Post by Byron South on Nov 2, 2003 14:53:50 GMT -5
Has any one here ever kept a log book of your hunts.
I unknowingly kept one while filming the last couple of years. Last year when I was going over my footage, deciding what to put on my video I realized that I had all the times and dates recorded on my camera. I sat down made me a chart, and for two day's went through all my footage recording everything I could on the chart. I then got a calendar and charted the major and minor times, moon phase, weather conditions, and any other data I could think of. I then went back a year and did the same thing with my first camera and old High-8. I ended up with two years of data. Hardly scientific but it's a great start. This year I'm keeping a log book in my truck or call bag so I can record every day whether I have success or not.
The one thing I did find, is that there was a slight increase in success on day's following dark nights. Success also rose after we had a couple of frost. The biggest peak of success occured during mid January through mid Febuary. we also called in more multiples then as well. I have also heard from many people that the major and minor time were peak time for hunting predators. My limited data didn't bear that out. We called them just as much between those times as we did during those times. I also couldn't distiguish whether we had more sucess in the mornings verses evening's. Another interesting piece of data, is the fact that most of the animals were spotted coming to the call within the first five minutes, and any stand that lasted longer than 10 minutes the odds of something showing up greatly deminished. I don't advocate making short stands though unless you have lots of ground to cover, or your hunting a contest where numbers is the game. I have been busted to many times by calling off a stand to early. That last statement sounds like a contradiction I'm sure. I stand by the old saying give it 15-20 minutes for coyotes, and no less than 30 if you want a bobcat.
The most revealing piece of data revealed that when I didn't go, I didn't call anything.
I'd be interested in hearing from anyone else that has kept a log to see if it corralates with mine.
Good Hunting
Byron
I unknowingly kept one while filming the last couple of years. Last year when I was going over my footage, deciding what to put on my video I realized that I had all the times and dates recorded on my camera. I sat down made me a chart, and for two day's went through all my footage recording everything I could on the chart. I then got a calendar and charted the major and minor times, moon phase, weather conditions, and any other data I could think of. I then went back a year and did the same thing with my first camera and old High-8. I ended up with two years of data. Hardly scientific but it's a great start. This year I'm keeping a log book in my truck or call bag so I can record every day whether I have success or not.
The one thing I did find, is that there was a slight increase in success on day's following dark nights. Success also rose after we had a couple of frost. The biggest peak of success occured during mid January through mid Febuary. we also called in more multiples then as well. I have also heard from many people that the major and minor time were peak time for hunting predators. My limited data didn't bear that out. We called them just as much between those times as we did during those times. I also couldn't distiguish whether we had more sucess in the mornings verses evening's. Another interesting piece of data, is the fact that most of the animals were spotted coming to the call within the first five minutes, and any stand that lasted longer than 10 minutes the odds of something showing up greatly deminished. I don't advocate making short stands though unless you have lots of ground to cover, or your hunting a contest where numbers is the game. I have been busted to many times by calling off a stand to early. That last statement sounds like a contradiction I'm sure. I stand by the old saying give it 15-20 minutes for coyotes, and no less than 30 if you want a bobcat.
The most revealing piece of data revealed that when I didn't go, I didn't call anything.
I'd be interested in hearing from anyone else that has kept a log to see if it corralates with mine.
Good Hunting
Byron
