This year's squirrel hunting season started out at a crawl at best, but I'm pleased to say that it's turned into a lot of fun this month. I recently started saving tails to attract coyotes when that hunt begins in January. The plan is to attach a few to a stick which will be planted in the ground and doused with CoyoteBomb. I'm sure my wife will be happy when the tails are gone, though I plan to grow the collection a bit more over the next few weeks.

More 2007 squirrel hunting on my
Henry 17HMR Hunting Page.

The Final 2007 Post and Squirrel Recipes

This will likely be the last post on this 2007 .22 rimfire blog. If I hunt tomorrow, I'll be taking the 17. It's midnight and pouring out, so I think hunting will be a waste of time tomorrow, but I might give it a quick walk-through anyway. If I get anything, I'll post it on the 2007 Henry 17HMR Hunting page.

I'll soon be creating new 2008 hunting pages for both the 2008 .17HMR and .22. Coyote hunting with Arne should start in early January when deer hunting closes. Check the 2008 pages for the latest updates.

Happy New Year and may your 2008 hunts be successful ~Bob

SQUIRREL RECIPES

If you search the Internet, the number of squirrel recipe sights seems endless. Here's a quick list to get you started. The number after the name is the number of recipes I counted on their page. Write me if you find one that you really enjoy.

• Food Down Under (56)
• Squirrel Recipes (30+)
• Cooking w/ SusieQ (4)
• Jerry's Bait and Tackle (12)
• Mike West's Squirrel Stuff (40+)

Here's one that Rob Becher just sent in:

"You may want to cook them like rabbits. Thaw & quarter them. Try a can of cream of mushroom or chicken soup mixed with 1/2 can water & pour over the top & bake."

Lots of action December 26th

I’m taking the rest of the Christmas week off, so I decided to hunt today. I arrived at the parking area at 9am and hunted until 3. The day started off cloudy and in the 20’s, got sunny and warmer by noon and clouded over and cooled off again around 2:00.

Within 5 minutes of entering the woods I saw a squirrel about 50 yards out running its tail off from one tree-line to another. I’ve never seen a squirrel run so fast. I watched it run up a tree, so I pursued it and sat down to wait it out. After 20 minutes I gave it up and moved on. Within another couple of minutes I had a similar sighting, and again, after waiting a half hour, I gave it up. Very frustrating, but at least this looked like a promising day. These trees are full of holes, and once a squirrel hunkers down, they aren’t coming out. I’ve been told that after 15 minutes they forget you’re there and come out again. You can’t prove that by me.

I continued to check the usual trees, but this time I went beyond that area to where I bagged the squirrel Monday. Out of the brush a stone’s throw directly in front of me came a beautiful cock pheasant. Either it didn’t see me or was too stupid to run. It just took a couple of steps. Stopped. Took a couple more steps and stopped. This reminded me of the group of 16 turkeys I ran across a few months ago. All of a sudden it seemed to realize I was there and trotted off into the brush. I followed it a dozen steps and it flushed and flew about 50 yards, landing again in the brush. When I first saw it I tried to reach my camera but it was in my backpack and I couldn’t get to the. Next time I’ll keep my camera within reach. It would have made a nice photo.

About 100 yards further I a squirrel, this time on a tree trunk. I closed in to about 40 yards but couldn’t get a shot. No matter where I positioned myself, it stayed on the back side of the trunk. These things are pretty smart for having a little nut brain. I was only left with quick shots as it occasionally showed glimpses of its tail and head. It finally stuck its head out a bit too far and that was the fatal mistake. As on Monday, I gutted this one in the field. After stashing it in a freezer bag, I went back to the old gut pile and there wasn’t a trace. I’m guessing the crows that had circled me enjoyed Christmas dinner.

I continued deeper into this area and found that it was littered with a lot of old tires and junk (including a turned over outhouse?!). I’d love to know how they got this junk out there. The ground was covered with nuts and small holes where squirrels must have been digging. This crummy area might turn into a great hunting spot! Over the next 2 hours I saw a half dozen squirrels, each first spotted at a distance running on the ground and heading for a tree. By the time I reached a spot where I could get a shot, they never reappeared. It is amazing and frustrating how squirrels can simply disappear when they get into these old trees. They must have read up on the Jap tunnels on Iwo Jima. As soon as the sun went in and the temperature began to drop, the squirrels were gone.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know this is the first year that I’ve squirrel hunted since I was a kid. I’ve learned a few things from personal experience since September that I’d like to share with you:

• If it’s been cold and you get a few hours were the sun comes out and it warms up, that’s the time to hunt.
• Don’t bother hunting before 9:00 am. The squirrels are still in bed.
• Keep your eyes pealed at a distance. They will often sense your presence 50 yards or more away.
• Look for trees dropping nuts and little holes in the ground where they have been digging.
• Gut your squirrels soon after bagging them. They are much easier to skin. Bring a sharp knife and a pair of pliers to brake the bones so the paws are easier to remove.
• If you don’t see nests, don’t be discouraged. They are likely living in old trees.
• Carry freezer bags. You can carry your gutted game and protect your cell phone and camera should you get caught in the rain.
• Put a few stones in your pocket when you leave the parking lot (read below).
  

My buddy Rob reminded me to throw a stone on the back side of the tree to get the squirrel to turn. The problem has been that every time I get in that situation, I can't find anything to throw within easy reach. Next time I'm going out with a few stones in my pocket.
That’s it for now from Gutpile Bob :)

Little Mike goes squirrel hunting

Hey Bob,

We went out squirrel hunting this morning and took along our good friend Chuck Willis that we have talking about on the show for a while. We planed this last night at the last second at my GrandPa's Christmas Party. When we got home we sorted everything out and TRIED to pick what guns we were going to talk with us (I chose fast. My dad took quite a while). I told my dad "I think I'm going to pull a Bob and use my .22" but I only had one to pick from; my mag. My dad ended up taking my 20 gauge youth model. I asked him "That's a bit to small for you isn't it?" He said "No such thing as too small". We got to the woods around 10am and snuck in and loaded up. I had brought my barker (call) and went to town with it, then sat in a spot for a half hour.

"I think I'm going to pull a Bob and use my .22"

Then we started walking around and herd one in a tree and stalked it using hand motions to talk. Come to find out it was a bird mocking us, I told my dad I feel like I'm in the army using hand motions to talk, walking around in the woods with guns (lol). We also checked out our tree stands, and under my dad's was the remains of a dead tree rat that an hawk had gotten a hold of. We never saw a thing that morning, but on the way out we found a pair of Coyote Tracks leading in to my dads friends area (he had seen coyotes in their before). I found myself a Coyote Area! Also I had to pick up some shells for my rifle at the discount outdoor store. For a box of Winchester .22 Mag Full Metal Jacket now sells for $10. The last time I bought some (this summer) the price was $7 for a box of 50. Well, now have some Christmas money and I'm going to get that Ruger 10/22 as soon as my dad and I cash the check. I'm also getting a Banner Dawn to Dusk Scope for my .22 Mag. No pictures from the hunt. We could not find our camera (uh oh). Have a Good and Merry Christmas Bob!

Up North Journal PodCast
http://upnorthjournal.mypodcast.com/
Little Mike Adams

Checking for tracks in our first foot of snow

Yesterday we got a foot of snow, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to head out this morning and check the hunting areas for tracks. First I hit Roraback. From 10:30 to 11:00 I didn't see a single track or sign of small game. The temperature had risen to 43F, so the snow started to pack down, but it was still very tiring to plow through. The first set of tracks I came across came out of the woods, went down the dirt road, then meandered through the corn field. I think it was a coyote. I'm guessing it walked through the field a couple hours earlier when the temperature was below freezing. Instead of forming a sharp print, the fluffy snow caused the tracks to cave in on itself, making them difficult to identify. On the way back to the parking area I walked the tree-line looking for squirrels and put up a hen pheasant about 150 yards from the DEP building. I've NEVER seen a pheasant in this area. I stopped at my Jeep to warm up with a cup of coffee before heading across the street to hunt the cow pasture. I began talking to a DEP employee and he said he hasn't seen a pheasant there in five years. I told him that it landed about 50 yards from where I flushed it in case he was interested.

I crossed the street and entered the woods just beyond the cow pasture. There I saw my first set of squirrel tracks. I dug a hole in the snow at the base of a nearby tree (see top photo) and sat and waited for about 20 minutes. It didn't reappear, so I hopped the bob wire fence and walked through the pasture, past the farm and into the back fields. Still nothing; not even a track. By then I was really tired and frustrated so I headed back to the Jeep to rest and dry off my wet backside.

After having some lunch, I headed to Cromwell Meadows and walked the fields (didn't I say in my last post that I wasn't coming back?). After three hours, I did not see a single small game track. Before leaving, I came across three or four sets of very fresh deer tracks. I just sent Arne an email directing him to the spot. Next weekend is the last before Christmas, so I'll be spending those days with my family. I think it's time to face it that squirrel hunting in this area is a lost cause this year. It seems to be a bad season all the way around. My coyote hunting buddy Arne hasn't gotten a deer this year, and neither has my Navy buddy Jim in Ohio. Ken from work went on a big moose hunting trip and also came back empty handed. Misery loves company. Email me and let me know how you're making out.

The next time I go out it will likely be a coyote hunt with Arne and Vlad (from the range) in early January. I'm REALLY looking forward to that.

NOTE THAT THIS IS THE END OF THE HUNTING 2007 PAGE. CLICK THE HUNTING 2008 BUTTON FOR MORE.

Wishing all of my friends a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In all of the commotion of the holiday, don't loose sight of the reason for the season. ~Bob <><

Happy Thanksgiving!

This will be a quick entry because I have to get to my brother's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Just when I was about to hang up squirrel hunting in this area, I had my best morning ever! I didn't get out until 8:30. It was very foggy and warm with the temp rising into the 6o's! I can't remember a Thanksgiving this warm. At 9am the fog quickly began to lift and everything seemed to come alive. During this hour I saw at least 10 squirrels. I had just put my Banner scope on the 10/22 and I was kicking myself because I had 3 squirrels dead nuts in my cross-hairs and missed. I had laser bore sighted it, but didn't have a chance to sight it in on the range.

I don't like to shoot in the woods unless it's at game, but I had to do something. I put a plastic soda bottle that was laying on the ground in the branches of a tree and took a few shots. I adjusted the scope a few clicks and I seemed close enough to continue on. I was amazed that the laser had me within about 2-3" at 50 yards, but that's enough to miss a squirrel. Within a couple of minutes I saw another, lost sight of it, then quickly spotted another one. I waited it out and shot it off a high, thin branch. That's the one in the photo and it's now in my freezer.

Just when I was about to hang up squirrel hunting in this area, I had my best morning ever!

Minutes later I saw another, got a bead on it and shot it out of the tree. It hit the ground and didn't move, then all of a sudden it began to crawl. I didn't want to shoot it again and destroy the meat, but that turned out to be a mistake. Squirrels are tough, and this one began crawling faster, and made it into some very dense brush. I chased after it, pushing through the briers, but I was getting torn up and finally decided to give it up. Boy was I pissed! I should have shot it again on the ground. Live and learn. I'll be back tomorrow. The temp will be dropping into the teens so I don't know if I'll have another day like today. It was like a last her-ah before the cold weather settles in. What a fun morning!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving; and don't forget that it's a day to give thanks to God for all that we have as Americans.

They don't call it 'BLACK FRIDAY' for nothing

Today the temp started out in the 20's and ended around freezing. Man, was it windy! The wind chill made it feel like it was in the lower 20's. When I got to the parking area at 8:30, there were 3 cars. Within a couple of hours, there were none. Either they got cold or wanted to get in on a 'Black Friday' sale. I hunted until 2:30 and only saw one squirrel. It ran into a hole in the tree, so I tried to wait him out but it was smarter than yours truly and decided to stay in its warm bed. All day my path didn't cross another hunter and I only heard a few shots. It was so cold and windy that everything stayed hunkered down in the swaying trees. It's amazing how the animals communicate or have the same instinctive response. Yesterday they all seemed to come out during the same hour, and then it was over. Today basically nothing ventured out.

Hunted the res. side of Roraback

I hunted the reservoir side of Roraback this morning for the first time since the summer. It was the first semi-cold morning of the year; in the mid 20's; just the way I like it. The sky started out deep blue and everything looked totally different from the last time I hunted coyote in the area with Arne. At that time everything was so dense that I had no idea what the area really looked like. Now that the leaves are down, I really got a chance to see the place, and as you can see from the photos, it really is beautiful. The trees appeared perfect for squirrels and there were nests scattered around the area. I came across 3 hunters, 2 hunting birds with dogs and a young father squirrel hunting with a 22 along with his young son who was tagging along. I could see in his eyes how much fun he was having just being able to walk through the woods with his dad. Reminds me of when I was 10 and used to walk along with my older brother Doug. Moments earlier he had spotted a squirrel and they were on its trail. I walked about 5 minutes and found a nice spot to sit and listen. I didn't hear any shots, so the squirrel must have gotten away. I had high hopes for the area when I pulled in the parking lot. I struck up a conversation with a hunter who was sitting in his car. He said that he grew up in this area and the area is filled with squirrels. Of course it's always the deer hunters who see the squirrels because they are sitting in their stands for many hours. Walking down the path I crossed another hunter who was hunting birds with 2 dogs. He said he never sees squirrels in this area. He thought it was a very bad year for squirrels. I agree.

I walked the area from 9:00 to noon, and then headed to my regular spot by the dirt road near the DEP. As I was walking through the field and was coming up the row of trees that lined the road, I saw a squirrel running up the side of one of them. I had to take a very quick standing shot with nothing to steady myself on, the squirrel was running and over 50 yards away. I took 3 shots, but I've taken enough of this type of shot to know it is literally 'a long shot'. At least I got to fire a few quick rounds out of the Ruger with my newly installed recoil buffer. It seemed to work as advertised. At noon I threw in the towel. I had too many small jobs around the house that needed to be done and this was going nowhere.

If you listen to this week's 'Up North Journal' podcast, Mike was deer hunting in Minnesota and said from the field that he saw a huge 'cut' squirrel and it made him think of Bob the squirrel hunter. Thanks for rubbing it in buddy! I need a new plan for next weekend.

Wednesday's Hunt

Today was an overcast, drizzly day in the 60's; the kind of day I prefer to hunt in. From what I'm seeing this year, the squirrels remain active throughout the day when it's cooler and overcast. Then I entered the field, within seconds I was approached by 2 Game Wardens that were hiding under the trees on the side of the hill near the parking lot. Looks to me like they watched the lot with binoculars to see what I was putting in my car. I found an old bird nest that I thought my wife would enjoy, and they gave me the third to find out why I was at my vehicle and what I put into it. Then they wanted to know if my rifle was loaded, what I was hunting, and what was in my backpack (one warden went through it). Then he repeatedly asked me about pheasant stamps (or whatever you need to purchase to hunt them), duck stamps, told me that I couldn't shoot them, etc. I responded that I knew the laws and I wouldn't hunt a bird with a rifle and I didn't need a stamp because I wasn't hunting birds. I'm kind of tired of being given the third degree every time I enter the woods because I'm not a bird hunter. For god sakes, I'm 53 years old, covered in blaze orange with my license pinned to my vest. I'm not a 12 year old running around with a 22. I think the questioning is beyond reason and really is unnecessary. This is the second time I've been stopped since Saturday.

Once into the woods, the squirrels were more active than they had been. 2 young guys who were on their way out of the woods confirmed this and one had taken a squirrel with a shotgun (not much sport in that!). In a few minutes I saw my first squirrel up a tree about 40 yards. It was somewhat covered by leaves but I took a shot. Something fell, but after searching the ground, I'm guessing it was a branch. I then walked the tree area for about half and hour and saw another, but it was too high and hid too quickly to get a shot. On my return trip I saw another squirrel near the top of a tree where I took the first shot and missed. This time I brought my coyote hunting folding chair in a backpack and took a seat. 10 minutes later a squirrel appeared at the top of a tree; about 75 yards away. I leaned back into the tree trunk, got it in my cross hairs and took the shot. It dropped to the ground. The shot entered its chest, went into its head and blew an eye out. A really nasty and bloody hit. I keep some first aid stuff in a freezer bag, so I dumped it into my pack and bagged the squirrel. This is a great idea if I say so myself. Next time I'll bring a couple extra in my pack for those extra messy kills.

Monday's Hunt

I returned to the woods this morning and at 6am there was a rabbit in the parking lot caught in my headlights. It booked it and that was the last rabbit I saw today. About an hour after I started my hunt, I saw a squirrel and I plugged it with one shot at about 50 yards. After that I saw 5 more squirrels, but they were far away and scrambling through the branches. Even when I tried to wait them out, they didn't return. I think the problem was the abnormal heat. It's October 22 and in the 80's! That's unheard of. I doubt squirrels are gathering nuts for winter when the think it's the middle of summer. I'll try again tomorrow. For you bird hunters, they stocked at 1:00 and a lot of guys were walking to their trucks with birds.

I met two brothers who were bird hunting together. They asked me about my Henry 17HMR, and they seemed really excited about the rifle and that I was squirrel hunting. I told them that most of the guys I came across couldn't figure out why I wasn't hunting birds. These guys were squirrel and coyote hunters. The brother 'Bob' joined the Army the same year I joined the Navy, so we had a lot in common and walked and talked about guns and hunting for about 45 minutes. They used to have a business selling automatic weapons when that was legal. When the laws were changed, they started selling military sniper rifles. It was a very interesting discussion, and that's the kind of thing that really makes hunting fun. It's not just about harvesting animals. It's experiencing nature and the people we meet along the way. I'll be out again tomorrow.

Opening Day 2007

It's October 20th and opening day of hunting season. My brother and I used to hunt the area when I was a kid. I didn't think the meadows existed any longer because the surrounding area had become so developed, and I was pleased to discover that it had changed very little over the last 20+ years.

When I arrived this morning it was still dark, the rain had stopped, it was in the 60's and there were 37 vehicles in the parking lot. As soon as it got light enough to aquire a target, everyone headed into the woods. Some jackass in front fired his shotgun into the air so he could say he took the first shot. Thanks for scarring the small game looser! I've become accustomed to entering the woods silently to hunt coyotes.

My first impression of the meadows was "This place is great!". It had the same brush I remembered, that left your clothes covered with sticktights the second you touched the bush. That's where the rabbits and pheasant used to hide out, something sorely missed at Roraback. The trees looked perfect for squirrels and there were many areas where the base of the trees were clear of underbrush and covered with fallen nuts. Then there's the water that surrounds the area, lined with reeds and tall grass. That brought back memories of my duck hunting days with my brother Doug and my 16 gauge pump.

While there I had 3 deer sightings before 9am, with a total of 4 deer spotted. One was to my left soon after entering the main path. 2 were to the left of the parking lot that crossed the dead end road and the 4th was on the road that parallels the highway. One young guy told me that he shot 2 rabbits very early on this road with a 17, so of course I had to check it out. That kid was the only person all day that told me that he got anything. I said 'Hello' to just about everyone I passed and asked them if they had any luck. NO ONE said they got anything! I didn't see a single bird flush even though there were a lot of dogs running around with their bells ringing. One guy said to me, "I wonder if they even stocked? So we spend all of our money on this stuff and we come home with nothing". We both laughed, but he was right. I was just a kid when I used to hunt this area, but I rarely remember coming home empty handed. I usually bagged at least one bird.

I walked the road that parallels the highway, then hung a left toward the water. The brush was perfect for rabbits and the trees seemed to be made for squirrels, but there was nothing in that area. What was very cool were the trees that were obviously cut down by beavers. I thought I might see a beaver in the water, but no such luck.

As I walked back, a car stopped and a guy with his wife asked me if I had any luck. We started talking and come to find out, this guy hunts coyote at Roraback! He even had a photo of a coyote that he took in his yard. Small world.

At one spot, I saw 4 squirrels flying around in a clump of trees. I got a quick shot at one, but blew it. I decided to give my feet a break and sit down for 10 minutes or so with my back to a tree to see if they'd return. All of a sudden I heard the sound of nails tearing down the back side of the tree that I was leaning against! It must have been the same squirrel that I took a crack at a few minutes earlier. I was a telephone lineman in the Navy and the sound brought back memories of burning down icy telephone poles. I never saw the squirrel, but at least it was some kind of action. It was now 1:30 and I had been walking 6.5 hours and my feet were killing me. I didn't see anything else on the way back to the parking area, so I decided to call it a day. Quite disappointing. The new Cabela's opened Friday, so I'll check that out with my family tomorrow. I also put in for 3 vacation days next week (Mon. - Wed.) so I could hunt, but that's not looking to promising either. Monday it's supposed to be 80F (Oct 22!!) and the next 2 days they're predicting rain. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Hope you had a better opening day than me!

News of more predators in the area

ME COYOTE HUNTING AT RORABACK

Today could be the last hunt for a month. Hunting season ends Friday and doesn't open again until October 2oth. Tomorrow will be almost 90 degrees as well as my wife's birthday, and Thursday it will be raining, so it's possible I'll be able to get out for one lousy hour after work Friday on the last day of the hunting season. We've been swamped at work, so I've had to work Saturday and put in 10 hour days. That's only given me an hour to hunt in the evening. Today I brought my backpack with a change of clothes and my boots to my desk, and at 5:00, I punched the clock, flew into the bathroom and within 5 minutes I was heading down the road to Roraback, which is only about 5 minutes away. That only left me about an hour to hunt before the deadline of one half hour past sunset, and that time is getting earlier every week. Unlike the last time I was out, there was no wind and it was very quiet. I put my Pro-Ears on and all hell seemed to break loose! I could hear birds, crickets, nuts falling from trees and sticks breaking all around me. They are absolutely amazing! On my first walk down the dirt road, I heard a few nuts fall from a tree. One falling could be natural, but three usually means there's a squirrel up there. I studied the top of the tree with my scope, and I spotted a tail through the leaves. I fired 2 shots in front of it and the squirrel dropped, hit the ground and started running. Within seconds I lost sight of it. Like I said in my last post, unless the shot hits a vital area, squirrels are tough and keep running. Within a few minutes it happened again. A shot about 40 feet up through leaves, the squirrel drops and runs. I sat and tried to wait them out, but my time was running out quickly so I had to give it up. Maybe I'll find them Friday.

While sitting under the trees, I started to hear a truck that was getting progressively louder. I thought the Pro-Ears was just amplifying the road sound until I spotted a red pickup driving down the dirt road. In 2 years I've never seen a vehicle go down this road because there's a steel gate blocking it by the parking area. Prior to sitting down, I walked to the corn fields at the end of the road after I spotted that the corn had been cut down in the field closest to the road and about half in the next field. This was a good chance to check for chucks, so I quickly walked the fields but saw nothing. I didn't have time to waste, so I returned to the trees where I shot the squirrels. Within minutes the truck was making a return trip. The farmer stopped the truck and asked me if I saw any other trucks go by because he didn't want to lock them in. I told him that his was the only truck I'd seen in 2 years. We started talking hunting, and he seemed enthusiastic that when I told him that I hunted chucks and coyotes. I told him that I was old that there is a pack of dogs in the area. He said, "Not one, three!" He said there's one pack near the DEP and he's afraid to let his cats out. He's not afraid for his cows because he claims that cows will kick the ass of any coyote that messes with it. That surprised me because I didn't realize that cows were that spunky. Maybe they just panic and stomp on the dogs.

So the predator numbers seem to be growing weekly and I've discovered that I've been hunting the wrong fields. Both the farmer and the guy with the dogs said the coyotes are in the northern fields. I've been hunting the southern. The coyote season will be over for a month in a couple of days, but when it starts, I'll be ready. Looking forward to some good hunting starting in October!

Interesting update on the coyote attack

MY COYOTE HUNTING SPOT AT RORABACK

It's Saturday and I had to put in an 8 hr day at work today, but I still made it into the fields for about an hour before returning home. As I pulled into the Roraback parking area, I saw a bow hunter in full camo getting ready to hit the field. When I got out of my Jeep, he said, "Excuse me, but am I missing something? You're hunting with a rifle?" I replied that I thought it was strange that blaze covered squirrel hunters are in the fields at the same time with bow hunters. No deer is going to hang around if they hear the sound of a 22 firing. It's also dangerous for the camo covered deer hunters who are sitting under trees while squirrel hunters are shooting AT trees. Is it always scheduled this way? This is my first year squirrel hunting since I was a kid, so I don't know if this is the way it's always done. Both deer hunters I ran into this week seemed confused, so I'm guessing this isn't normal. Whatever, us squirrel hunters need to be extra cautious when hunting during this cross-over season, and we should be sure not to shoot unless we really have a shot. No plinking. Lets give the bow hunters a break.

I also ran into the guy who had his dog attacked by a coyote. We talked a bit more, and come to find out, the attack took place in the same area were I saw the large footprints that I believe could have come from the Mountain Lion. That was right down the dirt road from my sighting. I told the guy that it's very unusual to hear about that kind of attack, but I'm wondering if there's a den nearby that the coyote was protecting and if that's what the cat was looking for?

He also told me that the second time he was bothered by coyotes, it took place in the fields to the northeast of the DEP building. He was walking his dogs in the field and a coyote started circling them. It even blocked their way out of the field. He began to get somewhat scared of the aggressiveness of this dog, so he pulled a handgun and took a shot. That drove it off. We need to do some coyote hunting in these areas to try to nail the pack.

When I first walked down the dirt road, I saw something very unusual; a squirrel running along the ground. I raised my rifle and went after it, but within a few seconds it had disappeared between some trees. They can be slippery little devils! The rest of the time it was so windy that I wasn't able to pick them out at the treetops by seeing and hearing leaf movement. I didn't see anything, and I was so tired after this long work week that I decided to hang it up. At least I picked up some good info on the dogs to pass on. Remember to watch for the bow hunters.

A quick hunt after work

After a particularly grueling 7 - 5 workday, I had an hour to hunt before sunset. I quickly pulled my backpack out of my Jeep, changed into my camos and hit the road. First I decided to try a new spot where the trees looked interesting and there was very little ground cover. Walking into the woods about 25 yards, I looked up and saw the largest hornet nest I'd ever seen. About 35 feet up and the size of a soccer ball. I checked it through the scope and it was crawling with hornets. Exit, stage left... I was out'a there. I went a bit further up the road and started walking a dirt road. This time I had my ProEars on, and I could hear everything. They are really amazing! I could clearly hear every nut that falls from the trees. I was aware of every sound that emanated from the very top of 90 footers. The entire forest seemed to come alive. To my right I heard a branch snap, and there was a squirrel eating a nut while standing on a stick. I was in the middle of the road with nothing to steady the rifle, so I steadied the best I could and took a shot. It looked like a hit because I saw it go airborn, but it never turned up. The sun was dropping quickly, so I went a bit further down the road until I heard something rustling at the very top of the trees. This time I headed toward a tree to give myself something to brace myself on. I remained still and in a couple of minutes the squirrel made its way down the trunk. It started chattering at me while hiding on the back side. In about a minute it popped its head out, I got it in my cross-hairs and I took 2 fast shots with my 10/22. It dropped like a stone, yet it thrashed and crawled for about 30 seconds. I had put the shot right through its head, which literally blew its brains out, yet it kept moving like a chicken with its head cut off. Now I have a better idea why I haven't been able to find some of the squirrels that I knew for sure I hit. I decided to keep this guys tail to build my coyote decoy. I'm planning on putting together 3 tails and hanging them from a bouncy stick to get the coyote's attention.

This will likely be one of the last warm days of the year. It was about 80F with zero humidity. The sweet smell of grapes was in the air, and it doesn't get much better than that. It was now 6:30 which is 1/2 hr after sunset (the end of the legal hunting day), so I unloaded my rifle and headed back to the Jeep. Work was murder today, but it's amazing how quickly I forget about it once I get into the woods. I think I'll do it again tomorrow.

Vlad's 'Beast'

That's one heck of a woodchuck from Vlad Lumelsky. This 26" monster was taken in the Simsbury area with a scoped 22. From the casing count, it looks like Vlad fired 9 rounds that day. He's sent me some really great photos, but asked that I only post this one. I think he's saving the others in case he starts his own blog. Vlad also plans to join the sparse ranks of Connecticut coyote hunters this year. I'm looking forward to seeing and posting those kills and stories. Nice shooting Vlad!

Hidden dangers at Roraback

March 17, 2008 UPDATE
From the Hooks and Bullets Blog:

Cougar Track In Michigan

"...The DNR has finally admitted to what we all have been saying for years. Why does the DNR continually deny the fact that cougars are in the area. This doesn’t just happen in Michigan either. Last year BR from The BR Shooting Journal actually saw a cougar in the wild and the Connecticut DEP had basically no reaction to the incident..."

The DNR would like to remind citizens what to do if they come into contact with a cougar.

1. Stop, stand tall and do not run. Pick up small children. Do not run. A cougar’s instinct is to chase.
2. Do not approach the animal.
3. Try to appear larger than the cougar. Never take your eyes off the animal or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide.
4. If the animal displays aggressive behavior, shout, wave your arms and throw rocks. The idea is to convince the cougar that you are not prey, but a potential danger.
5. If the cougar attacks, fight back aggressively and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back.

March 4, 2008 UPDATE
There have been more mountain lion sightings in CT this year. Go to the 2008 Hunting page for the information.

Today I went squirrel hunting after work. I hit the road to Roraback WMA at about 4:45 and was hunting by 5:00. I had parked just south of the DEP building at the sign and parking area that leads to the dirt road lined with nut trees. I made a big circle, going as far as the field behind the DEP, then did a return trip to my Jeep. It was now 6:00 pm. I opened the tailgate of the Jeep and sat on it and began changing from boots to sneakers. The rifle was already returned to the case and ammo to the field box.

All of a sudden there was movement in the bushes about 30 yards away, the cow pasture side. Slowly out slinks a huge charcoal gray cat. “My god!” It was like seeing a dark gray ghost. “It’s no a coyote” I thought. I recently shot one at about 25 yards so I had a good look at one. This thing was almost dragging on the ground. It was huge; bigger than a coyote. I’ve seen photos of bobcats and this looked much bigger. More like a tiger. I kept my eyes locked on it until it made it into the brush on my side of the road. I became a bit concerned when I lost sight of it, and quickly unzipped my rifle from the case. It wasn’t loaded but I figured it might scare it or I could swing it at the cat if it approached. I didn’t see it again and it never made a sound. My buddy Arne thinks it was a mountain lion. I don’t know. It looked like it was going to rain, so it was getting dark early. It looked solid gray to me, but that could have been an illusion from the lighting. The size wasn’t. It was big. I don’t remember seeing a tail, but my eyes were trying to make out the head and in a matter of seconds it was gone. I may have seen a tail but I just don’t remember.

"It was huge; bigger than a coyote"

My biggest concern is that I am seeing families with very young children coming out of those woods after taking hikes on a regular basis. They are subject to numerous dangers that they are unaware of. It is squirrel season, and people are hunting. The hunters are wearing blaze and they are not. There’s been a pack of coyotes spotted over the past month and a man walking his dogs had a dog attacked. It was a real coincidence that I met the man last Friday in the same spot that I was at today (He and his dogs were coming out of the woods while I was going in). He jokingly said that his dogs are on Valium after that encounter. Now there’s some sort of huge cat lurking in the area. The public should be notified of these dangers. I don’t even want to think what will happen if a small child is snatched by a predator. People are using the Roraback area like a public park without a clue of the dangers that surround them. The area should be clearly posted as having these possible dangers. I personally don’t feel very comfortable out there anymore being allowed to carry in only a 22. The law should be changed to allow open carry of a large caliber handgun while hunting or fishing.

I sent the following letter today to the DEP biologist:
I spoke to (a top official who will remain nameless) from the DEP today and he didn’t believe I saw what I did. One reason was because they’ve never seen tracks or scat. I just did a Google search to look at cougars, and I saw a photo of their tracks. I may have seen them last Wednesday. I took the day off from work to go squirrel hunting at Roraback and I walked the area from 5:30am to 3pm. I saw some very large tracks that put a bit of a scare into me that looked similar to what I just saw on Google. If you walk the road from the parking area toward the fields, it turns right toward the corn fields. If you don’t make the turn, there’s a fallen tree at the foot of a dried up stream. Right near that tree there’s a pile of woodchips or something that you have to walk through to walk that stream path. There was a series of large footprints there that I’d never seen before. At first I thought it was a bear, but they were too small. They very well could have been from the cougar. You might want to keep an eye in that area.

I RETURNED TO THE SPOT ON THURSDAY WITH A BIG PIPE IN HAND AND A CAMERA

Today after work I returned to the stop where the mountain lion appeared and took a few photos. The pan at the top what taken from where I was sitting when the lion appeared. I pieced 3 photos together to make this pan and marked the entry point and its path across the road. The 4 photos below are of the following:

*Where it first appeared
*That same spot from across the street in the parking lot.
*The place where it entered back into the woods.
*The road directly behind me where I saw large tracks last Wed.

I'm sorry to say that I couldn't find the prints I saw a week ago Wednesday or anything new. A driving rain we just had must have washed them out near the fallen tree in the bottom photo. I checked the area where I entered and the ground there in very hard. I weigh a good 200 lbs and I didn't make a dent in the soil. The area where it went when it crossed the street it dense brush and by now any traces of it were gone. I'm wondering it it was chasing a deer? I took a quick measurement of the traffic lane and it's about 9' wide. The cat took up a good half of the road, so I must have been looking at a big tail behind it.

When I walked into work this morning, one of the guys came up to me and said that I had to look at the New Haven Register online this morning. It was another mountain lion sighting. Here's what it said, and note that I removed the idiotic statements from the DEP who for some strange reason refuse to believe anyone. Arne and I spoke to an area farmer not that long ago who's horse was killed by what he said must have been a mountain lion because it was too large to be killed by anything smaller. Look at the photo below posted in the paper today.

THAT WAS THE HEAD AND BODY SHAPE I SAW!
Here's today's story:

09/13/2007
On The Prowl
Pamela McLoughlin , New Haven Register Staff

SHELTON — A large cat-like animal with pointy ears, a long tail and goldencolor made its third appearance since Aug. 17 early Wednesday morning, striking terror in a mother who was waiting for a school bus with her young child. "There’s something running around Shelton," police Sgt. Kevin Ahern said...Witnesses seem to think it’s a mountain lion...The woman and child were waiting for the bus in their driveway at 32 Monroe Road in the White Hills section when the mother turned around and saw, "what’s reported to be a mountain lion," in front of the garage, Ahern said. The woman and the child jumped in her car, drove to a neighbor’s house and called police, so shaken that she continued to tremble in fear even after they were there a while. The responding police officer was able to catch a glimpse of the creature she described as cat-like, but it was sitting in a tree. The animal quickly fled. There had been speculation the golden animal — described by one witness as the size of a baby deer — could be a large dog, but that theory is now kaput since it was seen in the tree. The first sighting occurred on Aug. 17 when two people driving in opposite directions on Shelton Avenue saw a beast of a similar description crossing the road. That was near the intermediate school, but fortunately it was closed, Ahern said. Then a week ago, a school bus driver saw an animal matching the description crossing East Village Road near East Village Park.

IT AMAZES ME HOW NEWS TRAVELS AROUND THE INTERNET!

Yesterday I was searching for a squirrel target, so I Googled some photos, saw something that I liked and went to the page it was on. It was a west coast web site, and in the main story it was talking about this post! What's the chance of me running into that? About as much change as I had of running into a mountain lion I guess. Here's the post...

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

I love the government! No, really. (sarcasm) They are there to protect us from all the dangers that lurk in the dark and to tell us of the dangers before we can hurt ourselves. You know what I’m talking about, you’ve all seen it in action, the “Smoking Will Kill You” stickers, the “Don’t Dry Your Hair In The Tub” labels on electric hair dryers and other such crap. Why just the other day I saw a sign that said the road was “Slippery When Wet”. WOW, I didn’t know that.

But, there is another side to your friendly, “We Just Want To Protect You”, government. These are the losers that work for the Wildlife branches of government. Here are a couple of examples of what I’m talking about:

I grew up in Oregon and have been to Alaska, Canada, and every other Western state. I hunt and fish, camp in the woods and spent 3 years logging fresh out of high school. During that time, I’ve seen a ton of wildlife, including bear, dear, elk, coyote, raccoon, skunk and wolf. I added wolf in there because I saw one running down the road this year 6 miles outside Unity, Oregon. It was a big grey wolf and spent at least 10 seconds running 10 yards down the road in front of The Verminator’s truck, in which I was a passenger.

"The reason I’m posting this is because, as squirrel hunters, we need to remember we aren’t the only “THINGS” hunting in the woods and fields."

Now, I mentioned that I’ve seen coyote and bears, just so that you know, that I know, what they look like. Well, when I emailed the Oregon Department of Whatever, that is tracking the Grey Wolf migration from Idaho into Oregon, they said, “It must have been a coyote”. Did I mention that I’ve seen a coyote before? Lots of them? Well, I got pissed off, and called him, and told him I’ve lived here my whole life and wasn’t from New York. At that point, I finally got him to listen to me, but it was like pulling teeth and I never heard back from him or any of his fellow government employees.

On that note, I’ll lead into the reason I’m writing this, and that is because the same idiots who work for the Oregon State Department of Wolf Watching or Whatever, also work in Connecticut. Read this story posted by BR about how he saw a Cougar in the Roraback WMA of Connecticut, and talked to a guy who ran into a pack of coyotes the week before, but the idiot DEP biologist he talked to blew the whole thing off, even though the area is used by families with small children. (see my note below ~BR)

The reason I’m posting this is because, as squirrel hunters, we need to remember we aren’t the only “THINGS” hunting in the woods and fields. Just because you haven’t heard about the 22 mountain lions that live where you’re hunting, and your local government says there isn’t anything in the woods to be afraid of, doesn’t mean you don’t need to be prepared for the wolves, mountain lions and bears before they decide to snack on you while your hunting. In other words, “BE PREPARED PEOPLE”, even if you think it’s not going to happen to you.

SquirrelSniper

NOTE: In all fairness, the DEP Biologist did get back to me and he has always responded to my letters. It was the Sargent that simply didn't believe me. Here's what the biologist wrote:

Mr. BR,
State properties open to hunting are posted to inform the public that hunting is allowed on the area. I am sure Rorabak has such signs, but perhaps they could use more in prominent areas or some may have been removed by vandals, etc. I will forward your e-mail to our district biologist who coordinates signage for such areas. Posting for other "danger" is more problematic. Coyotes occur commonly across the state. Fortunately it so exceptionally rare for them to attack a human that warning people of their presence has not been considered necessary. If you looked only at Connecticut statistics it could be argued that bats, bees and tree limbs are examples of greater dangers.
I can't determine what the animal is that you saw. We have received many mountain lion sightings from all over the state for decades. Yet none of these sightings have been verified and there has been no tangible evidence of the presence of mountain lions. In states where they do occur they are prone to being hit by cars. We have investigated many, many sightings in the winter when snow allowed identification of the animal from the tracks. In all cases the supposed mountain lion turned out to be another species. The most likely explanation for a mountain lion or other big cat roaming would be that it is an escapee. In that case it would be difficult to know how the animal behaved around people. I hope this helps answer your concerns, ____________Wildlife Biologist

My response:
I hope this biologist is right. I will tell you one thing; after what I saw I will never step foot on that property without some sort of loaded firearm. I took my family through there a few weeks ago and that won’t happen again. They can call it what they will. There is a huge cat of some kind stalking the property. A farmer I spoke to on adjoining property had a horse killed earlier in the year. Has the DEP ever paid a visit to the farmers in the surrounding area to see what they have seen? When I emailed the DEP, did they ask me any follow-up questions, such as were exactly I saw the cat? Did they request that I meet with them or someone else at Roraback so I could show them the exact spot where it appeared and crossed the road? I'm in the area all the time. There obviously is no real interest in getting to the bottom of this or there would have been an investigation.

"I mentioned your recent siting of a wildcat in Harwinton to my father-in-law. He worked on the CT Highway Dept. in Winsted until he retired. He told me that about twenty years ago he was doing some tree trimming one morning along the roads in the Winsted / Colebrook area and he spotted what appeared to be a wildcat. He tried to point it out to one of the other men who was working near him, but by the time the other man came to the spot to see it, the cat had moved away. My father-in-law also told me that he had heard stories that the state may have released the wildcats into the area on purpose." ~Patrick King, CT

Restocking small game at Roraback

Last week I wrote Paul Rego, the DEP Wildlife Biologist a letter with an idea regarding restocking small game in the Roraback WMA area. I thought that a simple way to do this would be for the DEP to purchase and loan out Have-a-heart traps that people could use to move unwanted squirrels and rabbits from their private property to this area in order to repopulate it. Mr Rego responded that the habitat isn't very good and wouldn't support the game. I think you'll find his letter very informative:

Hi Mr. BR,
It is an interesting thought you have regarding stocking game at Rorabak. I discussed your idea with our district habitat biologist that does work on state lands. I think squirrels would be about the only game that would be stocked in meaningful numbers, maybe some rabbits and maybe some woodchucks. The district biologist and I believe a big factor in the lack of game at Rorabak is poor habitat. Grouse and rabbits need overgrown fields, young stage forest - and that is very limited at Rorabak. So, without good habitat, many animals moved to this spot would disperse until they found suitable habitat or not survive. Also, there is a tendency for translocated animals to wander after they are moved. For small game, Rorabak probably has the best prospects for squirrel. Prior to last fall there were 2 falls with very poor acorn crops. Our Division received many reports from people of a notable decline in the squirrel population. Last year was a good acorn crop and it appears that the squirrel population has rebounded. Animals like squirrels have high reproductive rates and their populations usually responded quickly to habitat and food changes. I suspect the local squirrel population at Rorabak has responded close to what the habitat will support. The best prospect for better small game populations at Rorabak is to making the habitat more suitable. This would involve more forest cutting and post-cutting treatment. The same situation occurs on many state lands - the forest has gotten so mature that it is not very good small game habitat, with the exception of squirrels. I hope this helps,

Paul Rego, Wildlife Biologist

Hunting Coyotes in New England by Arne Thompson

Arne is an experienced New England coyote hunter and he wrote this story at my request. Arne and I both work at LSG, and if I pester him enough, I'm hoping he'll write more. I 'm looking forward to learning a lot from him. ~BR

Hunting coyotes in New England in the spring thru early fall is not easy, the foliage and lack of large fields make it tough to see at any distance beyond 50 to 75 yards. This means that you must be on you toes at all times, by the time you see them, they are on top of you.

I love hunting Coyotes in the winter. It makes for a very exciting time in the woods, and their pelts are at their prime.

NOTE: “IT IS IN MY OPINION” this time of the year food is harder for them to hunt and they will come to just about any kind of sound of distress. At this time of year I will venture out the night before the hunt and locate coyotes by using a series of locater howls and maybe a challenge bark or tow, they will answer you, and if they don’t then I move on a few miles up the road. But if they do answer you the hair on the back of my neck stands up, WHAT A THRILL you have to be their…haha I LOVE IT!!!!

"Most hunters give up too early..."

When I locate my query, I’ll go back the next morning at daybreak or a little later and start a series of howls “ locater” and wait for a reply, if no reply, I give another locater howler, wait 3 to 10 minutes and start will either a fawn or a rabbit distress call “ MOUTH CALLS “ and wait up an hour, but they will show believe me…Most hunters give up too early, and wonder why they don’t see anything the next time they go back to that particular spot, Its because they have educated the coyotes that watched hunters leaving to early. I am not saying that it hasn’t happened to me, but after times of not seeing any and wondering what I was doing wrong I figured it out.

CASE IN POINT:

A friend and myself talked about hunting some dogs one Saturday in February and it had snowed 8 inches the day before, we walked about 1 ½ miles into some public land here in Ct. We set up on a hill overlooking a bog and dressed in a snow camo cover suit I positioned him “ both armed with a 22 Ruger rifles, about 40 yards at 10 o’clock in front of me. He had never been dog hunting before so I am giving him first crack so to speak. And I started calling, we had 2 answer and we knew it was going to be a great day. After 40 minutes we looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders I told him with hand signals 15 more minutes, so we continued, and 20 min. later nothing, we thought for sure we’d been busted. So we got up met in the middle and we are whispering talking about going to another area, when I could see over his shoulder, one coming off the hill through the snow at a steady gape, I told Chris to just kneel down right there, he and I did, with a few lip squeaks this coyote walk right to 45 yards and Chris shot him, dropped him right there with a spine shot, he said the 22 was shooting high I say great shot, no tracking. WT. 47 #s. I only wish I had a camera, this was the first coyote I’ve seen in this color… Charcoal grayest black with silver gray guard hairs, what a beautiful mount he made. I will never forget that cold February morning a friend and I had a blast call dogs. I need to set more time aside to hunt dogs with friends, they are a problem and they really are fun when you can call them in and get the shot.

~Arne Thompson

A Woodchuck Story

It was a long day, and I had been walking the fields in the heat for hours without seeing a thing. It was as if someone dropped a neutron bomb in the field. The landscape was untouched but there wasn't a sign of life anywhere. I was hungry and thirsty and it was time to call it quits. I unloaded my rifle, opened the receiver and began the long, uphill walk to my car. Since I had thrown in the towel, I walked the next 5 minutes looking down at my feet. Approaching my car, I lifted my head, not believing what I saw. There stood a woodchuck on its hind legs staring at me. What a perfect shot! For some reason a standing chuck always looks bigger than I expect them to. "Damn!", I remembered that my rifle was unloaded so without stopping, I reached slowly into my pocket, pulled out a bullet and manually loaded it into the chamber (not always easy with a small caliber lever action rifle).

"I pull back the hammer.........my cell phone rings! Scrambling for it, I picked up the call before it rings again. ...."HELLO?" I whispered. It was my wife checking up on me."

I closed the lever and the chuck started running. I ran and followed him as he ducked into a big hole that was in the side of a hill. I positioned myself on a high spot where I could look into the hole and laid on my stomach in wait. I used this opportunity to load my tube with ammo in case I had shoot on the run. Looking into the hole with my scope, I could see something that appeared to be the glistening of its eye. I pull back the hammer.........my cell phone rings! Scrambling for it, I picked up the call before it rings again. ...."HELLO?" I whispered. It was my wife checking up on me. I couldn't believe it. She's never called me during a hunt! What are the odds? I whispered, "...I'LL CALL YOU BACK" and hung up. The chuck began to move out of its hole. I fired one shot and hit it in the chest. It didn't move but I fired again to be sure it was dead. Hey, I don't get to shoot my rifle much in this place and I wasn't going to give this one the opportunity to crawl back into its hole. I then took the photos above and called my wife back, "Nice timing!"