2014 Predator Hunting Contest

[BowhunterNJ]

I don't want the man rolling up on us while we're hunting and suddenly I get thrown in the slammer with Bubba because of BTE! :rofl:  

[Matty]

Scent is allowed as long as they can't consume it.

 

Honestly, we (me, MS22, Splitlim and several others) have tried all that stuff. Pheasant scent, rabbit scent, coyote scent, etc....Save your money.

 

From all our experiences, you're better off just worrying about setting up so they can't get your scent, because they are done and gone once they do. And they are always trying to get downwind.

 

As for lights, doesn't seem to matter how bright, and lumens should be a good measurement, but it's really not that accurate as to how well it will work. I don't claim to know much about it, but the way some lights throw the beam, it just doesn't seem as bright as others. The mini-sniper hawglight is only 200 lumens in red I believe, but it's super bright, and brighter than higher lumen lights we tried. A very focused direct beam that reaches out there.

 

Red covers will drastically reduce the beam. Red LED's are the way to go....but the other will work too. When we first started we tried everything from pink/red cellophane over spotlights, to big predator lights with motorcycle batteries and small headlamps, etc...

 

Brightness does not seem to matter at all. As long as you're not turning it on in their presence. You can't do that, they'll see it and be gone. I've now used green, blue, red and white lights. I prefer the red, but they all actually work.

 

Also, it may not matter, but we try to keep the main beam up and bring it slowly onto them when ready to shoot. Just use the halo for scanning...I think they can see shadows from the light if you're shining the brightest part all over and moving it like crazy.

 

They can NOT see you behind the light either...You are a black hole to them. As long as it's not shining on your gun or anything...If it is, they can see that lit up like a Christmas tree. If it moves....they gone.

 

I wear one light on my head to scan and the other on my gun barrel. Don't need two though. You can scan with your gun or head...Only really need one. I like to leave my gun pointed in the direction I expect them though with the light right on that spot....(on a shooting stick) and I just use my head light to scan for yotes and foxes around me.

 

I guess this will be my 6th or 7th season of this, and it took some learning to start connecting, and we're still learning like crazy, but if I can help the newbies I'll try to. It's definitely tough...but foxes are not that hard at all. Some of the guys connect on them like crazy...(not me, I miss) lol.....Coyotes on the other hand....they are really tough. We hear them all the time and have had some right on top of us and some shots fired, etc....but chances come far fewer than on foxes. At least up here in the North. Foxes seem to offer an opportunity every 3 sits or so....(some nights we get on them every sit and some nights are more dead....all depends)....coyotes might be 3 chances per season if you're lucky or really damn good.

 

Good luck guys!!!

[Palawman30]

Matty

so you leave your kill light on pointed in the direction you expect a fox or yote?  that doesn't spook them at all?

 

 

 

Ive noticed with my own dog that outside at night if it see shadows off lights he gets spooked a little Id imagine it would scare the hell out of a yote or fox

[Matty]

Yes, leave the light on the whole time pointed where you expect them. They aren't spooked at all as long is you aren't swinging it all over the place and causing moving shadows. The one on my head I leave tilted up so that it's just the halo scanning for eyes. This also makes it so when I lean into the gun for the shot I'm not ridiculously lighting up my gun. You can make a little shield/shade to prevent the light from spilling on your gun too.

Moving the light around only matters most in thicker woods, and doesn't matter at all in fields.

 

Trust me....we tried turning the light on when the animals came, that doesn't work at all. The second the light comes on, they turn inside out to get out of dodge. You have to leave the light on the whole time. 

 

The light is also your camouflage. They can't see red, so it looks like a black hole to them (from the way I understand it)....all I know is with foxes looking at us, I have tested it and gotten away with all kinds of movement. If you're not making noise, I think you could dance an Irish jig behind the light and they'd never know.

 

You can test it yourself. Have someone sit down in hunting position and stand anywhere from 0 - 100 yards or more and look at them shining the red light at you. You can't see anything they are doing. Nothing...nadda...Seems to be the same for the predators, they just can't see you past the light.

[Matty]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nitecore-HB02-Flashlight-Headlight-Headband-Strap-2nd-Generation-For-D11-EX11-/190597621618?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item2c6080e772

 

By the way, this is the strap I use to hold my head light.

 

Works really well. Can't remember if this is the seller I bought it from, but I did get it off ebay for a similar price.

 

Only thing you might want to do is tape over the reflective strips on the back of it. Just for safety. God forbid someone sees those two little reflectors and mistakes the back of your head for a predator.

 

The reason I know that is because I was hunting with a guy that walked up behind me after a sit...with his light on....and saw the reflectors and told me..."Holy Spit, your head looked like fox eyes at 70 yards!".....So definitely cover the reflectors if you use the strap..

[BowhunterNJ]

I literally have the same exact setup as Matty and use it the same exact way, except I'm using the XLR250s.  Even the headband is the same, except mine doesn't have reflectors!  Definitely tape over those bad boys or unsew them!  Matty and I must read the same predator hunting forums and websites

[Matty]

LOL Matt.....I actually didn't read much on predator forums, I like to learn on my own too much. lol...

 

Big Mike did a lot of research though and I did get a healthy amount of info from him. I think he probably taught me most of the stuff I know about using the lights and some of the calling. That and trial and error because we do have our differences in how we like to do things too. lol

 

 

Anyone going out tonight to ring in the New Year with shotgun blasts?   I MIGHT!!! Maybe....Probably not...but I have the last couple years after New Years Parties....Might continue the tradition.

[BowhunterNJ]

Haha I won't be out tonight, but will be out for deer tomorrow. Any time I see a coyote though (which has been never while deer hunting), I'll be shooting (as long as it's legal of course)!

[BowTechExperience]

I don't want the man rolling up on us while we're hunting and suddenly I get thrown in the slammer with Bubba because of BTE! :rofl:  

 

 

What is wrong with Bubba? He might turn out to be your best friend in a cold, dark 8x10

Edited December 31, 2013 by BowTechExperience

[Matty]

Good luck if anyone gets out tonight.

 

Thought I'd get out after Midnight, but that's not gonna happen. Hopefully tomorrow. Can't wait to see some glowing eyes.

[redsquirrel]

http://nighteyeslights.com/products/jb-icon-lemon-jb-icon-lemon-led-combo-kit

I just bought this set, and I am very impressed with the quality.  Can't wait to get out and use it.

[thefirstndsecond]

http://www.predatorhunteroutdoors.com/

 

Was thinking about getting these. Led replacement.

 

Any ever use them?

[BowhunterNJ]

They look a lot like the XLRs I use.  Probably everyone is using the same type of build now.  They should work well

[Matty]

Got out tonight for a few sits with my youngest brother. Wind was wrong for a lot of our best spots, so we tried some decent spots, but not my favorites.

 

Ended up seeing 6 foxes in range. 9 deer and 1 bear.

 

2 shots fired. 2 foxes missed. (not me) Closest fox was 25 yards, furthest was 35. I saw the shots and they looked like hits, but we looked all over and found nothing.

The other foxes were so fast in and out that no shots were even fired. I tried to get the gun on the one and it darted back into the thicket before I could even pull the trigger.

 

Everything was moving big time with the storm coming. Guess even the animals have to get their "bread and milk". lol

Bear came into the call. Had to scare it off, it wanted to eat my call.

[BowhunterNJ]

Wow, that's some action!  Nice!

Sucks about the misses!

 

What setup are you guys using?

Any decoy out to distract them or hold them there for a hot second?