With the exception of late squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, geese and snow goose seasons, the big game seasons are over and the hunting lull begins. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you give coyote hunting a try. And it’s the only species where AR-type rifles can be used. There’s also no closed season or bag limit. Coyotes have become numerous in the Lehigh Valley with pet owners in suburban and populated communities concerned that these local coyotes could kill their pets when outside. There have been reports of coyote sightings and encounters on the Ironton Rail Trail in the Stiles, Egypt, Ironton, Orefield area. Many veteran coyotes have made substantial investments to hunt these predators such as night vision scopes, rifle tripods, electronic game calls and decoys as “yotes,” as they’re often called, are primarily hunted at night. If you’ve never hunted coyotes before and would like to give it a try, the folks at Montana Decoy Company in Hummelstown, Pa offer these tips to get you started. *Understand The Coyote: Coyotes have the eyesight of a turkey, nose of a deer and the intelligence of a domestic dog, they can be challenging to hunt. Keep in mind breeding occurs between January and March and this is time they are most active and a bit less wary. They usually move in early morning or late afternoons and it’s at time when their fur is thickest and their pelts most saleable. In open country, driving dirt roads on public or private land Montana says to keep an eye on the road and watch for fresh tracks crossing the road. * Know What’s For Dinner: Coyote’s diet consists of rabbits and rodents but they’ll also feed on birds, insects and carrion. As a side note regarding the latter, there’s a road-killed doe in the cornfield on Mauch Chunk Road in South Whitehall and it appears its belly has been torn open and white fur spread next to it most likely done by a coyote. They’ll also go after yearling fawns especially if hunting in packs or two or more. If you find prey, coyotes will be nearby. *Speak The Language: Coyotes are vocal and can be very territorial. A lone howl is a coyote’s way of alerting other coyotes of its whereabouts and to search for a hunting partner. Their howls can be heard from over a mile away. Their yip-howl promotes community and can also be a rallying cry or to warn away potential intruders. Barks are a sign of agitation for other coyotes that invade their territory and getting too close to a kill. *Ace Your Setup: Know the wind is critical to coyote hunting success. Set up with the wind in your face, wear camo and hide in the shadows. If using an electronic call or decoy, place it 100 yards away and upwind of your hide. When coyotes don’t respond in open country, try your call and decoy set up for 30-45 minutes and move to another mile away and set up again. Don’t set your decoy or call in close to cover but far enough to where they must expose themselves. Hide electronic calls in gullies and thick grass so curious coyotes have to get closer to see the sound source. Hope these tips help and as far as weaponry is concerned, some hunters use low-caliber rifles (i.e. 223 in AR caliber) while some use shotguns for close-range work. As for table fare, I once ate a piece of coyote meat and it was very metallic tasting and I presume it’s from their diets. It’s certainly not gourmet fare.
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For those anglers who like to walk on water, the long-awaited ice fishing season is somewhat underway. Despite four days of below freezing temperatures this week, the only hardwater action is on the northern, Pocono area lakes and ponds. Mike’s Bait and Tackle in Nazareth (610-759-205) said that Minsi Lake should have some ice but it’s unknown how much as Mike hasn’t had any reports from there. But he did get reports from Promised Land and Belmont lakes where anglers have been ice fishing there. Belmont reported to have 5 inches. Up in Luzerne County, Lake Lilly had a reported 10 inches while Lake Jean in Sullivan County had 4-5 inches. Tobyhanna had 2 inches by the shore, one inch farther out and Gouldsboro has three inches. Chris at Chris’s Outdoor Sports in Mertztown (610-682-4129) said Ontelaunee Reservoir in Berks County has some ice but it’s thin and not safe. Up at Leaser Lake it’s merely skim ice. He recommends the Pocono lakes like Promised Land reportedly has 4-5 inches while Brady’s had 2-3 inches of ice. Anglers may want to try IceShanty.com for updated reports. With the forecast for next week reporting warmer day time temperatures, it’s best to be patient and allow the ice to thicken before going out. According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), ice forms at different rates on each body of water depending upon the size and water depth. Once frozen, conditions change constantly and ice thickness can vary across the lake. Rocks, trees, docks or other things that poke through the ice will conduct heat and make the ice around it less stable. If the ice doesn’t look right, don’t go on it. In addition, a blanket of snow atop an ice-covered lake insulates the ice, slowing the growth of ice and hides the potential hazards or weak spots. Ice with a bluish color is safer than clear ice. But the PFBC says to avoid slushy or honey-combed ice and stay away from dark spots on the ice and where snow cover looks discolored. The PFBC offers these added ice fishing safety tips: *Keep in mind, no ice is 100 percent safe. *New ice is usually stronger than old ice. *Don’t go out alone and let someone know where you’re going and when you will return. *Check ice thickness as you go out as there could be pockets of thin ice or places where ice recently formed. *Avoid off-colored snow or ice as it’s usually a sign of weakness. *The insulating effect of snow slows the freezing process. And when you do go, take along some bare essentials like ice picks to help you crawl out if the ice breaks and you fall in, a floating safety rope, a whistle to call for help, extra dry clothes including a pair of gloves, and hand warmers. Veteran ice anglers know to wear ice cleats on their boots, take a plastic bucket to hold your small items like tip-ups, jigging rods, bait and other tackle, plus you can sit on top of it while jigging. Some anglers also use a sled to carry these tackle items and an ice drill/auger or spud bar onto the ice. And regarding bait, it’s mainly minnows and waxworms plus jigs. {Ed. Note} As of Saturday afternoon, there was a report of a scuba team arriving at Ontelaunee Reservoir for an angler falling through the ice. No further reports were received. It’s that time of year again when the largest outdoor show in America returns to the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. The Great American Outdoor Show kicks off Feb. 3-11 in Harrisburg and because of the location, was always referred to by local sportsmen as “The Harrisburg Show.” This nine-day extravaganza celebrates hunting, fishing and outdoor traditions. The show will feature over 1,000 exhibitors ranging from firearms manufacturers to outfitters, fishing boats, RVs, trucks, archery and outdoor art in the massive Farm Show Complex. Among the stage shows and competition, and new this year, is the Pennsylvania Lumberjack Competition. This is in addition to Dock Dogs Competition, the 3D Bowhunter Challenge. Kids Casting contest and loads more. On tap as well is the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Sportsman’s Auction, NRA’s Country Concert featuring country singer Warren Zeiders, and the very popular NRA Foundation’s Wall of Guns where showgoers can purchase a $10 ticket to win one of 40 firearms ranging from rifles, shotguns and handguns. For the kids, there’s the Eddie Eagle Kids Zone that will entertain them with wildlife identification, face painting, arts and crafts and more. Also for the kids will be the Airsoft Shooting Experience and the famous trout pond where the kids are almost guaranteed to catch a trout. The show will have 200 seminars hosted by an array of outdoor personalities such as Klint Molio on firearms, Jim Collins on predator hunting, Jeremy Critchfield showing culinary cooking, Eddie Salter veteran turkey hunting expert, the famed Barry Wensel on deer hunting, Chris Stefano on saltwater fishing and 33 other outdoor specialists. To avoid standing in long ticket lines, the show recommends purchasing admission tickets online before the show. Ticket prices are Adults, $15; 2-Day tickets, $26; Seniors 65 and over, $13; children 6-12, $9; Group of 10 or more, $13. Admission is free with the purchase of an NRA membership. Show hours are as follows: Feb 3 and 10, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Feb. 4 and 11, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Feb. 5- 9, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. For information on seminars, competitions, stage shows and purchasing tickets, check GAOS@nrahq.org or call 800-672-4868. The complex is located at 2300 N Cameron Street, Harrisburg, 17110. As we draw closer to show time, we’ll add any new additions in a future column. AVIAN FLU HITS MARTZ’S HUNTING PRESERVE In a previous column we detailed how the Pennsylvania Game Commission cut back stocking of pheasants because of an avian flu outbreak at some PGC rearing pens. Well, right before Christmas, Martz’s Game Farm in Dalmatia, Pa, had to destroy 100,000 farm-raised gamebirds that included 85,000 pheasants plus chukars, Hungarian and French red-legged partridges. Martz is a popular and the largest game farm in the Mid-Atlantic. They raise and sell gamebirds to sportsmen’s clubs, shooting preserves and sportsmen take their hunting dogs there to train them to flush and point stocked pheasants on Martz’s property. Said Mike Martz, owner/manager of the preserve, “We don’t know how we got the flu as we follow strict bio-security procedures. We even disinfect tires and employees wear booties while in the pens. But you can’t control fly overs and we’ve had a lot of geese fly over and raptors visiting the pens for a meal.” Martz when on to say that their birds appeared healthy and the disease was confined to a single pen. But protocols dictate that the entire facility must be depopulated. |
AuthorNick Hromiak has been an outdoors and automotive writer for over 30 years. He's been published in numerous national and state-wide outdoor magazines and newspapers.
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