Good Day for Badger

[Slydog]

The saga continues, Since I was told that the 17HMR was no good for coyotes and cat and badger, this is the tally.

Coyotes: 19 with 22 shots fired
Bobcats: 0 with no shots fired
Badger : 11 with 12 shots fired

Now mind you 1 of the coyotes was shot at 80 yards and I had to track him over 400 yards. Since then I've limmited my shots to 60 and under and have had no runners. All the badger have pancaked except 1 that I shot a seccond time as the 1st shot did'nt drop him. Later on inspection the 1st shot was a fatal shot, better safe than sorry.

Today was the best day yet for badger. 2 came to the call and 2 were spotted and stalked. All 4 were killed with 1 shot each from the little 17HMR. One of the badgers was shot at 13 yards comming to the decoy of all things. All the badger have been shot at under 40 yards.
I made 7 sets today. The first was a dud, so I moved about 3/4 of a mile and made the seccond set, the 1st badger came up out of a hole some 70 yards to my left and never broke stride till I barked and shot him. I then started calling again the 2nd was at the decoy when I saw him, still don't know where he came from, he was 13 yards when I shot him in the back of the head. The next two sets were a wast of time. The 5th set was fast with 2 coyotes comming in at a run. when I shot the 1st one and he went down the other ran into a ravine and the next time I saw him he was 200 yards and going hard. Sure wish my 20 was back up and running. My 6th set was uneventfull. the 7th set had a yote come in to about 120 yards and wind me. As I was driving out of the property a big boar badger ran across the road and into a hole. So I waited, and waited. Soon I could see his nose, then his body. Bang and he was dead, at the report I caught movement to my right. It was the 4th badger of the day. All with the 17HMR. SHOT PLACEMENT IS the key to swift kills and if you are going to shoot this caliber at yotes, remember don't force a bad shot or a shot over 60 yards and you will have no problem killing yotes and cats. As always remember to respect the animal you hunt. Its better not to take a bad shot and let the critter win that one and walk away. Then come back another day for him.
Right all the things down in a log, call used > location > decoy used > Time of day, all of this stuff will help you remember so you can change things around a little the next time you go after that yote.


Be safe and Good hunting

Dic

 

[ELKCHSR]

Great story!!!Thanks!!!

 

[FEW]

Damn dude I have never even seen one badger let alone 4 in one day. Good Job!

 

[MULE]

Dic,

Cool Story!!

Keep up the good work!

 

[Doug]

Holy Cow Dic! We need to get you hooked up with a digital camera. Shooting one badger is a great accomplishment. I've never before heard of anyone shooting 4 badgers in one day. Great story!

Doug

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Good story! The most badgers I've ever seen in one day was two. Hopefully, it won't be too long before someone else starts making some 17 HMR ammo with different bullets that may hold together better than the V-Max.

 

[Carnivore]

I'd only seen a couple of badgers in the wild before I moved to Idaho. Those suckers are really thick around here. See them all the time. Plenty of whistle pigs to support them.

 

[Slydog]

The saga part II

Yesterday started off like most days, up at 4:30 am, make the dogs and put the coffee out. Well most days for me anyhow. By the time I was ready to load things in the truck it was raining. I so dislike the rain eventhough we need it so desperitly, hunting in it in this country, stinks, to say the least. With this in mind, remember the day before? 4 badger and 1 coyote, I was hopeing to back that day up with another just like it,but you know how Murphy's law works. With all the rain we've been getting and no cold weather, getting my f-350 in and out of my hunting grounds has been hell on my truck, so I have been using my ATV.( this will bring on the hate mail ) As I unloaded the 660 yamaha from the back of my truck, John, the rancher that lets me hunt stoped to tell me he had cows out and saw a coyote feeding on a cow carcass. Well this means that I will have to replan the days hunt. This is where things turned and went south, in a hurry.

On my first set, my old jonny stewert e-caller ate the tape(my favorite) and it started to sleet. I managed to save the tape and get that working (KINDA)but was setup in the open and the sleet was to much for me.
Regroup.

On my seccond set, I found a canyon that was out of the wind and looked good. So here we go again, this time I only took the hand calls. Got set up and started calling, 7 min. into the set, out of nowhere a single coyote busted me and I still don't know how he did it. He did'nt wind me, I know he did'nt see me (head to toe Gillie) and once I start calling I only turn my head slowly from side to side untill I have to move the gun to shoot. On the way back to the ATV it rained hard and I got very wet.

I had a hot cup of coffee and moved to another location to make another set. This set was uneventful so I through in the towel. It was time to go home and dry out and save the gas. Just one of the many,High's and low's of huntin the hunters.
And the saga continues.

Anyone who loves the small cal stuff, 17,19,20 and 22 caliber should be reading the Small Caliber news. ton's of real good information and all about small cal stuff.
Todd Kindler is the voice of the small cal. news and Will not stear you wrong.
Check them out on the web at www.smallcaliber.com you'll be glad you did

till next time
Keep your powder dry and good huntin
Dic

 

[ELKCHSR]

Great ending, even if you were wet, makes one ponder how animals some times know, no matter what or how you prepare!!

 

[Slydog]

Part III

Well after writing part II this morning my son called and said what are you doing. I don't know about you but them words are a call to action in my neck of the woods.
I said; I'm grabbing my things and meeting you at the ranch in 20 minits. I grabed a Mt.dew and a berger at a fast food joint, filled my 4 wheeler and was there waiting as Aaron pulled in.
We unloaded the ATV's and loaded up our things, it was 1:20pm. We were about 1 mile from the trucks when I spotted a large badger digging a hole. when he heard the atv's he went down in the hole. I slid off the atv and grabed my rifle, put the legs down on the bipod and waited. It was 10 min or so when I saw the badgers head comming up slowly. When his head cleared the dirt mound I squezed the trigger and #12 was in the bag.
My son gave me the high five and we loaded up our prize. It was my sons first time hunting on this property so I gave him a parcial tour of the 15,000 acres that we would be hunting. we saw 2 more badgers but never got a shot at them. We made our way around the property to get the wind in our favor and started to look for a suitable site to hunt. As we rode down into a vally I spotted a location that looked real good. After we parked the atv's we worked our way to the spot and set up. My third secquence was the right one cause we saw the yote at the same time. Aaron said: shoot him if you can I can't get turned around and he's gonna wind us. I blew a funky sound from my Wayne Carlton bear call to stop him and when he stoped I killed him. I told Aaron to stay put and I would call some more and see if he was alone. He was alone. Aaron said don't that make 20 yotes for you with that rat gun, For some reason I been hearing that alot lately, and yes it does. 32 animals 36 shots. I do miss the ability to take the longer shots, but so far I have only had 3 hang up on me with no shot possible. I love huntin new ground. I'm takeing tomarrow off and spending some time with the little woman. (weather man says rain all day but partly sunny on sat.) Can hardly wait till saturday.

Till next time good hunting

Dic

 

[ELKCHSR]

I think you have way to much fun Dic!!!

My first and only badger happened two years ago, I was driving my wifes car, the thing ran out in the road in the Big Hole valley. I was doing about 80 when I first saw it, I swearved to the left, it changed directions, I swearved to the right, it changed directions, by this time I was baralling down on it, I got to the left one more time and it just had enough time to get its head under the wheel of the car...I still have it's hide in the freeze...I will be making a hat out of it sooner or later..

 

[Muledeer4me]

Great read!!!!
You are serious about this stuff.
The ATVs are super in the mud and yuck ,we often will park the truck and ride our's.

Last year I tryed stalking a badger when I was bow hunting LOL needless to say the bager won/no shots fired.

We got to play with one comming up out of his hole one year,it right in the middle of a road,we rode the ATVs right by it,that was fun,but as Steve called him I wasnt fast enough on the rifle ,and he spotted me never ,after two times peeking out he had enough of me Steve couldn't get him back out.
I should of let Steve shoot him

but I hadnt got one yet so he let me try ,and I messed up

 

[Slydog]

Hey there MD4ME,

Were you at the big buck banquet with Mike Eastman, put on by the Deer Hunters of Idaho on the 20th out by the airport???

Just Dic

 

[Muledeer4me]

Dic, no we missed that one.
I have been to two others that Mike Eastman has done in Boise.
Both were real good .
We will be at the DHI banquet,cant miss that .

 

[Kraven]

Sounds like you are having one heck of a good year.

 

[pipedreams]

great tally! i'm jealous. i may have to go 'yote hunting this weekend...

 

[Slydog]

I may have to miss that DHI banquet, have been invited to go to BC on a wolf hunt and I will not miss a chance to hunt the biggest dog on the contenant. Have only been wolf huntin 1 other time in the yukon in 98 and 1 wolf was all that was killed on that trip and I did that on a blown knee. Two nights sitting over a caribu carcass under a full moon to get a shot and the guide would not let me go after it till daylight, did'nt sleep much that night. Was the happiest man on the planet when we found him. He was a 100LB male and I took him through the front sholder with my Rem.700vsf .223 shooting 70 grain speer bullets and he only went 21 yards then piled up.
Wolves are hard to hunt, much harder to hunt than any damned ol'coyote. That don't mean that I don't love to hunt them damn dogs but huntin them wolves is a whole diffrent ball game.
I think that the DHI banquet is on the 15th and we will be in BC the 14-19th. I've already packed two times and I only got the call today. Will be taking 2 guns for the hunt, 1st the tactical 20 and 2nd the 20t-n-t. I'm so jacked....

just Dic

 

[Muledeer4me]

Dic, if I had the chance to go hunt wolf over any banquet it wouldnt take me a but a second to dump
the banquet LOL sounds like a great time.
Hope you bring us back some pictures.

 

[Elkhunter]

That is great Dic. Have a great time and as MD said, get lots of pics for us. Saw a wolf rug today and they are outstanding. I would love to get a wolf one of these days.

 

[Slydog]

I know everyone is waiting for pic's and I hav lots and lots and I'm working on it. I'm truthin ya. Should have things up and runnin this week. Remember I'm still learning this pc thing and its all greek to me. Put me in the desert with a gun, I know what to do. Put me behind a pc and I long to be in the desert with a gun...LOL...The feel of real steal and the clash of brass with the faint smell of burnt powder and a smote yote, make me happy in my own little world.

Safe and happy trails everyone
Dic