Coyote Clinic Field Day

The Coyote Clinic will continue with the Field Day, held on Saturday, April 3rd, from 9am to 4pm.

There will be a short hike where stand selection and call sequence will be discussed, and we will discuss firearm selection more in depth. Skinning demonstrations with the three main Arizona predators (coyote, fox, bobcat) will include skinning opportunities for anyone who wants to get their hands dirty! Everyone is encouraged to wear their camo, and to bring their calls as there will be calling instruction for each type of call - open reed, closed reed, and e-caller. Please also bring your favorite .22 rifle - reactive targets will provide you the chance to work on your accuracy while on stand. If you don't have a .22 rifle, there will be rifles on site that you can use.

Young hunters are encouraged to attend at a discounted rate, and every young hunter ages 10-16 will receive a hunting gift! And custom calls and lanyards from Kannah Creek Calls will again be available for purchase at a discounted rate.

Click the link below to open the info sheet for this great event!

Coyote Clinic Field Day Infosheet (PDF file)

See you in the field!

Coyote Clinic = Success!

The Coyote Clinic was a great success, and I have had a lot of phone calls and emails since then from people who attended asking more questions and thanking me for the good presentation. I want to thank Kelly Lewis, my good friend and President of the XPC, for helping out by lending his expertise and good personality.

Coyote Clinic Field Day is scheduled right now for April 3rd. It will include actual stand selection, more info on firearms, skinning demonstrations, calling demonstrations, and hands-on accuracy training with fall down targets. Everyone is encouraged to wear their camo, bring their calls, and bring their favorite predator rifle.

A hunter named Sid that came to the Coyote Clinic last week sent me a text message this morning with this info:

"Smoked one this morning..missed a double last night...thanks for the knowledge ...Sid"




In addition to some of the phone calls I've been getting from hunters who attended the Clinic and are having success, I've been getting some good pictures. Just like the above picture of Sid, another hunter named Rob was also able to get out, put some fur on the ground, and get a good hero photo.

Most hunters just need a little extra info to start putting fur on the ground - way to go Sid and Rob!

Coyote Clinic 2010

I will be holding my first Coyote Clinic in a couple of weeks on Wednesday, February 24th, from 6pm to 9:30pm. This class is going to be really awesome! Register now as the class size is limited - I will take payment at the door but that does not guarantee you a seat.

We will cover everything you need to know to get started in predator hunting, from scouting and stand selection to firearms and competitions. Everyone who attends will get a copy of my book, "Ready For Anything", and will also have a chance to register for the field day which will tentatively be held on March 6th. The field day will take the classroom skills and apply them to the outdoors, where we'll cover selecting a stand, skinning animals, and do some calling demos!

There will be discounted calls and lanyards at the class, lots of props and demos, and maybe even a raffle for a new decoy!

Click the link below to open the info sheet for this great event!

Coyote Clinic 2010 Infosheet (PDF file)

See you there!

The Craziest Bear Skull Ever

This very large black bear was taken in Oregon this season, and was well over 450 lbs. When the hunter who killed it contacted me saying he wanted it cleaned up, he told me that both he and the Oregon State Fish and Game officer had noticed some bad tooth decay and odd growths in the left jawline. Well once it got to me and I got it cleaned up and was actually able to take a look at it, wow was he right!

I haven't bleached it since it has to be measured for a possible record position first, but I actually had a dentist take a look at this skull and he was able to tell me about all the odd deformities, though he spoke 'doctor-ese' and I'm afraid I can't relate much of it back. Basically what he said, though, was that it wasn't an injury and it wasn't a birth defect, although the bear probably developed it early in life. He is 99.99% sure that it was a tumor, and based on the bone destruction he says it was probably an aggresive benign lesion. Very, very unique skull.

You can really see the tooth problems and some of the upper jawline bone growth here.



Check out the massive decay of the jaw at left canine, as well as all the missing and decaying teeth.



The top view really shows the bone cavity that developed, probably from the tumor, at the upper jaw on the left, as well as the deformed jawline especially by the molars.



I'll be shipping this skull back to Oregon soon and I look forward to hearing the official score from the Fish and Game Department, as this bear may be a state record and/or a Boone & Crocket entry!

Foxes are Food

As the season progresses hunters will find themselves facing more educated animals. This can be a tough challenge to overcome, but there are a few basic changes you can make to your tactics to help you bring in the smarter ones. One of the easiest changes to make is to use different sounds while on stand. Chicken, goat, house cat, pig, fawn, turkey and pheasant distress sounds are just a few of the great sounds that can be replicated with hand calls or by using an e-caller - I will also be adding more of these sounds to my hand call recordings in the future. Coyote vocalizations such as lone howls, male challenges, and female invitationals also play a big part in successful stands during this time of the year. While all of these sounds are important to know and to use in the field, one of the greatest sounds that is so often overlooked is a fox distress. Not only will foxes come in to this sound, often hackled up and looking to fight, but I have had many coyotes and even bobcats respond, and I have heard of mountain lions responding to the sound as well. Why? Because foxes are food! They are a competitor in the arena of predation but are the smallest of the predators. Many a coyote has filled its belly on the vittles of an unwary fox. This is, of course, why fox are generally found in terrain unfriendly or unappealing to coyotes.

I have had the opportunity to witness foxes and coyotes reacting to each other just a few times in the wild, and one of those times was today. I was out calling with a couple friends of mine and one of our stands found us between a wash and a tall, rocky hill. Just a few minutes into the stand I see a fox working its way down the hill, but about 20 feet from the bottom it stops. He's looking at something, but it's not the call. Right away he lets out a bark, then retreats up the hill, pausing every 50 yards or so to let out a warning bark and then continue his climb. Finally he gets to the top, where he is still locked on to whatever spooked him off. I'm pretty sure I know what's about to happen, but I still don't see any other predators, until a nice little male coyote pops out of the brush about 80 yards in front of me and starts to work his way to the call. He stops by a bush and I take the chance to give him a lobotomy, courtesy of a Hornady VMAX, and he hits the ground. The fox is still on top of the hill, watching the whole thing unfold, but now he's definately not interested in coming to check out the sound! But how did he see that coyote so much earlier than I did? Keen eyesight? Smell? A "foxy sense" for detecting danger? I don't know, but what I do know is that if a fox allows itself to be caught in the open by a coyote, then the coyote always promptly reminds him why foxes shouldn't let coyotes catch them in the open.

So remember: late season = hard hunting, and one of the ways to ease that up is to change your sounds, your setup, and your location. And try out some fox sounds - you'll be glad you did!

This little ol' male sure gave the fox a scare this morning - no wonder, as a large grey fox in Arizona is anything over 10lbs, while a small coyote is considered anything under 20lbs.

My hunting partner and I found this fox in the middle of a field a couple of weeks ago. The rear-end was eaten out, which is a signature move of the coyote, and there were tons of hair and paw marks all around him. Here's one fox that won't have to worry about anything anymore.

Shooting predators . . . . with a camera?

The sun was burning high overhead as I settled into another calling stand. The wind was hardly blowing and my setup seemed perfect - plenty of cover, a good view of the terrain, and lots of predator tracks in the area. I began my set with some low and slow lip squeaks. After a few minutes I started in with my LeMarr Tweaked Squirrel, not too loud but nice and raspy. Just a couple of minutes into it I see movement in the brush line about 40 yards out. I keep calling, but the movement stops. Then it reappears, 10 yards down the brushline. My favorite decoy, the feather on a stick, is twirling gently in the breeze just a few feet to my right, and whatever is in the brush is fixated on it. I stop calling completely and a few seconds later the front torso of a bobcat emerges from the brush. He stares at the decoy as he slowly goes into a crouch. He takes one, then two steps forward. Summertime does not leave bobcats will a thick coat, but the spots really show through and this cat is beautiful! He takes another step, then another as he slinks through the tall summer grass, just a few yards now from the decoy - and me! Suddenly he stops as he notices that something's not quite natural about the blob next to the decoy, and he stands straight up and slowly retreats back to the brushline, keeping a watchful eye on the blob. He moves into the brushline, and out of my sight, to keep watch, but I was happy to have seen him so close.

It was summertime two years ago, and I was out doing some pre-season scouting and calling when I got an up close and personal visit from this bobcat - one of my favorite predators. I have unfortunately never gotten into the art of animal photography, otherwise I could better preserve memories like that bobcat for everyone to see. However there are plenty of my fellow predator hunters who have taken their skills as hunters and applied them to photography. Watching animals approach the call, or seeing animals in their natural habitat, is often just as exciting as watching them hit the ground after a well-placed shot. Here's a few of my favorite pictures from some of my friends and fellow hunters.

My friend Scott is not just a good hunter, but is also great with his camera.



Bob caught this bobcat on film recently as it came into stand, circled his caller, and then retreated to the shade to see how things unfolded.



John got this picture of a young summer pup 'keeping an eye out' from the long grass.



When his well-trained hounds treed this lion, Travis was able to get a few good shots in with his camera while the big cat protested.



They may not be predators, but when Eric and I were headed to a stand we just couldn't help but get as close as possible to these javelina.

Shoot / Don't Shoot

When I was 11 years old I took a Hunter Education Course here in Arizona - and that is something I recommend that every hunter do, even if they are older or more experienced hunters. We watched a video called "Shoot / Don't Shoot" in which they showed various hunting scenes, like bucks on hilltops or elk in ravines, and then we had to decide whether it was safe to shoot or not. The lessons that I learned that night, which have been added to with experience in the field, have helped me many times as I've had to decide between shooting an animal or waiting for a safer shot. A predator stand I did this last week really made me think about the importance of safe shooting, especially when you're hunting with a partner.

I had some time Wednesday morning for a few stands, and my Dad decided that he'd like to go with me. On our second stand of the day we setup in a small field which was bordered by a creek. I set up with my Dad downwind of me, hoping he would get a shot at anything coming in. At around 8 minutes, a coyote comes in from my left, trots to about 20 yards from me, gets a good look at the decoy I had setup next to me but was totally unaware of me just a few feet away. The coyote starts to lateral in front of me to get a sniff downwind. I saw my Dad shift to get a shot, but when the dog stopped to look at the decoy again, it was directly between my Dad and I. Now I know there are some guys out there that may have gotten excited and tried for this shot, but a miss on either my part or my Dad's could have ended with one of us in the hospital, or worse. The coyote was totally fluid and comfortable, so I didn't rush anything and she was completely unaware of my Dad. She started trotting downwind again, and got clear of a crossfire situation. I hesitated for just a minute as that video from years ago came to my mind - one scene in particular: two guys are quail hunting, but lose sight of one another. One of them flushes quail and starts shooting them, only to discover that he had shot his friend who was behind the quail in the bushes. I consider the fact that I am using a shotgun and that the spread may extend beyond the coyote and towards my Dad. The coyote is now really close to me, and I knew my Dad wouldn't shoot that close to me. I shift my position so that my pattern will be safely beyond my Dad, and I help that coyote avoid the cold winter.

This stand ended well with a coyote down, some up close action, and both of us happy. It ended this way because we were both aware of where the other guy was, which is really important when you're completely hidden in camo and the adrenaline starts to pump. So remember to be safe - a coyote, bobcat, deer, or trophy elk is not worth the life of another human being.

My Dad really knows how to get dressed up for a picture.



This was my first coyote while using my new call lanyard from Daniel Harmon, and I liked it very much!

There's always time for one more stand!

It's been cold and windy and snowy here the last few days, and that means that predators will be hungry when the storm breaks. Well it broke early this morning and I knew that meant it was time to hunt. I headed out to try some local spots, but at my first stand the wind was still blowing so hard it blew my hat off and nearly froze my fingers, so I packed it up and headed a bit farther south. It was a bit of a drive but I knew if I was going to beat the wind I needed to get to a different weather zone, and upon arrival at my new location I was glad I had committed to the travel time. There was no wind and the air was a few degrees warmer.

It turned out that someone must have come by just before me and killed all the coyotes, though. I hiked far back into washes and thick brush, but three stands produced no fur, and my free time was running short, so I jumped back in the truck and headed home. As I neared the freeway, I noticed a small canyon that was tucked out of the way and in some thicker brush. Part of me wanted to continue the drive home, but the better part of me (the part that almost always wins) said "there's always time for one more stand!" It would be pushing my time constraints, but I threw caution to the wind, parked in a small turnout, and headed out into the cedars. Right away I knew it would be good, as I nearly tripped over coyote scat when I got out of the truck. I walked about 1/4 mile back into the brush, near the base of small mountain, and set up the stand. I started it off with some low and raspy fox distress, and about four minutes in this coyote comes busting into the open, standing directly in my downwind and getting a nose full of rizzo, to be sure. I knew I didn't have much time, and he looked like he saw me just as I raised the shotgun and settled the barrel over him. But it was too late to run as a load of #4 buckshot found its mark. The yote gave a loud 'yip' as it fell, no, more like nosedived right into some prickly pear cactus.



He had quite a few needles in him, but I couldn't just leave him there so I pulled him out, and while I was at it I grabbed a hero shot.



So remember: even if things aren't cooperating, even when you're thinking of going home - there's always time for one more stand!

My handcalling sounds are now available as MP3s

One of the questions I get asked the most about predator hunting is "what sounds should I use and how do I make them sound different than everyone else?" Since I do most of my predator calling using mouth blown hand calls, it is much easier to replicate different sounds on stand, even with the same call. With some practice and some field time, you can figure out how to make different sounds with even the most common handcall, but sometimes it's hard to explain what they should sound like. I decided that it might help if I recorded my calling sounds and turn them into MP3s. Now everyone can hear what sounds I use, and you can also download them for use in your digital caller.

To download a sound, right-click on the link of the sound you want, choose "Save Target As", and then choose a location to save to.

The sounds can be found on the right hand side of my blog, under the "Blog Archive", in the section titled "Hand Call MP3s". The type of sound I am producing is listed first, and then the call and manufacturer are listed. That same info is also imbedded in the file, so it should be displayed when you play the sound. I will add more diverse sounds in the future, especially if I get comments or emails from anyone asking for more.

Enjoy the sounds, and happy hunting!

A fox and my 6-year-old son

A friend of mine named Tim recently wrote on Predator Masters about some hunting he did with his 9-year-old daughter. After reading about it, it occurred to me that I haven't taken my son, Garret, out on stand with me yet this season. He often goes shooting and hiking with me, and anyone who has read my book will remember him well.

Tonight we made plans for a couple of stands out on a local rancher's land. My son was so excited to be back in his hunting gear, and he trudged through the mud like a real trooper. Our first stand we set up near a wash and tucked ourselves into some cat claw brush. I let him do most of the calling, but nothing showed up. We headed to the next stand, which was all uphill, but he never complained - it must have been a little tough on him because I got a bit short-winded! We nestled into the base of a cedar tree and I started in on some high-pitched distress. The sun was starting to set, but about 6 minutes into the stand Garret taps my leg, just like I told him to do if he sees something. I look to where he's looking and there stands a grey fox, looking in our direction but not alerted. I raise my shotgun, the only gun I had brought, and realize that this fox is a little too far away. He starts to run downwind and I get a little excited about dropping this fox with my son on stand with me. I squeeze the trigger and BOOM! I think I shot over him! He turns and heads out and BOOM! I let another one rip, but he's already back in the brush. Normally I'd keep calling but instead I turn to Garret and say "You saw that little fox, right?" He's got this huge grin on his face, and then as only my own son could do, he starts to give me a hard time about missing. We walk over to where the fox was and Garret says "I thought it was a squirrel!" We pace off the shot and it turns out it was a little far indeed - 70 yards! Guess Dad got a little "fox fever" and shot too soon. As we headed back to the truck, I watched my son walk through the wild outdoors, and as the world let a beautiful sunset crest the horizon, I knew that life is good.

And we've already made plans to go back after that fox next week!

Before we packed it up, I took a picture of Garret on stand. He really wanted to hold my shotgun . . . .