At the last minute Carolina Coyote and myself decided to make a change of plans. Since I wasn't going to get out to the LBL until Saturday late, I really couldn't justify coming out there. The biggest reason I go every year is to see all of my friends that I have made on here. So CC and I made a predator hunting decision and decided to go to Georgia instead. An what a weekend we had too. This is going to be long and with quite a few pictures. Another late minute decision was to bring my son along with us and I am certainly glad we did. I got to watch him start to turn into a man and a dang good shoot to boot. Here is the recap of our weekend.
We started out at 3 AM on Saturday morning headed down to the Wonderosa.
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That Saturday don't get much detail, cause we were all tired and sluggish. We called all day and didn't call up the first animal.
So on to Sunday morning, we started out that morning on some property that CC has permission to hunt. As soon as we started in that morning we noticed some really fresh tracks going right down the road. So we went just far enough away from the car so that an approaching predator wouldn't bust us out on that reason. I had my son set up watching some thick pines and Carl was covering our backside down at the edge of the thicket. While I was watching the road. About 2 minutes into the call here comes a pretty female coyote trotting down the road. At about 30 yards she checks up and drop her in here tracks with a .223 round. Here we are with our first coyote of the weekend.
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That was all that we got to respond that morning so we started riding around on some of the property looking for sign. While we were out Drew spotted a armadillo our in the middle of the field. One of the stipulations of hunting this property is to shoot every armadillo we see. So out of the car Drew goes. Now this thing was a good 200 yards, and he was shooting off of sticks. I will have to give him credit on a good shot, especially for a 13 year old. Here are a couple of pictures.
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That brings us into Monday morning, we head out at daylight again cold calling a new piece of property. After about 5 stands we set up on the edge of a field with thickets all the way around. I was using the Foxpro with a woodpecker in distress sound. At about 5 minutes Carl sees a big female standing in the corner of the field. One shot with the 12 gauge with #4 buckshot was all it took for her.
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Coyote # 2 for the weekend.
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That afternoon was the best day I have ever had for calling predators. We started out on another piece of new ground and the first stand was in some open pines just out from a pine thicket. I had Drew watching the road to my right and Carl covering the lefthand side. As soon as I started out calling I had a huge owl, hawk and about 100 crows on top of me. They were really making some noise. I notice something coming running up the road that Drew was watching. It turned out out to be a grey fox. It stopped about 20 yards from Drew in the wide open, I sat there with a ringside seat. I heard the safety go off then I heard that sickening sound of a gun snapping. He had forgotten to load his gun when he got out of the car. Anyone ever do that??? I have several times. So when I heard that I did what all good Dad's would do I shot and killed the fox for him.
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Next stand about 400 yards on down the road we setup with Drew watching the road again and Carl and myself stepped into the thicket. About 3 minutes into the stand I noticed a coyote step out about 50 yards away. I had told Carl that I wasn't going to shoot for him to do the shooting. I lip squeeked one time and he come running flat out to us. We wound up both shooting him at about 10 yards. That was #3 for the weekend.
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On down the road to stand #3 about 400 more yards. I sat up us in the cross roads of a couple of roads. I was sitting in the direct sun and was roasting. So I called the stand off at about the 10 minute mark, well while we were standing around talking things over here comes another fox walking in. It got away but the memory didn't.
That was all of the predator hunting for the weekend. Here is a hero shot of the animals we killed.
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Here are a few more pictures from the weekend.
Drew out shooting turtles in the pond. There must have been 200 of those rascals out there.
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Here he is with a fox he killed.
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It was a great time with a great two great hunting partners, one of them being my son. Thanks for a wonderful time Carl and Drew.
Great job guys. Nice pics and story Ronnie. Do ya think Drew has the predator bug now? :congrats:
Now that's what its all about. Great weekend with a good friend and your best friend, your son. I'd rather call one in for my grandsons anytime than shoot it myself. Congrats and thanks for sharing. :highclap: :highclap:
WOW!! Way to go. :yoyo: :yoyo: :highclap: :highclap: :congrats: :congrats:
Pat
Pretty slick Ronnie..... We did miss ya at LBL, but now that I know ya weren't stuck wallpapering a bathroom or something I feel much better. You'd be hard pressed to have a much better hunt than that. Congrats to you all :congrats:
Congrats to all 3 of you !!! What a weekend ! :highclap: :highclap: :highclap: I just posted this morning that I didnt see you in any of the LBL pics. Great job !
Jeb
Ronnie, being able to take the boy with you was worth much more than having fun with us. And to top it off you got to take him to a target rich environment so he could learn too. He gets to shoot many of those turtles he will soon be out shooting his old man. :wink: Jimmie
Wow, you guys cleaned house. :congrats:
I was wondering why no one took your picture at the LBL. I mean...ya they probably cared for their cameras well being but you'd think someone would accidentally get you in a background or something :laf:
Congrats on the successful weekend, give the boy a "kudos" for us :yoyo:
Missed you at the LBL Ronnie but good times with friends and family is even better! Congrads on a great hunt!
Brent
Nice post. I haven't got to meet you yet, but wv_yoter speaks highly of you. I know he was looking forward to seeing you at LBL. Looks like you had great weekend too.
Jim
Man am I jealous! :madd:
:laf:
I don't know about hunting w/ Drew, but a hunt w/ Carolina Coyote aka Carl is a great time. :thumb2:
Hey Drew: looks like you let the air outta that 'dillo. :laf:
I too was really hoping to see you & Carl at the LBL. :sad:
That is a real good weekend!! Congratulations to one & all!! :congrats: :congrats:
Great pics and story! You had a great time with your son. That's what counts! :congrats:
Semp
It looks to me like you guys done better than all 38 of us combined at the LBL hunt............Way to go :yoyo: :yoyo: :yoyo: :yoyo: :yoyo:
Looks like you had a great time and I am sure that having you son along made it all the better.
Jerry
Hey Ronnie!
Looks like you letting that boy grow up on you! :biggrin:
Brent
This was a good trip and Ronnie and I missed going to the LBL and getting to see everyone but we are already planning for 09 and hope to see everyone then. cc
Very nice trophies, I must say I am jealous of the armadillo. I would love to shot one of them, just once.
Kuipdog, If ever down around Georgia get in touch I just might be able to put you on one. :eyebrow: :eyebrownod: cc
That would be great!! I think they are so cool, I would love to have one mounted that I shot. I went hunting in OK a while back and the place we hunted said to shoot all we saw, but we never got a chance. I was bummed and so was the rest of my group.