Do you still have your trail cameras out and recording what’s going down in your neck of the woods? If you don’t you could be missing out on some big buck action, interesting wildlife photos or even evidence on who’s been sneaking into your honey hole. It’s fairly inexpensive to keep trail cameras going in the off season and basically requires an occasional battery boost in addition to cleaning off your memory card.
Dang! Sasquatch gave me the slip again.
I have one camera running at all times below my house. There’s a seasonal creek running in the draw and the wooded drainage attracts all sorts of animals, day or night. This winter I discovered a dead deer near our pond so I set up a camera there just to see what might be lurking nearby. I hoped at minimum to snap a photo of a coyote grabbing an appetizer. The Holy Grail would be catching a mountain lion or even a wolf in the act of mulling over the expiration date of the carcass. Of course I could hope for a snapshot of Sasquatch, but we all know he spends his winters in southern California.
So far I have about 2.3 million images of magpies, a couple dozen images of nosey mule deer, another dozen shots of my lackadaisical saddle horses and a handful of images of my son and his friends playing “war” in the creek bottom. I did catch a unique image of our local resident golden eagle roosting on a deer rump roast, but I’m still holding out for a Holy Grail snapshot. If I catch something unique, you’ll be the first to know.
Mark Kayser
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If you’re an employer you know that good help is hard to find. Take a look at the latest help in my office. As small business manager (my wife and I) I don’t have the same insight in employee dilemmas as I did when I worked for a huge employee machine nearly a decade ago, but I can tell from this employee’s attitude that I’m in for trouble. In fact, while we were trying to figure out a name for the latest addition to the Kayser household, “Trouble” was definitely a top contender.
As of this morning everyone in our clan was leaning toward the name “Sage” for our new female border collie. We’ve been toying with the idea of getting a dog, but we had to make sure the kids were up for the task. A dog is a lot of responsibility. Our horses can feed themselves in the pasture and you can put out a truckload of food to keep the cats happy, but a dog requires a bit more day to day interaction.
Hey, wake up! Coffee break is over. Do you have my tax returns filed yet?
We finally had enough faith everyone was going to pitch in and take care of the chewing, poop factory. Why a border collie? Our neighbors have something to do with that choice. They have a border collie that hikes up the road daily to see what the Kaysers are doing. We’ve enjoyed her limited company and my daughter is looking for another critter to show in 4-H.
Why not a hunting dog? It’s fairly simple. Most of my income is generated from big game hunting. Whitetails are the number one game species and hence the market reflects that with product. I love bird hunting, but between my brother and good friends I can team up with a retriever with a simple phone call. Plus, would it be fair to keep a hunting dog penned up while I’m chasing elk or sitting in treestands over the entire fall?
This seemed to be the best fit for our family and make no mistake about it; hunting is definitely on the puppy’s agenda. Tonight after school we’re going to introduce the puppy to some shooting as the kids check the sight on their .22 LR for 4-H. We’ll keep Sage far away, but she’ll see the guns and hear the pop. If all works well I plan on using her to decoy some coyotes in the winter. Judging from the way she was sniffing the pile of dead coyotes in my barn, she might be up for the challenge.
Mark Kayser
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When it comes to rifle scopes I have some very defined tastes as to how a scope looks. I usually demand that it look like a traditional scope – 1-inch center tube, bells at both ends. And I don’t like a general purpose hunting scope to be too big – as far as I’m concerned objective bells beyond 44mm don’t have a place except on varmint or target rigs.
So that I’d pick the Burris Eliminator Laserscope as one of the best 2010 SHOT Show product introductions is a step outside those longstanding preferences! It’s the technology and, at the same time, the almost unbelievable simplicity of the system that make the Burris Eliminator impossible not to covet.
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Happy anniversary! What’s the hoopla about? It’s the one-year anniversary of the launch of this blog thanks to the good folks at North American Hunter.
Who would have believed I’d still have a platform to blog about everything
from firearm rights to raising baby skunks, or nationwide whitetail tactics
to my son’s first buck.
When I look back over the course of the year I really couldn’t see a pattern
on what you liked. There was a big response on several blogs with varied
topics and rest assured I’m trying to keep up with the comments and respond when appropriate. I’ll admit I was a little lax during the hunting season, but jumping from camp to camp, oftentimes in the middle of the night, cuts into my blogging time. I’m shopping for a new computer to remedy some speedier posts than what my outdated Studebaker computer is able to handle.
That said, I have to thank you for reading my ramblings. I’ve been informed
that my blogs are one of the most visited links on the NAHC site. Thanks. It
really means a lot to me.
"I want YOU to keep giving me feedback on my blog."
I’ll try and keep coming up with varied, seasonal topics and please comment
if there’s anything you’d like to add or see addressed.
That’s all for now; I have an anniversary party to plan and if you want to
send gifts, cash donations are best.
Mark Kayser
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When it comes to hunting, guiding, outfitting, wildlife biology and management, survival, camp craft and even military special operations J.Wayne Fears is the poster boy for “Been there. Done that. Bought the T-shirt.” And I’m fortunate to count as one of my life’s greatest blessings that J. Wayne is my friend and mentor.
Usually Wayne and I talk often about the plans, projects and ideas we have underway. In fact, my bride and I are proud to be the editors of a historically factual novel Fears is writing about the Revolutionary War. (If there are any publishing execs reading this get hold of me right away and I’ll put you in touch with him. This is going to be a best seller!)
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Hopefully you got out and were able to chase a fox as I suggested prior to the weekend or even spent time scouting. I went coyote hunting and almost was outfoxed. It’s that time of year. Right now coyotes are cagier than a reality film crew trying to catch a cheating politician. I found this out on Saturday. I was hunting with good friend Gale Smith and on our third attempt at trying to fool a coyote I decided to throw everything out there, including the kitchen sink.
Geez, some hunter. Lucky I came along to help Kayser out.
Using a combination of my Johnny Stewart PM-4 digital caller and mouth calls I made it sound like a fawn was in trouble and coyotes were squabbling over the choice cuts. About 15 minutes into the setup a coyote ran to the top of the basin we were watching and then sat down on its haunches to scan for the ruckus. After about five minutes the coyote bedded. He was in no hurry and likely the reason he was still alive.
Since Gale and I were not in sight of each other, I decided to softly use a rodent distress call in hopes of luring the coyote in for a shot. I was worried Gale might get antsy and walk over to my side of the hill. The coyote didn’t react immediately, but looked and eventually stood up, stretched and started padding my way. I felt pretty smug.
A few minutes later the coyote started diverting toward Gale. I didn’t worry since I hoped Gale would get a shot anyway, but when the coyote started angling away with an over-the-back look, I knew it was time to seal the deal. After the shot Gale walked over and commented on how he had called in the coyote for me. I looked at him with a puzzled glaze and said I was calling. Here’s the scoop.
Gale never heard my calls once, not even the coyote fight, despite being less than 100 yards away. When the coyote appeared, Gale also waited and then started lip squeaking. He was squeaking while I was squeaking. It worked until the coyote walked to within 200 yards and then something sounded too squeaky and too fake.
Nevertheless, we bagged a great-looking, mature coyote with a prime pelt.
Plus, it was evident that patience pays off. We didn’t see the coyote until 15 minutes into the setup when many are already leaving. I pulled the trigger at nearly the 30-minute mark to make the outing a success.
Mark Kayser
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When I first started venturing out on my own with a firearm in hand, one of my favorite wintertime pursuits was to crisscross the fields of eastern South Dakota in search of red fox. Back in the 1980s there actually were quite a few red fox scattered across the Midwest. That’s changed today with the spread of coyote numbers. The two don’t intermix well. It’s kind of like hunters and anti-hunters. They just don’t mix well at parties, especially when wild game hors d’ oeuvres are on the menu.
In the case of coyotes and red fox, the coyotes try and drive the fox out of their territory and killing isn’t out of the question. Wolves and coyotes face a similar neighborhood dilemma, but surprisingly, wolves and fox pay each other little mind according to studies. Apparently their prey differs enough that they don’t feel threatened by the other’s presence.
I still see red fox in the Dakotas and even in my backyard of Wyoming, but coyotes definitely rule the roost. If you have the good fortune to have red fox in your neck of the woods here are a few tactics to try. The easiest is driving county roads and glassing open fields, fence rows and hedgerows for little red lumps dozing in the sun. Reds routinely lie in the open near their den and snooze. Once you spot a napping red, secure landowner permission and then get as sneaky as a fox to pull of a stalk.
I don't see any fox. I thought you said you were good at calling in these critters.
A second tactic is calling. The problem with calling is that you’re just as likely to call in a coyote today as a red fox. Even so, get out your calls, but think small. Red fox weigh less than 12 pounds so they look for smaller prey. Rodent squeakers, squalling birds, cottontail distress and jackrabbit distress all sound tasty to a fox. If you want to test a red’s curiosity try a fox in distress call, especially during the mating season that is spread between December and March.
Give reds a try this weekend, but be prepared to be outfoxed.
Mark Kayser
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Among the top new product introductions made at the NSSF’s Shooting Hunting & Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas last week has to be the Thompson/Center Hot Shot .22 rimfire . Yes, T/C is a long, long time sponsor of North American Hunter TV on Versus, but the Hot Shot kids’ rifle would crown my list even if they weren’t.
From the time a youngster asks to go hunting he or she wants a gun “just like Dad’s.” Never mind it’s too big, too heavy, too loud and kicks too hard. Well if Dad is the owner of a Thompson/Center Pro Hunter … GOOD NEWS! It now has a look alike in .22 rimfire miniature. The T/C Hot Shot is Dad’s gun only comfortably smaller.
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Are you sure this is economy seating for geckos?
Having just returned from another flight, the joy (or lack thereof) of flying is fresh in my mind. Sure it gets you to and from your destination quickly…most times, but the industry is nickel and diming us to no end. I had to pay $40 extra to get my bag to and from Las Vegas and don’t even ask me about the sandwich I had the option to purchase. I noticed most folks these days are going the carry-on way. It’s gotten so bad that a recent German traveler was stopped in New Zealand after “carefully” packing to avoid excessive baggage or overweight fees.
It seems as if 58-year-old Hans Kurt Kubus made a mistake though. Sure he was trying to save himself an extra buck by carefully preparing, planning and packing, but he may have went overboard. The traveler was stopped on South Island at the airport with not one, but 44 gecko and skink lizards stuffed in his underwear. Now I could see accidentally having one rogue lizard roaming around in your garments, but 44? At least it wasn’t a bomb in his underwear like another infamous traveler’s bright idea.
Actually Mr. Kubus admitted to trading an exploited species without a permit and hunting “absolutely protected wildlife” without authority as reported on Fox News. The traveler could face potential fines of $355,000 and six months in prison.
The geckos are reportedly worth nearly $3,000 in European markets making the uncomfortable overseas flight potentially worth it if you have a habit of breaking the law. This whole fiasco serves as a reminder to me. I need to check into the price of Geico car insurance and make sure no stowaway amphibians are taking refuge in my travel attire.
Mark Kayser
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Each year the National Shooting Sports Foundation puts on the Shooting, Hunting & Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. The 2010 show took place last week in Las Vegas. It’s only open to verified industry attendees and the media. SHOT is where the latest and greatest new products are unveiled. So for the next several “Around the Campfire” discussions, I’ll share what I thought were some of the coolest (or hottest) new products I found at the show.
Sometimes I come across a great new hunting-related product that just hits me between eyes and makes me seriously wonder why somebody (namely me) hadn’t thought of that great idea before! It’s so simple and so on the money.
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