What makes a predator rifle? I'm often asked. Well, I say it depends. Do you do mostly calling or are you more of a stationary type hunter. If your calling you would do well by yourself to keep the weight down and have some type of repeater. Either sem-automatic or bolt action. Leave the single shots to the guys who sit and wait or hunt over bait piles. Predator rifles are usually in the .17-.22 caliber range but many people have good success with .24 caliber and up. While I admit they're some fine choices in the bigger calibers for out intents and purposes we need to focus on the small calibers listed first. They produce less pelt damage and usually are flatter shooting. We are talking about a specialized rifle here and not an all around tool.
Popular calibers that have performed well in the predator hunting world for some time are the .220 swift, .222 remingtion, .222 rem mag, .223, .204 ruger, .17 rem, .17 rem fireball, .22 hornet, and .218 bee. My opinion is that the .243 is overgunning most predators, but it can be loaded down with the correct bullets and be effective.
There are many fine choices in bolt guns and they are all extremely accurate. Don't get too caught up with brand, pick one that fits you well and that is in your budget. And budget is from a couple hundred dollars on the used market all the way up in the thousands for a custom rig that has spent a little time with a gunsmith. Don't forget about the wildcat cartridges like the .17 predator either. There are many options for custom ammunition and with a minor outlay of cash you could save yourself a bundle to load your own.
Semi-automatics fall in pretty much one category. The infamous AR15. These black rifles have seen a huge surge in popularity in the last several years. They are extremely accurate and though as nails. Being modular only helps matters. Although there are custom uppers in .204 and other great predator cartridges the long time standby has always been the 5.56 or .223. Another plus to the AR platform is that you can have an upper in .223 for predators, .6.5 grendel, .458 socom or .50 beowolf for big game duties or home defense. The options are limitless.
Outfitting your rifle. A good comfortable sling is a prerequisite. Dont' skimp on optics most predator calling is a long range endeavor. Although I believe more in using terrain, shadows and natural features to break your outline, camouflage guns are wildly popular and rightly so. They cut down on the big black or brown blob in front of you and reduce or eliminate glare.
Like I always say, pick up a rifle and get out there and start calling. You'll be glad you did.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Calling and Scouting for predators
A beginning predator hunters asked me the other day "I've done a little calling without much success, what's going on."
The first thing you need to realize is that this is a pretty common question from most beginning callers. Here are a couple of recommendations that will help you become a successful predator hunter.
1. Don't give up. Keep at it and try to get all the practice in that you can. There is a learning curve when hunting predators, especially canines that isn't as steep as other animals like deer. Absolutely deer are intelligent and adaptive survivors but when considering the predatory species they have to outwit these other animals to even survive which is going to require your skill level to be more intricate.
2. Make absolutely certain that you are using wind to your advantage. Worrying about human scent will help but you're fighting a losing battle there. You will not be able to completely eliminate your scent anyway. The scent suppressing suits and sprays haven't been proven in my eyes and they are so well marketed I question their true functionality. You will be in effect trying to lure them out during a time that is unnatural for them to be on the move. Be sure to keep the wind in your face and you will see your success improve, it's that important.
3. Is all your skin covered and are you making an effort to be still. Although these may seem like trivial points they really should be put into practice. Predators have an innate sense to detect movement and anything that appears unnatural to them. The shine of your skin or even a small twitch of movement from a long distance could prevent them from coming in. Make sure you wear gloves and a head net, while keeping statue still.
I will mention here about modern camouflage-the hunting manufacturing industry like all others is there for one reason and that's to turn a profit. Don't get hung up on all of these new patterns and what's better than the other. Camouflage is designed for one reason and one reason alone, to look pretty to hunters wanting to buy it. I have seen little research in the area of it's effectiveness. The newer Gore Optifade does intrigue me I will admit but need to do more research on it to make a educated assessment. I will also mention the UV inhibitors, such as the laundry wash. This seems to make sense to me and is low enough cost that it may be worth a try.
4. Improve your calling skills. This isn't as important if you are using an electronic caller. Since this blog is geared more towards the beginner that might not want to invest in an expensive electronic we are focused more on the mouth blown calls here. The internet is a great place to hear most of the sounds you will be using. Spend some time listening to them, it's hard to replicate a sound if you haven't heard it before. Spend some time trying different things. If cottontails aren't prevalent in your area, try a gray squirrel distress or possibly the predator itself in distress. Try varying your tone and pitch. It may just take a small adjustment to get them coming in on a rope.
5. Try using a partner. Other than the obviously camaraderie benefit, there will be one extra set of eyes. It's also easier for one to shoot and one to call. This way there is no or little movement to aim and shoot. Using a buddy may also open up a couple more properties that you will be able to hunt. Landowners usually seem a little more receptive to removing the predatory species than deer hunting.
6. Scout. Deer hunters know the benefit of scouting their quarry but it hasn't become main stream in the predator hunting world yet. Get out there and beat the brush. Look for sign, tracks, scat and fresh kills are good indicators. Water holes are a good place to start. Thick brush bordered by fields or heavy timber is another. Any edge will do, edges inside large tracts of woods is even better. If you own or have access to private property the use of trail cameras is a great way to find if there are predators there. Again water holes and trails are a good place to set, but for a really effective way to get good photos consider a bait pile. It could be as simple and free as deer guts and hides or roadkill or elaborate as buying a couple chickens from the grocery store to put down. A butcher may also give you a trash can full or scraps and bones for free just so he doesn't have to do it. Just don't be surprised if you end up getting pictures of eagles and crows or the super elusive mountain lion or bear. It's not impossible and they have been moving East for years now.
Good luck and straight shooting. If there's something you'd like to see here on the Eastern Predator Blog, please email me or post a comment the blog is here for your enjoyment.
The first thing you need to realize is that this is a pretty common question from most beginning callers. Here are a couple of recommendations that will help you become a successful predator hunter.
1. Don't give up. Keep at it and try to get all the practice in that you can. There is a learning curve when hunting predators, especially canines that isn't as steep as other animals like deer. Absolutely deer are intelligent and adaptive survivors but when considering the predatory species they have to outwit these other animals to even survive which is going to require your skill level to be more intricate.
2. Make absolutely certain that you are using wind to your advantage. Worrying about human scent will help but you're fighting a losing battle there. You will not be able to completely eliminate your scent anyway. The scent suppressing suits and sprays haven't been proven in my eyes and they are so well marketed I question their true functionality. You will be in effect trying to lure them out during a time that is unnatural for them to be on the move. Be sure to keep the wind in your face and you will see your success improve, it's that important.
3. Is all your skin covered and are you making an effort to be still. Although these may seem like trivial points they really should be put into practice. Predators have an innate sense to detect movement and anything that appears unnatural to them. The shine of your skin or even a small twitch of movement from a long distance could prevent them from coming in. Make sure you wear gloves and a head net, while keeping statue still.
I will mention here about modern camouflage-the hunting manufacturing industry like all others is there for one reason and that's to turn a profit. Don't get hung up on all of these new patterns and what's better than the other. Camouflage is designed for one reason and one reason alone, to look pretty to hunters wanting to buy it. I have seen little research in the area of it's effectiveness. The newer Gore Optifade does intrigue me I will admit but need to do more research on it to make a educated assessment. I will also mention the UV inhibitors, such as the laundry wash. This seems to make sense to me and is low enough cost that it may be worth a try.
4. Improve your calling skills. This isn't as important if you are using an electronic caller. Since this blog is geared more towards the beginner that might not want to invest in an expensive electronic we are focused more on the mouth blown calls here. The internet is a great place to hear most of the sounds you will be using. Spend some time listening to them, it's hard to replicate a sound if you haven't heard it before. Spend some time trying different things. If cottontails aren't prevalent in your area, try a gray squirrel distress or possibly the predator itself in distress. Try varying your tone and pitch. It may just take a small adjustment to get them coming in on a rope.
5. Try using a partner. Other than the obviously camaraderie benefit, there will be one extra set of eyes. It's also easier for one to shoot and one to call. This way there is no or little movement to aim and shoot. Using a buddy may also open up a couple more properties that you will be able to hunt. Landowners usually seem a little more receptive to removing the predatory species than deer hunting.
6. Scout. Deer hunters know the benefit of scouting their quarry but it hasn't become main stream in the predator hunting world yet. Get out there and beat the brush. Look for sign, tracks, scat and fresh kills are good indicators. Water holes are a good place to start. Thick brush bordered by fields or heavy timber is another. Any edge will do, edges inside large tracts of woods is even better. If you own or have access to private property the use of trail cameras is a great way to find if there are predators there. Again water holes and trails are a good place to set, but for a really effective way to get good photos consider a bait pile. It could be as simple and free as deer guts and hides or roadkill or elaborate as buying a couple chickens from the grocery store to put down. A butcher may also give you a trash can full or scraps and bones for free just so he doesn't have to do it. Just don't be surprised if you end up getting pictures of eagles and crows or the super elusive mountain lion or bear. It's not impossible and they have been moving East for years now.
Good luck and straight shooting. If there's something you'd like to see here on the Eastern Predator Blog, please email me or post a comment the blog is here for your enjoyment.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Trapping predators?
When I first found out about predator hunting as a sport I was also turned on to predator trapping. It is a conundrum to me why I did not discover this great skill when I was a youngster. I would have most definitely become a trapper as soon as I was finished with school. Trapping is an age old past time and income producer, it even helped build the Country we now know. Wait, income producing; say what, you can make money at this.
Yes, absolutely you can. In fact thousands of trappers take to the woods every year in search of furbearers. Even if you are predator hunting you owe it to the animal to put up their fur. In all honesty why kill an animal that you will not use a single portion of. Trapping can produce a nice supplemental income and for some that have structured their finances correctly it can even be a portion of a full time income.
The trapping of furbearers starts with education like so many other things in this world. I recommend taking an advanced trappers course. Don't let the advanced part scare you, usually this means that the course shows beginners in depth trapping techniques and is much more broad than a simple classroom style training. The one I took was three days and I left with the knowledge to go into the woods and be a proficient trapper. Another option to get some good experience is to help another trapper run his trap lines, this is a much harder option but you will get even better experience. The choice is up to you, I recommend both.
After you have taken a good trapper course, or tagged along with another trapper, most states require a furbearer permit which a trappers educaiton requirement is needed. This is usually a couple hour course very similar to a hunters safety course. You take the course, take the test and are eligible to get your furbearer permit.
Gear requirements are quite a bit more involved than for predator calling and hunting. Among the long list are the traps of your choice, most people use coilspring foothold traps, stakes; either rebar or cable, a trappers trowel, sifter, stake driver and puller in the case of cable stakes, hammer, pack basket, skinning knife, fleshing knife, fleshing beam and fur stretchers.
For a beginner trapper to get started is a fair investment. I purchased four dozen Duke coilspring traps, 12 Duke size four fur stretchers and all the requisite equipment listed above and my initial investment is in the $1000 dollar range. With my ability to dedicate a full time investment in my trap lines I project I will be able to recover that investment and more in my first season.
Selling your pelts after skinning, fleshing and drying is a matter of finding a small, local country fur buyer or shipping them to auction. Most auction houses have local drop off and pickup points. It's a matter of either shipping your furs to the auction, meeting the driver at a predetermined pick up point or dropping them off at a designated pick up point.
The furbearers can provide so much more than pelts. You can harvest the glands, skulls, urine, essence in the case of skunks and the meat of several furbearers is quite desirable. Don't let these profit centers rot in the woods. Take the small extra time investment and harvest these products to increase your profit margins.
It's a true statement that predator trapping is a lot of work and takes a fair upfront investment but it's also a very real profession and some have even developed careers in this exciting field. There have been a lot of people that have paid off farms or paid for college educations with the extra money that fur trapping provides. I hope to see you on the trap line, good luck and god speed.
Yes, absolutely you can. In fact thousands of trappers take to the woods every year in search of furbearers. Even if you are predator hunting you owe it to the animal to put up their fur. In all honesty why kill an animal that you will not use a single portion of. Trapping can produce a nice supplemental income and for some that have structured their finances correctly it can even be a portion of a full time income.
The trapping of furbearers starts with education like so many other things in this world. I recommend taking an advanced trappers course. Don't let the advanced part scare you, usually this means that the course shows beginners in depth trapping techniques and is much more broad than a simple classroom style training. The one I took was three days and I left with the knowledge to go into the woods and be a proficient trapper. Another option to get some good experience is to help another trapper run his trap lines, this is a much harder option but you will get even better experience. The choice is up to you, I recommend both.
After you have taken a good trapper course, or tagged along with another trapper, most states require a furbearer permit which a trappers educaiton requirement is needed. This is usually a couple hour course very similar to a hunters safety course. You take the course, take the test and are eligible to get your furbearer permit.
Gear requirements are quite a bit more involved than for predator calling and hunting. Among the long list are the traps of your choice, most people use coilspring foothold traps, stakes; either rebar or cable, a trappers trowel, sifter, stake driver and puller in the case of cable stakes, hammer, pack basket, skinning knife, fleshing knife, fleshing beam and fur stretchers.
For a beginner trapper to get started is a fair investment. I purchased four dozen Duke coilspring traps, 12 Duke size four fur stretchers and all the requisite equipment listed above and my initial investment is in the $1000 dollar range. With my ability to dedicate a full time investment in my trap lines I project I will be able to recover that investment and more in my first season.
Selling your pelts after skinning, fleshing and drying is a matter of finding a small, local country fur buyer or shipping them to auction. Most auction houses have local drop off and pickup points. It's a matter of either shipping your furs to the auction, meeting the driver at a predetermined pick up point or dropping them off at a designated pick up point.
The furbearers can provide so much more than pelts. You can harvest the glands, skulls, urine, essence in the case of skunks and the meat of several furbearers is quite desirable. Don't let these profit centers rot in the woods. Take the small extra time investment and harvest these products to increase your profit margins.
It's a true statement that predator trapping is a lot of work and takes a fair upfront investment but it's also a very real profession and some have even developed careers in this exciting field. There have been a lot of people that have paid off farms or paid for college educations with the extra money that fur trapping provides. I hope to see you on the trap line, good luck and god speed.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Predator hunting rifles
Predator hunting rifles come in all shapes and sizes. We will cover shotgunning for the furbearing predators in another post.
Generally speaking if you own a "deer" rifle you also own a predator calling rifle. Now we need to interject a small dose of common sense here and go out on a limb and say a .300 Win. Ultra Mag probably isn't your best option for predator sized game. Anything in the .25 caliber class on down to the .17 cals are fine for getting started in the sport of predator hunting. There is especially little worry when you are not hunting for fur.
Fur hunters or the discriminating predator hunter/caller will at one point or another decide they want a dedicated calling rifle. There are as many choices here as cars on the road. The long time favorite .223 is a fine choice as are the other go to varmint rifles. The .220 swift, .222 and .222 mag, .17 rem, .17 rem fireball and the newer .204. There are a myriad others but these are some of the more popular. There are also a number of popular wildcat cartridges in the .17-.22 caliber class that work well on varmints and predators.
The .17 rem could be called the ultimate fur hunters gun up to coyote sized game. Keep ranges within 300 yards and be mindful of the wind. Little fur damage and dead predators is what you will find when using this ideal cartridge.
What about rimfires? The .22 mag and .22 lr are fine predator hunting rifles up to fox sized game. The .22 mag is not ideal for coyote sized game. Distances less than 75 yards are probably ok but much more than that and kills will be marginal and losses more common. Now for you Eastern hunters where coyotes are much less common and distances shorter anyway. The .22 mag is a fine choice in rifle. Fur damage is non existent and killing power is ideal for the size of predators you target; foxes, raccoons, opossums and skunks. I personally use a Marlin 25mn in .22 mag and have good success with a light, cheap to shoot rifle.
In summary, don't let the caliber you shoot prevent you from getting out and doing some calling. A .30-.30 or .243 win will do fine for predator hunting. Once you get some time experience under your belt then you should think about getting a varmint specific caliber. Keep practicing and get out there in the predator woods.
Generally speaking if you own a "deer" rifle you also own a predator calling rifle. Now we need to interject a small dose of common sense here and go out on a limb and say a .300 Win. Ultra Mag probably isn't your best option for predator sized game. Anything in the .25 caliber class on down to the .17 cals are fine for getting started in the sport of predator hunting. There is especially little worry when you are not hunting for fur.
Fur hunters or the discriminating predator hunter/caller will at one point or another decide they want a dedicated calling rifle. There are as many choices here as cars on the road. The long time favorite .223 is a fine choice as are the other go to varmint rifles. The .220 swift, .222 and .222 mag, .17 rem, .17 rem fireball and the newer .204. There are a myriad others but these are some of the more popular. There are also a number of popular wildcat cartridges in the .17-.22 caliber class that work well on varmints and predators.
The .17 rem could be called the ultimate fur hunters gun up to coyote sized game. Keep ranges within 300 yards and be mindful of the wind. Little fur damage and dead predators is what you will find when using this ideal cartridge.
What about rimfires? The .22 mag and .22 lr are fine predator hunting rifles up to fox sized game. The .22 mag is not ideal for coyote sized game. Distances less than 75 yards are probably ok but much more than that and kills will be marginal and losses more common. Now for you Eastern hunters where coyotes are much less common and distances shorter anyway. The .22 mag is a fine choice in rifle. Fur damage is non existent and killing power is ideal for the size of predators you target; foxes, raccoons, opossums and skunks. I personally use a Marlin 25mn in .22 mag and have good success with a light, cheap to shoot rifle.
In summary, don't let the caliber you shoot prevent you from getting out and doing some calling. A .30-.30 or .243 win will do fine for predator hunting. Once you get some time experience under your belt then you should think about getting a varmint specific caliber. Keep practicing and get out there in the predator woods.
Monday, August 23, 2010
I'm already a hunter, what do I need to start predator hunting?
So, you want to start predator hunting? You've heard this heart pounding, season extending, run and gun style of hunting is growing like mad and you want to get in on the hot action. Well I can tell you all of these things are true and it's very easy and cheap to get started. Especially if you are already a hunter. If you already hunt you have the requisite gear. You even have the right firearms too. A predator gun could be a rimfire, a centerfire rifle or even a shotgun.
Since you have the basic gear to get started what specialized gear do you need? Good question. You need either an electronic caller or a mouth blown call or two. Electronic callers are going to be more expensive, anywhere from $100 up to $500 or more for intricate models than mouth blown calls. For a beginner you can get perfect sounds from these. On the other hand you have mouth blown calls that you actually have to blow in to operate. You can get two or three of these for $100, they are cheaper but there is a slight learning curve to learning to use one effectively but with a little practice you can become an expert.
What else do you need? Not really much else. Some predator hunters like a decoy just to take the predators line of sight off you and onto the decoy. An arrow stuck in the ground with a turkey feather tied to the top is very popular. Now on the market are the powered models that twirl and spin around also very effective. Again there is a large variation in price. Pick whichever you feel most comfortable with.
Now just get out there and start calling. Be sure to play the wind. Predators live by their nose and will bust you in a second if you let them. Try to have shooting lanes downing of you. Whitetail hunters will be familiar with with these tactics. Similar scent control procedures are also effective for predators.
Scouting is also just as important. Water sources and creek beds are a good place to start, as are abandoned cabins and barns. Look for dens, burrows, tracks or scat. Landowners can also usually tell you if they have seen any predators.
Notes; As we see the predator hunting sector of the hunting market grow we see more and more predator hunters in the East. And for good reason too, predators are more prevalent than ever and there are many public and private land opportunities for ethical predator hunters. Many landowners are glad to let you shoot some of the animals that eat all of the game that they like to hunt. I am a freelance outdoor writer living in Maryland and will be blogging regularly about predator hunting in the East. You can expect more posts on the different aspects on this exciting sport. Please send me a message if there is a topic you'd like to see covered.
Since you have the basic gear to get started what specialized gear do you need? Good question. You need either an electronic caller or a mouth blown call or two. Electronic callers are going to be more expensive, anywhere from $100 up to $500 or more for intricate models than mouth blown calls. For a beginner you can get perfect sounds from these. On the other hand you have mouth blown calls that you actually have to blow in to operate. You can get two or three of these for $100, they are cheaper but there is a slight learning curve to learning to use one effectively but with a little practice you can become an expert.
What else do you need? Not really much else. Some predator hunters like a decoy just to take the predators line of sight off you and onto the decoy. An arrow stuck in the ground with a turkey feather tied to the top is very popular. Now on the market are the powered models that twirl and spin around also very effective. Again there is a large variation in price. Pick whichever you feel most comfortable with.
Now just get out there and start calling. Be sure to play the wind. Predators live by their nose and will bust you in a second if you let them. Try to have shooting lanes downing of you. Whitetail hunters will be familiar with with these tactics. Similar scent control procedures are also effective for predators.
Scouting is also just as important. Water sources and creek beds are a good place to start, as are abandoned cabins and barns. Look for dens, burrows, tracks or scat. Landowners can also usually tell you if they have seen any predators.
Notes; As we see the predator hunting sector of the hunting market grow we see more and more predator hunters in the East. And for good reason too, predators are more prevalent than ever and there are many public and private land opportunities for ethical predator hunters. Many landowners are glad to let you shoot some of the animals that eat all of the game that they like to hunt. I am a freelance outdoor writer living in Maryland and will be blogging regularly about predator hunting in the East. You can expect more posts on the different aspects on this exciting sport. Please send me a message if there is a topic you'd like to see covered.
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