Varmint hunting in MN

[mnmike59]

I see them around where I live all the time. In fact there was a road kill last month. Theres A bunch of farm land where I live and I would think you could call them out to the middle of the field. ????
Years ago I went Coyote hunting with a huge group of guy's. We posted and ran lines through woods to push them out in the open, Nothing like 20 - 30 guys with rifles surrounding a yote.

[EJSG19]

Thanks REM, great link, great information!

Another forum member also stated that hunting crows might be tons of fun, and I notice that a second season opens in July. Anyone have any input on that?

A few years ago, as I was plotting my revenge on the birds who did continuous body work on my truck, I did most of my initial crow homework at this website. They do have a hint of neanderthal sometimes, but its gives a person a good idea of the basics of crow hunting.

http://www.crowbusters.com/index.htm

Fun part is when you get swarmed by a few hundred birds in an afternoon. Sometimes a few dead birds attracts many, many more. The only part the isn't much fun is picking them all up.

ETA: *long sigh* Based on your crow recipe thread post, I see this is not news. Oh well maybe somebody else will get use of it.

[Stradawhovious]

Here's what the DNR regs say about crows....

PROTECTED ANIMALS
The following birds and mammals are protected in Minnesota by
state or federal laws:
Protected Birds• All birds for which seasons are established in these regulations are
protected
birds but may be taken as authorized.
• There is no open season on bobwhite quail, cranes, swans, hawks,
owls, eagles, herons, bitterns,
cormorants,
loons, grebes, or any
other species of birds except unprotected birds.
Crows
• Crows may be taken without a license in season or at any time
when they are doing or are about to do damage.
• Electronic calls or sounds may be used for crow hunting.
• Crows may be taken with a legal firearm (shotgun not larger than
10 gauge, rifle, or handgun), bow and arrow, or by falconry.

Looks like I need to go out and buy a falcon.

[Belgiboy]

This sounds like it could be fun. I plan to keep an eye on this thread.

Why wait until after bird season? Can't varmints be hunted all year long? BTW we have seen a large spike in the cougar population in north central Minnesota. Those critters scare me. Last year my mom saw one in a tree, checking out the neighbor kids. She chased it away - not something I would recommend.

For me, I just have too many hobbies. Until bird season, I'm gonna be catching all the walleyes I can plus I want my first muskie this summer. For the latter, you have got to put in your hours of casting.

[yukonjasper]

I'm glad to see some interest in whacking Varmints. I own some land near Morris and had a meeting on site with DNR guys to discuss how to make the land better habitat for pheasant and duck. In addition to some horticultural recommendations, they also strongly suggested we take up varmint hunting - skunk - ferrel cat - racoon - coyotes etc. They are major predetors on bird nests.

Their advice was to get a decent call and a blind. They indicated that with the population at large and virtually no pressure, the shooting should be plentiful and the prey unsuspecting. They stressed that it is definitely not rocket science.

I bought an electronic call and that is as far as it went. The time spent out there is pretty much limited to shooting our feathered friends and looking for deer.

Racoons are plentiful in Eagan, so if you want to set up a blind in my back yard and pretend your on safari let me know and I'll run an adult beverage out to you every once in a while for your trouble. I haven't taken care of it because I'm afraid the neighbors will freak.

[Belgiboy]

Thanks mr. funny accent, I plan to join you. The difference is that I hope to have just enough information to be dangerous.

My accent is commonly referred to as 'really cute' by all the nursebabes that I know. You should try it

[Stradawhovious]

My accent is commonly referred to as 'really cute' by all the nursebabes that I know. You should try it

The nurses? Sure! I'd love to! You should introduce me to some of them!

[goalie]

Thanks mr. funny accent, I plan to join you. The difference is that I hope to have just enough information to be dangerous.

My accent is commonly referred to as 'really cute' by all the nursebabes that I know. You should try it

I'm pretty sure I was really drunk if I called your accent cute.....thanks for calling me a "babe" though

[Belgiboy]

My accent is commonly referred to as 'really cute' by all the nursebabes that I know. You should try it

The nurses? Sure! I'd love to! You should introduce me to some of them!

I could do that, you better start working on that accent and maybe your abs too.

Getting back on the subject of varminting. I like Varmint Al"s eclectic webpages, http://www.varmintal.com/ for a good read. Lots of stories, first hand product reviews, ballistics and some shooting of inanimate objects.

BTW I see a lot of guys on video using bipods that allow them to shoot from the sitting position when hunting coyote. Is that the way to go? Wondered if anyone has a informed opinion on that.

[MisterOblivious]

Getting back on the subject of varminting. I like Varmint Al"s eclectic webpages, http://www.varmintal.com/ for a good read. Lots of stories, first hand product reviews, ballistics and some shooting of inanimate objects.

BTW I see a lot of guys on video using bipods that allow them to shoot from the sitting position when hunting coyote. Is that the way to go? Wondered if anyone has a informed opinion on that.

Well, they're sure lighter than a portable shooting bench, and probably more stable as well.

[Belgiboy]

Getting back on the subject of varminting. I like Varmint Al"s eclectic webpages, http://www.varmintal.com/ for a good read. Lots of stories, first hand product reviews, ballistics and some shooting of inanimate objects.

BTW I see a lot of guys on video using bipods that allow them to shoot from the sitting position when hunting coyote. Is that the way to go? Wondered if anyone has a informed opinion on that.

Well, they're sure lighter than a portable shooting bench, and probably more stable as well.

Thank you for that enlightening statement but I was more thinking about Bipod VS shooting sticks or Sitting vs. Prone etc...

[goalie]

BTW I see a lot of guys on video using bipods that allow them to shoot from the sitting position when hunting coyote. Is that the way to go? Wondered if anyone has a informed opinion on that.

I have an opinion based upon distant past experience. In general, prone-height bipods are great for shooting F-Class and on nice, mowed ranges. In real life, even grass tends to get too high to allow a good line of sight from the prone position to targets that are shorter than 50 year old oak trees.

What does that mean to you? Well it means that you have 5 practical options for shooting in the sitting position, and they are not all equal.

1. Shoot sitting down unsupported.
2. Shoot sitting down with a sling (not a carry strap, but a sling)
3. Shoot sitting down with shooting sticks
4. Shoot sitting down with a bipod
5. Shoot sitting down with an improvised rest of some sort (Tree limb, stump etc....)

Now, number one is the least desirable. Number two really depends on your abilities, because, if you know what you are doing, it is the quickest to deploy and is the least restricted by environmental factors. IMO, 3 and 4 are about equal as long as you practice with the one you choose. Number 5 requires you to position yourself based upon your environment, not based upon where you would best have/set up a shot at a 'yote. Now, you can shoot great from #5, it is just like the difference between a climbing or mobile tree stand and a fixed stand for deer hunting.

Someone that can use a sling and has good fundamentals can shoot accurately out quite a ways while sitting. That said, I would still have either shooting sticks (my preference) or a bipod in conjunction with the sling.

YMMV

[goalie]

Oh, and since you followed up I will address it:

I prefer shooting sticks over a sitting/kneeling height bipod for the type of shooting that you describe because they are easier to deploy quickly, they don't make your rifle ridiculously front-heavy, I am biased from the marines, where men didn't use bipods, they used their pack, and, most importantly, they allow you to cant the rifle on uneven ground more than just a few degrees, as well as pivot the rifle side to side much easier.

Again, YMMV

[Belgiboy]

Thank you for that, goalie. I have been practising the sitting position with my service rifle and a sling. I was generally happy with the results till I put the sling on a varmint rifle with a scope on 20x magnification. Let's just say that I realised that I was still moving all over the place, way too much to be comfortable taking a shot at a coyote-sized target over 100 yards. I was leaning towards the idea of shooting sticks too although I'm sure that the learning curve with those is going to be steeper than with a bipod.

[goalie]

Thank you for that, goalie. I have been practising the sitting position with my service rifle and a sling. I was generally happy with the results till I put the sling on a varmint rifle with a scope on 20x magnification. Let's just say that I realised that I was still moving all over the place, way too much to be comfortable taking a shot at a coyote-sized target over 100 yards. I was leaning towards the idea of shooting sticks too although I'm sure that the learning curve with those is going to be steeper than with a bipod.

One thing to keep in mind is that magnification is not always your friend. 20x is enough to be shooting 1k yards with. You don't need more than 6x to shoot 'yotes out to 300 or so, and I am a fan of 4x for most 200 yard or less shooting at living things. More mag=more wobble, and the kill zone on a 'yote is pretty big, all things considered. It isn't benchrest, and 1" 100 yard groups are hardly necessary from a field position in order to kill animals.

As for the learning curve, it should be about the same, just pick one or the other. At least with shooting sticks, if you have to take an offhand shot, you don't have a huge weight on the end of your rifle throwing off the balance.