One must become efficient if one wants to become lazy.
Like many other predator hunters I have spent countless hours looking for a more efficient way to hunt predators. Whether it is a new gun, caller, decoys hunting new tactics and equipment is almost as addictive as the actual hunt. It has taken me many years and a lot of money but my current techniques seem to be pretty good. I have continued to fine tune it but really haven't made any fundamental changes. Until Saturday. Let me introduce you to my Little Mule.
IMG_20131005_173723_276 by SnowmanMo56, on Flickr
After a lot of research which took several years I decided to pull the trigger on the Mule. Being a diesel guy I went with the diesel since I was looking for a vehicle that can crawl up over rocks. It is a 4 seater, but still fits into my 5X10 utility trailer, so that saved me quite a bit of money. WHile it is not the fastest or the flashiest it is comfortable and does the job.
So with the Mule in the garage, Smooth and I decided to take it out on it's inaugural run. With AzBushman taking Uncle Teddy out, we asked Joe to come along as he is new to predator hunting and just got himself a new shotgun Friday night.
We hooked up the Mule which really didn't take as long as we were worried about. We decided to go into an area that we had called before but where we had seen some trails that we hadn't been able to access before. So up we go. On our first chance we took the mule down a trail that was for hikers, horses, and motorcycles. The narrow rocky trail proved no problem for the Mule. In fact we were over a mile in before I needed to put it in 4wd. Our first two stands were blanks.
We found a small, scraggly trail that sat above a creek canyon that Smooth and I have called before. The trail allowed us to crawl up above and follow the canyon. We went as far as the trail went. We then dropped into the canyon itself. Tracks EVERYWHERE!! Fox, coyote, bobcat even several bear tracks. I asked Smooth if he wanted to go up or stay down in the canyon. He said that we hadn't had any luck down in the canyons so he would go high. I told him to take Joe and that I would stay down in the canyon and try to call the predators out of the adjoining canyon and out across them.
I started the music and about 3 minutes into DSG cottontail I see this cat come sliding down from the top of the canyon. It comes down and stops and sits watching the canyon and the call. At one point I was worried that it had spotted me as it watched me for about 2 minutes. I was patient. I could have taken the shot, would have been about 50-60 yards, but it pays to be patient. Then cat then moves to my right, trying to line itself up with the caller. I kept the call rolling and raised up my shotgun. The cat was moving through some trees when it suddenly stopped. It perked it's head up and turns and runs. I didn't know what spooked it but I knew that it would probably head out the way it came in so I lined up and when the cat broke from the trees I sent the first shot. I was using the last of the Specialized Dynamics 3in #4 buckshot loads that Scott had made up for me. The first round nails the cat in the back as it heads uphill. It flops and jumps around so I sent a second shot. The first probably did the job but it doesn't hurt to play it safe. The cat was down but I couldn't see it so I wasn't sure. I ran into the canyon and I see what spooked the cat, a rancher was checking his cattle and had come down the canyon. He was about 30 yards away as I ran up the canyon. Sure enough the cat was down. The Mule has gotten it's first kill and my first bobcat of the season.
Bobcat and Mule by SnowmanMo56, on Flickr
IMG_2680 by SnowmanMo56, on Flickr
We finished the day calling in another cat, but it spooked and ran before it got within range of Smooth.
All in all a great day. We broke the new equipment juju on the Mule and we now have a whole new world of possibilities that is open to us with the Mule.
Like many other predator hunters I have spent countless hours looking for a more efficient way to hunt predators. Whether it is a new gun, caller, decoys hunting new tactics and equipment is almost as addictive as the actual hunt. It has taken me many years and a lot of money but my current techniques seem to be pretty good. I have continued to fine tune it but really haven't made any fundamental changes. Until Saturday. Let me introduce you to my Little Mule.
IMG_20131005_173723_276 by SnowmanMo56, on Flickr
After a lot of research which took several years I decided to pull the trigger on the Mule. Being a diesel guy I went with the diesel since I was looking for a vehicle that can crawl up over rocks. It is a 4 seater, but still fits into my 5X10 utility trailer, so that saved me quite a bit of money. WHile it is not the fastest or the flashiest it is comfortable and does the job.
So with the Mule in the garage, Smooth and I decided to take it out on it's inaugural run. With AzBushman taking Uncle Teddy out, we asked Joe to come along as he is new to predator hunting and just got himself a new shotgun Friday night.
We hooked up the Mule which really didn't take as long as we were worried about. We decided to go into an area that we had called before but where we had seen some trails that we hadn't been able to access before. So up we go. On our first chance we took the mule down a trail that was for hikers, horses, and motorcycles. The narrow rocky trail proved no problem for the Mule. In fact we were over a mile in before I needed to put it in 4wd. Our first two stands were blanks.
We found a small, scraggly trail that sat above a creek canyon that Smooth and I have called before. The trail allowed us to crawl up above and follow the canyon. We went as far as the trail went. We then dropped into the canyon itself. Tracks EVERYWHERE!! Fox, coyote, bobcat even several bear tracks. I asked Smooth if he wanted to go up or stay down in the canyon. He said that we hadn't had any luck down in the canyons so he would go high. I told him to take Joe and that I would stay down in the canyon and try to call the predators out of the adjoining canyon and out across them.
I started the music and about 3 minutes into DSG cottontail I see this cat come sliding down from the top of the canyon. It comes down and stops and sits watching the canyon and the call. At one point I was worried that it had spotted me as it watched me for about 2 minutes. I was patient. I could have taken the shot, would have been about 50-60 yards, but it pays to be patient. Then cat then moves to my right, trying to line itself up with the caller. I kept the call rolling and raised up my shotgun. The cat was moving through some trees when it suddenly stopped. It perked it's head up and turns and runs. I didn't know what spooked it but I knew that it would probably head out the way it came in so I lined up and when the cat broke from the trees I sent the first shot. I was using the last of the Specialized Dynamics 3in #4 buckshot loads that Scott had made up for me. The first round nails the cat in the back as it heads uphill. It flops and jumps around so I sent a second shot. The first probably did the job but it doesn't hurt to play it safe. The cat was down but I couldn't see it so I wasn't sure. I ran into the canyon and I see what spooked the cat, a rancher was checking his cattle and had come down the canyon. He was about 30 yards away as I ran up the canyon. Sure enough the cat was down. The Mule has gotten it's first kill and my first bobcat of the season.
Bobcat and Mule by SnowmanMo56, on Flickr
IMG_2680 by SnowmanMo56, on Flickr
We finished the day calling in another cat, but it spooked and ran before it got within range of Smooth.
All in all a great day. We broke the new equipment juju on the Mule and we now have a whole new world of possibilities that is open to us with the Mule.