Sunday, June 19, 2011

Off-season Scouting

The off-season: when I daydream about past hunts and predators in my crosshairs while trying to pass the time with that silly work-thing, eagerly awaiting the start of the new predator season!

But the off-season shouldn't just be a time for daydreams and wishful thinking. As I've written in the past, it's a great time to sharpen your shooting skills, check your gear, and investigate new areas. And while you're investigating new areas, here's what you should be looking for:

-Animal Sign: both predators and prey. You should be checking for fresh tracks, fresh scat, and investigating what's in the scat to see what's been on the menu lately. And is there a prey base to even attract predators? Set up game cams to get great pictures of animals as well as to see who's been hanging out in the area.

-Access: now's the time to break out the 4wd, quads, and hiking sticks to not only enjoy the summer weather, but also to find those little-known and hard-to-reach roads and trails into prime hunting country. Use forest service maps, local knowledge, and internet satellite images to find those secret entrances to great new locations.

-Private Land: warm summer months bring lots of work on ranches and farms, so it'll be easier to track down the landowner or head honcho and discuss your opportunity to help him thin his predator population. If he's slammed with work, see what you can do to help out - a little goodwill goes a long way.

-People Sign: is this an area that is heavily used by other people? Determine what kind of recreation they are doing in the area and whether or not it is seasonal. This will give you some knowledge of the kind of pressure this area may receive during hunting seasons. If you have the chance to talk to the people utilizing the area, they may also be able to give you information on predator movement and location.

-Public Announcements: I call this "no duh" scouting. A few years ago a friend and I were planning to hunt around the area near a small mountain town. We went to the local gas station for our champion's breakfast of Snickers bars and Mountain Dew, where we spotted a local announcements billboard. One side was pasted with 'Lost Pet' and 'Please Find Fluffy' flyers, and the other side had one single paper. It read something like this "Caution: coyote populations in the area are growing and these animals are growing more bold. Keep a close eye on small children and pets." Well "no duh" we knew we had hit the jackpot. A short conversation with a few locals and we headed off. Before lunch we had called in and killed 4 coyotes and 2 gray foxes.

The other day I was at a community center set in the hills at the edge of town and I ran across this little gem:



The location it mentions is inside of the city limits, but not by much. I checked out a few stand locations within legal hunting and trapping requirements and they look pretty darn good - even ran across some scat. So come November when the bobcat fur is worth some good money, you can bet I'll be visiting this area with calls or with traps - where there's one bobcat, there's more.

My main point to this post is this: the off-season can be a great time for fishing, relaxing, hanging out with the family, enjoying the sunshine, and just generally having a good ol' time. But while you're out and about enjoying the beautiful summer months, don't forget to keep your eyes open for good predator locations. You just never know where you'll find your next 'honey hole'!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

More Skulls!

"What do you keep in those plastic containers?" It's a question I get asked every time someone goes into my garage. Or sometimes it's "What's that smell?" Either way, the answer is "Flesh-eating beetles." Now this gets a good number of odd looks and sideways glances, but no one can resist the temptation to look a little closer. This usually leads to a full explanation of why I have them, what they are, and what they can do. A quick walk inside the house to the 'animal room' and it becomes clear to everyone just how incredible these little dermestid beetles are, and what an interesting process these animal heads go through to become a bright white skull.

Back in 2009 I wrote a blog entry about my skull work, but since it's been awhile I thought we'd revisit the topic. Most of the skulls that I clean throughout the year are for other hunters, some of them from the other side of the country. I have cleaned Oregon bears, Maryland beavers, Colorado foxes, Georgia coyotes, and Minnesota bobcats. And of course I have cleaned up quite a few animals from right here in beautiful Arizona!

Below you'll find a few pictures of some of the more recent skulls that I have cleaned up, and if you go all the way to bottom and click on the picture of the dermestid beetles, you can visit a picture album with even more bright white skulls! I've even started painting a few, just to see what how they come out and what people have to say about them.


Montana beaver


Arizona javelina


Arizona gray foxes - one of them with a little 'camo' paint


Another Arizona gray fox with experiments in paint


One of the most beautiful Arizona mule deer I've done yet


Dermestid beetles - adult and larvae
Click on them for more skull pictures!