Also an eagle lives a long time, so they get a lot smarter over time and figure out how to kill animals so much larger than themselves....here in Mondamtana they are really good at catching pheasants, off the ground and out of the air, I have seen it happen.
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Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote
- Thread starter DSheetz
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nicholasjohn
Well-Known Member
Another coyote story from the 1981 deer hunt on the ranch that was east of Raton , NM.
I had hiked , in the pre-dawn darkness , up-slope to the rimrock just below the top of the flat mesa , and positioned myself facing north to overlook a large expanse of ridges , valleys , and saddles , in hopes of spotting a shooter buck when the sun would rise , from my right side . I was sitting just below the top , in order to not be skylighted by the sunrise , using my binoculars to look for any deer that might be moving , and seeing several , but no decent bucks . As I shifted my viewing area to my left (west) I spotted a very large-bodied coyote , standing on top of the rimrock at a distance of about 300 yards . I did not want to shoot him , knowing that shooting would probably end the possibility of seeing more deer , so I just watched the coyote to observe his actions . When the sun finally began to rise above the mesa , it first illuminated the rock face where the coyote coyote was standing , and it was a beautiful sight to see . The morning sun striking that coyote seemed to make him light-up with a golden glow , like the light was coming from him , not just the sun reflecting from his fur . He was standing on rocks that were mostly green in coloration , and his breath was frosting in front of him due to the cold morning temperature . It was one of the most beautiful events with an animal that I have experienced .
He stayed there for almost 10 minutes , and I never took my eyes away from him . Finally he left , and I returned to searching for deer .
After a couple of hours , I moved up on top of the mesa to cross-over to a different area to hunt and I encountered the senior member of our hunting group , an 83 year old gentleman named Bill .
Bill asked if I had seen anything , and I told him about the coyote that I was privileged to have seen .
I told Bill " I wish that I would have had my camera for a picture ".
Bill's reply was " You do have a camera with you , your mind , and that picture will always be there with you ".
So far , as I age , his words have been true .
DMP25-06
You described that scene well enough for an artist to paint a Christmas card from your description. For that memory to have stayed so sharp in your mind all these years is amazing. I have a few like that, and they are almost surreal in my memory.
I have to wonder why the things we see on a hunt stick in our minds so clearly, and equally impressive things that happen in some other endeavors often don't. I think it may be the fact being out in nature for a couple of days puts us in that fully relaxed state of mind that is required to perceive these things so clearly. In know that my mental focus is much sharper while sitting on a deer stand than it is when I'm just cruising through some other activity of everyday life in society. This is probably because I have achieved the level of relaxation that is required to get myself really tuned in, and notice the fine details that make the image so impressive. I have also noticed, time and time again, that I spot game a lot more easily after a few days of cruising around in the woods than I do on the first day out of camp. A lot of that comes from slowing down and recognizing that there's no hurry to find the big one, and enjoying the show that is going on around me.
Most people have other jobs and people in their lives that take up space in our mind so then when we get out to hunt we clear them from our thoughts and then concentrate more on the here and now of where we are at that time . In that way we are more aware of the sights , sounds , and smells instead of what we did last night or what we have to get done by the end of the day or our mates birth day , anniversary ect.
nicholasjohn
Well-Known Member
Most people have other jobs and people in their lives that take up space in our mind so then when we get out to hunt we clear them from our thoughts and then concentrate more on the here and now of where we are at that time . In that way we are more aware of the sights , sounds , and smells instead of what we did last night or what we have to get done by the end of the day or our mates birth day , anniversary ect.
Yup - that's exactly right, Sir. It takes a couple of days out there in nature to forget about all that stuff we worry about day in & day out. I remember sitting in a tree stand one very cold morning, in northwestern Minnesota. I was waiting for a big bruiser of a whitetail buck to show up, and I caught myself pondering a bunch of work-related stuff. I thought to myself "What are you doing ? You came here to forget about that stuff for a few days, and now you're grinding on it endlessly. It's all stuff you can't do anything about, and it will still be there when you get back to work next week. Unload it, and enjoy the moment."
I'd like to say that the big showed up ten minutes later, but it didn't. I did, however, enjoy the ride for the rest of the day. I also stacked up a bunch of does the next day, and killed a pretty nice buck to boot. Mostly, though, I was successful in not thinking about my job and enjoying the hunt. Now that I'm retired, I don't have to consciously push thoughts about work out of my mind, so I can get into the flow of the hunt on Day #1, and fully enjoy the whole hunt - not just the last few days after I'm all dialed-in. It's a beautiful thing, indeed.
DMP25-06
Well-Known Member
Nicholasjohn and DSheetz ,
You are exactly correct .
Having lived all of my life in the city , and working an average of 50+ hours per week , I found that when I left town on my vacation with my wife and 2 sons , or departing for our out-of-state deer and elk hunts with my Dad and brothers , that I was always very "tightly wrapped" for the first 2 hours of travel .
After that initial travel time , I found that I began to mentally de-compress , after we had passed the city of Wichita Falls , Texas , which just happened to be at about 2 hours of travel .
From that point on , I was more relaxed and time seemed to slow down for me , and I was more observant of all things around me , and all of my family said that I was like "a completely different person" .
So , Yes I agree that we become more in tune with the natural world around us , when we are relaxed .
You are exactly correct .
Having lived all of my life in the city , and working an average of 50+ hours per week , I found that when I left town on my vacation with my wife and 2 sons , or departing for our out-of-state deer and elk hunts with my Dad and brothers , that I was always very "tightly wrapped" for the first 2 hours of travel .
After that initial travel time , I found that I began to mentally de-compress , after we had passed the city of Wichita Falls , Texas , which just happened to be at about 2 hours of travel .
From that point on , I was more relaxed and time seemed to slow down for me , and I was more observant of all things around me , and all of my family said that I was like "a completely different person" .
So , Yes I agree that we become more in tune with the natural world around us , when we are relaxed .
DMP25-06 , did you happen to notice that when you are stressed your body odor is stronger as well . I am a firm believer that is why some people don't do as well hunting or fishing then others . If we are wound tight we put off an aura as well as a strong sent that animals are tuned to notice . That's just my thought but I have watched animals looking for some thing when I was with some one that was excited about being out for a hunt .
DMP25-06
Well-Known Member
DMP25-06 , did you happen to notice that when you are stressed your body odor is stronger as well . I am a firm believer that is why some people don't do as well hunting or fishing then others . If we are wound tight we put off an aura as well as a strong sent that animals are tuned to notice . That's just my thought but I have watched animals looking for some thing when I was with some one that was excited about being out for a hunt .
Yes . I even notice that today , in my normal daily routines .
I am very cognizant of my personal body odors , and they do increase when I am stressed .
DMP25-06
Well-Known Member
I first noticed it about 50 years ago when I was around people in high stress situations when you would come down from the adrenaline rush and things kind of came to some kind of normal we would all stink badly .
VIETNAM ??
DMP25-06
Well-Known Member
David ,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY , SIR .
And Thank You to ALL of You who have worn the uniforms of the U.S. Military , All branches .
DMP25-06
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY , SIR .
And Thank You to ALL of You who have worn the uniforms of the U.S. Military , All branches .
DMP25-06
As with so many kids that grow up on farms or ranches when school was out for the summer I worked 6 days a week from morning till dark . I got an hour for lunch and would often lay on the cool floor for a nap after my Grandma fed me lunch . My grand parents were Baptist so pretty much insisted I take Sunday off from working unless it was a must for some reason . So then having been used to working and not being near town what does a young person do , no TV or radio un till the nightly news , ? I went out on the ranch or farm land looking for interesting things . Quit often I would spot deer or other animals then see how close I could stalk up to them before being spotted by them . That's where I learned a lot about walking quietly , moving slowly and not being heard or seen , keeping the wind in my favor staying lower then the ridge lines in low spots and keeping the sun in my favor . I wouldn't trade that experience for any thing I've seen in life yet . A lot of time by myself , maybe I wasn't as well socialized as some were but I learned things that I have used all of my life . And learned to have a healthy respect for animals the land and other people as well as their things .
nicholasjohn
Well-Known Member
As with so many kids that grow up on farms or ranches when school was out for the summer I worked 6 days a week from morning till dark . I got an hour for lunch and would often lay on the cool floor for a nap after my Grandma fed me lunch . My grand parents were Baptist so pretty much insisted I take Sunday off from working unless it was a must for some reason . So then having been used to working and not being near town what does a young person do , no TV or radio un till the nightly news , ? I went out on the ranch or farm land looking for interesting things . Quit often I would spot deer or other animals then see how close I could stalk up to them before being spotted by them . That's where I learned a lot about walking quietly , moving slowly and not being heard or seen , keeping the wind in my favor staying lower then the ridge lines in low spots and keeping the sun in my favor . I wouldn't trade that experience for any thing I've seen in life yet . A lot of time by myself , maybe I wasn't as well socialized as some were but I learned things that I have used all of my life . And learned to have a healthy respect for animals the land and other people as well as their things .
It's quite likely that some of the things you learned sneaking up on deer when you were a youngster are part of the reason why you came home from Viet Nam in one piece. Thanks for your service. I'm glad you lived through it.
