Clutch....nice to see you joined the fray....welcome !
You're not to far from my old stomping grounds around the Syracuse area.
Mark.....
Yeah, blood pressure......it'll give you high blood pressure, even if you're not already afflicted. That recent incident I mentioned, where I was up in a treestand about 20feet, and I watched a very emboldened individual walk right over onto private property and grab a kids toy off of a wagon loaded with wood. The wagon was owned by my buddy, and it was his kids nerf football that was laying on top.
Figuring that it might be a friend of his that helped him stack the wood, or whatever, I kept my mouth shut. What the heck, he knew right where the toy was laying, and, since it was slightly hidden from ground level, the way he went right to it and reached over the wood and grabbed it, I figured he'd been there before, and that it was probably legit.
I figured I'd mention it to the owner anyway, as he was only a couple of hundred yards from me in another stand.
When I told him, he was SMOKIN' MAD, and told me to follow him down to the "perp's" house.
Well, low & behold, the guy (and his wife who was with him) were found to be from the city (Rochester I think), and they were out visiting her mother who owned the property.
Best part was, my buddy who owned the land, found out they were buying the property from her, and we're moving out to become his neighbors. (I rolled my eyes...saying O'Brother)
I watched the whole incident, as it happened, and those arrogant A-holes, got off their ATV and just strutted right on over like they owned the land. Apparently they'd been there before, as they knew exactly where that toy was, and as stupid as it sounds, those idiots knowingly stole the toy.
Well, when we got down to the house to confront them, there the toy layed in the back of that 6 wheeler. The guy started right in lying, saying he found it laying on the ground, and my buddy pointed to me and said, "he's a retired cop, and he witnessed you doing it......wanna try again ?" Hemmin' and hawing, he finally fessed up.
Then his idiot wife said, "so, you were evesdropping on us huh ?"........."No lady, I was hunting, and you got caught stealing....stings doesn't it ?!"
Then she looked at my buddy and asked, "Is this gonna affect things between us as neighbors ?" My buddy looked at her and said, "what do you think ?.....this isn't a very good start !"
Best part...........
The next day, both he, and his son, posted every tree along his property line (which the city-its incidentally disputed with no evidence or knowledge of such), and to top things off, they painted every tree from the ground up to about 4 feet with bright pink paint. His property line runs for about 800yds, and now looks like the runway lights at JFK....LOL.
Needless to say, this was only one incident of many, over 19yrs. as being a Deputy. Not that I hate city folk, hell I was one of them when I was a kid.....but, I've come to expect certain selfish traits from them as a general rule, and when I run across the exception, I'm happily surprised.
Usually dedicated hunters, I mean hardcore hunter's who do it a lot, not just the occasional deer hunter, seem to posses a far higher respect, at least on par, with the rural types.
Ranting aside.......
Have a great weekend all....
Oh....and Clutch.....coyote and fox hunting is very addictive....best advice to an already educated hunter, don't get discouraged easily on this form of hunting....it might take a little bit at first, or beginner's luck might strike and you'll score right out of the gate...patience is a virtue in this area, but man, it gets exciting real quick......adrenalin is a great drug....
Take care,
Bob