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:

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.

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!

Predator Xtreme - Skull Cleaning Article

If you are a subscriber to Predator Xtreme magazine, then check out this month's issue for a short article about skull cleaning with beetles, written by me. And if you're not a subscriber, then you need to be! Subscribe here.

And if you want to get started in skull and bone cleaning with dermestid beetles, then there is no better way to get started than to contact Tim Hovey at Dermestid Inc. His colonies are well-priced and well-maintained, and Tim is an encyclopedia of beetle knowledge.

Happy Hunting!

Happy New Year - make it adventurous!

It was -2 degrees at my house in Arizona on New Year's Eve. It was record breaking cold, I heard on the radio. We had 6 inches of snow on the ground but I was warm and toasty inside the house. There was food and drinks on the table, in the oven, on the counter, and in the cupboards - none of it more than just a few steps away. There was my family and lots of friends, and we had a great time.

You know who wasn't invited, though? Mr. Coyote. Turns out he slept under a bush somewhere with a grumbling stomach. The next morning he woke up and went to work trying to secure food in anyway possible. What he really wanted was a fresh rabbit or a little wounded bird, something easy to catch and nice and warm. Maybe he got it, and maybe he didn't, but my point here is that if you were there to entice him with the sounds of wounded prey, then perhaps you'd be adding another pelt to the pile. This time of year is a perfect time to get out and hunt those predators. Make sure to dress to fit the weather conditions and bring preparations for a worst-case scenario, but don't use cold weather as an excuse to sit at home. Remember - you can't kill coyotes from the couch!

Have a Happy New Year, get out and find as much adventure as possible, and may God bless you and your family with health, joy, and success.

Now get out there and put some fur on the ground!

A Lesson Re-Learned

It's been awhile since I had some free time to get out and hunt - this season has been hard on me because I haven't hunted as much as I usually do! Finally I had the chance to go yesterday and I took a rookie named Weev along with me.

On the first stand a coyote came in pretty quick and pretty fast, and I shot it with the shotgun. Coyote goes down, moves around a little, and then lays there for about 5minutes, moving around a little every now and then but not really that active. I'm scanning the area when I catch some movement - it's a coyote running away from the stand and into the thick brush. It took a second for my brain to realize that the coyote was the same one that was supposed to be dead! I jumped up and tried to head him off as I ran into the brush, and I could hear him thrashing around in the leaves, but after quite a while of searching in near impassable brush, we couldn't find him. Lesson Re-Learned: hit 'em until they stop moving.

A few stands later another coyote comes in, full steam ahead, and then comes to a halt about 30 feet in front of Weev. He shoots and misses, but then makes up for it when he dumps her running away at about 70 yards. Nice big furred out female coyote, too.



A few stands later we had crawl into a deep canyon and I just knew that a fox was going to come in. I tell Weev to get ready and then I start calling. Less than 2 minutes later BOOM! I hear the roar of a shotgun followed by the scream of a fox. A few seconds after that I hear a lot of scrambling and realize that Weev is running down the wash and BOOM! he shoots again. I get up and follow him - seems that the fox (who literally had the stuffing knocked out of him) laid there for a second and then got up and ran - he died in a rock hole but we couldn't get him out. Lesson Re-Learned (again): hit 'em until they stop moving.

Next stand we called in two foxes who wouldn't commit to shotgun range, and seemed to be more interested in chasing each other around in the rocks. Then on the last stand of the day we called in a coyote who slipped away into some brush downwind before Weev could take a shot. But all in all it was a good day - 3 coyotes and 3 foxes called in, and the new guy got to see everything and even got to pull the trigger with success.

But above all, I came away with this: no matter how many times you hunt, no matter how many animals you kill, you always have something to re-learn. In this case: hit 'em until they stop moving.

And as a side-note, I got the chance to use my new Pelt Pakker from Kettle Creek Calls yesterday to drag this big heavy coyote back to the truck. Weev says it was pretty comfortable, and I know it sure beats having my old drag, which was a piece of 550 cord, dig into my hand from the weight.

Coyote Clinic 2011 - Date Change

The date for the Coyote Clinic in January has been changed. It is now January 21st for the Class portion, and January 22nd for the Field Day. The same discount applies if you attend both days.

The reason for the re-schedule is to allow for my participation in a Veterans for Veterans (V4V) event in Tucson, AZ on Januray 15th. V4V was started by my friend and associate Matt Shozda, who owns Firearms Mastery in Tucson. My own training organization, Independence Firearms Training, is proud to be a sponsor and network partner of V4V.

The January 15th course is a Basic Handgun / Arizona CCW course, and will be followed by more courses in the months to come. What makes the V4V program so great is that 50% of all course proceeds and 100% of all raffle and gift proceeds to go a Veteran's organization. The next three V4V events will benefit Honor Flight, which is an organization which sends WWII Veterans to the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. It is out hope that through V4V we will be able to send 10 Veterans to D.C. through the Honor Flight program.

Please visit Firearm Mastery's website to learn more about V4V.

Coyote Clinic and Field Day

The predator season is in full swing, and if you've been struggling to put fur on the ground, or if you'd like to learn some new tricks to put in your hunting toolbox, then here's your chance to get it figured out!

I will be holding the Coyote Clinic Class and Field Day on January 14th and 15th in 2011, up in beautiful Dewey, AZ. Both dates are available separately, but if you get them together then you will get a 10% discount.

Students from February's and April's Coyote Clinic continue to call me and send me emails to tell me about their successful hunts. Here are a few blog entries immediately following the last Coyote Clinic which shows how some of the students got right to work!

Coyote Clinic = Success! AND Coyote Clinic students continue to drop fur!

Space is limited, so register today via PayPal or with check / money order. For information on payment, 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)

See you there!

Teamwork

Four minutes of fox distress from the Griz-N-Gray and BAM! right in front of me stood a gray fox, hackles up and ready to fight. The shot was 25 yards and in a rush I centered my crosshairs on his shoulder, but as the shot broke I knew that I had made a mistake. 25 yards is too close for me to hold the shot right on, and just like I knew it would the shot was low and hit the fox either low in the chest or in the leg. Either way it didn't keep him from finding solace in the brush and rocks before I could get another shot, and as my calling partner Kelly watched the fox disappear, I figured he was gone for good. A few more minutes of calling produced no more animals, so I called off the stand and we started the hunt for blood. It wasn't hard to find, but after about 15 minutes of trailing, the blood became infrequent drips and then disappeared altogether as the fox made his way into the decomposed granite. I hate to leave a wounded animal behind, but we couldn't find anymore sign, and so we decided to press on to another stand.

I really enjoy hunting alone - it's my time for thinking and self-reflection. And plus if something gets screwed up, there's no one to blame but me! That being said, I also really like to spend time hunting with friends and family. Sharing the experience and the thrill of the hunt with others has its own fulfillment value, and my good friend Kelly is especially fun to hunt with. We always seem to find cool things when we hunt together, and today was no different.

With the bad shot behind me, we headed off for our next stand. On the way we found some very interesting mine sites and trash dumps. We decided to get a better look on the way back, and here's some pics I took of the trash dumps. Lots of old metal cans and mining equipment!



We got to our next stand and I setup overlooking a large canyon while Kelly setup across from me at the top of a small draw where he could watch behind me. We had been really hoping to pull a bobcat out of this area, but with my luck at calling everything in with the Griz-N-Gray I started out with more fox distress. 10 minutes passed with no response and no shots from Kelly, so I switched to a cottontail distress. Just a few seconds later I heared Kelly's rifle bark and the familiar sound of a meat report. I knew we had one animal down but wasn't sure what it was. Another 5 minutes of calling and nothing else showed up, so I called the stand off. I whistled to Kelly but got no response. I whistled again to make sure he heard me. When I still heard nothing back I snuck around the bush I was sitting in and whistled one more time. This time I heard Kelly respond with a short blast from a hand call, and I looked around to find him with his rifle raised and his head to the stock, obviously keeping a bead on something. He gave me a hand signal that we use which means "keep calling" and I got back on the cottontail distress. That's when a seemingly simple stand suddenly became a sort of "tactical" operation.

I had no idea what was happening at the time, but Kelly had watched as three foxes came into my calling. They were on approach when I switched from the fox distress to cottontail, and they did not like that one bit! They turned to leave and presented Kelly with a good shot on one of them. Kelly made a 180 yard shot with his .243 to the neck of the largest fox, which turned out to be one big hog-of-a-fox, and the other two split. Or so he thought. As I continued to call, one of the foxes came back and began to run around the dead one, but Kelly could never get a shot on it. Once I stopped calling and started whistling the fox really lost its mind and started doing strafing runs on the dead fox. Then I started calling and moving towards the area where Kelly was pointing his rifle, trying to see if I could get a better angle on whatever it was he was aiming at. He continued to watch the fox as I slowly crept towards the area. I gave him a hand signal that means "you call" and as he started calling the fox stopped, looked in the direction of the new sound, and finally presented Kelly with a good target. Another 180 yard shot and that fox was down, as well. I still had no idea what exactly had happened, but when Kelly guided me to the spot where the foxes were down, I was happy to see such a big fox laying there!





With foxes in hand we headed back to the truck. We both had to get back to work (dang it!) and it was getting a bit warmer than we preferred. But on our trip back we wanted to check out the mines, and wow! We found some very interesting sites. Lots of long dark tunnels and big cuts out of the land, but the most interesting was one where there were still good timbers and even a door. This tunnel went way back, farther back than I could see. Underneath it about 20 feet down the hill was another tunnel which was filled with deep water and also went farther back than I could see.



And up on the hillside we found the throne room of the former miners - clearly a couple, though it's hard to guess the date of when they were last in the area.



That was it for our calling adventure today, but we plan on heading back for the cats - and maybe more foxes - and we'll bring a bright flashlight to see just how deep some of those holes go into the earth. Days like today remind me that even though I enjoy my solo hunting trips, it's also exciting and beneficial to share the hunt with a good friend! If I had made that last stand alone, and played it the same way, then I would have never know about the foxes that almost got away.