Saturday, November 26, 2011

Never Skip a Rainy Day

I don't fear the weather, but with that said, I don't overly enjoy getting soaked to the bone, either. My experience in predator hunting, however, has taught me that animals aren't scared of a lite rain, and they are more inclined to be active before or after a good storm, seeing as how they are either anticipating not getting a good meal for awhile or they are trying to make up for not getting a good meal for awhile. They don't overly enjoy getting soaked, either, so when there's a good storm happening, and you head out to hunt, it's a roll of the dice. Here's how my roll played out earlier this month.

I woke up to a pounding rain, but seeing as how I was heading south for a couple of hours I figured it might lighten up. I figured wrong, and when I met Daniel, the guy I would be hunting with, in the parking lot of a strip mall, he had a look of concern on his face. I re-assured him that all would be well, and we headed down the highway in the darkness and the ever increasing sounds of the rain.

About an hour after sunrise, the rain finally quit, and we bailed out of the truck and headed for our first stand. Our setup was prime, and we had the whole area of a small canyon covered. I really wanted to get some more animals in front of Daniel, as our last trip out produced plenty of animals but only a few that ended up in the truck. Not 2 minutes into my first sequence of gray fox distress and a gray fox shows up - but he's acting a little cautious, which is odd for a fox. He's coming in where Daniel can't see him, and no joke, ends up standing on the top of the rock which Daniel is leaned against. Finally the fox decides he doesn't want to come in for whatever reason, and starts to casually walk away. I waited until he was safely away from Daniel and I took the shot. It started raining again shortly after that, and if you look closely at this picture you can see some big raindrops on my rifle.



We hiked back to the truck in the rain (1/4 mile - hooray!) and spent the next hour in the truck. Off and on the rain allowed us to try a few more stands, but we only got to finish one of them as the rain kept chasing us back to the truck. I don't mind getting wet, but getting soaked isn't best time, and we spent most of the day soaked. Luckily Daniel is a good hunting partner and we kept the mood light. What else can you do when you're hiking up a canyon in the pouring rain? At some point on the way to a stand, I found this very unlucky horseshoe - I left it there:



Around lunch we found an amazing canyon to call, and there was a lot of cat scat all over. It thundered and threatened us throughout the whole stand, but didn't do anything. Apparently the animals got the clue, but we didn't. Nothing showed on that stand, and as we debated hiking farther into the canyon we got hit with hail - lots and lots of pea-sized hail. We tried to take cover under a bush, but it wasn't doing much good. Finally we made a mad dash back to the truck, but still got drenched in the process. Here's us huddled under the bush, and that ground is supposed to be brown, but it's white with about 1/2 inch of hail:



After more sitting in the truck and getting chased off of stands by weather, the sun finally broke through the clouds and we hit a great looking stand. Our setup was prime and less than 3 minutes into the stand I caught a bobcat sneaking in. I was using a Foxpro, and it was setup right in front of Daniel - this bobcat was stalking straight towards it and I was excited to watch Daniel out this cat in the dirt. As the cat continued to creep in closer and closer, Daniel still wasn't shooting, and I got nervous about the cat disappearing into some brush by the caller, so I went ahead and took the shot. Once the stand was over and I had a chance to look at it, it was actually a fairly small cat, or at least much smaller than the northern cats I am used to shooting. When I questioned Daniel about the cat, he said he got to watch the entire thing, but was worried about the cat seeing his movement if he raised his shotgun - the cat got to within 15 yards of him. Oh well, live and learn. Here's the bobcat (possible housecat):



And wouldn't you know it - it started raining again after that! We were able to get a few more stands in before sundown, but between the rain and the threat of rain, I think the animals were just hunkered down. As the sunk sank low below the horizon, the rain finally broke again, this time for good, and we made one last desperate stand in the failing light. We ended up calling a blank, but one thing we certainly found that day was a good time. It was still a good day, and any day hunting beats the best day of working!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Need some shotgun rounds for predator hunting?

I do all of my firearms business with STG Firearms in Prescott Valley, and they are one of the equipment providers for my training organization. Last season I asked them to carry Remington 3" #4 lead buckshot, my predator shotgun round of choice. They obliged and now stock it regularly.

So if you're in Prescott Valley and need some 3" #4 buck, or just about any other ammo, firearm, or accessory, check out STG Firearms - and tell them I sent you in there.

Too Tight of a Choke?

I had the chance to take out one of my Coyote Clinic students, a great guy named Eric, for a morning hunt. The first few stands didn't put anything in front of us, but once we made our way into a canyon, the action got hot.

On the first stand a fox came in so fast that he was literally knocking rocks down the hillside as he ran - it was less than 40 seconds from the time I started the call to the time that Eric had that fox on the ground. It was about a 20 yard shot, and you could clearly see the pellet pattern impact marks on the fox. "Screamin' Gray" from the FoxPro is still one of my favorite fox calls, and it continued to prove itself as less than 2 minutes later another fox came charging in. This one got two close calls with some 3" #4 buck at about 20 feet, but got away seemingly unscathed. We did find some blood, but after about 30 minutes tracking and searching, the little blood that was left behind led us to nothing. Regretfully, we moved on, but Eric was excited to have bagged at least one of the foxes.



On the next stand, we had another hard charging fox come in, and Eric shot him at about 40 yards, though a second shot was required to put him down for good. I asked Eric what kind of choke he had, and when he replied "Dead Coyote" it got me thinking - perhaps it would be best to carry additional chokes in your pack or pocket, so that when you find yourself in such tight quarters you could maximize the benefit of the shotgun and put in a Modified or Improved Cylinder choke.

The next stand produced another rapidly approaching fox, and this one came in close - within about 25 feet - before it stopped to even take a look. Again, Eric thought he was right on when he fired, but again a fox escaped the stand to retreat back into the rock cliffs. Eric couldn't quite figure out what had happened, as he thought he was right on, but the issue was clear to me: too tight of choke.

Often I meet predator hunters who want to "reach out" with their shotguns, and this is certainly possible. I have personally witnessed DRT shots on coyotes past 70 yards, and have heard of farther shots, especially with 10 gauge shotgun - some of those even stretch past 100 yards. And with my own 26" Remington 870 with a Xtra Full choke and 3" #4 buck, I can drop animals at 60 yards with ease. But often we are so excited to get our shotguns to shoot farther that we overlook their main benefit - multiple hits at closer ranges with a large pattern.

When I first started predator hunting I used my rifle exclusively, and rarely found a time when I wished I had something else. Then I started hunting thick brush, and turned to my shotgun due to its ability to spread some shot in a large pattern at closer ranges. But as time went on I desired that pattern to be tighter at longer ranges, due to my inability to seal the deal on animals further out. So I turned my shotgun into a rifle - and that can be a problem at certain ranges. With such a tight pattern, Eric, with a setup similar to mine, was basically shooting a fist-sized mass of pellets at a small moving target, where a dinner plate sized pattern would have been much more effective.

What I learned from this is that predator hunters would be well-served to keep additional chokes in their packs or pockets when shotgun hunting, and be ready and willing to change those chokes out depending on the distances encountered on each stand. It only take a few seconds to change a choke, and could mean the difference between fur down and fur running away.

All in all, is was still a good day, and Eric was quite happy with his two foxes:



Another thing to note is that both of these foxes had pink around their paws and mouths, and their scat was also bright pink, indicating that they had been into the cactus fruit so readily available in the area. When you see this kind of thing in your predators (checking scat is often overlooked as an easy method to pinpoint predator location) then you know that they are predators who are eating fruit, meaning that they are most likely ready for a meal of meat, or at least a supposed meal of meat followed by a meal of lead. ;-)

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

A Good (if brief) Explanation of Fur Handling

Grand View Outdoors, publisher of Predator Xtreme magazine (who I occasionally write for), posted an article up about fur handling. After giving it a good read (which doesn't take long) I thought I'd share it with you since I feel the article gives a good explanation of the basics concerning what to do and what not to do.

Click Here to read it.


Happy Hunting!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Predator Hunting Presentation - Oct 20th, 2011

It's a bit short notice, but posting it here kinda slipped my mind!

I will be doing a 1 hour presentation this Thursday, Oct 20th, 7p in Gilbert at the Gateway Church. This is located at 60 N. Recker Road in Gilbert, AZ. If you'd like to get an overview of the basics or pick up a few tips and tricks, come by and see me!

And just for fun, here's a picture that one of last year's Coyote Clinic students sent me last week - his first ever fox! Way to go Eric!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Coyote Clinic and Field Day 2012



We're back in action with the new predator season! Whether you're a rookie to the exciting sport of predator hunting, or you're a veteran hunter who wants to add more tools to his bag of tricks, here's your chance to get it figured out!

I will be holding the Coyote Clinic Class and Field Day on January 6th and 7th in 2012, up in beautiful Dewey, AZ. Both dates are available separately, but if you get them together then you get a better price! Read more about last year's Coyote Clinic in this post: A Great Group of Hunters at Coyote Clinic.

This year I'll be teaching some new some skills, tricks of the trade, and fur-dropping secrets, and returning students will get both dates for only $80! Kids are only $60 for both days, and all current military get $15 off with current ID! If you'll be attending for both days, I have an arrangement with the Hampton Inn and Suites in Prescott Valley for a special price for Coyote Clinic hunters, and camping is also available on-site at the Field Day location.

Students from my past Coyote Clinics continue to call me and send me emails to tell me about their successful hunts. Here's a few of the pictures that past students have sent me:








Space is limited, so register today via PayPal or with a credit / debit card. For information on payments, as well as full course details, click on the links below to open up the info sheets for both the Class and the Field Day.

Coyote Clinic Info Sheet (PDF)

Coyote Clinic Field Day (PDF)

Happy Hunting!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Skull Display Update

I had so much fun making that bobcat display that I just had to try it again. This time I went with a rectangular display, burned the wood, and then stained it. Looks pretty good, and putting the shelf in for the skull wasn't as hard as I had expected. The pictures don't really do it justice, though - it's actually slid into the main piece, and it's very sturdy. The picture is of my dear ol' Dad with a giant gray fox (12 lbs, actually) and his trusty .22 rifle. Quick tidbit about my Dad and .22 rifles: he pretty much kills everything with a .22 to the head. Need to kill a quail at 80 yards? A .22 to the head will do it. Need to shoot a fox that's running into the call? No problem - .22 to the head. Got a wounded elk that needs put down? Wild dogs in your neighborhood? You guessed it - .22 to the cranium. Let's just say that he's ready for anything that a potential zombie invasion could throw at him. Rock on, Dad.




And here's another view of the bobcat display, this time hanging on the wall. I'm pretty sure that these displays will become a part of my skull cleaning services if I can generate the interest. I'd like to do some engraving on them, such as scientific names, date of the hunt, common name, etc. And I'd really like to tackle a display like this for something big, like a bear or a cougar. Even a javelina would do. Guess I have some hunting to do!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A New Way to Display

My collection of skulls arranged on top of a cabinet in my office looks pretty cool, but I decided that it could use a little spice. So I rubbed a few brain cells together and came up with this:



It looks awesome hanging on the wall, and it's a great way to display the skull along with a picture of the animal it came from. I also think it looks a lot better than The Copper Cat, which I made a couple of years ago. I had a lot of fun making this and so I'm off to the store to get more supplies! Keep your eye on my blog to see what I come up with next, though I imagine I'll probably stay with the wood theme. But you never know . . . .

Monday, September 5, 2011

A coyote is "blown" away

I realized today that it's been a month since I wrote anything here! I have been so busy with training lately that except for a few quick stands I haven't been out hunting much, and I'm sad to say that those few quick stands haven't produced anything. So I decided to drag an old story out, dust it off, and share it with you!

I have a friend who will probably want to remain anonymous after this story, so I'll make sure to give Casey a false name . . . oh dang, well I guess the cat's out of the bag now! On with the story . . . .

Casey and I headed out early one morning before dawn for a few hours of hunting not too far from my house. Our goal was to setup on the top of a hill and stay on stand for a half-hour or so in order to draw in any coyotes from the surrounding hills and deep washes. I sat above Casey, as I was doing the calling, and he sat in a really prime shooting position.

30 minutes came and 30 minutes went and I hadn't seen anything. I signalled to Casey that the stand was over, and once I received the "all clear" I stood up and looked over at him. He slowly raised himself up, stretched his arms wide and tall and then . . . . BRRRRRRPPPPPPP! He let loose with the biggest fart I may have ever heard. As he started to say "I've been holding that in for a long time" I caught movement to my right and turned my head just to see a coyote that had been on approach, and made it pretty close to us, do a full-speed 180 turn and make for the horizon. The realization that Casey's "gas attack" had scared this coyote away suddenly had me laughing me so hard that I never even raised my rifle! Through my tears, which had now come on full strength, I watched the coyote speed away down the hill and across a large opening. I walked over, slapped Casey on the back, and congratulated him on the most unique method of "blowing a coyote away" that I had ever seen.

Of course, he loves it when I tell this story. Here's to you, Casey!


This is what that coyote looked like through my tears of laughter. When he finally stopped and took a breath, I wonder what he was thinking about.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Chicken Killer, Part 2

It wasn't quite as early in the morning as I had hoped for, but I knew exactly where I wanted to be and how I wanted to set up. I slipped through a few shallow washes and into a small clearing amongst some junipers and cat claw. I had decided on using the FoxPro for this stand and I crept out into the opening and placed the caller in a small bush with my feather decoy stuck into the ground about a foot away. As I nestled under a tree with my back to some thick brush, I smiled to myself - this was a good setup, just the way I had figured it would be.

The distress noises started pouring from the e-caller with a few button presses on the remote, and it wasn't long before the birds came alive, chattering and flitting around with a certain concern in their bird calls. Soon they settled down, and as I scanned the terrain with my eyes I caught a slight movement in the far brushline - there he was. Sitting just barely in the open, I could clearly see the white fur with well-defined black spots on his front legs. He was 50 yards out and locked onto the decoy. Suddenly he stood and started stalking the decoy as the feather slowly twirled in the light breeze . . . . 40 yards . . . . patience, I tell myself. He will come closer - and he does. At 30 yards he sits near a small bush and then takes a quick look behind him. That's all the time I need to settle the red dot on his chest. Breathe out, hold, smooth trigger compression, and then . . . .

Though I don't like to hunt bobcats before fur is prime, this one has been causing trouble. If you read my last post, you'll know that I've been thinking about this cat for over a week now, ever since I became almost positive that it was the chicken killer, and that the local coyotes were not to blame. While I should go ahead and take care of a few of the coyotes in the area as well, my mission was this bobcat.

I grabbed a different rifle this morning than I usually have. If you've seen any of my hunting pictures or read my book, you'll recognize the camo-painted AR-15 with variable scope that I have been using for the last few years. However this morning I took out my "work" AR, a 16" carbine with a micro red dot mounted on it. So far I have been very pleased with this optic - it's a micro red dot from Primary Arms, a clone of the Aimpoint T-1, and it has been heavily used and abused in all weather conditions and has yet to fail me. But it hasn't seen any predator hunting yet, and I wanted to try it out on some animals. It didn't disappoint.

. . . . BOOM! The 55gr VMAX raced towards it's target, and the cat went down. After a few more minutes of calling, nothing else came in to the call, so I called off the stand and approached the cat. It had looked big sitting there, but they always do. When I got up to the cat and hefted him up, I discovered that he really was big. A curse flew through my mind as I thought of the price a cat this large would bring at the fur market had he been more furred up, but it was a passing thought. I had a chicken killer dead and down - mission accomplished.



Big paws with sharp claws.


A long tail for a bobcat, even in the summer time.


And so it begins! I'm looking forward to another predator season filled with adventure and excitement.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Chicken Killer

A friend of mine has a neighbor who has 10 chickens. Or should I say had 10 chickens - now there are only 2 left. This is pretty common around here since a lot of people have small pets or small livestock and don't always get them properly secured. The neighbor believes it was from coyotes, but I have other theories. It is true that there are coyotes in the area, but they travel through that area more than live there and while I have seen and killed coyotes in the vicinity of said neighbor's house, I knew that the coyote always gets the bad rap when it can be something else to blame.

Often it's raccoons or bobcats when people think it's coyotes, and even though it had been a couple of weeks since the 'attack' I drove out there to take a look. Since some of the chickens were not carried off, my mind went back to a few other times I have solved predator problems for people. This seemed like the work of a cat.

So off I went into the nearby brush, checking in washes and along the narrow dirt trails. Not a single coyote track in the recent mud, but there they were - a little faint, but they were bobcat tracks. After walking around for about 30 minutes I was now about 1/4 mile from the house, and on a patch of dirt road I found a nice pile of bobcat scat.



What makes this pile so nice, you ask? Check the upper right corner. That's right - part of a chicken foot. Now you don't have to be on CSI to figure this one out, and picking through the scat a little more I found feather fragments and more parts of chicken feet. The point of all this is to say that a little scouting can go a long way, and that coyotes, while devious and crafty, are not always the culprits of missing pets or dead livestock. I'm pretty tempted to put a game camera up near the chickens and in the wash nearby and I'd wager that I'd catch a picture of a bobcat on it.

Bobcat season opens exactly 1 week from now, and you can bet your camouflage that I'll be out there, trying to trick ol' bob into coming a little closer.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Urban Predators: more than just "cute and fuzzy"

"The bobcats are so beautiful", "coyotes are native to this area and should be left alone", and "live and let live, that's what I say." I've heard it all when it comes to hunting predators in urban and even rural areas. Many people enjoy the native wildlife in their backyard - I know I really love to see animals any chance I get. It's why I hike, camp, hunt, and spend all the time I can in the outdoors.

But then Fluffy disappears. Fido goes missing. The call goes out "My pet is lost! Someone help!" No my friend, your pet is not lost. It's lunch. And then the fury comes from Bowser's owner: "Why hasn't someone done something about these darn coyotes?!" It always turns out the same way - some pet (or some person) gets hurt or worse, and then suddenly the animals are the bad guys. Here in Arizona I saw the following news stories all happen in just one week. It starts like this . . . .

Hot Weather Brings Coyotes to Central Phoenix

Couple Catches Baby Bobcats on Home Video

Bobcat Perches Atop Saguaro

And ends like this . . . .

Dumpster-Scavenging Bear Attacks Woman

Whether displaced from fires, weather, suburban development, or any other outside force, predators in your neighborhood are not something to be taken lightly. Though they are fun to see and beautiful animals to watch, they deserve respect and should be given a wide berth. They do not care how much you love your Fluffy or your Fido or your son or daughter - they think only of their next meal and their survival. Respect them, or pay the price.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Arizona To Allow Hunting in City Limits

Thanks to SB 1334 and the hardwork of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, hunting will now be legal inside of Arizona city limits starting on July 20th. This is big news for predator hunters and small game hunters, who often seek to pursue their game near city limits or desire to do so within city limits. There are some special things to consider with this law, however:

- AZGFD commission rules can apply or limit the location, time, and manner of take.

- Certain state, county, and municipal parks may still be closed to hunting as defined by AZGFD commission rules.

- This will only apply to the use of shotgun, rimfire rifle, and archery tackle.

- This law will have a short life if it is abused by hunters.


This new law is yet another great gift from the state of Arizona in regards to firearm ownership, possession, and use. But like all gifts, it can be taken away if used improperly. The part I mentioned above about the law having a short life if abused is a quote taken directly from a law-enforcement official at AZGFD, whom I spoke with at length today.

Read the full law here: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/50leg/1r/bills/sb1334p.pdf

Remember AZ hunters: this is a great opportunity for us to expand our hunting grounds, but it still doesn't give us the right to trespass on private property, be irresponsible with our shooting lanes, or to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves. Be smart, be responsible, and we'll keep this privilege.

And as always, Happy Hunting!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Off-season Scouting

The off-season: when I daydream about past hunts and predators in my crosshairs while trying to pass the time with that silly work-thing, eagerly awaiting the start of the new predator season!

But the off-season shouldn't just be a time for daydreams and wishful thinking. As I've written in the past, it's a great time to sharpen your shooting skills, check your gear, and investigate new areas. And while you're investigating new areas, here's what you should be looking for:

-Animal Sign: both predators and prey. You should be checking for fresh tracks, fresh scat, and investigating what's in the scat to see what's been on the menu lately. And is there a prey base to even attract predators? Set up game cams to get great pictures of animals as well as to see who's been hanging out in the area.

-Access: now's the time to break out the 4wd, quads, and hiking sticks to not only enjoy the summer weather, but also to find those little-known and hard-to-reach roads and trails into prime hunting country. Use forest service maps, local knowledge, and internet satellite images to find those secret entrances to great new locations.

-Private Land: warm summer months bring lots of work on ranches and farms, so it'll be easier to track down the landowner or head honcho and discuss your opportunity to help him thin his predator population. If he's slammed with work, see what you can do to help out - a little goodwill goes a long way.

-People Sign: is this an area that is heavily used by other people? Determine what kind of recreation they are doing in the area and whether or not it is seasonal. This will give you some knowledge of the kind of pressure this area may receive during hunting seasons. If you have the chance to talk to the people utilizing the area, they may also be able to give you information on predator movement and location.

-Public Announcements: I call this "no duh" scouting. A few years ago a friend and I were planning to hunt around the area near a small mountain town. We went to the local gas station for our champion's breakfast of Snickers bars and Mountain Dew, where we spotted a local announcements billboard. One side was pasted with 'Lost Pet' and 'Please Find Fluffy' flyers, and the other side had one single paper. It read something like this "Caution: coyote populations in the area are growing and these animals are growing more bold. Keep a close eye on small children and pets." Well "no duh" we knew we had hit the jackpot. A short conversation with a few locals and we headed off. Before lunch we had called in and killed 4 coyotes and 2 gray foxes.

The other day I was at a community center set in the hills at the edge of town and I ran across this little gem:



The location it mentions is inside of the city limits, but not by much. I checked out a few stand locations within legal hunting and trapping requirements and they look pretty darn good - even ran across some scat. So come November when the bobcat fur is worth some good money, you can bet I'll be visiting this area with calls or with traps - where there's one bobcat, there's more.

My main point to this post is this: the off-season can be a great time for fishing, relaxing, hanging out with the family, enjoying the sunshine, and just generally having a good ol' time. But while you're out and about enjoying the beautiful summer months, don't forget to keep your eyes open for good predator locations. You just never know where you'll find your next 'honey hole'!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

More Skulls!

"What do you keep in those plastic containers?" It's a question I get asked every time someone goes into my garage. Or sometimes it's "What's that smell?" Either way, the answer is "Flesh-eating beetles." Now this gets a good number of odd looks and sideways glances, but no one can resist the temptation to look a little closer. This usually leads to a full explanation of why I have them, what they are, and what they can do. A quick walk inside the house to the 'animal room' and it becomes clear to everyone just how incredible these little dermestid beetles are, and what an interesting process these animal heads go through to become a bright white skull.

Back in 2009 I wrote a blog entry about my skull work, but since it's been awhile I thought we'd revisit the topic. Most of the skulls that I clean throughout the year are for other hunters, some of them from the other side of the country. I have cleaned Oregon bears, Maryland beavers, Colorado foxes, Georgia coyotes, and Minnesota bobcats. And of course I have cleaned up quite a few animals from right here in beautiful Arizona!

Below you'll find a few pictures of some of the more recent skulls that I have cleaned up, and if you go all the way to bottom and click on the picture of the dermestid beetles, you can visit a picture album with even more bright white skulls! I've even started painting a few, just to see what how they come out and what people have to say about them.


Montana beaver


Arizona javelina


Arizona gray foxes - one of them with a little 'camo' paint


Another Arizona gray fox with experiments in paint


One of the most beautiful Arizona mule deer I've done yet


Dermestid beetles - adult and larvae
Click on them for more skull pictures!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Curious Bear

I often get asked what it is I do that helps me to get so many predators every season, especially at the close distances I generally shoot them at. The answer is generally the same: I utilize the basics. I choose stands based on terrain and animal activity, I move as quietly as I can, and I stay still once I get to the stand. Many hunters want some kind of high-speed, low-drag answer - some kind of secret ingredient. While there are a few things that I do to ensure my success, it's the basics of predator hunting that will put fur in front of you.

The guy in the following video isn't predator calling, but it really shows how keeping still and staying quiet can bring the animals in close; in this case almost too close.

Click here to watch the video: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=134_1288992280

Monday, May 9, 2011

Predator Xtreme - Accuracy Training Article

This month in Predator Xtreme you'll find a few really good articles, including tips on calling bears and radical tactics for coyotes. You'll also find my article entitled "Get Your Hits!" It's about accuracy training and how to make sure that when predators show up to your stand that they don't leave breathing.

Not a subscriber to Predator Xtreme magazine? Subscribe here.

Recreational shooting is a lot of fun, and can be a great way to enjoy the outdoors and even blow off some steam. When you decide to train, however, you should train with a purpose - in this case it's putting more fur on the ground. Setup your "Predator Practice" with as much realism as you can and you'll not only enjoy it, but it will build shooting skills that will pay off when you need them most.

If you're interested in quality firearms training, whether for hunting or for self-defense, contact me through my training organization, Independence Firearms Training. We train primarily private individuals and groups, and we are available to travel anywhere in the United States.


And since my season has died down, here's a picture from the files of yesterday. I shot this coyote a few years ago from a standing offhand position at about 60 yards - my calling partner, Rich Higgins, hadn't even seen the coyote yet when I took the shot. Practice pays off!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Season's End



It's that time of the year again, when I hang up my predator calls for a short time and get out my baseball glove and my fishing rod. The time when I bid a temporary farewell to my furry opponents and give them a chance to replenish and regroup. I still go out and call during these next few months, though mostly for ranchers and landowners, thinning out problem animals and protecting livestock. And sometimes, just for fun, I'll call in a few predators just to say hello, to let them know I am still around and that I'll see them again real soon. Once August and September roll around, I'll be back out in force - chasing Wile E. and Mr. Bob and the Not-So-Crafty Fox.

So until then, I'll engage in other outdoor activities, but spend time remembering the exciting moments that I had on stands during this last season. Like the mystery ghost fox that looked dead or asleep through the entire stand, only to disappear suddenly at the end. Or the bobcat that got the drop on me, but was distracted by a simple leaf blowing in the wind, which allowed me to turn the tables in my favor. There's all of those days and the many, many stands where no animals showed up, but time was spent with family and friends enjoying the outdoors and the wonders of nature. And I can't forget the coyote that came back to the call after being shot at . . . . twice! And there will be more memories to be made next season, so I will spend what time I have daydreaming about those future adventures.

But fear not! Though I have been a little sparse with my blog posts lately, I will continue to keep you updated throughout the summer. Look for my upcoming posts about camo selection, getting ready for predators in the off-season, how to find new hunting areas, new calls and sounds, and more!

In the meantime, check out Independence Firearms Training - it's what has been keeping me busy and therefore away from updating my blog lately. Training during the warmer periods of the year is ideal, and the best day to prepare for the worst day is today! We are available to travel to your location, or you can come and train in beautiful northern Arizona. Contact me through email or call me (520-831-3683) for more information.

I hope that your predator hunting season was as good as mine, and if you're still out there - Happy Hunting!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Rattler Skull

I haved cleaned the skulls from a lot of different animals, but a recent request from a hunter in New Mexico brought a bit of a challenge to my door. He wanted me to clean the skull of a rattlesnake he'd just killed, so he boxed the head up and shipped it over to me. I didn't know how my beetles would take it, but as usual they didn't disappoint. Once they got the skull cleaned it basically fell into a couple of pieces, and it turns out that a rattlesnake skull is fairly fragile. Once I got it put together, though, it was really interesting to see where all of the glands and organs go. That's actually one of my favorite parts of cleaning skulls, is to learn about the anatomy of different animals.

One of these days I'll buy a better camera, but for now I got as detailed of pictures as I was able to of the rattler skull. And if you'd like to see more pictures of some of the animal skulls I have cleaned up, click here to go to an online album.


Thursday, February 24, 2011

Shhhhh! Be Still.

One of my students from Coyote Clinic 2010, named Sid, has become a very excellent predator hunter. He knows how to get them in, with hand calls or an e-caller, and he knows how to seal the deal. He called me last week and told me a story that is a great example of what can happen if you stick to the basics - in this case, sitting still and being quiet.

Late in the evening, Sid stalked into a stand deep into thick brush. He placed his e-caller out in front of him, crept back to a juniper tree, and played a bird in distress sound, during which he sat perfectly still and didn't make a sound (other than what was coming out of the e-caller, of course). After about 15 minutes he decided this stand was a bust so he slowly raised up and looked around, taking care to mind what he had learned in Coyote Clinic to take your time when leaving a stand. He walked forward to retrieve the caller when movement caught his eye - he spun his head to see that a bobcat had been sitting on the other side of the juniper tree that he had been sitting under, just a few feet away! He quickly got a sight picture and fired, dropping the cat, but as he did so, two more bobcats which he hadn't seen ran off into the brush. They had been just a few yards from him.

So Sid called in three bobcats and none of them busted him while on stand - that is impressive! And because he got up slowly and was aware of his surroundings he was even able to get one of these bobcats, and you can bet that he'll be going back for the others. Stealth has a lot to do with getting to a stand, being on a stand, and then leaving a stand, and it may just be the difference between seeing three bobcats, and not seeing anything at all. Great job Sid!

There are a number of hunters who have contacted me after reading my book or attending a Coyote Clinic and told me similar stories where they were able to get the drop on animals or get animals in very close because they didn't move around a lot like "those guys in the videos." I can't even tell you how many stories I have heard (and been involved in!) that used stealth to get very close to animals - it's how I measure so many of my shots in feet instead of yards. Hunting thick brush and utilizing situational awareness can work wonders for you on a predator stand.

Here's the payoff for Sid's patience:

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Kaboom! Double-check your map.

In October I had a chance to head out with another hunter named Daniel, who was home for a while from spending some time overseas. We had a pretty good day, and called in a number of predators and even gave a few a long dirt nap. Well Daniel was home again and so we headed out into the low desert of southern Arizona to try and bag some more predators.

Our first stand was an interesting struggle. I setup the FoxPro but couldn't get the remote to work. This hadn't happened before, so I moved around and danced about and finally figure out that a small dirt rise between me and the caller was preventing the signal from getting through. We laughed about it and headed back to the truck. On the way we spotted an official looking truck parked alongside the road near us, but we pulled away and we thought nothing of it. As we got to the next stand location, however, we were crossing a fence when that same truck pulled up and a uniformed officer asked us "You're not going in there, are you?" My leg was about halfway over the fence, so of course I said "Yeah, we are." "I wouldn't do that - it's an active bombing range." "What?! There's no signs up." So he says "Yeah, you gotta look on the map." Lesson learned: look at the map or you might find yourself on an active bombing range. So after a little more verbal roundabout with this officer, who was actually very friendly, we headed back up the road a few miles to the auxiliary air field, so that we could get one of these obviously necessary maps and also a permission form to hunt on the inactive parts of the range.

The air field was a real treat - it looked to be from the WWII era, it was half deserted, and was seemed to be mainly a paperwork junction. We watched a fantastic and well-made 15 minute video about hunting on the range, not touching unexploded or inert ordnance, and leaving the land better than you found it (and at the end I had a sudden strong urge to join the Air Force). Then we filled out the paperwork, got our permission slips and much-required map, and we were on our way. On the very next stand, as we setup and began to call, we got to listen to F-16s dropping live ordnance on the now very active range. Yikes! Turns out the government does not have to put signs up everywhere, and GoogleMaps sure doesn't warn you about it either!

On our way out of there, we found exactly what the video warned us about - though I think this is a flare of some kind:

Things were getting a little windy by now, and we still hadn't seen any fur. We did get to watch some pretty awesome low flybys by F-16s and what appeared to be a game of tag by a couple of pilots. Heading down the road we also got to watch some A-10s on the other side of the highway, though they later flew right over one of our stands in a group of four jets. Yeah, that'll drown out your calls, by the way.

We were really enjoying the air show and the beautiful landscape, though we still hadn't run across any predators. Sign was pretty scarce as well (we had our own theories on that) so we decided to head a little farther south, out of the range of F-16s and A-10s. We eventually ended up in some pretty excellent looking bobcat country, and even found two recent quail kill sites, presumably by bobcats, so hopes were high. Those hopes didn't pan out so well for us, though, so we headed on down the road again. After forcing Daniel's truck down a road that I think was made for quads, we came into some fantastic rolling hills covered in creosote and saguaro, but we still produced no animals on stand. One thing there was no shortage of was trash, though, especially in washes and hideout-type areas. Lots and lots of trash - this is a major frustration point for me. And we came upon this little site as well - an interesting structure in the middle of nowhere.



We hadn't run into too many people, but we also weren't running into much predator sign, either, and we sure as heck weren't seeing any predators. We had tried everything - e-caller, handcalls, up high, down low, spread out, back-to-back . . . . nothing seemed to work. But we had good conversation and interesting sites to see, so we pressed on.

Finally we ended up at the base of some very rocky hills. We were thick in the desert brush but had an excellent view of the surrounding landscape. Still, no predators showed themselves. The sun soon sank below the horizon, so we resorted to spending the remaining minutes of daylight killing water bottles and discussing the finer points of caliber effectiveness on plastic. As we headed back towards civilization, and a long drive home, we ran into an AZGFD Warden who was a little more excited about carrying his rifle than I would have liked to see. But after a check to make sure that we were law-abiding citizens, he bid us farewell and we all went our seperate ways. This was actually the first time in my entire life that I have ever been asked for my hunting license.

Though we went home without any fur, Daniel is a fun guy to hunt with, and that can really make up for the lack of action on stand. Finding a good hunting partner who is enjoyable to be around even when the stands are dry is an important part of predator hunting.

Thanks for the adventure, Daniel, be safe overseas, and we'll get 'em next time!

Update: Beetle Cleaning Article at PX Magazine Online

If you want to read my beetle cleaning article (and the Feb issue of Predator Xtreme) you can do so by clicking here.

And while you're there, go ahead and subscribe to Predator Xtreme - it's a great magazine filled with useful information.


Monday, January 24, 2011

A Great Group of Hunters at Coyote Clinic

Some had already sat through a few predator stands, some had even already put fur on the ground, and others had not yet headed to the field in search of Wile E. and Mr. Bob. But experience level didn't matter when the Coyote Clinic started up Friday evening - we were all there for the same reason: to learn how to get more predators in front of us!

Coyote Clinic was a great success, and there was a great group of hunters and outdoorsmen that attended. I especially enjoy seeing the kids, since they are the future of our shooting sports. Friday evening was the classroom portion of Coyote Clinic, which covered the basics of predator hunting such as scouting, equipment selection, hunting laws, and animal behavior. And there were some great giveaways, as well! We didn't get any pictures of the class portion, but it was a great four hour prep to Saturday, which is when the real fun began.

A short hike to demonstrate proper stand selection, calling demonstrations and calling sequence explanations, accuracy training and snap shooting practice, and a skinning demo were just a few of the events that took place during the Field Day. And what a beautiful sunny day to learn about predator hunting!

Thank you to all of those who attended and helped to make this Coyote Clinic successful and enjoyable. And a special thanks to our sponsors and vendors: Edge by Expedite, Kettle Creek Calls, and Kannah Creek Calls.

Another Coyote Clinic is being planned for March and will probably be held in the Tucson area, so if you missed this one then hopefully I'll see you there!

Here's some of the positive feedback I received:

"Thanks for presenting a great class. In my work, I attend a lot of workshops, meetings, and seminars and would have to say that your clinic was among the best I have attended whether in a professional or recreational setting." - Cy A.

"Wow, exceeded my expectations. Kept the newbies & experienced engaged." - Bob S.

"Glen definitely knows his stuff - he presents very well and covers all bases clearly without repeating himself. I left armed with a lot of new knowledge and better direction on how to increase my success in the field." - Steve D.

Some pictures of the event are below, and if you would like to see the entire photo album then click here. If you are interested in hosting a Coyote Clinic in your area, please email me at rizzoisready@gmail.com.


Proper stand selection is key to getting more fur in front of your gun.


A short little hike to discover and discuss different types of stands and terrain.
(lots of hands in pockets - was it that cold?)


A little bit of the calling demonstration


Ladders are a rarely used but fantastic tool of the predator hunter


Get your hits! Shooting practice is important for those who want to bring home the fur.


Skinning a fox


Coyote Clinic's first father/daughter team - what a great hunting duo!


Predator hunters who are ready for anything!