Varmint hunting was a popular sport in Arizona when I lived there in the 1960s.There were clubs in many of the communities, that had contests to see who could kill the most coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions. Once a year there was a gathering of these clubs with a barbecue and contests including shooting matches and varmint calling. There were displays of the latest hardware used to hunt the critters, such as hand made calls that could sound like a wounded rabbit
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VARMINT HUNTING IN ARIZONA
- Thread starter Cupajo
- Start date
I do not call the varmints [coyotes and cougars]. But we have our share of the,. I dropped a cougar last year.... it was stalking my grandson and when I did hit him, he was 30 feet away from me and coming forward. Coyotes are another pest..... but the 25-06 has a long reach too and lately, they seem to have kept clear of us.
Calm seas
Mikie
Calm seas
Mikie
Hey Mikie,
The 25-06 was my second choice; it wasn't generally available in the sixties except as a wild-cat cartridge. .220 Swift, .222 Remington and .243 Winchester were the "big guns for varmint hunting in those days. A couple of the Weather by magnums too, but I didn't know too many people that could afford one. Re-loading my own ammo added another element to "the game"! I have reloaders that haven't been used in over 10-12 years.
I was just thinking, that Schultz and Larson wasn't cheap!! It was the finest gun I ever owned. I got rid of it because every time I got a tiny scratch on it I wanted to cry!! I bought a model 600 Remington carbine in .243 Winchester and couldn't be happier. It was light enough that I could schlep it around all day and not feel it and a few dings didn't matter. I brought home more meat with that gun than any other I own.
Cupajo
The 25-06 was my second choice; it wasn't generally available in the sixties except as a wild-cat cartridge. .220 Swift, .222 Remington and .243 Winchester were the "big guns for varmint hunting in those days. A couple of the Weather by magnums too, but I didn't know too many people that could afford one. Re-loading my own ammo added another element to "the game"! I have reloaders that haven't been used in over 10-12 years.
I was just thinking, that Schultz and Larson wasn't cheap!! It was the finest gun I ever owned. I got rid of it because every time I got a tiny scratch on it I wanted to cry!! I bought a model 600 Remington carbine in .243 Winchester and couldn't be happier. It was light enough that I could schlep it around all day and not feel it and a few dings didn't matter. I brought home more meat with that gun than any other I own.
Cupajo
calls a lot of turkey and I always thought the thrill would be to fool them. Now the turkey I could shoot because I like to eat but I am not much interested in killing something I can not eat. I can understand someone killing a coyote or something like that if it is causing problems but I would just prefer watching them.
When I grew up in the 40's and 50's we NEVER saw a coyote and rarely a hawk. Never a buzzard or many of the birds we see not days. I find it fun to be able to see them. In those days there just were not any.. The only place I ever saw a swan as a kid was at the Detroit Zoo. Now they are everywhere.
Calling a critter in and getting a good photo of it would satisfy me much more than killing it but that is just me
When I grew up in the 40's and 50's we NEVER saw a coyote and rarely a hawk. Never a buzzard or many of the birds we see not days. I find it fun to be able to see them. In those days there just were not any.. The only place I ever saw a swan as a kid was at the Detroit Zoo. Now they are everywhere.
Calling a critter in and getting a good photo of it would satisfy me much more than killing it but that is just me
Some hunters are also into photography and will pass up a shot for a good picture. As a member of a calling club I had a chance to meet all sorts of people involved in the sport. My last year there our club president was voted the 2nd place champion of the world and another member was voted the world champ at the yearly gathering at Chandler. There was buffalo barbecue and other goods eats, competition etc as mentioned before.
There were always stories about the hunt. The one that stood out in my memory was told to me by the guy that was the central character in the adventure. Three hunting buddies took a long Jeep ride into an area with lots of dry washes, where there was reportedly a large coyote population. The "dogs" were making a dent in the local sheep herds and there was a pretty fair bounty to be earned for each set of ears.
The hunters studied the lay of the land and decided that each would slip into a dry wash so that he could see the area around each of the others and that way they would be able to focus on their front, and stay out of sight aware, that at least one of the other two was watching his back. One did the calling so as not to confuse the "coy-dogs" with mixed signals.
The fellow with the call started wailing his rabbit squalling music and in the failing day light, each hunter was watching for any sound or sign of movement. the fellow doing the calling, told me that he sensed or felt a movement behind him and ever so slowly turned his head to see if there was reason for alarm. The second his ear was turned to where the back of his head had been, he felt something warm and wet touch his ear and jerked around just in time to see a coyote jump about six feet straight up and fifteen feet horizontally away from him. That hairy sucker had licked his ear!!! He was laughing so hard he was crying at the memory! He admitted that at the time he couldn't tell who was the most surprised, he or the coyote!
Most of the predators in the desert environment have responded to a call. Even owls, hawks, and eagles have come in for a look. It is not unusual to call in wild hogs or Javelina too (one hunter I heard about got attacked and hurt by a herd of Javelina and barely escaped with his life!) Once in a while a hunter will be surprised by a domestic animal that is attracted by the racket.
Cupajo
There were always stories about the hunt. The one that stood out in my memory was told to me by the guy that was the central character in the adventure. Three hunting buddies took a long Jeep ride into an area with lots of dry washes, where there was reportedly a large coyote population. The "dogs" were making a dent in the local sheep herds and there was a pretty fair bounty to be earned for each set of ears.
The hunters studied the lay of the land and decided that each would slip into a dry wash so that he could see the area around each of the others and that way they would be able to focus on their front, and stay out of sight aware, that at least one of the other two was watching his back. One did the calling so as not to confuse the "coy-dogs" with mixed signals.
The fellow with the call started wailing his rabbit squalling music and in the failing day light, each hunter was watching for any sound or sign of movement. the fellow doing the calling, told me that he sensed or felt a movement behind him and ever so slowly turned his head to see if there was reason for alarm. The second his ear was turned to where the back of his head had been, he felt something warm and wet touch his ear and jerked around just in time to see a coyote jump about six feet straight up and fifteen feet horizontally away from him. That hairy sucker had licked his ear!!! He was laughing so hard he was crying at the memory! He admitted that at the time he couldn't tell who was the most surprised, he or the coyote!
Most of the predators in the desert environment have responded to a call. Even owls, hawks, and eagles have come in for a look. It is not unusual to call in wild hogs or Javelina too (one hunter I heard about got attacked and hurt by a herd of Javelina and barely escaped with his life!) Once in a while a hunter will be surprised by a domestic animal that is attracted by the racket.
Cupajo
Hey Mikie,
Javelina are hogs that live in the desert and other mostly dry regions of the south/southwest. They can be vicious little buggers, usually averaging no more than 40lbs in size. They travel in their habitat in herds of up to 15 or more included little ones and get very nasty when threatened. They have vicious tusks up to perhaps three inches long and will attack any thing that is a threat.They eat a lot of cactus plants including roots. They are known as the desert gohsts for their habit of moving quietly through the brush. Someday I'll write about the wild boars of south Texas. Good stuff!!
Cupajo
Javelina are hogs that live in the desert and other mostly dry regions of the south/southwest. They can be vicious little buggers, usually averaging no more than 40lbs in size. They travel in their habitat in herds of up to 15 or more included little ones and get very nasty when threatened. They have vicious tusks up to perhaps three inches long and will attack any thing that is a threat.They eat a lot of cactus plants including roots. They are known as the desert gohsts for their habit of moving quietly through the brush. Someday I'll write about the wild boars of south Texas. Good stuff!!
Cupajo
Hey Sunny,
During the time I was living these experiences, they didn't seem to be anything extraordinary. It was just another day of living life as I knew how to live it. Looking back, I have few regrets, although I would have done many things differently if I had known then what I know now. That's all part of the grand scheme of things and completely as it should be. Only in reviewing our lives can we recognize that we have had adventures that are worthy of sharing with others and be proud of.
THE VERY BEST TO YOU AND YOUR'S,
Cupajo
During the time I was living these experiences, they didn't seem to be anything extraordinary. It was just another day of living life as I knew how to live it. Looking back, I have few regrets, although I would have done many things differently if I had known then what I know now. That's all part of the grand scheme of things and completely as it should be. Only in reviewing our lives can we recognize that we have had adventures that are worthy of sharing with others and be proud of.
THE VERY BEST TO YOU AND YOUR'S,
Cupajo