Aaron is my kind of hunter - the guy that understands that you won't kill anything from the couch. He gets out there and puts some more critters in the dirt, job well done!
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Made it out again. Took the family camping knowing they won't crawl out of the sleeping bags at 0500 leaving me an opportunity to hike away from camp and make a racket with my calls. At sunrise up on the rim I learned another lesson about knowing the terrain features of my field of fire. Within 2 minutes of starting to call a coyote came over a depression just 15 feet in front of me at a full run I didn't realize when I set up in the dark there was an avenue of approach I couldn't see and certainly not one that close. I was primarily concerned with vegetation I could blend in with. That was moving too close to get the shotgun up let alone get a shot off. As soon as he came up over the rise and saw me he changed his path about 30 degrees and ran within 10 feet of me never breaking stride. The following morning found me in Tonto Basin (large enough region, not concerned with OpSec) and setting up three stands. At sunrise the first fox popped out 20 feet in front of me and when I quit blowing the open reed call, popped back into concealment. Again I switched to the closed reed bite call and raised the shotgun and got him when he came back out. The second stand just got me swooped at by a humming bird that wouldn't leave me alone. The third stand of the morning brought the second fox in. I saw him between bushes up the canyon moving in fast. He ran across a creek bank at 15 feet away looking through me as I called. I stopped calling and raised as he paused, when I hit him he rolled into the creek. He's set in the picture that's not mange.
AAR
Last time I wasted a couple of hides with an AR, this time my weapon of choice was a $200 used shotgun that I rattle canned to blend and prevented the ballistic damage. Lessons re-enforced from class is I need to start doing this with someone else. Predators come in fast and I am not looking forward to seeing what one may do if its too surprised when it comes in and finds me and not a wounded rabbit. I'm still using mouth calls so when they come in they are coming at me, even though the decoy is 5-15' in front of me. When you are blowing a call you will not hear anything approaching. Also learned to find your fur buyer ahead of time, before you skin them in a manner the buyer doesn't want. Looks like I'm getting these tanned for myself.
Thanks Glen for a great program.
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Happy Hunting!
