Lance and I had been planning on targeting lions on Friday, and Rustydog was going to go along as well. We pulled out of the Casino about 6:00 am and was headed for the Ash Flats area. When we got to our road, we found that the road were slop, and not know how much worse they would get and knowing we had no cell service, we opted to turn towards Point of Pines.

This was some really beautiful country as the sun was rising. Unfortunately, we ended up having to turn around before we got to Point of Pines because the snow was getting deep and the roads were slick. I think Frozen Willy and Dakotah were the only ones to make it to Point of Pines on Friday and those guys are used to driving in that kind of weather being from Canada and all.



Lance and Rustydog at our turn around point heading for Pointo of Pines.

We decided to try some spots that Lance had tried in the past instead and made several stands in some beautiful country. One was definately the prettiest place I have ever called. On this stand Lance was using a spring hare distress that really brought in the jays and a couple of red tail hawks. When he switched to the mountain lion sounds, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Sitting in the snow and looking over the coutry with the mountains not to far in the distance was breath taking. I was also glad I had brought my insulated coveralls along for the trip.

Just before noon, we rounded a curve and saw a herd of javalina heading up the foothills. Lance stopped the truck and jumped out with his FX5 and some javalina distress sounds. This brought the whole pack right back, even with the us sitting int the wide open in a white pick up. They just didn't want to leave. They would have been an easy shot, even with a bow.



Lance has some better pictures in his thread.

The next stand was on top of a big hill that looked over miles of golden grassland.

Rustydog and Crapshoot lead off with some howls and then Rustydog began doing some distress sounds on his hand calls. About 7 minutes in, I saw a coyote come from fold in the hills going from left to right and the wind was quartering to us over our left shoulder.

The coyote did not appear to be looking our way, just easing along. I motioned to Lance that I could see one, which he quickly picked out. He started on some distress sounds on his hand calls and the coyote immediately headed our way. As he got closer, he started angling down wind which was taking him to our left. As he closed ground, we lost sight of him because we could not see over the crest of the hill. We should have moved out a little farther.

I knew he was trying to get down wind, so I tried to duck walk to where I could see over the hill, and busted my knew on a rock in the process. I finally stood up where I could see, and saw there were actually 2 headed straight up the hill. I don't know where the second one came from, and was amazed that they could appear from nowhere considering how far we could in total open ground.

I quicky knelt down to get on my sticks, but then I couldn't see them. I raised up again, and they were still coming. I motioned to Lance that there were 2 heading our way, and stayed on the sticks waiting for them to appear.

Sure enought, they broke over the hill with one heading for the call and the other breaking left to get down wind.

I let fly with my new D-tech at the left hand coyote thinking they Lance or Rustydog would get a shot at the right hand one. I missed my first shot at the left hand coyote <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />, and when he wheeled around I shifted to the right hand dog that was now right in front of me about 50 yards. The second shot rolled him, and switched back the first one that was not about 200 yards out and kicking in the after burners. I flung 2 shots at him going away, and that left me with an empty mag and the rest of my shells in the truck. Arizona only allows 5 shot mags, and my mag won't latch with 5 in it. You have to have the bolt back when you put 5 rounds in. So, anyway, I only had 4 rounds and was now empty.

As I start to head for the coyote I had hit, I see he is up and standing. I'm empty, so I holler for Lance to shoot him. He is too far up the hill to see him, and as he moves up the coyote takes off in a stumbling run. Lance finally sees him and sits down to get on his sticks.

By this time the coyote is about 200 yards out and leaving fast. After 3 shots from Lance's .243 and he is still up and running. We watched that sucker run for at least a mile. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/angry-smiley-055.gif" alt="" />



This is what it looked like on that stand, but we were up on top.

We hunted the rest of the day, and depleted all of Lance's food stores before we made it back to the Casino. We then went to the Crest Line Steak house for supper.

I sat next to Mike Milli and got to visit with him quite a bit (after he figured out who I was <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />). Mike is a heck of guy, a wealth of knowledge in the AR department. Mike, it a pleasure to get to know you.

After that we retired back to Redfrog's room. MJM and Nuatl had killed a bobcat (I'm not sure which one it was) and Tip was showing some of them how to skin it.

I also got to visit with bearmanric. I don't know if there is anything Rick doesn't know about calls and the people who make them, and he is a really nice guy. I didn't get to hunt with Rick, but he is definately on my list of guys that I would like to get to hunt with. Rick gave me one of his calls to try out, and I am going to be getting one of his cow horn howlers soon. He sold a lot calls at Globe and he ran out of the cow horn howlers. He also makes an Elk antler call that I am going to have to get as well.

Rick, it was great to get to visit with you.

Rustydog had plans to hunt with someone the next morning, so Lance and I decided to team up again on Saturday. I don't know if we hit it off, or he just felt sorry for me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif" alt="" />

By the time I left Redfrog's room it was about 2 pm and 6 am was looming fast.

Part IV will be the events of Saturday including a lot of Pics from Irene's on Saturday night.

Volume IV. Saturday's Events......

Crapshoot and I headed out about 6 am Saturday morning after gasing up the truck and went to the area he had hunted on Thursday with Judd Cooney.

The first stand of the morning was just as day was breaking, and Lance thought he say a coyote run off as we walked away from the truck.

About 6 minutes into the spring hare sounds on the FX5 I hear Lance cut the volume down low, so I know he must see something. Then I pick up movement to my right down onthe canyon floor, but he stops behind a bush. I find him in my scope as he emerges and stops facing me about 150 yards. I'm waiting for him to turn broad side when DogHog...I mean Crapshoot lets fly and dog #1 of the morning bites the dust. He starts spinning a little and try to get up, so after watching the coyote from yester day run off, I decided to punch him again. After a few more minutes we hear some howls in the distance, but no more come in.

While Lance heads for the bottom to retrieve the coyote, I tote the stuff back to the truck and wait for the picture taking.



After Lance catches his breath, we head on down the road and fall off into the canyon on the other side. Lance is watching the cayon and wash to the right and I watch the left side. I had a perfect view of to the left, but the dang coyote came from the right. About 3 minutes in, I hear Lance smooch, but I can't see squat! Then a minute or so later I hear "Whoo, Whoof" and BANG! A few more minutes and nothing else.

Two stands and 2 coyotes bite the dust. I walked over to where Lance is, and he tells me the story of how he came in and where he is. I couldn't see him from my vantage point, still couldn't locate him as Lance tried to point him out on the opposite hillside.

I don't know what I was thinking, but I agreed to go across and fetch his coyote for him. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif" alt="" /> He made a perfect shot at over 200 yards and dropped the coyote in his tracks. We didn't weight it, but I know it weighted at least 50 pounds by the time I got back to the truck with it.





Here the fence post is holding up while I catch my breath.

We made a couple more good looking stands, and had 2 pack of coyotes howling at us at one of them, but we didn't have any more takers.

Lance was ready for some real food after eating snake food all day Friday, so we headed back to the Casino and hit the lunch buffett. Lance said he wasn't that hungry, but since it was all you could eat, he went ahead and indulged himself.

After lunch we got Nikonut to go out with us for the evening hunt. Tom was going to try and get something in range of his crossbow. He has a sweet looking rig, that will sling a bolt with amazing accuracy.

By this afternoon, the cold of the last couple a days was fading fast, and we were starting to shed layers of clothing. Not far from the Casino we turned off the road to an area that had produced a coyote double for Lance and Jeff Holly last year.

Nikonut was down at the bottom set up about 30 yards from the FX5 while Lance watched up wind from the hill and I watched the down wind side to the right. I really didn't expect to see anything from down wind since we had just drove the road in plain site a few minutes ago.

But, about 7 minutes in, I catch movement and see a gray fox about 100 yards out and straight down almost. I have no idea where he came from, and by the time I saw him he was behind a bush of some kind. I had to swing my rifle and sticks hard right, but I was well above him on the hillside and got turned around without him seeing, but I think he got our wind because he started heading away. I had him in the scope but he was small moving target, and I barked to try and stop him. I guess I should of lip squeaked, because he didn't stop, and Crapshoot thought I saw a coyote so he howled. That little fox never stopped and proceeded to cross the road and head straight up a gravel hill with me destrately wanting him to stop, but he never did.

We hit a few more spots, at one of the last, we had a coyote come down a canyon from left to right about 300 yards out. I got Crapshoots attention, and he worked on the call. I tried to follow him through the catcus and brush, but lost sight of him, and we never say him again.

After one last stand with no action, and taking a few turns shooting Nikonut's crossbow, we headed back to the Casino just in time to head out for the eveing meet and eat at Irene's.

Tom, I didn't get any picutures of our evening hunt, but I enjoyed getting to hunt with you and visit with you. Tom has been a huge supporter of PM for years, and is a conisuer of calls, call making and predator hunting.

Irene's.....

When we got to Irene's, the place was packed with PM hunters all talking about the day's events and visiting new and old friends.



From left to right: bearmanric, Mike Dillion of Foxpro Calls, Uncle Jay, and APJones of allpredatorcalls.com



In the far booth are pdbuster and Tip, and bearmanric and Redfrog are in the foreground.



Crapshoot, Nuhautl, Nikonut, and Old Turtle.



On the far side from left: Judd Cooney, Judd's grandson, NASA looking over his shoulder, and Rustydog in the blue shirt.



MIvarmint on the end in the green jacket and nmleon a little farther down fixin' to chomp on his burger.

After we left Irene's we headed over to the Pavillion where Byron South and Al Morris of Hunter Specialties gave a little talk and call demonstation.



That's pdbuster in the brown Carhart.



A few more of the guys and MJM's ladder.



Just more visiting.

About 10 pm we drifted back to the motel and some of us headed over to Redfrog's room for more converstation. After that we were pooped and headed to bed.

Tomorrow would be the banquet. Some would try to do a little hunting early, but other of us would need to have our moderator's meeting and get ready for the banquet.

Vol. V of my hunt will be the Banquet with pictures to go along with it.