Subj: Autobiography of a hunter
Date: 5/7/2007 7:52:43 PM Central Standard Time
(http://www.hunt101.com/img/493466.JPG)
Rich Cronk has been calling predators since the early 1980's. His first coyote was called with a cheap tape recorder he borrowed from one of his children. That first coyote was taken on first night out, and on the second stand. It was a moon lit night, and about four inches of fresh fallen snow would make the dark outline of a coyote show up well when it came out into the field after the rabbit he heard screaming. The strategy was simple. We stood in the shadows of the treeline while the cheap tape player sat about twenty yards out into the open field. The rabbit had only been singing for a few seconds when the coyote ran up and tried to take a bite out of the tape player. One shot from the ten gauge ended that coyote's career, and started a whole new career for Rich Cronk. Rich has been hooked on coyote calling ever since that night.
Rich called and killed quite a few coyotes with that old tape player, but it wasn't long before he decided that fooling coyotes with a mouth blown call would be more of a challenge. Rich's first mouth blown calls were of enclosed reed type long range calls from Burnham Brothers. The coyotes were easy to fool back then, says Rich. "The coyotes came like a dog to a whistle". A month or so with the Burnham Brothers calls, Rich decided that it would be even more of a challenge if he were to make a call with his own hands and fool the coyotes with it. His first do it yourself call was made from a tine of an Iowa whitetail, and the reed was a JC products cottontail reed wedged inside the drilled out antler tine. That little call worked just fine, and it wasn't long before Rich was making calls for other folks as well. Sometime in the late 1980's, Rich made the trip to Marble Falls, texas for a visit with the great Murry Burnham. Murry taught Rich how to make the lip squeak sound, and Rich presented Murry with the little deer antler call that he had made. Murry said that the deer antler call "sounds just like a snowshoe".
Nice write-up, Rich. Glad to make your acquaintance. Your sterling reputation precedes you. :bowingsmilie:
Johnny
But as the photo dictates his age certainly is doing nothing for his looks. :iroll:
:laf:
Nice little Bio Rich :wink:
edited: :biggrin:
Nice bio on the Old Cronkster. He damn sure makes good calls and that is a fact. I think I may have been the first yote hunter to use his Lip Squeak with Echo to call in and kill a coyote. I realy like it as a coaxer on a yote that is hung up out there about 400 yards. If I could make some of those sounds he makes with his own vocal chords, I would get a serious kick out of calling them in that way. He is a true original, for a fact. :highclap:
Thanks for sharing your bio . Its great to be in your company over here !
Jeb
Rich,
Thanks for the Bio. It was nice reading. :bowingsmilie:
Nelson
Hey Rich: I think you ought to use that photo for your avatar!
Possom,
I haven't yet figured out how to shrink that photo down to legal avatar size yet.
very nice Rich its always nice to find out about folks there is a bunch of ya'll I can't wait ta see in person
about shrinkin avitars call in the geek squad :roflmao: OH Jim where are ya :innocentwhistle:
Rich I resized it for you and emailed it. See if that size will work for you.
Rich: Newbomb and I had the same idea. I sent you a link to your resized avatar too. Sorry to jump on your post Newbomb, but two of a good thing won't hurt old Rich a bit. :roflmao:
Were just all good deed doers arent we! :roflmao:
Thanks for the help guys. I finally got it working anyway. Your help is appreciated. :whew:
Rich: It is about time somebody did something for you, as you sure have helped a lot of us. It looks like we got to help old Newbomb get his avatar up and running. :roflmao:
Rich, that was a good write up . Enjoyed it and it sort of hit home. You know we are getting close to being ole has beens. I think we still have a few good years of calling and trapping left. Just when I start getting down on myself , I see somebody worse off then me and it gives me a lift. Live life to the fullest. Right now I have a friend and furbuyer up in the hospital with cancer. He was a big strong mountain man and now the cancer is slowly taking him down. Very honest and nice fellow. Always gave me a fair price on my fur. It's tough to take but that's life. There are no quarantees. A guy has got to live life to the fullest. If you think about somthing , just don't think about it, DO IT!!! That's my phylosophy now. Just go do it.
Good philosophy too, Jerry. Old Rich is feeling better now, and I'd say the coyotes in Iowa will be in trouble. Good news for us, bad news for the coyotes! :highclap:
Amen Jerry!
Preach it Brother! :biggrin:
Jimbo: you should look so good at that age. Iffen you should make it. :{D}
Quote from: Jerry Hunsley on August 02, 2007, 10:27:07 PM
If you think about somthing , just don't think about it, DO IT!!! That's my phylosophy now. Just go do it.
Wiser words have never been spoken. Great advice Jerry! I finally came to that conclusion a few years ago. I kept planning for the future but the future never comes. We only have TODAY....the here and now. Wasting time....the biggest sin of all.
Semp
I like the one ...
"If your killing time, you're murdering sucess."
Good health and time are the taken for granted. don't fall into this trap! Step back and enjoy each day and the people who mean the most to you.
You got that right Randy. I just had that point driven home to me. :whew:
I agree with all you guys. It was only the other day when I was in my 30s and 40s, where did all that time go? The average American male lives to around 76, that gives me maybe 12 more years of having fun, you can sure bet I'm gonna if I have my health............Life is great, live it.
Rich, I enjoyed that write up, thanks for posting it.
Thanks for the write up, a very good one.
Quote from: onecoyote on August 11, 2007, 09:27:43 AM
I agree with all you guys. It was only the other day when I was in my 30s and 40s, where did all that time go? The average American male lives to around 76, that gives me maybe 12 more years of having fun, you can sure bet I'm gonna if I have my health............Life is great, live it.
Rich, I enjoyed that write up, thanks for posting it.
Nice writeup Rich, glad heart is doing fine.
Guys, say that 76 isn't so!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm 73+ doing chemo- and just went out and bought some call turning tools to start turning calls again.
Richard Grantham
caller223 ,
It is good to see you here Richard. A nice guy who makes nice calls, that be you Richard. :wink:
I'm 73+ doing chemo- and just went out and bought some call turning tools to start turning calls again.
Richard Grantham
[/quote]
Glad to see your posts again Richard, hope you are feeling well ! I look forward to seeing those new calls you are working on . :highclap:
Rich and Bob D. thanks for kind words.
Richard Grantham
Richard: Ditto to the previous posts. I have not had the pleasure of meeting you, but if Rich Cronk says you are a nice guy who makes nice calls, I'll accept that as gospel. Great to see that you are interested in the things you enjoy, a sure sign of improving with the health issues. I know that all members of this forum are in your corner. :highclap: :highclap: