My Arizona hunt with Jeff Mock.

screech

New member
Well Im back in Michigan from my week stay in Tucson AZ, and let me tell you guys I didnt miss home one bit!! 90 degrees with about 70% humidity is worse than 100 degrees in Arizona anyday!!

As some of you may know from my "Thank you Jeff Mock" post a little over a week ago I met up with Jeff in Tucson on August 5th for a pre arranged 3 day predator hunt, Jeff had taken his only long weekend of the month to meet with me and pretty much act as my hunting guide for the weekend as I have never been to the Southwest.

A little side note here: If any of you guys are planning a solo hunt in the desert and have never been to the desert, it would be in your VERY BEST interest to talk to someone who knows the area and knows the desert before just walking into the unknown.

There is so much to be learned because EVERYTHING will either bite you or stick you... I can only imagine the pain I would have felt if Jeff had not invited me to hunt with him and I had just decided to do it alone... Im dead serious, the desert is no place to mess around.. you truely have to be on the "look out" the minute you step out of the truck, [beeep] before that even to make sure you dont step on a rattle snake or jumping choya cactus when u get out.

Jeff told me something that I will remember always, he said to me "You can tell the locals from the tourists, the tourists just walk through the desert with their head up taking in the sites without a care about where they step, the locals are are always walking with their head down looking at where they're next step will be"... so true!!

In the 3 days I spent with Jeff I learned sooo much about the desert and the dangers acossiated with it.

Well my girlfriend and her friend Nicole and her Border patrol friend Adam met Jeff and his wife in Tucson for dinner and got acquainted, what a great time that was!!

After dinner I load my gear in Jeff's car, kiss my girlfriend goodbye and set off with Jeff for my 3 day hunt.

Jeff and Nicole live approx. 40 minutes apart so it was decided I would stay at Jeff's during our hunt (what a guy!!)

Well, after running over a diamondback rattle snake right buy Jeff's house, getting my hunting license, and filling the cooler with water and ice we head to Jeff's place to get our gear ready.

Jeff took one look at my "plastic" hand calls and shook his head... next thing I know Im the new owner of a variety of Carver hand calls and other hand made calls that Jeff had aquired through his many friends.

I was dumbfounded, it was like Christmas.. seriously.

O and do I need some gloves and maybe another facemask and what about another set of shooting sticks and do I like my seat ... WOW!! Let me tell you, Jeff is dialed in with predator hunting gear.

I asked Jeff what he does for hobbies other than hunt when he is not at work ... he said "nothing, I hunt".

Again, this guy is the real deal.

So, with my pack loaded with cool new toys we load the truck with the rifles and gear and head to bed.

3:30am Friday Aug 6th:

Im up before Jeff even opens the door to my bedroom, I am wired to get out there!!

After a couple cups of coffee sitting on his porch overlooking Tucson with an AMAZING view of the Catalina Mountains watching the lightning from a distant Monsoon we head out to the desert, west of the Tucson Mountains (where Jeff's house is situated on the side of by the way).

A border patrol unit gives us a once over as we are heading through the gate of some BLM land.. deciding we look like predator hunters and not illegal immigrants they move on.

Here are some photos of the first few stands we made that morning:

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And here I am just happy to there:

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Well after the 3rd stand and no yotes Jeff says to me "They are shut down.. we would have called one in by now if they weren't"

I was completly amazed.. 3 stands and he is discouraged already .. back here in MI Ill start getting discouraged after 30 stands LOL.

I told him this and he says "you dont understand bud" and left it at that!!

Well we continue to hunt hard that day making 12 stands by noon and covering a heck of a lot of ground!!

More photos of that day:

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O, my newly aquired Predator Masters hat on the dash .. now worn everywhere!!

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Again, just happy to be out hunting!!

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And one of my favorite pics near one of our stands:

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Thats an Ocotillo Cactus (sp) in the foreground..

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The beauty of the desert is amazing!!

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Great trip I can see! I am looking forward to the continued story. That is differant country then the west coast of Oregon.
 
Continued....

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So, noon rolls around and its about 110 degrees, we are HOT and the dogs are not responding.. its time for lunch and to discuss our game plan.

After a 2 pound breakfast burrito at a wonderfull mexican fast food joint (Jeff, I forget the name) we decide its time for a ciesta.. So its back to Jeff's place, heres the view from his porch:

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Well we settle in and watch Kerry Carver's "21 days in Coyote Heaven"... what a DVD!! Man he had to bust his rump to do what he did, if you don't have the DVD .. GET IT!!! Very cool!!

Well, Im beat.. so I take a little nap and Jeff and wakes me about 2 hours later and back out we go!!

We hunt the remainder of the evening, and other than a desert tortoise that Jeff was very excited about, we dont see anything..dogs just not responding.. very hot!!

We pack it in for the day and I spend the evening with Jeff and Joanne at a wonderful steak house in Tucson called Lil Abners... what a great family !!

I then get back to Jeff's and drink his remaining 3 or 4 Dosequis XX beer ... never had it and LOVED it!!

Saturday Aug 7th:

Up at 3:30 for a repeat of the morning before .. coffee and lightning!!

We head up to Arizona City to meet up with Scott from Specialized dynamics... this is one SUPER NICE guy, what a pleasure to hunt with!!

Anyway, second stand in that morning and I see a badger coming in, Jeff and Scott are covering other ground and dont see him, Im not sure if we are Ok to shoot it so I wisper to Jeff who is a few feet away "Badger" ..no reply.. "BADger"... still nothing.... "BADGER!!" .. Jeff looks and says "Shoot it!!" Well, I did... and here he is:

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Man, did this thing stink ... like a mink on steroids is what it reminded me of.

We had some serious high fives as Jeff has never called a badger in .. and I have never seen one .. ever... trapped the U.P. for 15years and we just dont have them up here.

It was cool!!

Well we continue to hunt the rest of the morning and make another 10 stands or so the entire time being ridiculed on my horid smell .. I thought it made good cover sent
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But nothing else showed that morning.

We have lunch in Arizona City and Scott bids Jeff and I farewell as we now are goint to start working our way back to Tucson... the long way!!

We head east now, and we find ourselves on a road that took us back into B.F.E. ... some of the most beautifull country I have ever seen .. and Ive been to Alaska several times!! This was an amazing rest of the day as we set up here and there not ever seeing another person .. we spent hours back in the back country making stands and drinking water and telling stories...

here are some photos of that:

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Jeff in his getty up.

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Hunters view from a stand

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Me just having a BLAST!!!

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Well, the heat has shut the dogs down, we head back to home after really bustin our buts and Jeff cooks up some Pork chops for dinner.. more Dosequis for me and its bed time!!

Sunday Aug. 8th .. last day to hunt:

Up at 3:45 .. got to sleep in this day !!

Coffee, ligtning and off we go!!

We head south this day .. weather is cooler and we are feeling better.

After making some quick stands this morning and getting buzzed by a Border patrol chopper we finally score!!!

We were in thick desert .. I didnt have much more than a 50yrd shot anywhere I looked.

7 minutes in .. with mojo and foxpro doing there thing.. this fella shows up and I drop him with one shot at 46 steps.

Jeff told me he had seen the dog coming and as he was putting his sights on his head I dropped him...

Now after 2 long hard hot days in the desert with no yotes .. I dont need to tell you how happy I was and did not refraim from giving Jeff a big ole hug and several high fives!!

Continued Below...
 
Continued for SCREECH...

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We continued to hunt VERY hard that day, covering some very remote and very beautiful country ...

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We never saw another dog that day.. but what an unbeleiveable trip for me .. and what made it all worth it was meeting Jeff and his wife .. what wonderfull people !!

Jeff, if you read this, bud .. I really cant say thanks enough .. I know that I have made a lifelong friend and I promise you that I will be back for a winter hunt soon.

YOU ROCK!!

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John, I'm glad you had such a great time. You're welcome here ANYTIME....maybe next time when it's a little "COOLER"...
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John did a great job of dealing with the Desert heat...He took everything the Desert threw at him and he did it with a big SMILE on his face.

I had a great time as well John, and Joann and I had a blast meeting you.

Thanks for making the trip!
 
Nice story, sounds like a good time.I have not been back to AZ for about 10 years, I have many relatives around Phx.I look forward to giving predator calling a try next time I`m there.During the time I lived there (`82-`91)I spent many a weekend playing in the desert,I recall a friend of mine (late friend unfortunately, died in auto crash the year I returned to NE.)mentioning we should "call coyotes" because we happened across a few on a couple different ocasions. I had never heard of Predator calling back then, but sure wished we would have given it a try.Thanks for sharing your story and pictures, they bring back good memories.
 
One of the best stories with pics that I have seen on here in a while...The desert has a way of drawing you to it and then you are hooked for life....Thanks for shareing!

Chad
 
Originally Posted By: TonyTebbeI suggest a nomination for HOM. Very cool story and great pics.

Tony x3, did ta see any "ILLEGALS"
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great story, great pics now I'm really pumped for my first trip to arizona in october. As for the nomination for HOM we should just give him the win
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HOM for sure, thats what we all have been waiting on all summer long was a good story and pictures. Great story and pictures
 
Yeah, that smuggling and illegal immigration sign is OBAMA's way of dealing with illegal immigration....warning our own people that they are coming thru here so don't be in their way cause you might get hurt....instead of warning them saying..."Anyone crossing the border illegally will be shot on sight"......and face the sign toward Mexico.....what a POS.
 
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That has to be one of the best write ups I've seen!! Thanks for sharing
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Jeff is a blast to hunt with and the hospitality him and his family shows a guest is second to none
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