Predator Hunting With Brandon Watt
If you’re reading this right now, you enjoy hunting – whether it’s big game like white tail, elk or maybe you enjoy getting after the spring turkeys, ducks or quail. While growing up outdoors, you begin to realize that there’s a pecking order in the natural food chain and as hunters, we’re part of it. Predator hunting is a different ballgame. Bucks are predictable, but with predators you have to learn to expect the unexpected.
Arkansas native and Vycah Field Staffer Brandon Watt talks about doing his part to help maintain that delicate balance.
The Problem
Game animals are still plentiful in most areas, but here in my area there’s been a steady decline of turkey and almost no quail left in the wild. The culprit? Coyotes and Bobcats. They have a huge impact on these species as well as deer and livestock. With fewer people hunting or trapping these predators, their populations have grown out of control and it knocks everything out of whack. Farmers and ranchers can lose a lot of money and there’s less affordable food on the table for everyone. Here in Southeast Arkansas and for much of the US, the only predator to keep that balance is a hunter.
The Solution
As hunters, we’re always looking for that next thrill or challenging hunt and predator hunting is just that. When a predator becomes prey, it's a whole new level of excitement and a whole new set of challenges. It’s a great way to stay dialed-in during the off season and you’re doing your part in preserving those game animals and their offspring. Coyote hunting is plentiful and will keep you busy – very busy. Government studies found you would have to kill at least 70 percent of the coyotes in an area in a year in order to see reduction in overall coyote numbers the following year.
Tipping the Scale In Your Favor
While hunting predators, there’s a lot of ground you have to cover. For hunting Coyotes, a lot of my stands are either in pine thickets with shotguns or on field edges in the winter. The main strategy when hunting predators is playing the wind and not being seen. You’re not going to beat a coyote’s sense of smell and sight. Do it right and you’re going to have a lot of fun. I can personally attest to having coyotes within 20 yards who never saw me coming.
I like to use digital game calls with variety. Coyotes and foxes tend to charge the call, so I keep my Foxpro remote in the D Loop of my Zenyx Pants so it’s always close by. Felines are slower in response and distractable, so you’d generally call more consistently to hold their attention — taking only short breaks if using a hand call or leaving the digital caller going throughout the duration of the stand.
Brandon's Favorites
The Zenyx pants with the Pyrex base layer is what I wear most of the time when hunting. The D loop on the pants is perfect for snapping my Foxpro remote and the large thigh pockets are great for holding my hand calls, flashlights, batteries or extra gear such as face masks and gloves. The Vyce Hoodie with a Pyrex baselayer is my go-to for those colder days. The added hood and built in facemask keeps me from needing additional gear and carrying more weight when moving from stand to stand.
