Sitting at home and get a phone call

[slagmaker]

I was sitting here yesterday morning thinking about what all I had to get done that day and my phone rings. It was my cousin, Baloo. He lives up in greenwood. The conversation went something like this:

Slag: Hello?
Baloo: grab your stuff and meet me I am going to make some stands on some public land.
Slag: OK I have to get a couple things done and the I will cal you when I start the truck.
Baloo: Cool talk to you in a few

OK clean ash from wood burner and throw on some wood. Get that done. Damm lot of ash. Didnt I clean this out last week. Oh well get'r done. DONE Next wood, Man I am glad I got some wood ready. throw wood in burner. Spread ash over garden area. Admiare the paterns the ash dust makes as it wafts across the snow. Neat. OK  Put up ash pan and get back inthe house.

Back in the house. Get snow coverd shoes and pants off and find thermals. Found thermal tops... bottoms are....... where? Washer! hey what do you know not in washer in dryer and dry. Cool things are starting off nice. Lay out thermals, coat, pants and misc clothing and insulation I am gona need. It was 17*F with a good stiff wind and snow. OK everything layed out.

Next. Grab gear and have it ready by front door. Got rifle from safe. Ammo ammo ammo. Hey already got a ammoo wallet full of 22-250rem What reciepe? 33.6gr of IMR3031 pushing a 55gr Sierra HP. Thems the reloads I wanted. Grab ammo wallet. Rifle in soft case, ammo wallet, something to sit on,, snow camo/white suit. Calls, FX5. ok everytihng.

Dresed and gear in the truck. ready to go.

Make call to Baloo.

Baloo: Hello?
Slag: I am in the truck and shes warming up now.
Baloo: So your still in the drive way?
Slag: yep but I willl be putting it in gear in a few moments.
Baloo: OK call me when your closer. I will keep scouting.
Slag: Cool see you in a few

Put truck in gear and drive the 40+ minute on a good day drive in just at an hour. Through snow and ice. Keeping an eye out for snow plows and people that have no idea how to drive in this weather. I call family and talk with them on the cell and have a nice conversation with a couple family members. Nice drive. The scenery was beautifull with the new snow and everything. No I am sorry to say I didnt get any pics of the scenery. I was more worried about driving on snowy roads.  

Get close to destination. Make call.

Baloo: Hello?
Slag: Hey I am here where are you?
Baloo: I am on the other side, sign in and I will meet you there.
Slag: Cool see you in a few.

Meet up say hellos, transfer gear to his truck. Change into my hunting clothes/insulation. And were off like a cold wet fart.

Baloo shows me a field and drops me off. He drives up a ways and gets out and I walk out little farther than hundered yards and I grab my FX5 HMMMM Switch is already in the on position? Dang it, dead batteries. OK it stays in truck. I have my new Howler and my other calls so I will just use them. Lets try the howler. Get situated in a clump of brush and trees and look to make sure I can see Baloo. Confirmed. Lets start howling. I have been practicing. Put her to my lips and I cant even get it to squeek. AHHHHHH!!!!!!! nothing wrong with howler. PERFORMANCE ANXIETY? Maybe? OK lets try it again. I can make a bark but even that aint very good. OK, I have another open reed and the distress call from Barry and friends. Lets hit the distress. No sense in educating Coyotes or my cousin to my perdiciment. Its snowing and the wind has picked up when I hit the distress. A minute or so of the bunny blues and wait hit it again little difrent and wait. CROWS. Here come some crows. Hmm wonder if I can get them to come in closer. Baloo said he wanted to shoto a crow. NOPE nothing. they woudnt commit. They would start my way and turn. I think they knew something was up. From my vantage it looked like they could see the truck so they left. OK 20 minute stand and nothing lets hit another.

OK Baloo drives us around and points out areas he likes and we come to a lake and some people ice fishing.



Thats some injinuity there. The shelter is just a pop up blind.


We drive to another spot. A lake that Baloo thought might look good so we pull up and BS for a few then get out and start walking. We find an area that we think will let us cover some area and the camo will blend the best. Get settled in and I think lets try the howler again. Hey what ya know it works but I botch the howl. Cant get the second bark right before the long howl but the long howl comes out long, loud and true I am thinknig dang it need more practice and then it happens. They let in. Got some answering!! and they are deffinetlly moving this way FAST. I am not sure but I think I could actually hear my cousin smile. Here they come little off from the direction that we thought they may come from but here they come non the less. I thougth I saw a shadow/dark spot in the weeds and I hear the bark. That one high picthed your busted cox-sucka bark. The pack shut up and that was it. Got that one glimpse and POP my bubble was gone. Baloo starts in with a distress and I turn and wave no good, dont even waste your breath. No sense in teaching them everything we got. The walk back to the truck wasnt near as tireing as the walk out to the stand. So with renewed hope off we go to make a few more stands.

Then I remember I didnt take a picture so Heres a pic of the damm area we just walked from.


the next stand was a field with straw bales in it.

My view


Baloos view


Noting on this stand.

We go to one more spot. Baloo drops me off and he drives up a few hundred yards to the other end of the field.

I walk out to my location and I hear these guys flying over. You can barely see them in this pic but they are there.


Long lines.



Nothing here either except for some song birds and the neighbors dogs a barking. cell rings and baloo is waiting in the truck.

Were both getting hungary and he's deffinetly getting cold. So off we go. Back to my truck. Transfer gear say our goodbyes and its head back home.

Didn't get one. Didnt even truely see one. BUT it was a BLAST none the less. This howler sounds completlety awesome echoing back at you across a frozen lake.

[coyotehunter_1]

Didn't get one. Didnt even truely see one. BUT it was a BLAST none the less.

I'm glad you all had a good day.
Good write up too, thanks for sharing your hunt with us. 

[KySongDog]

That was one heck of a write up, Slag.  Very enjoyable read.   

[weedwalker]

Great write up Slag. Glad y'all had fun anyways.

[alscalls]

Like my buddy said the other day.....we just got out of the truck to do a few sets and I said.....I hope this is gonna be worth it......He replied ....." It already is"   

Sounds like a great time.......

[GunDog]

Great story and pics Slag. Thanks for sharing it! 

[FinsnFur]

I've had that anxiety lock up dilemma myself.
You got it down pat, you KNOW you got it down pat, but yet you still get stage fright or something and totally forget how to do it. And I use a latex reed.

My cure for that was, I work that howler all the way to the stand while driving to it.

[pitw]

Excellent read slag  .  The fun is in the doing I'll agree .

[HaMeR]

Heck I can't even make a distress sound come out right.    I still hit a squawk on the howler too. Aint no big deal tho cause once it happens you can't take it back. I just go to distress right away when I botch a howl.   

[slagmaker]

After I botched the howl I was thinkning now what when the yotes started howling and yipping and generaly carring on and then it was too late just wait for them to get to us. Ya know if we hadnt walked out from the truck as far as we did we would have had better cover and we may not have gotten bussted. BUT "IF" is the middle name of LIFE. So ya live and learn.

As a side note. Baloo had never seen a howler used. He liked that howler. Said to tell Barry and John_NY that he liked the looks of it and by golly them things do work.

Another side note. I think Baloos view almost looks like a Christmas card picture

[iahntr]

Cool read slag,    Thanks

[msmith]

I really enjoyed the story slag, thanks. 

[Frogman]

Thanks for the story and pictures.  I always enjoy reading about the hunts!

Jim