as you draw. When it comes time to actually take the shot, there are several things to consider. Is there brush in the way? Remember the trajectory of the arrow. The shot may appear to be clear, when in reality the arrow would strike a branch above your line of sight halfway to the target. Conversely, a bush just high enough to obscure the target may not actually be in the way – the arrow could rise above it in its arc and drop into the mark. Once you’ve checked for obstructions and decided to shoot, you must ignore them. If you’re worrying about hitting a twig, you probably will, because arrows tend to go where your attention is focused. Read the animal’s body language. Is it extremely nervous or fairly relaxed? A very nervous whitetail will almost surely jump the string, especially if the woods are still and the shot is long. In such cases, aim at the bottom of the vital zone. If the deer doesn’t jump, you’ll hit where you aim; if the deer does react in the typical crouch/leap manner, the arrow will probably strike higher in the zone as the deer coils – still a lethal shot. In essence, mind the details. Minor things, like a heavy coat or a stiff-brimmed hat, that interfere with your bowstring, or a stand that creaks as you prepare for the shot, can be a major blow to your odds of success. Finally, pick a spot. Bowhunters hear this phrase to the point of annoyance, but it’s still amazing how many violate this basic principle of bowhunting. Even experienced shooters can miss, only later to realize it was because they were aiming at the whole animal instead of that certain hair just behind the shoulder. This point is most critical for instinctive shooters, but applies also to sight shooters. The more precisely you aim, the more precisely you’ll shoot. There are other ways of improving bowhunting accuracy. Each archer has his own weak points that he must improve. Find yours and practice hard in a way that corrects them. The confidence you gain will make bowhunting more fun, and the skills you obtain will collect you more venison.

  May 22, 2011 1699