PPHA Forums
Predator Hunting => Predator Hunting => Topic started by: uncle buck on January 09, 2015, 12:24:47 AM
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I got my Mosquito Creek membership and hunt entry back two days ago... I was #845.
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Have you entered this hunt before last year I was at weigh in on Sunday real interesting how they handle it. I thought about entering last year can not get my buddy to commit he thinks we are not good enough!
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It's like the lottery... You can't win if you don't play !
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I have been hunting in it a long time now... I have called in many a Mosquito Creek coyote too BUT...the people I took missed them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :( PS I missed them too. LOL LOL I have so many Mosquito creek stories to tell.. that is the fun of it... Hey no ones going to cut you down if you do bad.. Some years the elements even win and it's tough like high winds and no places to park because of heavy snow on the ground.. However my son and I and one of his friends have been hunting.. I have hunted with my brother and my nephew to some years...Also I have hunted with Scott and Dreamcatcher to in contest and we have called in coyotes.. We always have had an outstanding time and it's a good time to bond.. I can truthfully say if I killed or the people I called those coyotes in for killed all those coyotes I called in I would be known far and wide.. However this is how GOD keeps you humble.. Nothing like being fed a piece of the humble pie to put you in your place. No by all means go out there and have a good time like we do every year....
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I often wondered why all these guys that do kill coyotes or say they kill coyotes don't get into the contest.. Might be they think they will look bad if they don't get one during the contest.. Heard a story about a well known coyote hunter from out west came to Pa in the hunt and had all these lands and he failed.. I don't think the guy was a bad caller...This is Pa coyote hunting at it's finest time of the year..
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here is a good example of a Mosquito Creek story... I was hunting with my brother and nephew in Perry county. I sent my brother and nephew 100 or so yards down from my calling.... I went though my calling scenario for coyotes... I called in two together for my nephew who had a shot at them. I kept on calling and I called one into me... He comes in and there I am with Deadcoyote T shot in the SBE 11.. He looking at me and I could have shot him dead. BUT... He was standing with a horse in the Corral....See that's how smart he was to come to my calling through the corral with the horse in it. So right there had we all scored that night we could have had 3 coyotes for the Mosquito creek entry.. LOL LOL this is the kind of excitement you people that don't get into the hunt are missing.. No one can take any of the memories away from you nor the person you hunted with... We sure have some good hunting memories with all I have hunted with..
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uncle buck sounds like you really have fun time I keep telling my buddy there are lot more that do not kill then do maybe he just to old to hunt hard that week end LOL.
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I got mine back about a month ago. Iwas no. 14. I have been getting in it for guite a few years and have a lot of fun each year. We have not been successful, but we still have a great time. You never know when you might find the BIG one. Just a great weekend out. Have a good time....
Mountain Dog
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I guess I am not too competitive. I have nothing to prove and personally have no desire for a trophy from a hunt. Heck, I think I entered one (1) PPHA hunting contest and been a member since we first started this organization.
I entered Mosquito Creek Contest many moons ago. Sorta was pushed into it, but went along with the gang anyway. We were to hunt with hounds and stay at a cabin nearby Mosquito Creek.
The day/evening/night before the hunt, 95% of our gang was full of alcohol and seemed like a typical Deer camp from my younger days.
The hound guys and myself were the lone 5% bent on hunting the weekend.
Day break the next morning, I was taken to the top of a power line by Mitch, one of the hound guys and told to go over there and listen for the hounds. Mitch said, We will go through 'the bottom' with the hounds and maybe something will come your way and cross your path. Mitch left the mountain to head down to 'the bottom'.
As it got light enough, I positioned myself at a likely spot from experience I gained Fox hunting with hounds, as a boy.
I was just off the edge of the power line, standing on a natural bench sloping towards 'the bottom'.
Thirty minutes after sun rise, I was nestled in, well blended and feeling good at this spot, when I heard a pickup truck laboring up the power line. I could not see this truck, but clearly heard the engine stop at the clearing, followed by two doors closing. Two minutes later, I heard a screening Cottontail coming from a not to good electronic speaker. Yipes. I don't move and sit tight.
Fifteen minutes into this, the distress sound stopped, two doors slammed and the pickup went off the mountain.
Phew, glad that's over, Now for some real hunting...Soon the guys should be making there way to 'the bottom'.
As time went by, I seem to be able to hear every sound the woods made. From dead silence to a mole under the leaves a few yards from me. But no distance hounds.
As my mind was wondering/day dreaming whether shoot the Coyote when he is next to the Hemlock or wait until it's closer, near the fallen branch...I heard a familiar sound of a pickup truck trudging up the steep, rutted power line.
Again, I can't see but hear pickup stop, two doors close, a few minutes later a repeat performance of a dying Rabbit, but much poorer sound quality than the first.
They aren't there too long and leave the same one way, up/down route.
I settle down and am wondering how things are going in 'the bottom'.
It seems like along time on this side of the mountain, when I hear a faint, distant hound. My ears were keen, now I hear both hounds a long, long ways off....
To Be Continued
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...darn if the hounds aren't going the other direction, their howls faded.
9:09 am and it may be a long wait until I hear those hound dogs again.
After a good stretch and deep yawn, I decided to do some calling. Maybe the guys or hounds spooked a Coyote my way. I was already in a good spot with good field of view down thru the hardwoods.
I blew a howl on my Crit-r-Call and waited a bit. Then I barked, bark, barked the yipped and waited. I repeated every so often for an hour, always keeping an ear trained towards the hounds last sound.
No Coyote sightings with my best effort on the open reed, no hounds in earshot, 6 miles from camp, no vehicle, and was told to wait here. I was getting bored or frustrated or something I can't explain because I didn't, we didn't have a Plan B.
I was feeling the west wind on my face and neck. It was trying to get my toes.
I laid back, got comfy and closed my eyes.
I woke up cold to the bone. Checking my watch, I was only down for 40 minutes.
I stood, brushed the snow off the seat of my wool pants and listen for hounds...
The wind had picked up since early morning which was tough for long distance hearing. I focused and listened but heard no hounds.
At that point, my cold feet ask me to take a walk over to the power line. I was all for that.
I ended up poking along and stopping, walking and stopping above my first spot, about 300 yards, all the time listening for hounds. I came upon another good looking setup, and gave a howl. Then barked, bark, barked and yipped. Repeated, waited, listened for hounds and so on. Nothing.
The woods above me was steep and rocky. I wanted to walk, so I crossed the power line to make a long loop back down to the clearing where I was dropped off.
Slowly moving along, I was checking Deer tracks and saw the brows they were eating. Lots of Deer tracks but no other animal tracks. My circle brought me back to the power line clearing. 1:30pm.
I was walking back to my first spot when about halfway I heard another pickup coming up the power line. Where I stood, I could see the clearing. It was Mitch.
The heater in that ole Ford felt good. Mitch was red faced and hair wet or sweated. I told him I heard the hounds in the morning, but haven't heard them again. Mitch said, 'the darn dogs hit a Deer track and been on it since, they are still on that Deer and the boys (Mitch's two sons) are trying to cut them off. I told the one boy I needed a rest and would get you and head to the cabin.' This is rough country and now I know why Mitch is over heated and sweated through.
It was 10pm when the boys returned to the cabin with the hounds. Sweated so, they looked like they fell in the creek.
Mitch, the boys and hounds were too tired to hunt the next day. So I made a few setups behind the cabin with no luck. I joined the party that night. Some of us went to the weigh in Sunday. Dennis Kirk was set up selling calling supplies. Dennis and I had a long chit chat that day and a few Coyotes were weighed.
And that's how my hunt ended.
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It was Mosquito Creek weekend... There was quite a bit of snow on the ground... So much so it was just lucky to find a parking place along the road... I was hunting with my brother and my nephew Eric...I came up with a plan...a strategy... Since the going was tough to walk in... I was going to set them up just where it was legal along some pine trees near an open field... The wind was blowing in our faces... The plan was that I would scoot across the snow in about 75 yards and call... The strategy was that with the wind in my face I would do the yanking of the coyotes chain with my calling..The coyotes were suppose to circle me in try to get down wind of me. However my brother and nephew were waiting behind me to nail them as they circled to my sound and came into the wind from my back side... They, brother and nephew knew right where I was posted so they wouldn't shoot me. Actually they had shotguns to which the coyotes would be in range but not me...So I get to my opening and start to call... Two Howls and then I shut up for a period of time... A rabbit for 1 min and then shut up for a long period of time... At the 20 min mark I give off two Female Invitational Howls. 1 min later I see two deer making their way toward me from my up wind side... They showed themselves about the 50 yard mark in front of me and came along the tree line... The wind was in my face so they couldn't smell me... The snow made it somewhat dark to but you could see the two figures as they approached me... The 30 yard, then 20 I knew right away!!!!THEY WEREN'T DEER.. it was two coyotes but they didn't do what I said they would do... They didn't circle me they came running from the upwind side right at me... There I am calling and I have of all things :( My Encore with the 17 Rem barrel on it... Why didn't I take the SBE 11. When I saw they were not deer they saw that I was not a coyote and they took off... I took a quick hurried single shot from the 17 Encore of two coyotes probably high tailing it to Perry County from Cumberland County... My plan or strategy back fired on me... Instead of coming in to me from the down wind side and would have met certain death when two hunters would have opened up with the semi automatic shotguns!! They came running at me the caller from the upwind side...That would have been two coyotes that would have been entered in the Mosquito Creek Hunt... All I have is me being there and enjoying all of this and this story... I did learn from it however... I no longer worry about the down wind side when calling coyotes....You never know from what direction they are going to come into your calling...You best be ready for coyotes all the time too!!!
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;D When I got home from the Coyote Seminar...there was my Mosquito Creek card...#2645...waited till the 20th of Jan. and sent it after Ernie's post...haven't been it it for years........maybe it's a sign? ::) I'm primed like a flintlock...lol....... 8)
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;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Sounds like another fizzzzle :o :o :o :o :o :o
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Jasper1
:) I'm primed like a flintlock...lol.......
Yep that has to be a sign! But you better keep your powder dry them flintlocks are fussy.
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;D Now if you two wanted to be helpful you would direct me to a plump coyote ;D ;D ;D.......8)
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;D ;D ;D ;D jaspr1...iffin you hadn't been howlin at the moon so much last week, ??? ??? ??? being dominate and all, it would be alot easier for you to find one... :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ ya done scared most of them north and west ::) ::) ::) ::)
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;D Thanks for the INFO ;D but as usual your intructions are a little confusing ::) Should I go North 1st and then West? ??? Or should I go North only, and if this fails :( backtrack ;) and go West ??? Or maybe You want me to go :P in what people refer to as Northwest ::) I am running out of time here to get a PLAN in place :( Your not up to your usual BS and trying to get me off track >:( >:( when said coyotes are really Southeast... :o No matter ::) if I don't get a coyote.... :-[ I'm going to blame you and your faulty intructions >:( >:( :P :P :P :P :P.............. 8)
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I retired from this event lol.... too dangerous around here that weekend plus I have had a few bad experiences over there
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That women biologist that did the YOUTUBE talk about how coyotes act, think, and what they do would be a good thing for you all to watch...I think she was from RI..She put tracking devices on coyotes and tracked them by satellite. She knew everything about coyotes how they act how they think etc.. I once read thanks to a member on here. A person that wrote his thesis on how coyotes act.. Some of the stuff made sense. Did that person crawl down a hole and interview a coyote?
Somethings that I remember from the Thesis was that coyotes howl more during a full moon... They also respond to calls better during a full moon since they can see better then on dark nights...
I remember when Coyote John told me once... When in doubt and don't know what to use use the coyote pup distress!! I have tried that and he is right... If you hear them howling up on a hill and they won't come in... Hit them with 1 good minute of the coyote pup distress.. Be on a machine or using a good quality predator call... After that minute be quiet for about a good 8 minutes.. However make sure the wind is not blowing up to where the coyotes are howling and be ready! All of a sudden they just show up out of no where... Just like the Gray Fox Pup is really a sucker call for the gray fox.. So is the coyote pup distress one that thanks to CJ I use 365 days a year.. None of the when they are born only sheeeeeeeet! by the way it's a known fact to the The Gray Fox Pup sound is good for coyotes too.. However if you post by the speaker like when your hunting gray fox you get busted... you got to be set up with a shooter somewhere down the road in an area that has the least resistance to the speaker... I'm sure we will be talking all about this kind of stuff at the breakfast... that's if some of you don't whip out your pictures of your kids and the fish you caught and wreck everyone frame of mind... So I can give you that little bit of info for the Mosquito Creek... If they howl and you and they don't come in.. .Hit them with coyote pup distress and then remain silent...You best be ready for a shot too.. You take someone that day dreams your going to have that person miss the shot...
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Anyone have any updates on dog count or weights from the creek hunt?
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go here this is the latest of what is happening at Mosquito Creek right now: 2:00 PM. http://blog.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2015/02/coyote_hunt_chairperson_weathe.html
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winners listed below:
http://blog.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2015/02/coyote_hunter_claims_biggest_b.html#incart_river
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For this year's coyote hunt, hunters weighed in 162 coyotes, 139 of them on Sunday. That is impressive! But also interesting? One good day of weather made that much difference?
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I don't know how I feel about these guys running dogs for coyotes in these contests. The dogs do all the hunting and hard work while the hunter fallows his GPS to the dogs and shoots a half dead coyote already and gets the prize. Plus for the guys that hunt with call and lights at night ever person who is hunting with you needs to be signed up even if they are just going to shine the light or run the calls ever participant must be signed up but a guy can run 5 dogs and they don't need to be signed up. Just my point of view don't know how everyone else feels about it.
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When it started it was to get rid of coyotes and use the money for good things for game. I think it has done a good job. With out this hunt hunters and dog men might never have gotten as good as they are. Money drives everthing. PPHA has coyote hunts for just calling and hardly anybody gets in the hunt. I think there are a lot of coyotes shot out windows at people homes over bait. But it is all leagle so no one should complain.
I just like to get in sometimes just for the excitement. Just like buying a lotto ticket, ya never know.
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Buckwheat I agree with you...Friday the temps were down like 1 18 degrees below zero.. Friday into Saturday was ok but Saturday into Sunday morning was bad... I just hope that the corruption of this contest is not as prevalent as it seems.. I don't care what anyones says there will be some corruption.. I don't worry about all those corrupt people. I figure if God wants me to place he will allow me to take one of the top 4 (includes the heaviest female). right now he sure is making me a humble predator caller that's for sure... That's good too..
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I don't know how I feel about these guys running dogs for coyotes in these contests. The dogs do all the hunting and hard work while the hunter fallows his GPS to the dogs and shoots a half dead coyote already and gets the prize. Plus for the guys that hunt with call and lights at night ever person who is hunting with you needs to be signed up even if they are just going to shine the light or run the calls ever participant must be signed up but a guy can run 5 dogs and they don't need to be signed up. Just my point of view don't know how everyone else feels about it.
I would think it is much harder then driving around in a truck and jumping out and shooting. I would think those dogs don't bring the yotes back to the road every time and with all the snow they probably had to work pretty hard this weekend.
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Maybe I just don't understand how hunting with dogs for coyotes all works. If anyone can give me an explanation on it maybe I would understand it better I don't know.
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One guy running 5 dogs isn't going to kill a coyote. It is very hard work hunting coyotes with hounds. I used to have hounds and run them. First you buy the dogs $100.00-$1000.00 for each dog. Then you buy the GPS $600.00. next you have to buy the collars $300.00 per dog. Radios $300.00 each. now you have to feed your dogs all year $15.00 per week $780.00 per year. Now for one guy running 5 dogs we have an investment of almost $4,000.00 and that is if your dogs are only $100.00 each which they never are. Now that you have all of your equipment it is time to hunt. You will easily go through 30 gallons of gas on a weekend so you can add that to the bill. one you find a coyote it is a constant challenge keeping the dogs on the track because a coyote is so smart. A coyote will run in open water, on logs, on top of deer tracks, and go so far and then turn around and back track on there tracks and then cut off. The dog owners are walking in the woods with their dogs, and it is nothing to walk 10 miles in a day in deep snow, all to have the coyote get away. The guys who run dogs do not kill a coyote every time they go out. We went weeks last year without killing one. It is not easy just because there are dogs.
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!st place went to a former member of the PPHA, his membership was up last september. Just a little fyi
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I'm still not convinced on the hound hunting. So you spend a lot of money on dogs and equipment the dogs are still doing the hunting not the hunter. I spend lots of gas money to go different spots and walk 10-15 miles a night and morning in the snow while trying to be quiet. And spend money on calls for me to hunt the animal not to fallow a GPS through the woods to find my dogs who did the hunting for me. I'm not saying its easy and cheap I have two redbone coonhounds that I was going to use for coons and its a lot of work and cost money to keep them I agree. I just don't see how you can say you hunt something when the dogs are hunting and you just fallow them just my option not try to cause an argument. Maybe I just dont realize it and should go out with someone who runs dogs and see how it really works.
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nortpete gave a good explanation.
wfo204 says-
I just don't see how you can say you hunt something when the dogs are hunting and you just fallow them...
Hounds guys don't follow hounds. They get ahead of the Coyote for a shot.
There's more to it than that.
The hound guy scouts and knows his territory. He hunts places where there are Coyote. He is usually good at this because he knows Coyote and their habits. It's what he does. He's put alot of time in training hounds and getting them in shape, along with getting himself in shape. He loves to hunt, he loves his hounds.
The hound guy has a fondness for good hound work, he enjoys hunting over hounds. (Some folks enjoy hunting behind an electronic caller with realistic Coyote sounds) But the hound guy enjoys hounds and hunting with them.
He's done alot of homework and can't wait for the first hound to open on a fresh track.
Knowing he can trust his hounds to stay on the track, the hound guy can figure where to post himself and others in his party. He knows because he knows Coyotes. If things go right, someone will get a shot.
In turn, I know some hound guys that hound me. By that, they give me the business that I'm a lazy hunter because I flop down in a fencerow, use mouth calls or e-call and decoy. They claim the call is doing the hunting and bringing the Coyote to me.
I see no difference if a hound or call brings a Coyote to gun range. I enjoy either way hunting.
wfo204 goes on-
Maybe I just don't realize it and should go out with someone who runs dogs and see how it really works.
Yes. Please do.
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go here this is the latest of what is happening at Mosquito Creek right now: 2:00 PM. http://blog.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2015/02/coyote_hunt_chairperson_weathe.html
Marcus from the Patriot News wrote up 3 daily info's about what was happening at the Mosquito Creek hunt.. if you go to all of the write ups. One is above and click on the comment area... look at how the anti's took this and ran with it.. there are other web links for the other days of the hunt too... click on those also and read some of what people are saying about hunting coyotes in Pa.. not even cutting the hunts down for money just for being a hunter...There is one character: Captainkrunch... I have a strong feeling he is that person from Harrisburg that wrote a "UB is the predator editoral in the patriot New a few years back.. From what I understand he is a medical doctor that does hug the trees a bit! Some even signed on from PETA just to attack comments of the hunters on the comments..
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I saw the comments on huntingpa about possible cheating.. made me think is this one of those people who just starts a rumor or could it be true. you know the rumors like the Insurance companies stocked coyotes in Pa and they even have an insurance tag in their ear.. We all have heard people in groups start to rattle about this .. I just sit there and let them talk while I laugh to myself.. I guess the new rumor is that guys go to WV and buy a coyote. turn these pan raised coyotes in a kill for MC.. Now if this is the case this would be like a drug ring already.... people doing things to rip people off.. Would be nice if this was true out of the clear blue sky you hear of something like this being busted!!! Wonder what the MC club would do if this ever turned out to be true..
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I am just glad Mosquito Creek is in Pa. We have the highest payout hunt in the country. I think they're doing a great job. I just hope next year I can get in it with better weather. I don't think there's as many cheaters as people think. I think there's a lot of people that push the rules to the edge. All competitions there are people that push the limits. A bait station out your home or camp window is leagle. I bet the dog guys do not like that. When there dog shows up in some ones yard from a good sent.
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Hern
When you put it like that yes it is more like hunting and I can see your point. All the videos I've seen of hounds hunting for coyotes it just shows the dogs cornering the coyote and the hunter then walking up and shooting a already half dead coyote. It doesnt seem like the hunter did anything but let his dogs go on fresh tracks and then fallow them. Maybe I will talk to some local guys and see if they there hounds for coyotes and see what its all about. Thank you for explaining it more to me.
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I hunt both ways; with dogs and with calls. My in-laws have coyote hounds and they do a fantastic job. Without question the houndsmen have the upper hand.
It's the hunters choice on method of hunting and what fits their needs for their geography and budget. I grew up near Mosquito Creek and land availability is abundant to let hounds run. I now live in Eastern Pa, where calling is a little more conducive to the area due to lack of land available. Plus hounds running with all the big interstates is recipe for disaster.
So here is my opinion: without question the houndsmen have the upper hand. I did it, I experienced it, and I enjoy it due to the fast pace and pleasure of hearing hounds on a fresh track. Plus the success rate is fairly good. As long as you have a small group of guys your chances of getting in the right spot to take the shot at the coyote is good. Not saying it is easy, but with knowledge of the land, men with multiple trucks to navigate from one side of the mountain to the other, as well as GPS units on the dogs, chances exponentially go up for a kill compared to calling. I compare it to a Pa bear drive; 25 guys pushing a bottom out and the bear eventually shows up in front of someone. But it's the hunters decision on how he or she chooses to pursue coyotes. I am now primarily a caller, with a periodic weekend with the dogs. Calling coyotes is, in my opinion, more technique and ability driven; you have many aspects to consider including wind, sound choice, volume, setup, etc.
In summary, both are fun methods of hunting and rewarding for many different reasons. BUT, I do think it should be two separate classes to enter at the annual Mosquito Creek hunt. 1 division for the houndsmen and 1 division for calling. It would delineate the two methods and equal the playing field. The way it is now the average hunter (the majority) with an ecall or hand call is competing against a group of folks who have invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to the sport while capitalizing off the average hunters entry fees with the majority of the wins (historically over the years this is the case). It's similar to building a race car in your garage with some side money and competing at the Daytona 500 nascar race against the big race teams.
Again, both are great, fun methods of hunting coyotes but shouldn't be lumped into one division competing for the purse at the Mosquito Creek hunt.
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How would you separate the two groups. Thats when the cheating would show up.
Just one example, each dog group could have one guy in there group sign up as a caller. They would just win more categories.
I know it is not fair but it has worked for 24 years.
We should just have a PPHA coyote hunt. Every body gets to know each other a little and helps keep it honest.
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We have had a PPHA coyote hunt the last few years and no coyotes killed! March Madness we a month long yote hunt and two straight years with no winner, so we decided to go with the Bobcat Blitz hunt this year and actually had a bobcat entered!
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Yea, I know you guys tried. It always seams like we have to drag people to ppha hunts. I not sure what it would take to get the interest.
Is march just a bad time to have a coyote hunt?
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I dont know what more we can do to get more guys interested. I'm sure we have more guys that kill coyote in a year than the pics that get posted and entered into the species specific hunt but you never see them or hear much about them either, but you hear guys saying they are coyote killers.
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I don't think it is a bad time. Actually I think it is a good time at least for me. For me I rarelly target coyotes during fox season. Now March comes around and I go out on the weekends and hunt for coyotes if I target them more I might be more succesfull in killing them. My lack of killing them is cause I need to put more time into hunting them then just in one month of the year and that is just on the weekends.
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I think January would be good. Throughout Pa there aren't many (if any) predator hunts in January. It seems they all run through February.
Maybe develop a PPHA Facebook page? News spreads through Facebook like wildfire. People who predator hunt probably follow other friends on Facebook who predator hunt. And the word spreads like that.
My buddy started a Facebook page "Eastern Pennsylvania Predator Hunters". He been posting our pictures on there from this past season. And I couldn't believe how quickly so many people were exposed to them. Could be a helpful tool to advertise for a future hunt. Just a thought.
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We do have a Facebook page and every time I post a pic it gets a few likes pose a question and might get 3 responses. There are a bunch of people who like the page but just don't engage in the activities that are presented.
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My conversations with Jerry Johnson at Johnsons Furs... He always says to me. "WHY DOESN"T PPHA HAVE A COYOTE HUNT?" See he sees first hand what the coyotes are doing to his fur business.. Not many gray fox and even red fox in some areas now.. People can't find reds they stop trapping and bringing in fur and buying supplies..
I would think that if MC had two catagories the houndsmen would not like that.. Heck that's where they get the money from the callers and posters that join in on the pot of money....
Wouldn't it be great if all these colleges that are collecting data could tell by something that it's not a Pa coyote when they are looking at them...Maybe something even in their lab reports that would come back later and show hey this is a NY coyote or a Ohio coyote based on on the content found in their intestine or organs..Hey I'm just thinking here...
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Two years ago we had entries in the March madness and last year I was close again 3 called in with a miss just didn't work out last year for me but I was trying .
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I was at weigh in from 2:30-4:30pm heaviest 51lb. My thought is on location to hounds men from Eire came in with 13 said they killed them Friday they had name tags on that was so they new ho killed them, if you have that many guys hunting how would you know if all the hunters are registered and if all were killed in PA.?
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It takes big money prizes to attract a lot of hunters. PPHA does not have that. As someone who organized hunts in the past, I personally don't like money hunts as it fosters cheating and a lot of bitching and god knows I heard a ton of it.
I love how guys on this website are all willing to "advise" and "help others" but they can't support this organization. Some are not even members of the PPHA. At aMINIMUM they should support the PPHA through membership for being allowed to post and read on this site.
If the members and in some cases non members "Walked the Walk" as much as they talked this organization would be huge.
For those late comers, the PPHA has held coyote contest and continues to hold lots of hunts, just not for thousands of dollars.
Sorry for taking this post off topic, move or delet it if you like.
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What I really don't understand and was trying to get at was that someone can run 5 dogs and not have to pay for them in the hunt. But if a buddy of mine wants to call or run the light for me for the hunt and didn't sign up or pay I get disqualified for that. I can't take 5 of my friends and have them put drives on for me for coyotes without them being signed up and paid for. Maybe they don't have to pay the membership fees for the dogs but they should pay for the hunt fees. It would make a bigger money pot in the as well.
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Lookn4fur ....... Well said Tim. So few guys put in a lot of time with this club and YES we do hold numerous hunts throughout the year. We get a lot of members sign up, which is great, BUT very few participate in the hunts. This club gives out some great prizes too !! And like you said, it takes money to give out prizes.
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What I really don't understand and was trying to get at was that someone can run 5 dogs and not have to pay for them in the hunt. But if a buddy of mine wants to call or run the light for me for the hunt and didn't sign up or pay I get disqualified for that. I can't take 5 of my friends and have them put drives on for me for coyotes without them being signed up and paid for. Maybe they don't have to pay the membership fees for the dogs but they should pay for the hunt fees. It would make a bigger money pot in the as well.
That's like saying you have to sign up your foxpro because its doing your work or everyone of your hand calls. Come on. Just because its not done your way. It's like the people on other forums complaining about people driving in deer season if its allowed its allowed don't loose sleep over it.
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We have had a PPHA coyote hunt the last few years and no coyotes killed! March Madness we a month long yote hunt and two straight years with no winner, so we decided to go with the Bobcat Blitz hunt this year and actually had a bobcat entered!
I did like the bobcat hunt. Maybe you could do a pay hunt for the ppha members like $5-10 and winner at the end would be randomly draw out of entries. If no yotes entered do a 50/50 and draw from everyone. I would gladly pay for a hunt after all the free hunts you guys do a year.
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It takes big money prizes to attract a lot of hunters. PPHA does not have that. As someone who organized hunts in the past, I personally don't like money hunts as it fosters cheating and a lot of bitching and god knows I heard a ton of it.
I love how guys on this website are all willing to "advise" and "help others" but they can't support this organization. Some are not even members of the PPHA. At aMINIMUM they should support the PPHA through membership for being allowed to post and read on this site.
If the members and in some cases non members "Walked the Walk" as much as they talked this organization would be huge.
For those late comers, the PPHA has held coyote contest and continues to hold lots of hunts, just not for thousands of dollars.
Sorry for taking this post off topic, move or delet it if you like.
pot of the month right thar
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Ya the nerve if Jerry to suggest a coyote hunt and not be a member of PPHA.
Probably you should make that only members can post on here. Only thing the topics would dwindle down to near nothing. Interesting feature on here is your stats at the bottom. Shows who adds the most topics and who spends time on the site the most.
I do remember in the old days when club started calling all kinds of vendors like Gerald Stewart and getting prizes and such. Doing personally doing seminars. Then the entire membership based reversed and started dropping out. Very few members now in are a part of that group way back when. I can only think of 3. Hern, Buckwheat, and off and on Trapperjohn.
think about this: predator hunters are an aggressive lot. Just what we do. Makes some of us not get along with others. Some attacks are painful so much that family members plead with their loved one members to quit. They just can't see their loved ones attacked. My wife actually made me promise I'd never run for office. Some of us get so upset rhat if we were coyotes we wouldn't last into November. However the ones that are friends because of PPHA our bonds are strong.
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totally missed it
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Bigcat
Next year I'm going to put GPS collars on 5 of my friends and them drive coyotes for me and call them my dogs the at will me legal for the hunt right. In general I think dogs should need a hunting permit to hunt anything. All people who are in a deer drive need a hunting license why shouldn't dogs?
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Cool I want to see pics of your friends. I know none of my friends will put collars on if I asked them to so we could save a few bucks. I'll buy the shock collars and we can train them this summer.
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Orange requirements changed. -
#4 Buck Shot approved. -
Road kill furbearers now able to be picked up. -
Gun mounted lights made legal. -
Decoys allowed for use with all predators. -
Cable restraints made legal. -
PPHA vote was one of three votes needed to pass. -
The other two groups assisting in passing this were the Trappers Association and the Hounds Men Club. -
Exposed bait legal for hunting (Coyote Only). -
Organized the first Predator Hunting Association in Pennsylvania. -
Held the first ever Pennsylvania Predator Hunting Expo. -
Held the first official Pennsylvania Predator Calling Championship. -
ok here is a list of of PPHA accomplishments from the main page. Lets put the name of the person responsible at the time and the year it was done.
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UB, it has nothing to do with Jerry Johnson. So as not to detract further from this post I am done.
totally missed it
+1
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Orange requirements changed. -
#4 Buck Shot approved. -
Road kill furbearers now able to be picked up. -
Gun mounted lights made legal. -
Decoys allowed for use with all predators. -
Cable restraints made legal. -
PPHA vote was one of three votes needed to pass. -
The other two groups assisting in passing this were the Trappers Association and the Hounds Men Club. -
Exposed bait legal for hunting (Coyote Only). -
Organized the first Predator Hunting Association in Pennsylvania. -
Held the first ever Pennsylvania Predator Hunting Expo. -
Held the first official Pennsylvania Predator Calling Championship. -
ok here is a list of of PPHA accomplishments from the main page. Lets put the name of the person responsible at the time and the year it was done.
I can't put specific names to each accomplishment but have been around for a good while. I went to my first meeting in mechanicsburg when tom monko was in charge. I am thinking 2004?
The fact is even though UB pointed out only three names there were several more that helped the ppha grow and continue on with it to where it is today. as well as each and every one of them putting forth many volunteer hours. some have came and went. Some have stuck around as members after serving as well.
I wouldn't say aggressive attitude is the problem but more along the lines of ego UB.
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Jerry would want us to have a coyote hunt. I was just commenting on what he said to me..Me I don't think it could be pulled off like Mosquito Creek has done..
What really hurt the club way back when is when the clique occurred.... Was almost like a power struggle. Certain people clique together. It got so bad that the West wanted to split with the East... We really had one big trouble maker. this is the aggressiveness of predator caller Psyche I ref in the post above... Sides were squaring off so much that it even made me take down my web site... By the way was the best thing I ever did! It was one BIG POISON thing that helped destroy that...
Probably the first thing that was accomplished was when we met with the PGC Director of law Enforcement at the Silk City and really sat down with him about the wearing of the orange.. Just talking to the man he changed his opinion and we really dodged a bullet with that one.. Wearing orange when we called. PPHA actually went and talked in front of the PGC about this too... We really hurt ourself when no one from the club went and talked in behalf of lights on guns with the Federation of Sportsman's Club. A guy got up from the Federation and cut it down and they all voted in favor of no lights.. it took years there after for the light thing to be approved when it could have been approved a few years after the orange issue.. The orange wad defeated when POPEK was still the President..
Each and everyone of us have a reason why we wanted to be a member.. Many have a predator calling business... I don't! the love of Predator Calling is what and why I was a member... I even was considering starting a Predator Hunter Guild were all we did was fight things that the anti's wanted to take away from us.. Not worry about hunts, forums, ...Just a program to retain predator hunting as we know it... To this day...That's what I will do as a individual continue to try to at least make sure predator hunting as we know it continues... I was at a meeting with my brother yesterday at Little Buffalo State park I actually spoke up for retaining coyote and fox hunting on Sunday.. Concured that we should be able to hunt with semiautomatic rifles and or pistols for predators.. the next meeting will be at the PGC building in May.. I didn't see any PPHA members there yesterday with my brother and I..
However the PPHA was a good thing.. I do have some people I call friends!!! Of course sadly because of the clique thing I mentioned above I do have people who don't like me...Success is however winning the respect of a few worthy individuals...
So I did drop out of PPHA since it just wasn't obtaining my personal goals of what Predator Hunting club is to me..
I do think that if you take down this web site and forum the PPHA will actually cease to exist.. that's just my personal opinion...It does give some training to new callers.. hence that's why I post on here to pass on some of my knowledge on to callers.. someday I ain't going to be here and why take all of this to my grave. however I don't want people to remember me that I was a member of the PPHA. I want someone to remember that there was a guy who passed on some valuable info and maybe started a fire that made them even a shroomer or a somewhat deceit predator caller..
it is sad to have so many people posting things on here and when it does come for them to hunt in PPHA contest no one gets involved. Maybe you need to make the club efforts to be more like the guild I referenced above. Allyou people that have a predator calling business you really have a lot to lose if the PGC starts to take things away from predator calling...
recently I acquired about 2000 acres that I can hunt on in Va... I'm retired and I'm going to hunt!.. I will continue to speak up at these meeting... let me know if you want to attend the next one and I will tell you when and where... it's charred by Senator Rob Teplitz and it's held in different areas of SCPA each qtr of the year.. Next on is in May 2015 and will be held at the PGC headquarters on Elmerton Ave.. Here is my email address if you want to contact me if I 'm not on here for a long period of time: unclebuckpa@comcast.net
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Bigcat
If its just a few buck why not pay to have your dogs hunt then?
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I have no problem with people using dogs to hunt. If that's how they want to hunt that's great. We are all a hunting family everyone does things there own way. What I am saying is I think in these hunts where ever person taking part in the must be signed up that should go for animals being used as well. If they don't need to be signed up why must I have guys sign up when they are not hunting they are just putting drives on or shining the red light for me? That what I don't get.
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yep it's sad that the houndsmen do have the upper hand... Don't worry about them.... Get out there and compete against yourself...That would be quite the feather in your cap if you got one of the 4 big coyotes the 4th being the largest female...Someone got to get it.. yes it could be the houndsmen... remember the houndsmen probably wiped out many of the heavy weights in certain of the 67 counties. I saw a coyote track during the contest that I know the coyote was well over 50 + pounds...the houndsmen probably wouldn't even have a chance to get this guy but a predator caller would. Maybe you might need to travel a bit out of the dog hunting areas and hunt in Pa counties that a predator caller would have a better chance. remember it only takes 3 hours to cross our great commonwealth East to West. North to South you can do it in 2 hours with the interstates and the turnpikes.. if the houndsmen paid into a pot they wouldn't even get into the contest... The money to be had is because of all the hunters in the pot...
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That is a good view Uncle Buck thank you.
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Bigcat
If its just a few buck why not pay to have your dogs hunt then?
If it was the rule I'm sure they would but its not. Now not saying you would do this but I know other people would and because there is a rule about it that probably means it happened. One person pays and the 5 drivers hunt also. The guy that pays turns in the yotes. The dogs don't kill the yote the caller doesn't kill the yote the hunter kills the yote. The caller and the dogs are tools one is more effective but they are both tools. That's just my opinion and you are entitled to yours
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Bigcat
I agree with you on that but guess this is more for mc then the hounds men.. If the dogs can be used to drive the coyotes, why can't I have 5 guys with no weapons on them walk the woods and drive the coyotes? What is the difference or why can't I have a person call for me or shine the light. They are not doing the shooting.... Just how I feel no hard feeling just don't feel its right.
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You could always contact MC and ask them about it.
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I was going to drop my membership every year, but re-new each time.
I had plenty of reasons to drop, but didn't.
I stayed with this organization because of what it can be. We really have potential to have a strong voice in Harrisburg, educated the public and to further our sport.
At one time we were organized, we showed we could get things heard and done.
We had committees to share the work load for different events. We had district meetings and officers/directors meetings.
I have never held office, but supported the organization each year.
I like UB, who is not a member of the PPHA, but have to disagree with him about his statement about PPHA members that also sell predator calling products. Rather disagree with his tone of sorta referring they use the PPHA for business gain. I know most of the members that sell products and they certainly don't depends on our small membership for monetary gains. These same guys have been the backbone of the PPHA and truly are devoted for many years.
And I don't like the way UB keeps calling the PPHA 'a club'. We are an organization, but maybe he forgot about that, but I still like him.
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We get donations for hunts from the sponsers as well. 8)
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It's hard to have a voice when guys have jobs and can't get the time off to go to the meetings to be heard, then when you ask if someone, anyone can go......silence..... So you stop asking.
So far I've seen a couple of post about never holding an office and that's cool, it's not for everyone to step into a thankless job. Your support of the club is all we can ask for then.
I'm hearing that the PPHA should have a coyote hunt. WEIRD...We just had one that lasted 3 months.
Species Specific Hunt.
ONE Coyote was entered in the hunt.
We didn't give away thousands of dollars to the winner because we don't have thousands to give away.
The Bobcat Blitz was this years big hunt and how many coyotes were entered?
Zero!
Were they worth points to be able to win? Yes they were.
D-6 had a hunt that included coyotes, were any entered into that hunt?
NO!
D-4 same thing, Jason even had a physical check in, how many guys were there? 5 How many coyotes ZERO.
That tells me either we have a bunch of non participating members, non yote killing members or we have a bunch of flapping lips. You choose which category you fall in next time you want a coyote hunt from the PPHA.
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Caller or houndsman, what is the difference? Houndsmen spend a lot of time training hounds, feeding hounds, and keeping up with them so they must also be physically fit. Callers need to do their homework, understand their quarry, and also understand the limitations of their gear. The person who wants to use non-members to drive out coyotes should simply have his friends pay the $30 or so to enter the competition. Hunting coyotes is extremely difficult. You just don't buy a call, show up, and have dogs run into the call. I cannot believe egos get hurt over a $30 entry fee. Almost 4000 hunters and only 162 dogs were weighed in. Obviously, it is pretty hard to get a coyote. Do the math and see how many were really successful. Congrats to to anyone who killed a coyote this year and I am sure the white tail deer population will produce an extra fawn or two due to your efforts.
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remember it only takes 3 hours to cross our great commonwealth East to West. North to South you can do it in 2 hours with the interstates and the turnpikes.. if the houndsmen paid into a pot they wouldn't even get into the contest... The money to be had is because of all the hunters in the pot...
I want to see you travel across the state either way in the times you stated... it's over 300 miles across the state on the turnpike or I-80 and right at 200+ miles north to south on any of the roads you want to take...
you don't think the doggers pay entry fees?... they sure don't let them in for free...
it wasn't that long after the orange ruling we got gun mounted lights through... I was VP at the time and Ernie and Josh Miller and myself sat down and did up a big presentation letter for the meeting and I went up and presented it at the GC meeting...
Ben, if I'm remembering right you and I joined at the same meeting whenever it was... where was that?... I'm thinking some where around Mechanicsburg...
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Dale the 3 hour E & W and the 2 N & S hour is just a figure of speech.. Sure it does take a bit longer if you live on the fringe of our borders... Kind of like me saying 2:16 AM and it's really 2:20 AM when I called in a predator...
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it was at tom monkos son in laws dentist practice off 114. Im pretty sure it was late 2004 because herder springs hunt was right after I joined and that was in the late muzzleloader season.
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yup, ok that was it, a foggy rainy night if I remember correctly.. was a long ride up there from Lancaster county...
Herder Springs, wonder if anyone's been hunting that area, there was a lot of good looking territory up around there...
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Last time I hunted there was during the hunt... There are many black coyotes in that area... So hard to walk the logging trails in by the Game Lands... if I had to do that again I'd probably wait maybe an hour before I started calling or get up in a tree stand. there was a large field at the top of the mountain that would have been great to ambush a coyote.. I hunted that area about 3 times for coyotes.. Also hunted deer there a few times too...
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The Ruffed grouse hunting was outstanding all in that area too.. Both the Clearfield and the Centre county locations There is a place called something like PENN 5 near Spike Island... Now that was good for ruffed grouse and deer..Could have been Penn 2.. I know it was Penn something and the land was owned by the coal companies..
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Wow the Mosquito Creek Assoc has still not posted the results of all the coyotes harvested in the 2015 hunt.. Link says that they have to give the three people polygraph test first and that will be done at a later date... Interesting?????
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The polygraph test was given the day of the hunt.
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I'm not 100% but I don't think they posted last years list yet. I see 2013 list but no 2014. I'm surprised they have the top winners posted After trying to look at the list in the past years