Texas mixed bag

Tristate

Long Time Member
Messages
8,704
Howdy folks. Just got back from a great adventure and learning experience in the Texas panhandle.

I got asked to guide a couple of aoudad hunts and I was told I could kill some predators at the same time. That sounded awesome to me. I have always been a very accomplished predator caller but I was never worth a damn a trapping predators. Back in my late teens and early twenties I tried trapping and I was really bad at it. For some reason lately I have had the bug to pick it back up and see if I could become proficient at it. Maybe an old man's temperament would change my outcomes.

Well I bought a bunch of gear after talking to several friends. Honestly one of the best sources of trapping info I had was my buddy Wade Lemon. He knew quite a bit and shared it openly with me. I tried a little three day weekend trap line with six traps at my mom's before going and playing in the panhandle. I caught one coon, one opossum, and one skunk, with 2 dig outs.

My main target was coyotes and bobcats. I figured if I could catch one of these after a week of trying in the panhandle it would be a success. Honestly I thought it would be a lot easier than it was.

I arrived a day before the first hunter and set out a dozen traps and did a little scouting for aoudad. The next morning I woke up to 4 inches of snow. I am really unsure what effect this has on trapping but reflecting back I don't think it was good. However I do know that when the snow breaks it's an awesome time to predator call. That evening the snow stopped and the wind flattened out to almost nothing. The client hadn't arrived yet so I grabbed the shotgun my call and headed out to a good evening spot. The first stand Went just as predicted and within 5 minutes I had a very dead coyote.

Coyote1.jpg


I quickly hiked back to the truck and hauled butt to my next set. It was late but I wanted to get 3 sets in before dark.

At the next set the coyote came in fast and serious just about 10 degrees off my stink. By the time I got the shotgun on him and pulled the trigger he was only 3 yards away. I can still remember seeing the pupils in his eyes. When I got up and stepped over to look at him smoke was coming out of his head. :ROFLMAO:

coyote2.jpg


Things were going as planned and I had just a little daylight left. I wanted a hat trick but I also wanted to finish with a bobcat set. I jumped in the truck and flew towards a canyon road that I know some bobcats were using back in the deer season. I went and set up and started calling. After a little while a coyote appeared over a knob at 4 oclock just outside of the range of my shotgun. I know this was a bobcat set but I ain't letting a filthy coyote in and out of any set if I can help it. After a little looking he dropped off the knob and headed north. When he got about a 100 yards away I soft called and here he came on a string. He disappeared behind a brushy mesquite and I used that moment to raise my shotgun, and nothing. He didn't pop out. I knew I hadn't busted him and I knew if he moved in any direction I would see. So what the heck was going on. I sat on the ready for probably 2 minutes. Finally I decided to soft squeak and see if he would commit. Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement. It was a large tom bobcat at 10 o'clock. I switched targets and pulled the trigger and that was that.
bobcat.jpg


What a great evening of calling. When I got back to the bunkhouse the client had arrived and he was amazed at the size of the bobbers here.
bobcat2.jpg


The next morning the client wanted to try predator calling before we went after aoudad and I agreed. It was a good morning and we killed three coyotes real quick before heading out to find sheep.

Right off the bat we lucked out and the very first group we found was a band of 6 very good rams with 2 whoppers in them. I assessed the situation and realized there was no approach. I suggested we back out easy and come check them later to see if they had moved. Plus I had seen another big ram in my scouting we could go look for. We left them that day and while we found lots of other sheep no other mature rams were found that day.

The next day we went straight for the 6 rams. I picked them up quickly and they were in a great position for a stalk. I got gear and the client together and left a spotter on the hill. Off we went. We were about half way to our shooting spot when I peaked over a ledge to relocate the rams. They weren't feeding anymore and had gotten into a tight little group and were looking east. Something was wrong. After a couple of minutes they trotted over the hill and were gone. We never figured out what scared them and we never saw that band again. It was heart breaking.

We hunted the next morning and located a herd of ewes with two rams in it. we moved in for a shot but after examination I told the hunter these rams weren't old enough. He agreed and we hiked back out of the canyon. Back at the buggy the hunter told me his office was in meltdown and he needed to go home. He said he wanted to come back in September and try again. We shook hands and I got him back to a truck to get him to the airport. I also found out the next hunter cancelled right then. He had Covid now. That's when my luck stepped in. I was told I could go hunt aoudad now if I wanted. Soundes great to me. Running traps, calling predators and hunting sheep! This was going to be awesome.

SO far I had caught nothing in my traps. ZERO. That was about to change. all at once I had all kinds of action. First I caught a big ol' cotton rat.:ROFLMAO:. Who says a trap is to big or set to light.:ROFLMAO:
rattrap.jpg


to be continued.......
 
I kept checking my traps and looking for a nice aoudad ram. I made it over to one of my bobcat sets and low and behold there was a skunk in it. But there was something interesting. It looked like I had chased off a couple of coyotes that were going to try and eat the skunk in the trap. They had bit a couple of inches off the skunk's tail and bit him once. I quickly dispatched the skunk and half buried him with the tail sticking out and reset my trap. I knew these dogs would come back to finish the job.

I also found out a coon robbed one of my other bobcat sets. I am learning racoons are a major obstacle to deal with when trying to trap other predators.

The next day nothing came to the traps. Nothing. Not even the skunk set. I went to a high look out and located a small family band of sheep about 1.5 miles away. I decided to get a closer look hoping a ram would either be in the group or near by. About half way to them I noticed movement in some mesquite to my north. I quickly realized it was an aoudad. I started shadowing it while trying to work my way above it. Once in awhile I would catch glimpses of the sheep. Soon I realized it was a ram. A little farther west and I realized it was a GOOOOOD ram. The first opening I had for a shot was about 400 yards. The wind was blowing 20-30. That's just not a shot I'm willing to try. I kept shadowing him as he moved towards some cliffs but I was slowly working my way closer. Anytime he looked my direction he had to look directly in the sun. He finally made it to the cliffs and I was finally in a good range to take a quick shot. I heard the bullet hit and saw him lunge forward off the cliffs. Everything felt good. I hurried towards the rim to see if I needed to hit him before he made it to the bottom. Quickly I located him. No second shot was required. He was stone dead on a rock ledge below.
doodad.jpg


I'm sure glad he stopped there. A couple of more feet and this recovery would have taken a couple more hours. ;)

doodad2.jpg


Got him cut up and back to the buggy. He was an ancient old ram. Probably the heaviest ram I have ever had my hands on. Great chaps and a face full of scars.
doodad3.jpg


After all that I was tired. I decided to go home a day early. I determined I would pull all my traps the next morning and hit the highway.

I woke up early and loaded all my gear and headed towards the trapline. About halfway through the line I checked one of my coyote sets. BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM! My first trapped coyote, and a great one.

coyotetrap.jpg


I didn't catch anything else but I sure am learning a lot and I feel this was one of the best weeks of hunting I have ever had. Just wish some kids would have been able to enjoy it to.

Good luck everybody and hunt year round.(y)
 
Nice outing !
That bobcat looks pretty dang nice for a Texas cat, lol.
Beautiful ram as well, I bet the mount will be beautiful too.

sent you a pm Tri.
 
Used to run a line for coon, Fox,muskrats and beaver lots of fun never tried coyotes or bobcats.
Caught lots of skunk and a few junk rats hated that.
Cool story thanks for sharing
 
Great story ! I trapped a lot in my teens. Coyotes are tough
but keep at it . That's the fun is figuring it out.
 
The way you can call those things in maybe you don't need to trap.? Great write up and congrats! Nice looking animals.
 
It's pretty hard to hide age in human faces. (Mine is a great example). Apparently Aoudad are in the same sad boat. That old goat appears to have some years under his belt and a face to prove it!
Congratulations Tri. It's awesome you have some fun activities to while away the winter months.
Well done.
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom