Dirks: Hunting predators is a great challenge
Young Sean Chaffee of Slate Hill often hunts while most of us are either asleep or inside.
While big-game hunting gets all the media attention and seemingly all fall glory, Chaffee enjoys a hunt that you rarely hear about.
It could be called the hunting version of the quiet sport, the same as fly-fishing. To Chaffee, who loves all things outdoors, predator hunting is the icing on the cake.
Much predator hunting takes place at night, when coyotes and bobcats are most active.
"Hunting at night is so much different than hunting in the daylight," said Chaffee. "Not only do you need a light to see, but you also need to know distances. Nighttime makes hunting so much harder due to misconception of actual distance to the animal. A shot that is in reality 30 yards may sometimes seem like it is 60 yards."
Chaffee, who has been predator hunting for four years, noted that this season was one of his most successful. In late October, Chaffee and a friend did an early morning hunt instead of their usual nighttime hunt.
"We had two coyotes come in, but we were unfortunately unable to get a shot at them," he said. "Minutes later, I spotted a bobcat 160 yards away on a stonewall. Needless to say, I made a nice clean shot on her with my Remington R-15 in the .223-caliber with my 'coyote special' scope on it. She weighed 35 pounds. It was a hunt me my hunting partner will never forget. I have never seen a bobcat in the woods before and it was so cool to have put the time into hunting predators day and night."
Predator hunting may not be as popular as big-game hunting, but the challenges are great. Coyotes, bobcats and foxes are very savvy animals that will take flight at the slightest hint of danger. Even with the advantage of being able to use mechanical calling devices that precisely mimic the animals that predators will eat, it's a tough act to follow.
Given the large number of coyotes that linger throughout our region, it would only help to have a few more hard-core predator hunters like Chaffee out in the woods.
Pit bull bird dog?
When most hunters think of bird dogs, they think of Brittany, Labradors, English pointers, and golden retrievers. For Kevin Carney, his pit bull fits the bird dog bill nicely.
"My springer got hurt the first week and can't bird hunt for two more weeks," he said. "I like to hunt woodcock and have my son's pit bull, Phatty, that will hunt birds. He has been tagging along for the last eight years. Well, he has been put to the test this year. I've taken six pheasant and five woodcock with him this year. He has flushed over a dozen pheasant and at least 40 woodcock this year. He isn't big on retrieving, but will hold a wounded bird with his foot for you."
David Dirks' outdoors column appears weekly. Contact him through his website, http://www.dirksoutdoors.com/.
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