Author Topic: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt  (Read 28097 times)

uncle buck

  • Guest
Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« on: January 09, 2015, 12:24:47 AM »
I got my Mosquito Creek membership and hunt entry back  two days ago... I was  #845. 

Offline so-soshot

  • PPHA officers.
  • Senior Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 209
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2015, 09:08:49 AM »
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!

Offline Misterjake23

  • PPHA Members
  • PPHA Forum GURU
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,270
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2015, 11:28:17 AM »
It's like the lottery... You can't win if you don't play !
Jake
York, PA
Bee's O'Brien Field Staff
If you heard my shot, Feel lucky...I wasn't aiming at you!

uncle buck

  • Guest
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2015, 09:21:54 PM »
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....
« Last Edit: January 09, 2015, 09:33:45 PM by uncle buck »

uncle buck

  • Guest
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2015, 09:26:44 PM »
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..
« Last Edit: January 09, 2015, 09:31:31 PM by uncle buck »

uncle buck

  • Guest
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2015, 09:44:26 PM »
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..
« Last Edit: January 09, 2015, 09:57:13 PM by uncle buck »

Offline so-soshot

  • PPHA officers.
  • Senior Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 209
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2015, 08:43:42 AM »
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. 

Offline mountain dog

  • PPHA Members
  • Junior Forum Member
  • **
  • Posts: 116
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2015, 10:49:30 AM »
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

Offline Hern

  • PPHA Members
  • PPHA Forum GURU
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,977
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2015, 04:52:08 PM »
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

Offline Hern

  • PPHA Members
  • PPHA Forum GURU
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,977
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2015, 10:54:34 PM »
...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.





uncle buck

  • Guest
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2015, 03:07:29 PM »
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!!!
« Last Edit: January 15, 2015, 03:10:40 PM by uncle buck »

Offline jaspr1

  • PPHA Members
  • PPHA Forum GURU
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,771
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #11 on: February 09, 2015, 09:24:30 AM »
 ;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)

Offline Pa Goosehntr

  • PPHA Members
  • PPHA Forum GURU
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,088
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #12 on: February 09, 2015, 09:26:25 AM »
 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Sounds like another fizzzzle  :o :o :o :o :o :o
I Speak Fowl Language!!
SRWA Life Member
NRA Endowment Member
NAHC Life member
PPHA Member
PTA Member

Offline Buckwheat

  • PPHA Forum GURU
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,536
    • http://EWCALLS.com
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #13 on: February 09, 2015, 09:54:57 AM »
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.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2015, 09:55:40 AM by Buckwheat »
For a brief moment I could hear nature through all the noise.

2008 PPHA State Predator Calling Champion
 Tri-X-Stand Rifle
Rests http://www.ewcalls.com/
Stand in the open, We will make you shine!

Offline jaspr1

  • PPHA Members
  • PPHA Forum GURU
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,771
Re: Mosquito Creek Coyote Hunt
« Reply #14 on: February 09, 2015, 01:12:20 PM »
  ;D Now if you two wanted to be helpful you would direct me to a plump coyote  ;D ;D ;D.......8)