Recently, a jig called “Lesotka” has gained immense popularity. Even large manufacturers of fishing gear and bait from several countries have established its production. At the same time, few people know that we owe the appearance of the original Lesotka jig to the fishermen of the Soviet era. Well, the bait was brought to perfection by fisherman-designer Alexandru Datsenko, whose nickname “Lesotho” turned into its name.
Several circumstances pushed me to talk in detail about the Lesotka jig. The first and most important thing is the outstanding catchability of this reelless jig.
The second is the attempts of some fishing companies and private manufacturers to produce jigs under the name “Lesotok”, which have a very distant resemblance to the original. By speculating on a well-known name, the fisherman is actually being sold a low-grade product. In addition, the label with the name “Lesotka” is attached not only to jigs, but also to other winter baits – “Devils”, “Balda”, etc., creating a lot of confusion, especially for a novice fisherman. Therefore, I would like to warn my colleagues about products that have absolutely nothing to do with the Lesotka jig.
And thirdly, I know first-hand the history of the emergence and production of “Lesotok”, for I have a long-standing friendship with Alexander Datsenko. And, of course, I have my own extensive practice of fishing with this jig. In addition, according to my wishes, Datsenko made a number of varieties of his unique jigs and expanded their color variety (photo 1). And after the prototypes I ordered were tested on a pond and approved, Alexander gave them a start in life. So I will speak about “Lesotki” with knowledge of the matter.
Photo 1
Features of hunting elk with decoy
Elks make a lot of sounds during the rut - during the period when they begin mating games. At other times, the elk almost does not use its voice, so a special hunting technique has even been developed - “roaring” or “moaning”. This tactic got its name due to the peculiarities of sounds during the rut. The male's cry resembles a pestering roar. After the end of the rut, the most that can be heard from the animal is a snort. The roar of the elk can be downloaded as an audio file or listened to on video.
Hunting is carried out with a huntsman, a group of hunters, or less often alone. First, the location of the rut is identified based on the following characteristics:
- broken branches, trees;
- potholes, holes;
- strong smell of urine;
- fresh litter;
- audible animal sounds.
You should choose a clear, quiet day, good weather without rain. Having heard the animal, the hunter begins to roar using a decoy, which is also called “waba”. If the elk does not respond to the sound signal, you can imitate the presence of an opponent - crunch branches, hit trees with a stick. During the rut, moose are not as careful as usual, so they quickly come to the sound of a decoy.
Important: the animal must be lured closer so that the shot is successful and you can aim well. One hunter hits, the second shoots. Experienced hunters determine the age of an animal by its voice; elk that are too young are usually not touched. If unsuccessful, change location or continue to wait.
Moose hunting dates
The period when hunting for adult males is permitted is limited to 01.09-30.09. Further, all age and sex groups are allowed to hunt from 01.10 to 15.01. For trophy hunting, the initial days of the rut are usually used - usually 10 days. It is at the beginning of the rut that the largest elk roars, whose antlers are a valuable trophy. Afterwards, the animals actively compete, fight, and the horns lose their beauty.
It is better to go hunting early in the morning, at dawn. During this period, the animal is most strongly attracted to the opposite sex; it searches for a female and roars. It is easier to track a wounded animal during the day, but at night it is difficult to do.
Choosing a place to hunt
Before luring an elk, thoroughly study the area. Look for broken branches, listen to sounds and look for fresh moose droppings - all this will indicate the presence of an animal there.
Weather and time of day also plays a big role. Since it is better to attract elk during the rut early in the morning, go hunting at this time. In the morning, the elk roars much longer, so it will be much easier to find him.
What weather is best to attract an elk? Dry and clear weather without rain is best. And not only because the elk were more active in this weather, but also for safety reasons. In bad weather, you may simply not hear the approaching animal, and this can be a big disaster.
For safety reasons, find yourself a partner, as learning how to roar an elk if you are still a beginner is easier with an experienced hunter. In addition, the two of you can share responsibilities - one will attract the animal, and the other will shoot.
Types of decoys
The use of decoys is very popular. They are technical devices used to attract animals. A homemade decoy works just as well, greatly increasing the hunter’s chances. Experienced specialists can lure an animal even without a decoy, using the palm of their hand and their own voice to attract the elk.
Wind decoys
Typically, a wind decoy is used on elk and roe deer; it reproduces the cry of a male, emitted to attract females. There are also decoys that imitate the sounds of females and moose calves; they even sell sets or devices with different capabilities. More expensive devices additionally create the sounds of breaking branches.
Using semolina is not difficult. You need to blow into the mouthpiece, although you can use the device without a mouthpiece, placing your lips on the device. You can change the sounds by moving the holes, as indicated in the instructions - this will strengthen, weaken, lower or raise the sound. Some decoys have the function of being screwed to an amplifier (horn), which allows you to make louder sounds.
Electronic decoys
An electronic (electric) decoy is a more modern device. There is no need to blow into it; the necessary sounds are already recorded inside the device’s memory. Usually the recording includes a certain set: the voices of females, males, moose calves, a cry for help, sounds of fights, mating. The buttons are responsible for individual sounds, so using decoys is easy.
The equipment runs on batteries and rechargeable batteries, allowing you to adjust the volume over a wide range. Some devices may be able to download additional sounds. You can make a request on the Internet, find recordings in mp3 or other suitable format, download for free and use as needed.
Important: before hunting, you should carefully listen to all sounds. Low quality products may produce false voices that the animal will not listen to. Even in the store, professionals will distinguish a fake from a good product based on sound quality.
Popular models from the list, highly rated by hunters:
- Cass Creek (elk and deer). The device produces clear, high-quality sound. It allows you to create animal voices that vary in behavior. In an elk it is the call of a male, aggression, mooing, a fight, a female during mating, in a deer it is a moo, an inviting moo, a fight, a lost fawn, an aggressive male. The package does not include a speaker; it must be purchased separately.
- Buck Expert. Reproduces various sounds of the elk family - bull, cow, calf. The decoy is lightweight, easy to wear and use. The sounds are very authentic.
Making semolina from a reel
A homemade decoy that attracts an animal can be made from materials such as roofing felt, a plastic bottle, photographic film, etc. The main part is inserted into the pipe. It can be made from a spool of thread.
To make a decoy for wapiti with your own hands you will need:
- glue;
- scissors;
- knife or razor blade.
Now let's start describing the progress of the work:
- The edges of the coil are trimmed using a razor blade. They should be cut straight.
- Then a match is taken and half of its thickness is removed. As a result, you should end up with two such matches. They are glued to the end of the coil parallel to each other.
- A 1 cm wide strip is cut from a rubber bandage or from a surgical glove, which covers the cap with the spool hole and lies on the matches. Both edges of the rubber are attached to the base of the reel. The strip stretches and weakens.
A decoy for wapiti from a reel can produce a roar of different tones. When the elastic band is stretched, the sound becomes thin. When weakened, on the contrary, it becomes rough. The thicker the rubber used, the lower the roar. It is not recommended to make very low sounds, as they are characteristic of old individuals.
DIY decoy
You can make a decoy yourself. Production is possible from a can or birch bark. Method for creating semolina from birch bark:
- Take a piece of birch bark 2 mm thick, smooth, without knots.
- Cut the birch bark in a helical manner to form a spiral.
- Straighten the tape, cut a strip (wide end - about 17 cm, narrow end - 10 cm).
- Cut another piece 12 cm wide and make 3 rectangular holes on one side.
- On the second side of the piece, make 3 triangles so that they fit exactly into the holes when folded.
The second tube after folding will need to be used as a cuff for the wide end of the decoy. The decoy itself needs to be folded with the white side inward, the protruding corners cut off, and a cuff placed on the wide end. Cover the entire structure with tape or tape. When blowing air, you can adjust the sound volume by moving the pipe apart and moving.
The decoy can also be made from a tin of coffee or baby formula, but the shape should be like a truncated cone (the diameter of the top is smaller than the diameter of the bottom). You also need to take a 60 cm long clothesline, electrical tape or a piece of leather. The diameter of the jar opening should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the bottom. The smaller the jar, the lower and louder the moose roar will be. A hole is made in the middle of the bottom according to the thickness of the cord, the latter is inserted into the hole, and a knot is tied on the outside. The top of the waba is wrapped with electrical tape or leather to make the sound more realistic. The inside of the jar is loose moss, it is applied before use.
Using such a device is easy. The cord is soaked in water, pinched with your fingers, passed from top to bottom, while holding the can by the base, without touching the walls. As a result, a sound resembling a moose is heard. It’s worth practicing at home so that you don’t misfire on the spot.
For more detailed instructions on how to make homemade decoy, watch the video:
Using a pipe during hunting
Of course, hunting “by roar” presupposes the presence of a decoy, which is a pipe. The trumpet has been used for red deer for a long time. The length of the device is about 70 cm. In addition, it is distinguished by a mow.
You can blow into a pipe in various ways. There are decoys from which air is blown out. There are pipes in which air, on the contrary, is blown. In any case, the hunter gets the sound he needs. A do-it-yourself red decoy decoy is made from various materials. For example, it can be made from spruce or from a simple spool of thread.
Moose sounds
The roar of an elk resembles the sounds “ua”, “oo”, and in young animals - “oe”. In some moose it sounds like an okaniye, in older elk it sounds more dull.
Moose roar
The sounds of an animal when roaring are produced from the very depths of the larynx. Males publish them in the morning, as well as at sunset, sometimes all night. The sound is deep, reminiscent of a groan, and at the same time it seems to be vibrating, rattling.
Sound of a male
The roar of females and males varies greatly in timbre. The male calls briefly, moaning and grumbling. By the end of the rutting season, the sounds may change to a plaintive, whistling sound.
Sound of a moose
Moose cows, when calling males, make drawn-out sounds; the rest of the time during the rutting period they make weak, light cries. When covered by a male, the elk makes a short neigh. Hearing the male's voice, the female begins to snort in response.
Sounds of a roaring moose in the forest
When a male is looking for a female, he is very dangerous. In some cases, his roar resembles that of a bear and is quite scary. As the rut subsides, the sounds become more dull - mooing, croaking.
Factory-made electronic decoys
If a hunter has not yet mastered the art of luring an animal with a pipe or other devices, then in this case it is recommended to resort to the use of factory-made decoys. They operate on the basis of electronics and are capable of imitating the voices of all animals and birds.
An electronic hunting decoy is compact, shock-resistant and resistant to moisture.
Today, a wide range of similar products is presented on the Russian market. There are even models equipped with an LED screen. Pre-thought-out equipment is the key to a successful hunt.
How to lure and drive an elk
There are certain tactics for luring elk. They begin to use the waba after the sounds of the animal itself are heard. You can use the roar of an opponent, a cry for help, the sound of a female, observing the measure. If the screams are too frequent, the elk may suspect falsehood and not approach.
Typically, the technique for using semolina is as follows:
- first they use the voice of a young female - ee-o-a-a-h, i-i-e-e-e-h, repeating the sound every 5 minutes, then after a minute, increasing the volume;
- if there is no result, the male’s voice is heard - uu-oo-h with approximately the same frequency;
- you can supplement the luring with “croaking” - oh-oh-oh;
- if there is no answer, you should play the sound of branches breaking or beat the tree with a stick.
The lack of effect can be observed if dogs or other hunters have driven the elk out of their rutting zone, as well as in the presence of a young male who is afraid of rivals and several females. In this case, you need to change the area and repeat all the steps - then success is more likely.
Moose hunting is not particularly difficult if you follow certain rules and use the right tools to lure animals. The choice of decoys and wabs should be approached with special care, since the success of the entire business depends on these devices.
Factors influencing successful hunting
Hunting for wapiti is considered the most interesting. To carry it out successfully, you need to find a place where wapiti conduct their fights for females. Here the hunter needs observation more than ever. During this period, animals rub their horns against trees and butt Christmas trees. If a hunter notices peeled bark, it means the animal is somewhere nearby. The presence of an animal is also indicated by trampled grass.
As a rule, one person does not go hunting for wapiti. The ideal option is three participants. One should roar into the trumpet, and two should stand with guns. One of the important factors that contributes to the success of the hunt is the correct use of the pipe and taking accurate landmarks.
There are many other techniques to help lure the animal. You can only give a voice or run back and forth, feigning uncertainty, and roar into the trumpet. Hunters with guns are at a distance of 10 meters from the howler monkey. As soon as they see the beast, they start shooting.
When do moose start to rut?
The elk rut occurs in the fall, usually when the first frosts arrive. It begins at the end of August - September and lasts about two months. Depending on the severity of the climate, the timing of the start of the rut shifts from the second half of August in the south to mid-September in the northern regions.
In Siberia and the Krasnoyarsk region. In Siberia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the moose rut begins mainly in September, although in their southern part this is possible even after the second ten days of August. The peak of the rut, depending on the latitude, usually occurs in the second ten days of September - early October. In the northern parts of this region, the rut can last until the first ten days of November.
In the Leningrad region and Karelia. In the Leningrad region and Karelia, the start of the rut usually occurs at the very end of August. Its peak occurs in the second ten days of September, when the maximum number of individuals is involved in the process, but it ends already in early November. This is due to the characteristics of this northern region in order to involve the maximum number of females.
In the Moscow region and in the middle zone. In central Russia and in particular in the Moscow region, the start of the rut usually occurs at the end of August. Here this period lasts on average about one to one and a half months and ends by mid-October.
In the Urals. In the Urals, the beginning of this period and its duration primarily depend on latitude. In the Southern Urals it is the end of August, and in the Northern Urals it is mid-September. The moose rut here lasts about two months and in the northern parts it can take place at the beginning of November.
In Belarus. In Belarus, the moose rut begins at the end of August, but more often it occurs in September - October. It lasts about a month and ends by mid-October.
In the Penza region. In the Penza region and other southern regions, the beginning of the rut occurs in the second ten days of August and lasts about a month and a half, dying out by mid-late October.
Duration
On average, the duration of the rutting period for moose is about two months. However, how long this period lasts, its beginning and end also depends on weather and climatic factors. So a sharp warming can delay its beginning, and a sharp cooling, on the contrary, push it to the beginning. Among other things, in young males the start of the rut is delayed by 15–20 days.
However, practice shows that once the rut has begun, it is not interrupted by any weather factors. Its duration primarily depends on the severity of the climate in the area. So in the northern regions it lasts for two and a half months, and some young males come to the wad at the end of November.
Important! According to the hunting rules, elk harvest is divided into three periods: for adult males from September 1 to September 30; for all sexually mature groups - from October 1 to December 31; for young animals up to one year - from January 1 to January 15.
