Arizona Bushman
New member
The Arizona Fox season is coming to an abrupt end within the next few weeks. So after sitting around all weekend, watching the wind blow a weather front across the Valley of the Sun I was itching to get out and enjoy one of our final days of cool weather. I was pretty confident that after two days of rain showers and high winds that the critters would be looking for an easy meal. Painfully waiting through a very slow eight hours at the office, I was off and battling rush-hour traffic to hit some of our local hills. I arrived at an easy to access location just outside of metro Phoenix. As I was pulling in, I heard the all too familiar sound of “Tacti-cool Teddy” letting loose on dozens of cases of fine Wolf ammo. Can somebody please tell me where I can get a tag to hunt refrigerators with a drum magazine full of 7.62x39? Or can you tell me why the Garbage Hunting Mafia never seems to run out of ammo? So I keep driving past Major General Teddy. The dude had two stars on the back window of his Escalade, so he must be a General! Whatever; I continue a little deeper into the desert than I had wished to go after the rush-hour fiasco. About four miles from the highway, I cross into a really green valley with a running creek and spot several canyons coming into one. Perfect, I think as I am pulling on my leaf suit and settling into my familiar routine.
I cautiously set up the Fox Pro Wild Fire in the canyon about thirty yards to my ten-o-clock and began playing my patent pending “Arizona Bushman Grey Fox set”. Five minutes of Snowshoe 1 followed by five minutes of Snowshoe 2 and ending with another five minutes of Snowshoe HP. Approximately eight minutes into the call I spot an eagle over the top of the hill to my twelve-o-clock. He is flying slow circles like he is tracking something. Sure enough a little grey fox appears from the rocks directly under the watchful eagle. I guestimate that the grey is about 175-200 yards up the hill side, but the little guy stops and begins looking to his left. I watch him for about thirty seconds and decide to test my shooting skills by reaching out way beyond my comfort zone. I slowly adjust my scope and get a steady sight picture while rested on my shooting stick. The 35 gr. NTX streaks up the hillside like a laser beam; I watch the fox back flip and take off into the thick brush then disappear from sight. At this point I am super pumped that I just landed a pretty technical shot straight up a mountain. The Call switches to Grey Fox Distress and I have a “WWSMMD?” moment. (What would SnowManMo do?) So I hold tight and let the distress calls echo up the canyon. Not even a minute later a pair of Grey’s poke out of the rocks about sixty yards to my four-o-clock. Sweet!! Bonus round, do I chose the fox behind door number 1 or do I take the fox behind door number 2? Easy choice, the fox behind door number 2 is bigger and standing broadside to me. I let loose another 35 gr. sleeping pill and the bonus fox is DRT, no doubt about that.
The bonus fox had minimal damage to the fur, thanks to Mo for putting together a tanning party on such short notice. However; the first fox took a neck hit then proceeded to hike into the next county. Two sets of batteries in the Sure Fire later, just as I am about to give up for the third time I finally spot the little fox wedged between a few large rocks. He was pretty tore up and not worth saving. Maybe I should start keeping the tore up fur to use as patch kits?? Hmm? Here is a pic of what was behind door number two........
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I cautiously set up the Fox Pro Wild Fire in the canyon about thirty yards to my ten-o-clock and began playing my patent pending “Arizona Bushman Grey Fox set”. Five minutes of Snowshoe 1 followed by five minutes of Snowshoe 2 and ending with another five minutes of Snowshoe HP. Approximately eight minutes into the call I spot an eagle over the top of the hill to my twelve-o-clock. He is flying slow circles like he is tracking something. Sure enough a little grey fox appears from the rocks directly under the watchful eagle. I guestimate that the grey is about 175-200 yards up the hill side, but the little guy stops and begins looking to his left. I watch him for about thirty seconds and decide to test my shooting skills by reaching out way beyond my comfort zone. I slowly adjust my scope and get a steady sight picture while rested on my shooting stick. The 35 gr. NTX streaks up the hillside like a laser beam; I watch the fox back flip and take off into the thick brush then disappear from sight. At this point I am super pumped that I just landed a pretty technical shot straight up a mountain. The Call switches to Grey Fox Distress and I have a “WWSMMD?” moment. (What would SnowManMo do?) So I hold tight and let the distress calls echo up the canyon. Not even a minute later a pair of Grey’s poke out of the rocks about sixty yards to my four-o-clock. Sweet!! Bonus round, do I chose the fox behind door number 1 or do I take the fox behind door number 2? Easy choice, the fox behind door number 2 is bigger and standing broadside to me. I let loose another 35 gr. sleeping pill and the bonus fox is DRT, no doubt about that.
The bonus fox had minimal damage to the fur, thanks to Mo for putting together a tanning party on such short notice. However; the first fox took a neck hit then proceeded to hike into the next county. Two sets of batteries in the Sure Fire later, just as I am about to give up for the third time I finally spot the little fox wedged between a few large rocks. He was pretty tore up and not worth saving. Maybe I should start keeping the tore up fur to use as patch kits?? Hmm? Here is a pic of what was behind door number two........
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