Are you a Predator Hunter type?
Predator
hunting is like no other form of hunting; it requires hard earned skill,
patience and perseverance. The payoff is the pure thrill of seeing a coyote
come running to the call. We are totally hooked on predator hunting and nothing
gets our adrenaline flowing like seeing fur charging through the brush or a set
of red eyes looking right back at you on a night hunt. Simply stated, if you
like excitement, adventure and out smarting one of the most efficient hunters on
our planet, than predator hunting is for you.
Equipment
Rifles: If you talk to fifty different predator/varmint hunters, you are sure to get fifty different opinions regarding the "best" predator hunting rifle, bullet and caliber combination. We don’t want to get too specific here but we’ll touch on some of the more important general topics and fine points.
More often than not, your shots on predators will be a bit longer
than the average big game shot. So, you will need a rifle and caliber that is a
flat and accurate shooter. Predator hunting is a far cry from big game
hunting. You'll need to be able to connect on a 10-pound fox out to about two
hundred yards. A shot on a coyote in the open west could be 300-yards or
better. If your rifle and you are not capable of that kind of accuracy, you
have some preliminary work to do. You will need to accurize that predator rifle
and get yourself to the range so you can practice, practice, practice.
Some of the more popular predator/varmint hunting rifle calibers are the .17 Remington, .204 Ruger, .223, .220 Swift, .243, 25-06 and what is probably the best overall choice, the venerable 22-250. OK, OK...We know there is a world of other wildcat calibers out there that are great too but we are trying to keep it simple by mentioning “off the self” products that most folks can get at their local gun shop.
As far as the .17 Remington is concerned, it is an excellent caliber for small, thin skinned animals like bobcats or fox if the range is not much beyond 150-yards. Keep in mind that your shot placement has to be excellent and well placed into the vitals area. This caliber is a real fur saver. There will be no exit wound and you will be hard pressed to even find the entrance wound. That little super high velocity 30-grain pill hits hard and fast. When you do your part with a properly placed shot it turns the inside of the animal into Jell-O.
Place your shots in the vital areas for a quick kill.
Weight & Handling: Most predator hunters are hunting in a field environment or with a specially designed hunting "rig". For ease of handling, you should try and choose a rifle that is relatively lightweight and has a barrel no longer than 22-inches. A heavy or “bull” barrel is not essential for an accurate rifle so make it easy on yourself and buy a rifle with a good quality, sporter weight barrel. Predator hunting is not like prairie dog hunting. You will be lucky if you have the opportunity to fire three shots in a row. Most times, it will be “one shot-one kill” from a cold barrel. The last thing you want to be doing is toting a heavy, bull-barreled rifle around in the field all day.
Actions: Predator hunters in most states can take advantage of the modern semi-auto, AR platform rifles. They really come in handy when you happen to be lucky enough to call in a double or a triple on one stand. The modern semi-auto carbines are easy handling, lightweight and very accurate. That kind of versatility comes in very handy when quick, multiple follow-up shots are needed.
Predators and varmints may successfully be hunted with lever actions, pump actions, or just about any other type of rifle/pistol action out there. The secret is to choose the right caliber and bullet combination for the animal you are hunting. Know the ballistics associated with your chosen caliber and always keep in mind that old Wiley coyote has a will to survive like you've never seen before. If you don't whack him in the right place with the right bullet and with enough foot-pounds of force, when you arrive to retrieve your trophy, Ol Wiley will simply have vanished.
Bullets: We have such a varied selection of excellent, accurate bullets today that it is very difficult to make that final choice for your personal hunting load. Of all the great performing predator/varmint hunting bullets out there, the most popular seems to be the polymer tipped variety. As an example, Nosler ballistic tips and the Hornady V-Max are some of our favorite choices. Most of the predator hunters we know use them too. The rapidly expanding polymer tipped rounds transmit major shock to the animal and really tear up the vital organs. The modern hollow points from Sierra, Berger and Speer do a fine job too but for “bang-flop” terminal performance and excellent long-range accuracy, the polymer tipped bullet offerings are hard to beat.
Scopes: Fitting a good rifle scope to your predator hunting rifle is essential. Fortunately, there are some really terrific scopes on the market today that are very reasonably priced. For the best performance and value, we recommend the HAWKE scope line. We have had experience with just about every scope manufacturer and we can honestly say that HAWKE Optics gives you the best quality scope for your hard earned dollars spent. Other reasons to buy a HAWKE? How about a great warranty, extra features, reticle choices and a free multi-caliber ballistic program.
For predator hunting, here are a few features that you should consider when purchasing your next scope.
Variable or fixed power? This is a question that will live on forever. To be honest, we have variable scopes on most all of our predator hunting rifles and handguns and 99% of the time they are left set on the lowest power (3, 4, or 6). Yes, sometimes we may dial up more power for something seen several hundred yards away (Remember, you need to be sure of your target before pulling the trigger) but for the most part using high power magnification on your scope is usually not the norm. We can tell you stories about more than one hunter (including ourselves) that forgot to check their variable scope power setting and when the predator came charging in, all he could see was a blurr of hair in their scope.
For all practical purposes, all you really need is a fixed 4-power or 6-power scope, a good pair of binoculars and you’re good to go. Also, you won't be tempted to play around with your scope’s magnification settings and get distracted on a stand. Additionally, a fixed power scope will help you become better at range estimation. In the end, the decision is still yours to make; fixed power or variable power?
Reticle:
Keeping in mind that you may be doing both low light and night hunting, avoid
those scopes with fine wire type reticles. With fine crosshairs you will be hard pressed to find your target when the
action starts. We think a better choice is the “duplex” style reticle. Duplex
reticles are much easier to see in low light and you will be able to accurately
get on your target animal much faster.
If you have a few extra bucks, another alternative is the illuminated reticle scope. A red or green LED illuminates the reticle and the user can adjust the level of illumination by using a small adjustment knob usually located on top of the rear eyepiece. The HAWKE SR6 Illuminated Reticle is pictured on the right. It gives you multiple aiming points for different yardages and a built-in range finding system.
Before purchasing any illuminated reticle scope, be sure to perform one simple test. Try out the illuminated scope in a dark or a dimly lit place before you buy it. Once the illumination is activated only the crosshairs should be illuminated. If the scope tube walls are illuminated, choose a different brand scope and try the test again. Many inexpensive illuminated reticle rifle scopes flood the inside of the scope tube with red or green light when the reticle illumination is activated. Don't buy a cheapo illuminated reticle scope. You won't be happy with the purchase.
Hunting Lights: If your state allows night hunting and the use of a lighting device, then a well built, well designed predator hunting light is a must. A good light must be rugged, dependable, have the proper beam width design, and preferably be able to project both a red and white beam of light. It is also desirable to have a light with a built in electronic dimmer control so you can adjust the brightness and power level. Having a lightweight light with custom features allows you to “own the night”. By the way, you will own the night with a RedHunterLLC Custom predator Hunting Light. There is nothing else like it sold anywhere.
 |
Check out the
RedHunter Custom Predator Hunting Light (U.S. Patent Pending) it
is like no other. See the
RedHunterLLC Custom Predator Hunting Light
page for complete details.
Each bi-color light is made one at a time and hand molded from fiberglass. It's lightweight, strong, and packed with unique features that make night hunting a pleasure. It also throws a flat lateral beam, not some spot of light but a nice wide, flat beam that picks up eyes and gives you plenty of halo to coax light-shy animals. |
Bipods & Shooting Sticks: Bipods and shooting sticks are essential tools for the predator hunter. Both of these tools have their good and bad points but each fills a need for predator hunting. If you hunt out west you may be hunting in desert type open country where there are no trees, therefore you may be able to hunt in the prone position. Lying low is perfect for a bipod, however, you will need a bipod that is versatile. For instance, you'll want it to be able to swivel and adjust quickly if you have to change positions suddenly to get on an animal. Versatility is the key here and if a bipod is the old rigid/fixed type, it may be too slow and not very usable for this fast action sport.
Shooting sticks are the latest rage but the truth is that shooting sticks have been around for a long, long time. Buffalo hunters used shooting sticks to rest those heavy Sharps rifles on for the long, accurate shots they needed to make. Sometimes the simple things still work the best. There are all sorts of great shooting stick products available to us today and surely you’ll find a set that will work well for you and your hunting environment.
Good shooting sticks are fast to set up, fast to adjust and if your animal begins to move you need to be able to pivot and stay right on him. Your sights should stay level and a wide "V" type rest gives you a lot of latitude for movement. Generally, most shooting sticks are not all that good for prone shooting (unless you are on a steep hillside) but for a sitting position or shooting on uneven terrain, they're great.
Since most of the predator hunting out West is desert hunting, it is unusual to find a natural rifle rest. Shooting sticks and bipods really fill the bill when that long coyote shot requires a steady rest and accurate shot placement. Shooting sticks also fit the bill for Eastern hunting. We believe that after practicing and hunting with shooting sticks, you won't want to hunt without them.
Shotguns: Coyotes, fox, bobcats and other predators can also be taken with shotguns. If you are hunting in an area with heavy cover like a lot of places in the east and your maximum range is about 50-yards, shot-gunning is an excellent method to harvest predatory animals.
This plan calls for complete camouflage (make sure you cover your face and hands) and a major effort in scent control should be utilized. Many times you may be calling from a spot with very limited visibility and the action will definitely be up close and personal. You can expect a coyote to charge in close, sometimes to within a few feet of your location and there is a good possibility that you will be within spitting distance. The down side to this scenario is the animals will be coming in so close to you that you'd better not make any mistakes regarding your set-up. If you fidget even a little, make any noise or smell like a human, the jig will be up and you’ll be made. You’ll never even know that the predator came into your call.
When the action is this close, speed is required to get the shot off and when it comes to speed shooting, a shotgun is hard to beat. Since a shotgun does not require the same marksmanship skill as a rifle, getting your first, second and even your third shots off will be very quick. It's not aim and shoot it's point and shoot. You should be familiar enough with your scattergun to point it instinctively and nail your target.
If you are hunting with a partner, caution and pre-planning are the watchwords. Always know where you partner is located. Chances are, once you are hunkered down and calling, you won't be able to see each other. Before beginning to call, make certain you and your partner have established exact "field of fire zones" to prevent the possibility of shooting towards each other. When the coyotes mystically appear right in front of you, the adrenalin will be pumping hard and all you will be thinking about is taking that shot. That is why it is especially important to establish your field of fire and know exactly where your partner is before beginning a call sequence.
Sometimes the best method is hunting back-to-back. Both you and your partner will have 180-degrees to keep an eye on and if the concealment cover permits, this is a good plan.
We do not recommend any shotgun gauge smaller than a 12-gauge for taking the larger predators. Most of the shotgun hunters we know are using #4 buck in either 2 ¾, 3 or 3 ½ in shells for coyotes. Or, try the new "Dead Coyote" load we believe it is an over achiever. If you intend on taking fox or smaller animals, lighter loads will work well too. Remember how tough coyotes are and don't underestimate their amazing will to survive. Use enough load for a “bang-flop” takedown and a good fast, clean kill.
Shooting Seat or Pad: One important piece of gear you'll want to have on hand when calling in predators is a pad or small camo hunting chair. Your pad can be anything from an old car floor mat to a camo covered seat cushion or even a “Dove hunting stool”. The main thing to remember here is that you will be attempting to sit absolutely still while calling predators so you had better be comfortable. If you start to move around and the animal sees the movement, the game is up an he will be gone in a flash.
Pads and chairs will keep your butt dry and free from burrs or cactus needles (you'll find out who your true friends are when you have to ask them to pull a hundred cactus needles out of your butt). You will want to comfortably assume a position that will facilitate quickly bringing your rifle or shotgun to bear on any target within your cone of fire. So, for maximum success, get comfortable and pack a pad, stool or chair with you. (Packing a pair of tweezers is a good idea too)
Calling with Camouflage: When most hunters think of camo, they think of clothing to help them blend into the type of country they are hunting in. There is more to your predator hunting disguise than a change of clothing however and you must also consider the other senses that an animal has to detect your position. If he can see you, smell you or hear you, you lose.
Ask any wildlife biologist and he or she will tell you that coyotes and other predators are color blind. Therefore, the color of your camo gear is not as important as the tonal intensity and its relationship to the environment you hunt in. The animal sees the contrast in the colors rather than the colors themselves. Try to pick your camo clothing to match the contrast of the area you are hunting. For instance, if you are a desert hunter you should select a camo design like Prairie Ghost or Natural Gear that has about the same mild contrast as a desert scene. If you really want to melt into the eastern foliage you may want to go with something like Mossy Oak or one of the many camo patterns used in the east. No matter which coast or what part of the country you live in you can’t go wrong with any of the new leafy 3-D type camos. They are the best things yet for blending into the background. Ask other hunters in your area (especially bow hunters) what camo pattern seems to work best for them.
Please don't forget to hide your hands, arms and face. During daylight hours, a good set of camo gloves and a long sleeve camouflage shirt should always be worn no matter how hot it might me. Your gloves should fit the climate and your trigger finger should be able to "feel" your trigger well enough to squeeze off your shot. When you must wear heavy gloves in cold weather, consider making a slit in your trigger finger glove so that you can pop out your trigger finger just before you are ready to take the shot.
When you consider total camouflage, your face has to be disguised as well. Movement when turning your head from side to side to look for animals coming in will make for a contrast change that will surely spook predators. Your choices for the job are camo face paints, face masks or camo head nets. Either will do the job but we feel the net will be more effective relative to cutting down on the outline of your facial features. Nets can obscure vision though and the final choice is yours. Some hunters swear by the face paint. Do what works best for you in your local hunting area.
Masking Scents: Predators are very smart creatures. Most of them will immediately circle downwind of the call so that they can get a good sniff of what all of the ruckus is about before moving in for the free meal. These animals will be gone in a flash if they smell deodorant, aftershave, scented soap or anything else that smells out of place (like humans). This is a sure thing if they have been called before, shot at and missed. Therefore, a masking scent should be an essential part of your hunting gear.
We think that one of the best masking scents is skunk scent. This stuff is nasty and even when packed in a glass bottle and three Zip Lock bags, it will still stink up your garage (our wives hate it). The best way to store it is in a glass bottle, inside another glass bottle and buried in a box full of dirt. OK, it is nasty but we think it helps when we are in the field. It might fool the predator long enough for you to at least get a shot off.
You can either harvest the skunk scent yourself (locate the two marble sized glands on either side of the skunk's anal vent) by holding a container near the vent and squeezing the glands. We are personally not into skunk milking. we simply purchase the evil stuff already packaged from trapper supply outlets. Upon delivery, the UPS guy always seems to give a strange eye because the box really does smell bad even during shipment. Do an Internet search for skunk scent or a fur trapper supply outlet. You should be able to source some with no problem at all. Most of the outlets you find will also sell various animal urines. Urine from coyotes, fox and bobcat can also be used in a fine spray bottle to “mist” all around your stand.
There are lots of hunting garments that claim to be scent blocking as well as spray-on scent killer products but we feel that good old skunk scent will work for you as well as it works for us. The scent-lock suits are nice but, you still have to exhale and Ol Wiley Coyote can smell your breath a half-mile away.
All predators can discern human scent, sometimes even through a multitude of scent reducing products or cover scents. Always hunt into the wind and if you see an animal circling downwind on you, shoot before he winds you. It doesn’t matter what products you are using to try and mask your scent, once the predator is downwind of you, they will sniff you out in a heartbeat. Ol' Wiley will hit the afterburners and all you'll see is tail.
Sound Advice: Predators have a very highly tuned hearing capacity. They trump us humans in the frequency spectrum and volume reception departments. Hey, if a coyote can hear your rabbit squeal a mile away, he can also hear you and your hunting partner talking too loudly from that same distance. The watchwords here are “be quiet”.
Make sure your car or truck runs quietly when traveling to your hunting site. That includes a good muffler, no chassis squeaks, no radio playing and no gear banging around in the bed of your truck or on the roof. Rig yourself and your vehicle for silent running or you don't have much of a chance for success.
Before you walk to your stand, do not slam your car or truck doors, don’t talk in your usual volume, try not to cough or sneeze or laugh loudly. Try not to blow your nose, hum a happy tune or do anything else that can make noise. Be as quiet as possible and watch where you step. Walk softly and lightly. Use hand signals for all communications and stay quiet even after the first shot. There may be another predator ready to come in and you'll want to give him the warm welcome that he deserves.
Here are some general tips to consider that will improve your predator hunting:
Scout the areas you intend on hunting/calling. Look for tracks, scat, or other evidence of past predator kills and enough cover for the animals to feel comfortable moving towards your call.
Hunt into the wind. Call into the wind and try to set up so that if the animal attempts to sneak downwind, he will have to blow his cover. In other words, take care when selecting your calling site and keep the typical predator behavioral patterns in mind. Let the topography work for you.
Make a habit of checking your scope before each stand. Make sure it is on the lowest power setting if it’s a variable type scope. Nothing is worse than having a coyote charge in and all you see is blurr of fur in your scope. If you need to take a long shot, they'll be plenty of time to dial up the power and get on your target.
Know your equipment. Become absolutely familiar with your rifle and its capabilities. When you are on stand during the day or at night, fumbling with your rifle, your scope or other equipment is not an option. Knowing your weapon should be second nature and basic procedures like loading, unloading, clearing a jam and operating the safety should be accomplished with ease. The same goes for your scope and your calling and decoy equipment. Know it all and know it well. Practice getting familiar with your rifle in a dark room and never, ever practice with live ammunition. Always make sure your rifle is unloaded before practicing.
Your calls should suit the conditions. Days with more wind require louder calling. Also, note the terrain when calling. You'll need to call louder uphill than downhill or in a heavily wooded area. Remember, a good wind and open terrain will carry your call sounds farther so consider the conditions before beginning your calling sequence.
When doing day stands, always attempt to call from a shady area, call in front of a tree or other cover so you can blend in. If possible, set up so that the sun is behind you and the critter coming in will have the sun in his eyes. Attempt to pick a spot where the visibility is good for you so that you can see animals coming in from as far away as possible.
Be sure you have back-up equipment. Bring more than one rifle, or a single mouth call, spotlight, decoy and spare batteries for your electrical and electronic tools. Bring extra flashlights, and flashlight batteries etc., and every other accessory necessary for your hunt. Plan for the "what ifs". You can always be sure of one thing; Murphy’s Law will be working against you. Like the Boy Scouts say, “Be Prepared”.
Try to find virgin hunting areas. It may mean walking from your vehicle a bit but the result will mean a better chance to call your critter. These days a lot of areas are over-hunted and that means you may be attempting to fool an educated coyote. It’s best to do some walking and get into some country that has not been called before.
Don't over call. Using your mouth call or electronic caller, call for about 30-seconds, shut down and wait to see what might come in. Call after about five minutes and wait again. If you spot an animal coming in, lure him with a low-volume call or use a coaxer type call.
Hey! You stink! No, really you do smell Remember that you will leave a scent trail moving to and from your stand. Consider this when you go to set a decoy or put out an electronic caller. Keep these scent lines in mind and if a coyote approaches one, be prepared to take your shot before he gets there. You'll be amazed at how good their noses are.
If an animal is charging in to your call, stop him. A bark, squeak or a whistle will do the trick. Don't go for the running shot unless you have no other alternative. Also, remember that departing coyotes have a habit of stopping and looking back over their shoulder after they are about 200-yards out. That will give you the opportunity for another shot.
Don't always rely on distress calls. Our Howlers will help you to locate coyotes but they do a whole lot more than that. Many times if you howl once, you'll get no vocalizations in response. What you very well may get is a visitor or two. Many times we'll howl and get no response. Within five quiet minutes, there are one or two curious coyotes coming in to see who is in their territory. Play on their instincts. Use a combination of howls and distress calls. Howl and wait for three to five minutes. Then call for about other 15-seconds or so and wait three to five more minutes. If you see one coming in and he slows down or locks up, coax him a bit with the call again. Try not to over call. Coyote calling is a lot like attracting people. Sometimes, the less said, the better.
Don't make your howls sound too deep. You don't want to sound too dominant and scare off the Beta animals.
If you shoot one coyote at a stand, keep calling. These guys are pack animals and there is an excellent chance that there are more dogs very close by. After you drop one, simply begin calling like an injured coyote (Ki-Yi sounds) for about 30-seconds and see what else shows up. Don't give away your position until you are sure the stand is dry.
Make sure your rifle is sighted in and check it before every hunt. Nothing is more frustrating than knowing you were on the animal and missing him. Get to the range as often as you can and improve your marksmanship skills. Don't always shoot from the bench. Bring your hunt chair and shooting sticks and practice just the way you hunt.
Sometimes coyotes will not come in until the calling stops. Keep your eyes peeled and give the cautious critter a chance to make up his mind to move in. Tease them.
Know your
prey. Become familiar
with how the coyote thinks and acts. When setting up a calling stand, consider
from what direction you expect the coyote to come in from and what he will do
once he begins to close on the call. Use your head and be proactive. Mind your
scent trails and get another hunter upwind or downwind of your calling spot. If
Ol' Wiley tries to wind you (and he will) the downwind hunter will catch the
coyote between him and you.
How To Screw
Up a Coyote Hunt 
Scaring
animals away by starting out with a interrogation howl.
Wearing camo that's too dark.
Don't cover
your hands or face.
Moving your head too much and too fast while trying to see the coyote come
in.
Moving your
hands too much.
Picking your
nose, your butt or re-arranging "the boys" on stand.
Forgetting to load your gun or chamber a round.
Leaving the stand too early.
Stopping
calling and leaving the stand after you shoot just one dog.
Don't leave the predator a comfortable approach lane to come in to your call.
Walking into the bush on the way to your stand "with" the wind.
Having the sun in your face on stand.
Howling too much on a stand.
Making longer than 20 minute stands.
Not having your rifle zeroed.
Using
different ammo on a hunt before trying it at the range.
Calling in an area that you're not familiar with.
Hunting with a partner that is a "loud talker".
Skylining
yourself on a ridge top.
Taking someone that does not want to be there and won't sit still.
Hunt while sick (coughing or sneezing a little to much).
Not taking extra batteries or not taking a fully charged battery for light,
caller or illuminated optic.
Not checking all your gear before the trip.
Not thoroughly
servicing your hunting rig.
Not oiling those squeaky door hinges on your truck.
Always slam the door when you leave your truck.
Always walk to your stand stepping on sticks, etc..
Always wait until the coyote is real close before racking your shotgun's
action or chambering a rifle round.
Always pass gas as loudly as possible before you begin calling.
Keep adjusting your seated position.
Not having
your rifle already in a comfortable shooting position.
Always take two or three uninterested spectators along on your calling hunt.
Accidentally pull the wires loose from your light.
Not having a
back-up light.
Forget spare
fuses for your truck or rig, hunt light, etc.
Forget your
ammo or bring the wrong ammo.
Bring different ammo that the stuff you used to sight in your rifle.
Forget to
range various points around your stand area.
Sit on a
cactus, ant hill, snake, scorpion, or other desert delight.
Accidentally
take a swig out of your rabbit urine bottle (I hate when that happens).
Have two cups
of coffee and a bran muffin for a snack.
Take your wife
on the hunt.
Our Views on Camo: Camo everything you take into the field, including your call box, shooting sticks, eyeglass frames, rifle and scope. Leave the jewelry and stainless watches at home because all it takes is one reflective flash and it's good-by coyote.
Camo painting your rifle and scope may be difficult for you to do. After all, that wood is so pretty and the scope is a new $600. Leupold. Well, have it your way but most of our gear gets painted. You can simply mask off the scope lenses, adjustment numbers, rifle serial numbers, clean off all of the oil, hang the rifle and have at it. We use DuPont Krylon Camo paint and it works just great.
An option to camo painting is camo-form wrap. It is one of the fine products we sell and it works great. You can cover rifles, scopes and much of your other hunting gear with this stuff. It comes in a variety of popular camo patterns, it clings to itself, it can be removed and re-used and it leaves no sticky or gummy residue. We both use it when we can’t bear to paint a fine rifle of shotgun.
And for you creative camo-painters out there, here is an article that tells you how camo painting is done.
Have you ever been hunting with a buddy and seen bright sunlight reflect off of that nice, blued rifle barrel of his? Coyotes and other critters are easily attracted and tipped off by a multitude of clues. Why give them even more of an edge? Why not camo your rifle (and other gear) and eliminate the possibility of attracting an animals attention therefore possibly blowing your stand?
WHAT! Paint my rifle? To some of you the thought of painting that nifty rifle is totally out of the question. Rifles are hunting tools and as far as we’re concerned, stealth is of primary importance. If you agree, the process is very easy so let's get started. (Remember that if you ever want to strip the camo, it is not difficult either.)
Preparation: Choose the rifle you wish to camo, make certain it is unloaded and clean it thoroughly. Begin with a wipe-down of degreaser such as Smart & Final's liquid degreaser. It is not a petroleum distillate product but it's strong and removes oils, grease, wax and grunge. Next, wipe the entire rifle down with alcohol and a clean shop towel.
After the project piece is all cleaned up, it's time to mask off portions that you do not want to be painted. Very carefully mask out the scope lenses and numerical areas on the scope and also stuff a ball of cotton or paper towel down the muzzle. If you wish, you can mask a section of the bolt handle. Everything else gets paint.
(NOTE: Make absolutely certain that you remember to remove anything that you have used to mask the muzzle. Always check the bore of your rifle before firing to make sure there are no obstructions!!!).
At this stage, depending upon the actual condition of your rifle, you may choose to lightly sand the stock and metal parts. We don’t recommend doing this with every rifle but if it’s older you may choose to. Mostly just a good cleaning will do; then paint it. Because most of your rifles will not be sanded, if you ever do want to remove the paint from the stock and metal, the project won't be too difficult. Even without sanding, the paint on you rifles should hold up very well. Red has even camo painted his old 1981 Jeep Cherokee hunt rig with 25-cans of Krylon and it has held up for over five years.
What You'll
Need: (Main materials list is at the end of this article)
Go to Ace hardware or any major hardware store and pick up three cans of DuPont
Krylon camouflage spray paint. There are three colors available, tan, dark
green and dark brown. In addition, pick up a can of flat black. All are truly
"flat" and do not reflect light.
Take a walk around your back yard or anyplace where there is a variety of foliage and pick several stalks of each type you can find. You'll be using these for spray "masks" so choose the patterns that most mimic the area you'll be hunting. Pick enough so that you can rotate them and let the paint dry on them before using them as a mask again. Be sure to keep the leaves on the small side. The whole idea is to break up the lines of your rifle.
Hang Em' High: The next thing you'll need to do is suspend the rifle at a comfortable painting height. It’s best to use a strong, fine wire through the sling stud in the butt of the stock and suspend the rifle muzzle down. Now slip on the rubber gloves and give the rifle a final alcohol rub-down. We are now ready to begin painting.
General Painting Tips: Plan your project in settled, dry weather. An ambient temperature of at least 70 degrees is most desirable. If you can, set-up and paint in direct sunlight for maximum paint drying speed. (Krylon dries very fast, especially the flat camo type you'll be painting with). Always use long, sweeping bursts of paint and strive for multiple thin coats. Allow a few minutes of drying time here and there and don't try for maximum coverage right away.
Begin The Games! Usually it’s best to start off with a dark color and simply spray the entire project alternating the dark colors to build some material (paint) on the rifle. Allow some drying time and then begin to spray some typical military type camp patterns and outlining them with contrasting colors. Don't try for any particular repeated patterns. Be as irregular as possible and don't repeat a pattern or a color scheme next to each other. Just keep doing that until you have the rifle covered with wild patterns. You can stripe the barrel in multi-colors to break up it outline if you wish. Let the project dry for about 15 minutes.
Using The Masks: Now comes the fun part. Pick up one of your prized, leaf laden twigs and hold it right against the rifle. Choose a color of paint that contrasts the predominant background color of where you have laid up the mask and fire a sweeping burst of paint. Move the mask and repeat. Change masks, colors and locations and continue to paint. After a short while, you'll see things coming together nicely. Now you can begin to make color adjustments to match the rifle to the hunting area. More tan for desert, more green for woods or field environment. Do fine highlights with little touches of the flat black paint. This is all fun and the results you get will be great. There is no way you can screw this up. When you are satisfied, let things dry for one hour before handling. Pull off your masking tape, be sure to remove barrel plug and go hunting!
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Red's 60's vintage Tikka 22-250.
Originally imported by Ithica and sold under the Ithica name as an
LSA-55. Red modernized it a bit by routing vents in the forearm of the stock and replacing the factory barrel with a helically fluted E.R. Shaw custom barrel. The camo paint job eliminates the possibility of rust and makes for effective concealment in the field. |
Materials List
Krylon Spray
Paint (Camo brown, camo green, camo tan, flat black)
One roll of 1" masking tape
Strong degreaser/cleaner (Simple Green, Smart & Final degreaser)
Alcohol
Rubber gloves
Strong Monel wire or similar for hanging rifle
Clean cloths
That's all there is to it and the same camo process may be used for all of your gear.
Don't want to paint that rifle or shotgun or scope or binoculars? We have a great alternative that we use too. McNett Camo Wrap. Check it out in our store.
Real life backwoods insight on Coyote behavior
"Coyotes Are Like People"
By Comer Owen, as told to Stephem Ludwig
Want to study coyotes? Start in with people. Their habits are a lot
like coyotes. I'd say in one way, coyotes are better than people as a whole for
they're much truer to their nature than people. Just like us, there's no place
like home. If a family of coyotes are raised, some of that family will come
right back to have their family in the same place. They've got regular denning
sites for their families, but if they lost their pups whether it is on top of
the ground, in the ground, under a house, in a straw stack or a hollow log,
they'll never put them back there again. They learn from their parents just like
my kids learned from me.
Male coyotes are truer to their mate than people are. A male will fight off other males. In mating season if an old male gets to the other male's female and runs from him, and the tail is the first thing he can get a hold of, why, he'll bite it off.
The average coyote don't-go into production until it's two years old, and the only coyote that's in production when it is a year old is a pup that's fed good and matured good. You take the average Coyote and they usually have pretty good sized litters and they work hard. There's nothing that will work as hard to produce his family as coyotes. And the old male coyote does more than the mother. You can take away the mother and leave him, and if the pups are big enough to eat, he'll raise every one of them or die doing it. I come on a den in the ground once, a mother and pups just born. I set back to watch. This old dog coyote come up. He'd eaten all he could hold and he come there and erupted up right there by the den. Everybody said it was for them pups to eat. They couldn't eat it for they was just hours old. It was for her. Her meal was a-waiting for her when she come out of there.
Coyotes produce fast if they've got a chance. I've got it somewhere in a magazine how many coyotes a pair of coyotes would produce over a period of ten years. According to government figures, and I believe it's true, one pair of coyotes and their pups would produce 5,366 coyotes.
You'll always find them on north slopes--they hunt the cool spots, I guess that's the reason. You take back in the straw stacks. If they put their family in a straw stack, it's round behind on the north side. You often hear about someone seeing an old big one on the hill sunning. They don't like the sun. They're on the cold slopes. They're not on the hot slopes.
Far as I know coyotes might have been here before man ever was here. I know they've been here all of my time or the rest of us. And the government since way back in the 1880's has paid a lot of money to destroy the coyote. They've hunted him by airplane and helicopter, they've hunted them by trail dogs, they've hired men to trap them and poison them, and there's been a reward over their heads up to two or three years ago. And here the coyote's multiplied many, many, many times faster than anything that you guys and me and everbody else has tried to produce.
The Conservation Commission goes on about what they've done to increase deer and turkey--which I'll give to them. But who in the world has increased the coyote? Nature's done it. They've not done it. I don't want the coyote destroyed. But they've got to prove to me that man can destroy the coyotes.
Coyote's will eat anything. They sleep in the daytime just like man sleeps night. They do their work at night and early morning. Now they don't get all they can eat, it could get bad here this spring. When man takes his share of wildlife, which is already real scarce, and persimmons are gone, there's nothing left for coyotes to eat. They have to live. They ain't no calf feeders out anymore. The farmers, cattlemen, hog feeders, turkey feeders--they all had feeders out until now. They've none of them got them out, for they feed in a lot because feed's so expensive. Used to when you'd catch a coyote, all that used to be in their stomachs was calf and hog pellets. They got to eat. What is there for them to eat? Two weeks ago a woman called that the coyotes had eat the head off a calf before the mother had the calf. Yeah, I believe it.
There ain't much a coyote won't eat. You just mention it and they'll eat it, even shotgun shells, though they don't live on it. But the only thing I can't say I ain't seen them eat any of is frogs, though they put in a lot of time around ponds. Up at Stockton Lake I've had my dogs to trail in water till I'd swear they were trailing coons. But up there there's so many dead fish in the wintertime. The dead fish float up around the edge and the coyotes feed on them.
One day we saw six coyotes in a cow pasture. Coyotes ain't afraid of people, they're just suspicious. They ain't afraid of you, but they ain't got no confidence in you. And it isn't only around here they're so thick. The whole country's full of them. You travel down the interstate and if you watch close you'll see a coyote sitting on the side of the road watching the cars. Most people see them and think they're dogs. There's days I know my dogs catch lots of little coyotes that I never know about.
I trail coyotes with my dogs. I used to up to about three years ago, walk right through them woods with my dogs. They'd come out where I came out. I never lost them. If I go they'd follow me through. When I got to the truck, if they weren't there, if they didn't show up pretty soon, I'd know they'd jumped a coyote. I've got them trained to come to me. But not when they're after a coyote--I can't catch none of them.
You can tell if they're picking up a trail by watching them wriggling their tails. It's a different tail shake. They give it about half a circle. If it's a fox trail, they will wiggle their tail. When they get to running they give mouth. Hear old Maude? She's got a turkey mouth. It sounds like a turkey. We just wait and listen for them. But anymore you can't hear them far. There is no sound no more, cause there's so much interference. There's so much racket. I used to set over there years ago where we was out in that field and clear over here about a mile and a half straight through I could hear a dog run. There's just so much racket now. It's dogs, it's airplanes, it's cars, it's cattle. It's just some kind of noise. When they jump, there ain't no echo. For sound to carry you got to have an echo.
When they run you listen to hear where the dogs are and who's closest. You see, when one dog gets the scent--the wind brings it to him--he gives more mouth than this dog.
Coyotes soon learn to run with the wind. They go the way the wind is a-blowing. That-a-way they can hear the dogs better and the dogs can't smell them as good. If they run into the wind, these dogs would climb right up on them, so coyotes run with the wind hitting them in the back. That gives them an advantage. He's got his ways.
The way you
train the dogs is just take them out. I know coyote signs and I show them. And
if a dog is interested, why he'll just pick up after coyotes. Not every dog is a
coyote dog.
A dog waits anxiously to go on a hunt. She has had plenty of time to rest up
from the long hunt a week before.
Now, you just let them loose and they'll go till they pick up a scent, then they'll run the coyote. If they can't pick up a scent on the ground they hunt with the wind. Sometimes they lose the scent, and sometimes they cross over to another coyote's trail. They've run as many as three or four coyotes at one time. One dog will be running one and three or four dogs will be running another.
Now the dogs will run all day if they find a coyote--may run all day and night. One time we let the dogs out in the morning, and we ran a coyote all day and at twelve o'clock that night the dogs caught it. One of my dogs come in just last night. She was gone for a week without food and if I'd let her she would have come with us today. They won't give up. We couldn't call a dog in. They'll run right through fences, but not through multi-flora rose. They'll give up a coyote through that. And when they catch him, they'll fight the coyote till they kill him.
The dogs always find their way back. That's nature. They come back, right where you turn them loose. They'll come back and wait there.
One thing I never do is put fresh dogs in with tired dogs. That makes the tired dogs work too hard.
I never whip a dog--don't believe in it. You can talk to him. I talk pretty rough sometimes, but it's much better to hurt his heart than it is his feeling. I argue that a dog would repeat a wrong by whipping it more than he will by not whipping him.
The coyote has only one predator and that's man. And a few dogs--dogs aren't if you don't train them. Now-a-days man isn't hunting them so much. They're getting so thick I can catch coyotes in the same set of two traps. And that just ain't nature, but I've hit places where they are doggone thick. It's just like us people. There ain't no other place for them to go so they just got to stay together. It ain't nature. Now they're up here in town--right up in the city limits. My dogs run them right into Springfield. We run one into the zoo park. The caretaker killed it and called us to get our dogs. Once I ran one right into the bowling alley parking lot.
There are more coyotes now than a few years ago because people have just quit killing them. They used to, when the bounty was on them, if anybody could kill a coyote they would. And too, now so many people is hollering, don't kill, don't kill. You see it on television. Save the wolf! They think it's awful to kill one. We don't need them. Oh, I like to see them, but if you've ever seen what I've seen that coyotes'll do...I've seen a number of times with pregnant ewes and mothers of twin lambs, they cut their udders off just slicker than anybody can cut it off. And kill both lambs--eat most of them.
A coyote kills by attacking the throat and most times eats behind the front leg or rear of its prey. Right up there at Fair Play one day they delivered a calf from a cow. And she couldn't get up. She was paralyzed. I drove in there before daylight next day with the dogs. I looked out there and there stood a big old coyote close as that post right in the road. I didn't notice the cow at first. I watched the coyote and then saw the cow was still alive. Coyotes had just eat her hips. You could see part of a bone of her hind leg down where they'd eat that much, and her still alive. Yeah. The farmer come and killed her that day.
People that's having trouble with coyotes, why don't think they won't kill them. But I wouldn't give a dime to kill a coyote. I've killed lots of them. It ain't fun. I'd rather let you young boys go in to make the kill.
Lots of people talk about dogs and coyotes a-crossing. I've had people get mad at me. I've seen guys say, "I've seen them. I'm going to show you." But they never have yet. Out in the wild where they're free they won't do it. I think a dog coyote would kill his mate before he'd let a dog get to her. They'll do it. I've seen it. It isn't nature. If nature would let them cross, we'd of run out of coyotes or dogs a long time ago. A coyote is a fur bearing animal and a dog has hair. An example of this is its tail. Drop a coyote tail on a concrete porch, it'd bounce just like a rubber ball. But a dog, the hide is just like a wet rag--no bounce at all. My argument is you can cross a coyote to a duck or a goose as quick as you can a dog. It's as easy to cross fur and feathers as it is fur and hair.
Same as any fur bearing animal. You kill a coyote and until he starts to get cold, you throw him into the water, he'll float just like a duck. Fur won't wet as long as there's life in it.
And frost won't freeze in the north on wolf or coyotes, so their hide got pretty valuable for parkas. There ain't no frost will freeze on their fur. You go out here with hair or any other fur when it's frosty or when it's real cold, it will just frost up. But it won't do it to coyote or wolf hide.
A dog lay down on ice, he'll melt through. A coyote won't. You can't even see where they lay. You can take a pet coyote, I don't care how deep the snow is or how much ice there is, he'll go out and lay on it. Even if you have a dog house, he won't lay in the house. He'll go out and lay on the ice and snow. He don't melt it.
There's so many other species of wildlife that is as close as dogs and coyotes. They all belong to the dog family. People hear coyotes and think they're part dog. They ain't a
coyote in the world but what'd mock any dog there is. But there's not a dog in the world that could mock a coyote. He can try it, but he can't get it done.
The only way I can see that the coyote situation is going to get any better is for man to kill one when he can or set traps for them. That's the only way. Otherwise the coyotes will just get thicker for they have no natural enemy but man.
"Thanks for the insight Comer" - John & Red