Just an old Hunter

Rich · June 09, 2007, 09:43:27 AM

Subj: Autobiography of a hunter
Date: 5/7/2007 7:52:43 PM Central Standard Time

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".

KySongDog · June 09, 2007, 09:58:53 AM

Nice write-up, Rich. Glad to make your acquaintance. Your sterling reputation precedes you.

Johnny

FinsnFur · June 09, 2007, 12:29:18 PM

But as the photo dictates his age certainly is doing nothing for his looks.

Nice little Bio Rich

KySongDog · June 09, 2007, 01:31:02 PM

edited:

possumal · June 09, 2007, 02:27:15 PM

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.

Jeb · June 09, 2007, 11:41:29 PM

Thanks for sharing your bio . Its great to be in your company over here !
Jeb

Nelson · June 10, 2007, 02:57:00 AM

Rich,

Thanks for the Bio. It was nice reading.

Nelson

possumal · June 15, 2007, 09:09:39 AM

Hey Rich: I think you ought to use that photo for your avatar!

Rich · June 15, 2007, 12:28:24 PM

Possom,
I haven't yet figured out how to shrink that photo down to legal avatar size yet.

bowjunkie · June 15, 2007, 12:31:07 PM

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

newbomb · June 15, 2007, 12:55:12 PM

Rich I resized it for you and emailed it. See if that size will work for you.

possumal · June 15, 2007, 01:34:07 PM

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:

newbomb · June 15, 2007, 06:57:51 PM

Were just all good deed doers arent we! :roflmao:

Rich · June 15, 2007, 07:44:04 PM

Thanks for the help guys. I finally got it working anyway. Your help is appreciated.

possumal · June 15, 2007, 08:09:58 PM

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:

Jerry Hunsley · August 02, 2007, 10:27:07 PM

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.

possumal · August 03, 2007, 07:10:28 PM

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!

vvarmitr · August 04, 2007, 09:10:13 AM

Amen Jerry!

Preach it Brother!

Jimbo: you should look so good at that age. Iffen you should make it. :{D}

KySongDog · August 05, 2007, 07:03:35 AM

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

vvarmitr · August 05, 2007, 09:12:11 AM

I like the one ...

"If your killing time, you're murdering sucess."

Just an old Hunter

bowjunkie