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:
And here I am just happy to there:
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:
O, my newly aquired Predator Masters hat on the dash .. now worn everywhere!!
Again, just happy to be out hunting!!
And one of my favorite pics near one of our stands:
Thats an Ocotillo Cactus (sp) in the foreground..
The beauty of the desert is amazing!!
Continued Below...
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:
And here I am just happy to there:
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:
O, my newly aquired Predator Masters hat on the dash .. now worn everywhere!!
Again, just happy to be out hunting!!
And one of my favorite pics near one of our stands:
Thats an Ocotillo Cactus (sp) in the foreground..
The beauty of the desert is amazing!!
Continued Below...