38 replies to this topic

[Single Six]

I'm going yote hunting this weekend, around a big dry lake bed. There is some brush to hide in at the center, I was thinking I could set up there and see them coming, but might they not come if they don't have any cover?

[Frank]

The short answer is yes, they will come with or without cover...

However, just remember that there are NO absolutes, and that NOTHING works 100% of the time. With coyotes, it may be only 5 - 40% of the time, as a "guessta-ment", on average. And of course many times it's 0%, no matter HOW we do it.

Dry (or even a little wet) bed or pond is one of my favorites to hunt over. And while I have had some success sitting right in the middle of a bed, or meadow, I personally prefer to hunt on the outside of the bed, with the most open area out in front of me.

Oh, & if sitting in the middle, one usually has to be even more aware of their movement, or LACK of. Sometimes the slightest twich or (shiney) glare can blow the whole gig. Sometimes! Just ask Badcoyote.

Let us know how you do, and Good Luck

[Yateswell]

I think you need a partner to watch your back.

[Single Six]

Nothing came to the call, 2 stands. Lake bed is too big, I think. Scared one up from his nap under a bush while driving out, got away.

[Canis mortuus]

Almost any dry lake I'm aware of will be full or motorcycles and dune buggies, especially on a weekend. Not good targets.

[Single Six]

Not this time of year. Deader than a ghost town, only idiot out in the heat was me. I wear electronic muffs and keep them turned up just to be sure too.

[Shoot-it]

At Least you saw one .So can you hear better with the muffs turned up? are those the plug type.

[Single Six]

Yeah, I see and hear 'em all the time, I know where they are, but I think they can smell my rifle.

I have the muffs, I can hear great, much better than with just my own hearing. I don't have trouble determining direction like tawnoper said he does. I don't know which muffs he uses.

http://www.californi...l=&fromsearch=1

http://www.amazon.co...f/dp/B001T7QJ9O

[tawnoper]

I have a set of Proear muffs.

If they can smell your rifle, they can smell you too.

I like hunting around drylake beds...usually hold some critters. Unless you are after exercise, walking out to the middle of the lake bed to call is a complete waste of time and a bad idea. While you are walking out to your stand across the lakebed...you ever heard the term "stand out like a turd in a punchbowl"?

[Single Six]

Well....this particular lakebed is more of a semicircle I guess. The brushy "center" connects to one side, so I worked in from there. Still didn't work, I'll work around the edges next time. I think the problem more than anything is it's just plain too big. I wouldn't walk out into the open on it if I was a coyote.

[Bisley]

I have the muffs, I can hear great, much better than with just my own hearing. I don't have trouble determining direction like tawnoper said he does. I don't know which muffs he uses.

I have a few different ones, but if you make sure the microphone is pointing forward the sound direction works just fine on all of them.

[tawnoper]

but if you make sure the microphone is pointing forward the sound direction works just fine on all of them.

No they don't.

Not for a quail flushing behind you. Sound direction is being blasted in your ear from the same direction no matter where it is coming from...

I've owned quite a few pairs myself...

[Bisley]

I can sure tell if the sound is coming from behind, in front, or left or right of me when I wear mine shooting. I could not say about hunting, I never have, nor ever will wear them hunting.

[Single Six]

Why not?

[Bisley]

Never had any need to hear any better than my own ears for one. Secondly, just one more battery operated gizmo to go dead, and add weight (and heat) to me even if it is working. Thirdly, your cheek weld can be a little hindered at times if rushed with them on. Fourthly, you can't just go running around passed on generation's of hunting grounds with that stuff on, grampa and great grampa would be rolling over in their grave. I hold respect for family tradition VERY highly, and if you saw where we go, you would understand why. And fifth, and most importantly, can't wear the Stetson with them on. And hunting just wouldn't the same without the Stetson . Besides, we don't seem to be missing much while in the field without that type of modern technology like my past generations

[Single Six]

I understand. I just gotta give you a hard time though...what are you thinking going hunting in that newfangled modern contrivance of a vehicle? Air conditioning, ABS brakes, fuel injection. Grandpa didn't need all that, all he had a was a little old open top 4popper jeep, manual everything.

[Bisley]

Actually, he had a 68 Chevy Longhorn (10' bed for a camper) and the A/C worked great . A working heater and A/C are mandatory on all our vehicles. Life is too short to be uncomfortable after a long day of hunting . I can understand why people do hunt with them on, they really do enhance the sound. I tried my first pair of electronic muffs a half a year ago (Howard Leigh) and was very happy with them. I have never worn ear protection period up until then. Bad I know, but I would rather go slightly deaf and hear myself or another with the squib load than to have perfect hearing and an injured or dead body. It almost happened to my uncle when I was a kid, and had stuck with me all my life. He had muffs on and couldn't hear the squib, and he is not the gun "nut" of the family so he didn't realize what had happened. Thank God one of us did and stopped him. But as usual, most of the ducks fly that way, and I tend to fly my own direction, if you know what I mean .

So when you gonna get back out there and take some of those high quality gorgeous pics SS? It ain't getting no cooler out there

[Single Six]

I know...I was out last weekend, but didn't do much for pics. It was around (before and after) an Action Pistol match, had my boy with me, first time out in a year or so, tryin' to learn to hunt yotes, and I was lazy with the camera. I did pop some ground squirrels with the 125gr 30-06, but there wasn't much to take pics of...wish I'd had camera or rifle ready when I jumped that yote. The Howa 06 is clumsy to load, the savage 223 uses magazines, I mighta got him with that. I'll probably have pics in the next couple weekends. Heck, I can hunt yotes on my way home from work, if I get lucky, we might get some pics.

[Bisley]

Good luck, we'll be waiting

[tawnoper]

Wearing hearing protection is a really good thing. I spent a lot of time marching around the dez growing up chasing jackrabbits booming away with a .223 or my 6mm. Wasn't nothing to burn through a hundred rounds in a day. Sometimes I'd shove some tp into my ears but usually not. Now, into my late 40's I have a definite loss of hearing probably attributed to those days. I remember driving home and my ears ringing...not good.

Nowadays most all my shooting is done with hearing protection. Especially when doing a lot of shooting. I don't really consider ground squirrel shooting "hunting" but for most all sight type hunting/shooting I have my ears on. For pass shooting dove I'll have my ears on...for quail/chukar when I'm walking and kicking them out I usually don't wear them mainly because I don't want to lol. To me at least a shotgun blast isn't nearly as loud as a rifle and is a long way off from a 44 mag revolver. For predator hunting I've tried them I don't like wearing them...although at night they are not bad and keep my ears warm.

The only way you know where a sound is coming from when wearing electronic ear muffs is if you can see the source of sound and can direct it. Since the sound is coming from a little speaker directly next to your ear, there is no way to know if the sound is coming from left, right or behind you...you only hear it. Maybe you can direct the sound if you have some ambient noise slip past the muffs...like when someone takes a shot next to you at the range...yeah, that came from the left...but a Chukar flushing at your 6...you'll be spinning like a top (been there). I've been at the range and heard people talking behind me (only know that because I cant see them) but I have no clue where they are. Example: you are in Home Depot and an announcement comes over the PA speaker directly over your head...do you have a clue where the person talking into the microphone is? Not unless they are standing in front of you.

[Single Six]

Most of the guys I hang around with are old enough to be my dad and are hard of hearing from all manner of loud things...I have no intention of doing the same. I don't want to be my grandpa and be excluded from the conversation if everyone else isn't yelling.

[tawnoper]

Good thinking. My dad is much worse than me...lots of huh? and whats? when we are having a conversation. My favorite from him is the ol "I can see your mouth moving" lol.

[Single Six]

I keep thinking about the direction thing. My Howard Leights have a mic and speaker on both sides, and I don't seem to have a problem with direction. I'll have to do some tests.

[tawnoper]

If you don't have a problem with them no tests are required.

[Single Six]

Well, I don't bird hunt. I've never noticed having a problem discerning direction, but I've never paid much attention. I do know that when I've been out and about, I can hear car passing, etc. in the distance and I can tell where they are...but maybe part of it is that I know where the road(s) are...I have indoor action pistol tonight, I'll pay attention to people talking and the air sys, etc.

Maybe it has to do with you guys being older and half deaf in the first place.

[tawnoper]

Maybe it has to do with you guys being older and half deaf in the first place.

Huh? You say something?

No, I agree with you...but you forgot to mention wiser as well.

[Single Six]

I won't argue you there, or at least experienced.

[fakawee]

Hey SS, I was down hunting (actually showing a newbie how to hunt coyotes) on the north side of Superstition Mountain late on Saturday afternoon and into the night (spot lighting). Man did someone turn on the furnace or what? It was still 92 at 9pm. Anyway, I used those Howard Leights while shotgun hunting coyotes one day and like you, I had them turned all the way up thinking it would give me an advantage. I swore I heard one coming in from my right. It was actually coming in directly behind me then ran past me (5yds) on my left side while I was slightly looking to right. I noticed the coyote out of my peripheral vision as it's afterburners lit and couldn't get off a shot. IMO, I think they amplifiy noises so much (if they are turned all the way up) that your mind can't process the sounds quick enough. Who knows, but I only use them at the range now.

[Single Six]

Yeah, it's gotten warm lately. Still nice early though. This afternoon we had a west wind and it was nice when I came outside after action pistol.

I dunno, I haven't had an incident like that where I was mistaken or couldn't tell where noise was coming from...but maybe that's just because it hasn't happened yet.

Give a holler next time you're down (early in the am!)...I know some spots.

I see you're in Spring Valley, you know Bob at Bengel's?

[Bisley]

Wearing hearing protection is a really good thing.
Nowadays most all my shooting is done with hearing protection.

Absolutely, but the electronic muffs were not really around when I started shooting, and if not for trying my brother's at the beginning of the year, I would probably not be using them now. I have this thing about having to hear what is going on around me while shooting, especially around others. It used to kill me at the range to wear regular muffs and not be able to hear. Especially with kids around. But luckily all that is a thing of the past. I wear them now for pretty much all practice or plinking, but just can not bring myself to hunt (anything) with them on. It just don't feel right (to me), but maybe that is because I am not used to hunting without the Stetson either.