Blue jeans and a gray coat

Earlier this week I was headed down the highway with my hunting partner Kelly and our friend Tanner. As we cruised down the road, all three of us became fixated on a beautiful canyon off in the distance. Filled with rocky ledges and deep draws, we were sure we could get a fox to come and visit us. Luckily we all love to hunt, so we carry our hunting gear with us - just in case. We were able to find a sideroad that took us well away from where others could easily get to - 4 wheel drive was required. We stopped a few hundred yards from the edge of the canyon ledge and hiked in.

Now when I say we carry our hunting gear with us, I don't mean all of it - just the basics. I almost always wear a camo hat, and I can put my shotgun, calls, facemask, and a camo shirt in a rifle case. My two companions had similar setups, but we all sported blue jeans, which meant we'd have to find good cover. This goes to show that good cover, sitting still, and a little shade go a long way when it comes to camouflage.

I sat at the edge of a draw that overlooked the canyon, and Kelly and Tanner sat to either side of me, fully capable of taking anything that might try to flank me. The sun was already starting to sink low in the sky when I began my call, but about 6 minutes into the stand Kelly spotted a gray fox headed right for me. Let me tell you, this is when you know you have a hunting partner who is a team player! Kelly had a few decent, but not great, shot opportunities on this fox. But since the fox was continuing to approach the call, Kelly let him go knowing that at close range the fox would definitely not escape my shotgun. A minute or so passed before the fox came into my view, and at 20 yards it was a good shot. He was a nice big male, and we were very glad that we'd had our gear, kept our eyes open, and made the effort.