Tys big day

[UphillDoc 278]

I get a call from "Coyote Capps" asking if Im interested in running the dogs this weekend, as the weather (snow) is messing up his deer hunting plan. I say sure, but it will have to be in the afternoon because Im taking my youngest son "Ty" to get a rifle for deer/elk hunting first thing today. "Capps" has some errands to run and has to roust his cousin "Todd" out of bed as well, so afternoon will work fine. "Ty" gets a nice little Savage .270 and is tickled to death, but wants to go see the dogs run more than go sight the new gun in...I guess Im wearing off on him after all... When we get the dogs loaded "Ty" asks me can he bring his new knife that "Steve" gifted him. It is a beautiful bowie style knife with an engraved antler handle and engraved blade. Its "Tys" most prized possesion and sits on his headboard, so Im surprised he wants to bring it. I ask why and he says "just in case." I tell him its probably better if he leaves it, as he would be real bummed if it got lost in all the excitement. He reluctantly agrees.

We are almost to the meeting spot at the running grounds when I spot a fox out in a big stubble field. I try to call the Capps boys but cell phone service is spotty and I cant get thru to them. We hustle to the meeting spot and they arent there yet, so we spin around and head back to where I saw the fox. Luck is on our side and its still out there and moving away from the highway. I make a circle around the fox to get an idea of the lay of the land. I park on the south west side of the field and watch him thru binoculars hoping he will keep moving north. While Im sitting there glassing him, one of the Cowboys pulls up, and says what you doing out here. I tell him Im watching a fox, and he says lets go catch it! About that time the fox crosses the north road and thats when I decide to make my move. I cruise up to the intersection and hook east so Im between the fox and the highway side of the field. The fox has seen me coming east on the road but isnt real alarmed yet, as it seen trucks out here before, but he keeps moving north with an eye on us. As we get parellel to him I spin the truck sideways and pull the rope. The dogs have not seen him but come out looking, and "Cookie" spots him first. The fox knows something is up and is headed north at full speed now. He is out about 150 yards, but when "Cookie" spots him and starts at him the others follow her lead and the chase is on. All the sudden my phone rings and its the Capps boys...LOL I tell them whats going on, and Im sure they can hear Ty and I cheering on the dogs and laughing when the fox makes a dodge to avoid the dogs. (Its snowing a bit and the ground is sloppy so the dogs cant make the cuts with the fox.) "Cookie" roars up on the fox and it turns hard making her overrun it, "Gator" then pulls up and takes a shot at it, but it jukes hard again. "Grace and Zorro" are closing in and it looks like one will make the catch, "Zorro" lunges for it and takes a hard tumble, but somehow the fox avoids them all and turns back towards us... Its amazing the moves that fox puts on them dogs, every time it runs straight they move up on it quick, but then it starts zigging and zagging and the dogs cant quite grab it. They make several attempts each but no luck, and Im starting to wonder if they will ever catch it. It comes right back to the trucks, and crosses the road. Now Im like oh shit if they get back to the highway it could get ugly. So far the dogs have run in a line but when they cross they fan out a bit. I get in the truck to run around to the highway side, and wonder if I will have to run it over myself...LMAO The fox makes another move but with the dogs fanned out, its the wrong move. It trys to double back thru the dogs, but "Grace" snatches it, and there is no more running after that happens. Stags my ass...all you need is a lil bulldog blood if you wanna catch foxes...LMAO Its the longest race I have ever seen my dogs on and no doubts the most exciting...a perfect start for "Ty" he is so excited he has a smile ear to ear, is shaking his fists and saying ooohhh yyyeeeaa!!!! I know he wants to cuss he is so excited, but holds his tounge. We load the dog and the fox and head to meet the Capps boys. When we pull up we see they have Todds new coyote rig. Its a VW baja bug with a big dump box where the back seat should be...LOL I have to get a pic up, its the coolest thing you ever saw. Like usual I left the camera at home, so no pics today...

We head out looking for coyotes, and decide to run parellel roads like last time. The weather is getting worse, and after an hour of not seeing anything out it looks like we need to change tactics. The Capps boys put that bug to good use and start running the ditch lines. Now I thought "Coyote Capps" was a hell of a stunt driver but I can see it in the Capps genes solid, watching "Todd" fly thru the fields. The way he ran that bug, he dont need dogs, there aint a coyote alive that could get away with him on its ass...LOL They are flying down a ditch line across from us and see a coyote in the tall stuff. We cant see what happens but they get a dump on the coyote and the dogs make short work of him. They said "Bo" got his vest hung up on the box and got out late, but "Bull" dont need no help and rolled it up. They load the coyote and we decide to stay together after that, with them hazing the ditch lines and us running the road looking for anything trying to backdoor them. The coyotes are holding real tight in the thick stuff and we cant get a good run on anything. We are running out of daylight, and decide to go check some fields to the northeast that we dont check often, because there are lots of fences and farmhouses. They spot a coyote out in a big pasture, but it has 4 strand barbwire all the way around. They think they can go down a big ditch line and pop into the field. I decide to head around and try to get to the bottom of the pasture in case the coyote trys to blow out that way. As Im barreling down the road "Ty" says "theres a gate!" On the side of the pasture is a gate, and its open... I cut into the pasture below the farmhouse and head towards were we last saw the coyote. I spot the coyote way across heading toward the ditch that the Capps boys are coming down. It wants to get into the cover but can hear them coming. It stops about 100 yards from the cover and watches us. We are about 300 below it. "Coyote Capps" calls and asks what we see. I tell him we are in the pasture and the coyote is between us. They need to cross the ditch to see it, and "Todd" bails in with the bug. The coyote breaks away from the cover and heads back into the middle of the pasture. "Ty" starts hollering "GO, GO" and I get after it! As I pinch down on him I see a grass line ahead (this usually means a drainage ditch) and decide I will spin the truck just short of the grassline and make a long dump. As I get ready to spin the truck I see the ditch aint that deep and get back into the gas. Well its a bit deeper than I thought and I hear the motor rev as the wheels leave the ground...LMAO We bounce a few times and keep closing on the coyote. As I get even with it the dogs can see it now. Im about 100 yards parellel to him when he decides to cut behind me. When he does I lock it up, spin the ass towards him and pull the rope. The dogs bail out and I get back into the gas and finish the spin, so we are facing the race. "Cookie" and "Gator" come out hard are starting to pull to the lead when all the sudden "Gator" pulls up. Im gutted, thinking he has blown up a leg or something, but keep focused on the race. "Cookie" has moved to front and is closing on the coyote. She finds the next gear and rolls the coyote hard. Before they are done tumbling "Zorro" and "Grace" hit it. "Zorro" hits the throat and takes a bad bite across the muzzle under the eye, for his effort. He could care less and drives deeper, pinning the coyotes head to the ground. "Grace" is in the chest and "Cookie" has the back of the neck. We pull up in the truck, and "Ty" bails out, runs over to the dogs, whips out a knife, and stabs the coyote in the heart...then he turns to me with a big smile and says "I just went Meshac on his ass!!!"LMFAO Who says kids dont listen to their parents... (Meshac is a fella that in the early 1800's hunted bullx lurchers, and used a knife to kill bears and other dangerous game his dogs caught) I load the dogs and coyote, which is no easy task. "Zorro" is so pissed, I have to break him off the dead coyote and he snatches it again when I throw it into the truck and trys to pull it into the box. I think he would go to hell to kill that one again if he could... I go to "Gator" who is humped up. The Capps boys are with him and think he has cramped up. As I get him loaded we notice a rig with its lights on heading our way. We jump into the trucks and get the hell out of the pasture. As we hit the road and head away from the farmhouse the rig turns and we breath a sigh of relief, pull over and tend to the dogs. The Capps boys say they tried to get some video, but arent sure how it is going to turn out. Their windshield was covered in mud, so it may not be any good. We decide to call it a night, but the Capps boys are going to make one more circle and see if they can catch another one before its too dark. "Ty" and I head out, and Im pretty sure he has the fever as well!...

 

Take care

[brockbart 6]

i could read about your exploits all night.