I was teaching a personal defense class to a group of ladies on Saturday. At the end of the day as things were winding down and I was packing things up I made mention that I was heading out to do some predator hunting on Sunday. My friends sister, Char, mentioned that we should go hunt sometime. I pointed out that I was going out that Sunday and that she should come along. She asked if short notice was a problem and I told her that predator hunters don't need a lot of warning nor an excuse to go hunt.
Sun up on Sunday morning saw the three of us under a set of power lines, in the shadow of a couple of hills. About 6 minutes in Char and I see a bobcat dart across in front of us about 75-85 yards out. It ducked into the brush. We waited hoping to see it poke it's head out when a grey fox comes running down the hill out in front of us about 15 yards. I gave Char the nod and just like a pro she quietly howled at the fox. He looked back and BANG Char sends the round. She parted the hair right over his back then Ed, our second hunter fired and parted the fox's hair lengthwise. That little guy got lucky and darted up over the next hill.
Now that the two of them had gotten to fire a shot in anger the pressure was really on to up our game. But stand #2 was a blank.
Stand #3 found us working along an overgrown irrigation canal bordering desert on one side and an overgrown field on the other. Ed was on the field side with Char and I on the other side of the canal. About 3-4 minutes in I hear brush rustling. Char is looking down into the overgrown canal then looks back at me. I can't repeat what she mouthed in polite company but the look on her face said it all. Turns out that a big red coyote had come out of the brush right next to her well within 15 feet. She realized she wasn't going to be able to swing to shoot it and in the next second it bolted. But less than a minute later we hear 2 shots. The coyote had popped up on Ed's side right in front of him. Ed swung at the coyote but missed. Good old coyote fever, gotta love it.
Stand #4 found us trolling along the edge of a field. We were watching a couple of deer in the field when I see a fox come out of the brush about 100 yards ahead of us. It went over to the canal, grabbed a drink and strolled back into the brush. We eased up to where we thought we had seen it go back in. I dropped Char on one trail, Ed on another. I warned them that it was going to be fast and it was going to be some close in work. 45 seconds into fox distress and I Char takes the shot. Fox down.
She was pumped. It is her first predator and she handled it like a seasoned vet. Hopefully we have created a monster.
IMG_1045 by Jason Mosler, on Flickr
Sun up on Sunday morning saw the three of us under a set of power lines, in the shadow of a couple of hills. About 6 minutes in Char and I see a bobcat dart across in front of us about 75-85 yards out. It ducked into the brush. We waited hoping to see it poke it's head out when a grey fox comes running down the hill out in front of us about 15 yards. I gave Char the nod and just like a pro she quietly howled at the fox. He looked back and BANG Char sends the round. She parted the hair right over his back then Ed, our second hunter fired and parted the fox's hair lengthwise. That little guy got lucky and darted up over the next hill.
Now that the two of them had gotten to fire a shot in anger the pressure was really on to up our game. But stand #2 was a blank.
Stand #3 found us working along an overgrown irrigation canal bordering desert on one side and an overgrown field on the other. Ed was on the field side with Char and I on the other side of the canal. About 3-4 minutes in I hear brush rustling. Char is looking down into the overgrown canal then looks back at me. I can't repeat what she mouthed in polite company but the look on her face said it all. Turns out that a big red coyote had come out of the brush right next to her well within 15 feet. She realized she wasn't going to be able to swing to shoot it and in the next second it bolted. But less than a minute later we hear 2 shots. The coyote had popped up on Ed's side right in front of him. Ed swung at the coyote but missed. Good old coyote fever, gotta love it.
Stand #4 found us trolling along the edge of a field. We were watching a couple of deer in the field when I see a fox come out of the brush about 100 yards ahead of us. It went over to the canal, grabbed a drink and strolled back into the brush. We eased up to where we thought we had seen it go back in. I dropped Char on one trail, Ed on another. I warned them that it was going to be fast and it was going to be some close in work. 45 seconds into fox distress and I Char takes the shot. Fox down.
She was pumped. It is her first predator and she handled it like a seasoned vet. Hopefully we have created a monster.
IMG_1045 by Jason Mosler, on Flickr
