I've been away from the Internet for the last couple weeks, but not by choice. It's been crazy up here and about everything that could go wrong has. I've had no Internet for almost two straight weeks and that will probably continue for a while.
To make things as short as I can....I've been floored by the advances of modern technology, had my patients pushed to the limits by a know it all teenage kid, got riped off in Texas, was bored to death for days on end in a work situation, (not necessarily a bad thing), only got half my paycheck because I had no Internet to check off my days. I think that last one is getting straightened out, but the whole idea, I think, is a bad one. I'm no drama queen and I veer away from sympathy, but I just find it interesting the things that can happen to someone all at one time and the roller coaster a guy can find himself on due to no actions brought on by himself. The worst thing that happened to me though was someone actually asked me if I was still making those "whistles". It's never easy to swallow that one. But somehow I always do.
Anyway, about the being bored at work thing. Hess Corp told the crews to just show up and hang for 12 day and night while the well flowed. By day three there was nothing to fix, and nothing to clean. I needed to get the hell out of there for a couple hours. It was hitting 100 degrees everyday so I waited till about 7:30 pm, grabbed my modified Tally-Ho, the work camera, and decided to give this killer looking calling country a shot.
Off I went with no camo. I found a good stand with the sun behind me, wind right to left, heavy trees to my left so it was far easier for a coyote to just show up rather than go through all the trouble cutting through all that thick nasty stuff to get my wind, and a great creek bottom right in front of me.
Five minutes after I started calling two coyotes were visible in the creek bottom. A little more intense calling, and one peeled off on a string right towards me. He would either show up in the small clearing in front of me or not all. That's just how the land layout was. It seemed like 15 minutes and I was about to give up when I saw three more down there where the first two were. Then I looked down at my small clearing and there was a pup sniffing around 20 yards in front of me. A few lip squeaks and across the clearing, then up my hill he came.
The pictures were a disappointment to me. This is a much better camera than that, but I had the zoom all wrong and I was shaking. It reminded of the first time I ever called one in.
This pup messed around by that dead looking tree for a while. I lip squeaked and that was all it took to get his interest.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/BradH/IMG_0325.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/BradH/IMG_0326.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/BradH/IMG_0327.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/BradH/IMG_0329.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/BradH/IMG_0328.jpg)
After the previous pic I had enough. He was only 6 or 7 feet from me and I don't care for any coyote being that close to me no mater what the size when I don't have a gun. I kinda shooed him away, he growled at me as he backed down the hill. He hung out at that dead tree for a few minutes then left.
The retreat...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/BradH/IMG_0330.jpg)
This next pic is what I was calling. I never did see any of the other 4 coyotes in the small clearing in front of me. I did see a couple here and there in the bottom but they were really unresponsive to my sounds at that time.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/BradH/IMG_0331.jpg)
That sure is some pretty country
So your whistle things still work extremly well then :laf:
Have a good day Brad
Great story! Thanks Brad! :congrats:
Brad,
Great story and pictures. Probably not as much in one day as you had, but the wind blew off part of the roof at the office a couple of weeks ago. Just so happened, that the computer and central A.C. were located under that part of the roof. Wouldn't you know it. :shck: Everything is fine now. Hang tough, and good luck.
Nelson
Cool pics Bradley.
Maybe the Lords testing you. Wants to see if he's going to keep you around a while or not. :wink:
So we got locators and whistles over here so far. :roflmao:
gotta love them big ol ears scopin ya out. great pics
Brad,
It does seem like you have been having WAY more than your share of trouble lately. Hang in there, there will be a better day coming. Keep making those thingies, I think you called them whistles. :roflmao:
Jerry
Good to hear from ya Brad. Times like that can sure test a guy can't they. :nono: Cool story and pics, looked like a fun little break ya got. Thanks for sharin it with us.
Hot dang, what a rush! :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:
Got those spine tinglely thingies whistling down my back. :laf:
Thanks so much for sharing! :biggrin:
Glad everything is alright again, Nelson. I'm back to my dead boring normal self at this point and I'm happy to be here.
Can you guys believe that?...whistles. I've heard it a couple times and I KNOW I'm not the first to have that directed to. BTW, a few of you guys have whistles on request and I haven't forgotten. But for now I think I lay in the pool and blister. :laf:
Thanks everyone and have a great day!
Brad
Brad,
I have actually had about a dozen people that have called them whistles. None of them were hunters, so I just figured they couldn't think what to call them. :wink:
Jerry
What? Ya make whistles too? :shck: Ah man, I love whistles. Ya got any of those that sound like.......... :biggrin:
Good to see ya back for a bit Brad, and extremely sorry to hear of your roller coaster ride.
Can't see the pics or I would comment on them. :iroll:
Be safe Buddy,
Brad
Those are some good Pics,, I also liked the Pic where the Pups ears are standing Straight up :laf: and I dont know if I would want a Coyote in my Lap either,,if I had a Knife it would still suck,but I dont think I would like one that close without at LEAST having a Club
Bob
Nice hunt Brad, that'd been fun dinkin with that pup. Sorry to hear what you have been goin through. I have been there too, everything happens for a reason though. Hang Tuff Bud.... :biggrin:
JD
Cool Brad! Sounds like a well needed break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hang in there!
Brent
Thanks guys!
Funny thing though, my attitude actually improved if anything through all this. Got my drivers licence replacement, a few credit card replacements, and learned that damn near anything you want to bring can be checked as long as it's a connecting flight, (this flying shit is new to me).
Back to that pup....I wish more of those pics were clear. They'd be screen savers for life. I've had a few in my lap in the past, but they were running and I didn't have time to think. That, and I had a gun pointed their way. This one kinda trotted which actually intensified the excitement. I wouldn't have been secure with a knife. I'm thinking maybe a weed eater at the very least Bob. :laf:
Regardless, this will be a fine coyote to shoot in a few months. With all the moisture we've had this year, this might just be a great year for coyotes and cats.
Brad
I'm not sure how I missed this Brad, but that was totally awesome. I wish I could've been setting there right next to ya....... :huh: :wo: Well, with a gun of course. :eyebrownod:
Why?....you wouldna hit the thing anyway :iroll: