Spring Cleaning - Larry Weishuhn

“It’s starting to green up here on the ranch. Got time to help do a bit of spring cleanup?

Whitetail does will be dropping fawn starting late May and into June. Turkey poults will be

hatching about the same time. Mule deer, up here, will be having fawns in late June. Want to

remove some hogs, but especially coyotes. And, I wouldn’t mind taking out some ‘coons as

well. With all we’re doing on the ranch to improve habitat we’ve got room for a few more deer,

both whitetail and mule deer. Taking out some predators should help not only our fawn

survival, but also our growing turkey population.” Said Craig Archer during a recent phone

conversation.

Craig, beyond being a dear friend and an occasional hunting partner manages several ranches

throughout Texas and adjoining states. Recently he has started using thermal drones to conduct

game surveys. I help, where I can, making wildlife management suggestions based on my many

years of working as wildlife management consultant throughout the country to improve wildlife

habitat and maintain healthy game and non-game populations.

I knew Craig had done a great job on improving that particular ranch’s range conditions and

was continually implementing additional ways to improve the habitat for bobwhite quail,

mourning doves, Rio Grande wild turkey; whitetail and mule deer, but also the many other

smaller wild species that lived in the area near Rotan, in the lower Texas Panhandle.

Cattle played an integral role in his ongoing wildlife management program, which I greatly

appreciated. As a biologist, who has long helped establish and maintain quality wildlife

management programs, one of the statements I did not like hearing from new landowners was

and is, “There’ll never be another cow on my property!”

Proper seasonal or rotational grazing by cattle can actually greatly improve wildlife habitat

where there is much grass, while also creating hoof-action which encourages rainfall to

percolate into the soil, thereby stimulating “fresh” grass as well as “forb” growth.

I told Craig I would honored to help him. He continued, “I know you like shooting those Taurus

revolvers, but I’d suggest bringing a couple of rifles as well, maybe one for close range and

another for shooting longer ranges if we can’t get close to hogs or see a coyote a long way off.”

“Be there by noon on Monday and will have to depart Friday afternoon. I’ll also bringing my

Burnham Brothers’ FREQ electronic game call, a couple of their C3 mouth blown calls, my .44

Mag and .454 Casull Taurus revolvers, a Rossi M95 .30-30 Win lever action, my custom Avient

Rapid Heat Releasing Barrel Technology 7mm PRC bolt-action rifle, and a supply of appropriate

Hornady ammunition.”

Four days later Craig and I were set up for our first calling session. No sooner had I turned on

the FREQ call than two coyotes charged out of a shin oak thicket, running across the food plot

we sat next to. Whispered Craig, “Take the one on the right and I’ll shoot the one on left.” I

tracked the nicely haired pair with my Stealth Vision 3-18x44 SVT scope. When both stopped

50-yards away, only a few paces apart, I dropped the male. Less than a heart beat later Craig

dropped the female. We continued calling but nothing else responded.

As we were picking up the coyotes I told Craig, “I stood outside last night about mid-night, just

as the moon was coming up. There were coyotes howling in every direction, close, far and

nearly out of hearing. No doubt the ranch needs some coyotes, but not as many as I heard last

night.” Craig nodded, then suggested we drive a mile and do another set up.

Our next stand, a coyote charged in so fast neither Craig nor I got a shot. I switched the FREQ

from a distressed jackrabbit to a bird in distress. Moments later either the same or another

coyote appeared to our right, about fifty steps away. This time I was ready, my .454 Casull

Raging Hunter rested on sticks pointed exactly where the old male appeared. I cocked the

hammer, centered the crosshairs on his broadside vitals and pulled the trigger. The coyote fell

so quickly I almost did not see him fall.

We made a quick trip back to the ranch headquarters. Strong winds and much cooler

temperatures arrived. I wanted another layer of clothing to keep warm as did Craig. While at

the headquarters I grabbed my Rossi R95 .30-30 and a handful of Hornady shells in hopes we

might be able to find a hog.

In route to another part of the ranch we spotted a small sounder of hogs. Using the wind to my

advantage I was able to stalk to within seventy-five yards. I set up my shooting sticks and

dropped the hog closest to me.

The wind was now blowing 30+ mph hour, too stout to call.

Two days later, after four more hogs and one coyote, the wind subsided. We returned to calling

with excellent success! By week’s end we had taken five more coyotes and seven wild hogs.

Craig’s spring cleaning had been a success!