Varmint Hunting Info

Varmint hunting is getting more and more popular among hunters all over the world due to the fact that although most of the varmints don’t affect the human life, some of these animals, like the coyote, can pose a great danger to people. Of course, besides this, there is the satisfaction of the hunt which for many hunters is unique. For these two reasons, this article will offer our readers a quick look about the most important varmint hunting techniques. Our readers should keep in mind that the word varmint is rather a general term so not all techniques apply to all animals that is why we will specify which technique is for which animal.

We will start presenting a hunting technique for raccoons. Coon hunters should be aware of the fact that these annoying little animals sleep during the day and are active during the night hours that is why experienced hunters recommend that all coon hunts should be done with the help of a coonhound: Black & Tan, Redbone, Bluetick, Plott or the Walker Coonhound as these are the most recommended dogs for such a hunt. You are probably wondering why you need a dog, the answer is quite easy: when the raccoons climb trees, especially during the night hours, the only way to detect these animals is with the help of your raccoon hunting dog because otherwise your chances of spotting a coon are almost null.

Hunters must know that aging coons are wily and if they are surprised far from their den location a hunting chase can last even hours if you are up to the task. They might climb trees and travel overhead across a patch of timber, leaving the hunter’s hound howling at the foot of the first tree. When hunting coons, try to avoid water surrounding as these animals are known for their excellent swimming abilities. If you do find yourself in an area where there is water then we recommend using traps. The best bushes are the ones that have a river nearby and they have mature “home trees“ in them. It is almost obligatory not to destroy any of the den trees or shoot into a den tree, hoping to “scare out“ a raccoon because it will never happen and you will cripple and maim them. It is very easy to detect if a raccoon is in a specific area by their coon tracks. Their front foots are smaller in comparison with the back ones and also the front track have longer “finger-like“ tracks.

Another dangerous nuisance is the coyote. Finding these animals is easy in our opinion as you just have to search for them down wind of the herd, be it deer, sheep and cows. As far as hunting technique are concerned, experienced hunters recommend hunting from stand to stand without staying too much at a single stand because at time goes by, so are the chances for spotting a coyote. When you get up towards the livestock, calving barn, feed lot or haystacks set up and call this area just like you would in any other type of terrain. As you are working a pasture, it is harder to call coyotes because the horses get extremely wild and they will most likely come running to see what is happening so we recommend avoiding these locations at all costs

Coyotes won’t always come at your call or at the sound of your tape but just because he doesn’t come running in it doesn’t mean that you are doing it all wrong. In some of these cases, they just have other priorities, they have other, more important things to do, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are doing it wrong. If you spot a coyote that is bedded down and he looks like he won’t move an inch, it is advisable to get the wind in your face, move as slowly as possible, keep the noise level down to a minimum and you will be surprised at how close to the animal you can get. We advise you to be very attentive as there are real potential threats when in the nearby vicinity of a coyote so better safe than sorry.

Our last part of the article will present a hunting technique useful for hunting foxes. Experienced hunters recommend owning a whistle as it simulates the sounds made by a wounded rabbit for example, which foxes eat every time they have the opportunity. After purchasing a whistle and going out in the hunting area it is advisable to find a fallen tree or a large rock to hide behind and blow 2-3 loud shrieks on the whistle. This will imitate the sounds made by a small-sized animal that has just been injured. Afterwards, wait for a few more moments without using the whistle and then continue with slower, lower pitched whistles in order to imitate a weakened, in suffer rabbit. Wait for another few moments so that the fox will have time to come and investigate what is happening. If you get lucky, you will now have the perfect chance to make an efficient shot. We have to mention that the mouth blown rabbit distress calls are considered to be the most efficient calls at this particular type of hunting.

If you plan on pursuing these animals only for their pelts, you should hunt them during the winter period of the year for the main reason because their pelts are thicker and they also look way better in comparison with other periods of the year. Clothing is very important because every hunter needs to blend with the environment, otherwise they fox will detect you before you spot it and the chances for grabbing 2-3 foxes will be almost zero. When it comes down to calls, we totally recommend using electronic calls as they are more efficient than other old-fashioned calls.

All things considered, we consider varmint hunting a sport, hobby and a beneficial activity to do (in some cases and with some limitations) as some as these animals can be a real threat to humans. Feel free to browse our site for more information regarding these animals if you plan on pursuing them or just for general knowledge