When I was in high school and college, I thought the only real learning occurred in a classroom.
It was probably years after graduating from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a coveted BA in liberal arts (English/creative writing) that I realized most learning doesn’t involve school buildings, classrooms or teachers.
I think I learn something new every day. But if I want to make sure of it, I pick up a book or magazine and read. Reading seems to becoming a lost art, as many abandon newspapers (thank God you readers are smarter than that), magazines and books. I am a voracious collector (my wife calls me hoarder) of books, and occasionally I even take time to read them.
My favorites are almost entirely nonfiction, especially true crime, biographies, World War II (my dad served in Okinawa as an Army infantryman and 90mm anti-aircraft gunner) and, of course, anything to do with hunting and firearms. The high-adventure outdoors books (think Jim Corbett, Ben East and my all-time favorite author, professional hunter Peter Hathaway Capstick) really grab me by the throat like a Bengal tiger and won’t let go till the last page.
As sub-zero temperatures and mountains of snow engulf our outdoor world, most of us retreat to the warm, cozy confines of a living room, den or man cave, and curl up with a bag of chips and a beverage. Hopefully your veg (rhymes with hedge) adventure includes a good book or magazine. It’s time to read about warmer days and how to improve our hunting, fishing, trapping and other bushcraft skills.
My good friend Tom Walters of Bettendorf, Iowa, a former president of the Iowa Trappers Association and owner of American Bat Management, a nuisance wildlife trapping business, regularly gifts me with an amazing variety of outdoor-related books. I, of course, return the favor. We have two types of books: Those we gift, and those we loan. If I find something special at Half Price Books in Appleton, my favorite bookstore, I often buy two copies and keep one for myself. If they only have one copy, that’s a loaner.
I was sitting in the La-Z-Boy under a fuzzy blanket one day and spotted a 1977 Varmint Hunter’s Digest within reach. Since coyote hunting is one of my favorite sports, I picked it up and started leafing through the yellowed pages. Most of the book was written by Jim Dougherty, a legendary bow hunter who used to work (and hunt) for Ben Pearson Archery. As I read the author notes, I learned Dougherty was also a champion predator caller.
A photo of a wolverine caught my eye. As a youngster, I had a hard-cover animal book that included a photo of a wolverine and a description that this fiery Arctic creature had no fear of bears and could chew through foot-thick cabin walls! I was both terrified and fascinated by this low-slung, weasel-like monster! My older brother even nicknamed me “Sneak-A Wolverine!” I guess I was years ahead of the Marvel comics creations.
The article told of a bear hunter who shot a wolverine with his .338 rifle! Obviously few hunters have had a chance to bag such an elusive animal. I’ve seen a few wolverine pelts for sale over the years (including at War Bonnet Native American Gifts in Shawano), and I know I will have one on the wall someday, even though I didn’t shoot it. Folklore has it that a wolverine fur collar will never freeze up, no matter how cold it gets.
Another story told of an unusual way to hunt foxes, which certainly could be adapted to coyotes. He painted a wooden toboggan white and used it to tow his dead foxes (I’ve never had the need), as well as lying on it and pushing with his hands to sneak up on them. It sounded a bit far-fetched, but he was hunting in the open farm fields of Iowa. He used the curled front of the toboggan as a rifle rest, and pushed the snow with his arms as he approached sleeping foxes. I thought I’d read every possible way to hunt wild canines, but here was a 1977 book with a new trick.
Coyote and fox hunting have become easier since the days of the Burnham Brothers records and cassettes. (Yes, the early hunters carried record players into the field!) Electronic callers with dozens or even hundreds of digital chip recordings are sold at most major sporting goods stores. Downloads of other sounds are available, too. And the old reliable mouth calls are nice to slip in a pocket in case the electronic caller batteries die or you’ve been deer hunting without success and want to see if a coyote is stalking nearby.
Although a centerfire rifle is a great choice (a scoped AR-15 in .223 or 5.56 is excellent), a rimfire rifle will normally cause less fur damage. My favorite is still the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, but the .17 HMR is nice, too. If you hunt with a friend in a wooded area, he can carry a shotgun for the close-range shots so you have all distances covered.
You are typically imitating the sound of a dying rabbit, so expect to attract crows, hawks, owls, feral cats and any other nearby predators. It’s exciting to become the prey. Keep a camera handy for the critters you can’t shoot. A decoy is a good idea to draw attention away from you.
I set a stuffed rabbit in the snow, but a great decoy can be made with a metal stick (an old arrow works), a thread and a turkey feather. The feather will blow in the breeze, catching the eye of the stalking killer that approaches!
Coyotes and foxes typically circle to catch the scent of whatever is killing that fake rabbit, so if you sit back-to-back with your buddy, you can watch in all directions.
Wear white coveralls or snow camo and avoid moving when a canine predator approaches.
Red and gray fox season is open Oct. 14 through Feb. 15, while coyote hunting is open all year long. There are no bag limits. Furs are most valuable in the winter months.
Get out there and give it a try! And if you don’t like the cold, stay inside and read about it.
Ross Bielema is a freelance writer from New London and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Contact him at Ross@wolfriverccw.com.
Fight winter blues with adventure books and predator hunting
