FOXPRO's Jon Collins and Kyle Crickenberger discuss Kyle and his teammates awesome runs in the contest world. After that they dive into the tactics they use for night hunting.
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welcome to the fox Pro podcast brought
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to you by Fox Pro game calls welcome to
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the fox Pro podcast is kind of hard to
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believe but this is our 50th episode and
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this one right here is going to be a
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good one I'm John Collins and today
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we're joined by Fox Pro staffer Kyle
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crickenberger Kyle thanks for joining us
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buddy thanks for having me John and what
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you been what's been going on in your
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life lately oh you know the usual just
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uh working and raising three kids and
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trying to do a little bit of hunting
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when I have the opportunity yeah that's
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a that's a you know job and kids and
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family stuff that's a full plate right
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there then try to throw some hunting in
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on top of it I know you all had a had a
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big turkey season U hunted right there
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in in your home state and then traveled
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out west and and hit hit a few States
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this year didn't you yes sir we did um
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had a good season in Virginia uh not as
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good as it's been in the last few um but
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still still pretty good and then me and
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Alex and some buddies made a run out to
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Montana Idaho and and Washington at the
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end of May and we had a really good trip
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out there saw some beautiful country and
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got into quite a few birds and uh just a
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good trip oh man it's always kind of
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cool when you can uh when you can turkey
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hunt elk country I've always thought
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that was something pretty special
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there's been times I've been up in Old
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States and you got got turkeys Goblin
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then you can see elk in the on the
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mountain side in the background so it's
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definitely if if you all have never done
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that you need to go out west and try to
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do some turkey on it's kind of it's it's
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completely different but it's well worth
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it absolutely well you know and that was
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the last the last bird I needed was at
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mirams to finish out the slam so that
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one uh that one meant a little more that
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trip meant a little more to me you know
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exactly then what I think you was
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telling me the other day that actually
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just yesterday I guess that you kind of
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contemplating maybe trying a single
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season Slam in upcoming yeah next year
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looking at doing a doing a a single
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season slam and um think I could make it
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happen just gotta get all the ducks in a
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row and give it a shot but I I think
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it'd be you know fun Challenge and I
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love turkey hunting I mean I've told you
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this before I mean outside of of coyote
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hunting I mean turkey hunting is is is
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right there with it I I really enjoy it
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always have oh yeah I mean it's uh
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definitely a passion of mine you know
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that's a lot of people don't know this
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but that's actually how I got started in
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the hunting industry was actually
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through turkey hunting it wasn't through
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cows it was actually through turkeys so
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turkeys hold a a special place uh you
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know in my life that's for sure but what
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we're going to be talking about on this
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episode is ky hun and specifically you
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know we'll probably be talking a little
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bit about uh about the contest stuff but
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before we get started Kyle if you don't
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care tell us tell everybody a little bit
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more about yourself so they know who
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Kyle crickenberger
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is well uh I'm from Forest Virginia um
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work uh work in a family business here
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uh with my parents we do Indo a quality
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work and outside of work I've got a wife
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uh three young ones and spend most of my
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time with them or either in the woods
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chasing deer turkey coats you know
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whatever living a
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dream yeah yeah y exactly I got uh got
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into predator hunting
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oh God I can't even remember now John
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I'd
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say I was 14 whatever year that was long
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timeo um yeah yeah I'm getting older now
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the memory's not as good but uh got into
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it at a young age and and actually got a
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call for Christmas and uh I used to [ __ ]
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hunt a lot so um always had some [ __ ]
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lights was just some red pop covers and
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um I'd go out with buddies and we got in
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into it and that was when coyotes here
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in Virginia were were really starting to
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become more prevalent you know you you
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start to hear them you know from time to
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time and you'd see one
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occasionally and um as I got older I I
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got more interested into it and really
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just there was no one around here in
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Virginia that had figured out the coyot
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hunting thing especially you know at
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night and um got with some buddies and
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man we just we went after it and once we
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started to have a little bit of success
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that just that opened up you know
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Pandora's Box and you know we went we
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went from there and one thing led to the
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other and you know then it turned into
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hosting contest and competing in contest
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here in Virginia and then that you know
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opened up another door of competing in
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contest in other states and around the
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country and uh you know it was a fun
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ride I'll say that right right well
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that's uh that's pretty much goes you
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know that's the reason we got Kyle on
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here guys and I'll kind of ADD on to you
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know what he said there but you know on
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this episode we're going to talk a
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little bit about you know kyot contest
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hunting and Kyle is really the perfect
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guest for this topic you Kyle's been a
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member of numerous Tournament winning
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teams having excellent runs and and
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hunts such as the U the Eastern the
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Eastern Elite the uspc and several
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others and you know Kyle can talk about
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that if he wants to but those are the
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more well-known tournaments and you know
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Kyle is probably coyot hunted in more
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States than most of us has ever even
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been in and has proven himself to be one
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of the most elite coyote callers in the
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country and from what I hear from a
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couple other buddies is quite possibly
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the best coyote dragger in history I
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know that's what JT says anyway but yeah
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but Kyle let's talk about some of those
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tournament runs you know let's let's
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start off with the Eastern um what was
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the Eastern All About and and for people
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who don't know tell them a little bit
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about the history of of the Eastern what
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we call the Eastern
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tournament yeah so the the Eastern uh
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contest was actually started by Jason
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gross close yep and uh it was 2017 I
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believe yeah it was 2017 when when he
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started that and and really how it came
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about was there were some other guys and
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other states putting on contest you know
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and and back then I me and Jason were
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were partners a lot of times in contests
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with JT or Benton or Alex or you know
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whoever there was a big group of us that
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you know hunted together and
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um some of the contests we we enjoyed
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the formats but there were some things
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we thought could have been done better
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and you know um thought this should be
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you know changed around a little and and
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Jason you know one day was like you know
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what I'm gonna put a put a contest on
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and I don't I don't think he had the
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intention of putting on the biggest
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contest you know east of Mississippi
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River but that's what it turned into it
0:07:04.720,0:07:10.879
got it got big fast that's what it
0:07:07.039,0:07:14.000
turned and and and he he put a lot of
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hard uh work and time into getting it
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you know to what it was I mean and you
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know this I mean you got to have
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sponsors and you got to have the
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participation and the prizes and um of
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course you you you want to please
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everybody that participates in an event
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like that and everybody's got their own
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opinion of you know how this should be
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done and how that should be done and so
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there was you know challenges along the
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way but um in the end of it you know end
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of its cycle um man he he had a great
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contest and um it it it turned into one
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of those things
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where in my
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opinion let's just say east of the
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Mississippi River it was it was without
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a doubt the most prestigious hunt you
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know out there arguably without without
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a doubt I mean I don't even think it's
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arguable really because I mean just the
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uh um the planning that went behind it
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and uh it was more than just a it was a
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regional tournament yes east of
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everything east of the Mississippi but
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if you had ground EA Mississippi and you
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were you know the best Coy hunters in
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the country that had ground EA
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Mississippi participated in it I mean it
0:08:25.039,0:08:31.680
was a big deal it enticed Western
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Hunters as well it wasn't yeah it wasn't
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it wasn't just one of those things well
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you got to live you know east of of the
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river you know to compete in this thing
0:08:36.719,0:08:41.080
I mean it it got to a size where people
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were like you know hey I live out here
0:08:41.080,0:08:44.839
but I'm G to find me some dirt you know
0:08:42.880,0:08:47.680
over there to compete in this contest
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and um yeah and it was just it it was
0:08:47.680,0:08:54.040
ran you know very well and um especially
0:08:52.040,0:08:56.360
when we we had the Apex Center up there
0:08:54.040,0:08:58.480
in wivi you know it was a nice facility
0:08:56.360,0:09:00.760
because people actually got to you know
0:08:58.480,0:09:02.279
drive through there I mean almost like
0:09:00.760,0:09:06.120
you'd see it like a bass tournament
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where they dve their like like IND on
0:09:06.120,0:09:11.560
stage right you know and so it was just
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um and that that meant a lot to people
0:09:11.560,0:09:16.240
you know that were you know competing in
0:09:13.240,0:09:18.640
it and whatnot but um no it was a it was
0:09:16.240,0:09:21.560
a great great contest and a lot of
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competition and you know even outside of
0:09:21.560,0:09:25.560
of the the competition you know
0:09:23.839,0:09:28.959
standpoint of people that were competing
0:09:25.560,0:09:31.640
for the most CS I mean the the the prize
0:09:28.959,0:09:33.720
table and the Bounty money that it it
0:09:31.640,0:09:36.440
paid out you know there was a lot of
0:09:33.720,0:09:37.640
teams that may have hunted in a state
0:09:36.440,0:09:40.000
that they knew didn't have a lot of
0:09:37.640,0:09:41.079
coyot numbers or they just didn't feel
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like you know they could kill the
0:09:41.079,0:09:45.519
numbers to compete with the the top 20
0:09:43.240,0:09:47.360
teams but you know whatever kyot they
0:09:45.519,0:09:51.480
killed they were going to get reimbursed
0:09:47.360,0:09:54.959
with with Bounty money and so um that
0:09:51.480,0:09:57.200
was another yeah just killing one Coy or
0:09:54.959,0:09:58.640
two or three coyotes was worth coming in
0:09:57.200,0:10:00.200
because you got I mean it might not been
0:09:58.640,0:10:02.800
much money but you got a bounty there
0:10:00.200,0:10:04.680
for that and then the prize packages
0:10:02.800,0:10:06.959
that you were thrown in for a chance to
0:10:04.680,0:10:08.399
win I mean man you can walk out there
0:10:06.959,0:10:10.839
with some serious
0:10:08.399,0:10:12.480
stuff right well yeah and if you were a
0:10:10.839,0:10:14.600
team a registered team like you
0:10:12.480,0:10:17.279
automatically got some raffle tickets
0:10:14.600,0:10:19.560
you know for for some prizes so it was
0:10:17.279,0:10:21.320
one of those things you may you may not
0:10:19.560,0:10:22.760
have known what was on the prize table
0:10:21.320,0:10:24.200
and you know we're debating going back
0:10:22.760,0:10:26.120
to check-in or not but you're like you
0:10:24.200,0:10:28.200
know what you know I might you know win
0:10:26.120,0:10:31.000
a rifle off the off this raffle ticket I
0:10:28.200,0:10:33.519
got to go back worth 5,000 bucks you
0:10:31.000,0:10:36.040
know yeah it was a it was a good hunt
0:10:33.519,0:10:38.279
well tell us about uh I know your your
0:10:36.040,0:10:41.040
hunting partner our buddy Benton Bowman
0:10:38.279,0:10:42.839
he uh you all had some pretty good runs
0:10:41.040,0:10:44.800
did y'all I can't even remember did you
0:10:42.839,0:10:46.680
I know y'all placed pretty high up in
0:10:44.800,0:10:48.760
there maybe second place once I me did
0:10:46.680,0:10:51.360
y'all ever win the
0:10:48.760,0:10:53.399
Eastern me and Benton didn't win it
0:10:51.360,0:10:57.360
together uh the last year that I hunted
0:10:53.399,0:10:59.680
the Eastern um we won it but it was me
0:10:57.360,0:11:01.880
uh Dayton far and my buddy Jared talks
0:10:59.680,0:11:04.760
we we woned the last year that they they
0:11:01.880,0:11:05.680
had the Easter no me and Benton uh we
0:11:04.760,0:11:08.880
had
0:11:05.680,0:11:11.279
gotten so let me we got a we got a
0:11:08.880,0:11:13.600
second place one time and we may have
0:11:11.279,0:11:15.800
gotten tied I think in tied for a second
0:11:13.600,0:11:17.920
as well yeah now had had some close
0:11:15.800,0:11:20.680
calls you know you know when you get to
0:11:17.920,0:11:23.000
the the top of of those big hunts it it
0:11:20.680,0:11:24.760
normally comes down to one or two right
0:11:23.000,0:11:26.279
exactly exactly and like we're talking
0:11:24.760,0:11:29.399
about here what we saying earlier I mean
0:11:26.279,0:11:32.160
the the who's who even if they were well
0:11:29.399,0:11:33.800
known or not the best Cy Hunters that
0:11:32.160,0:11:35.399
that played in the night game cuz this
0:11:33.800,0:11:37.160
was a day and night tournament but if
0:11:35.399,0:11:40.040
you was going to if you were going to
0:11:37.160,0:11:42.720
have any chance at all you had to be
0:11:40.040,0:11:44.519
hunting nighttime and the best night
0:11:42.720,0:11:46.000
hunters in the in the country were
0:11:44.519,0:11:47.920
participating in this tournament so if
0:11:46.000,0:11:49.800
you were placing in the man if you was
0:11:47.920,0:11:51.839
placing in a top 10 you did something
0:11:49.800,0:11:53.560
really if you think about it yeah I mean
0:11:51.839,0:11:56.240
in the in the latter years of that
0:11:53.560,0:11:58.240
contest really I mean if you go back and
0:11:56.240,0:12:02.240
you look at the numbers that it took to
0:11:58.240,0:12:04.440
scratch you know top 20 I mean if if you
0:12:02.240,0:12:07.240
weren't in the teens then you weren't in
0:12:04.440,0:12:08.920
the game you know so right um You you
0:12:07.240,0:12:12.040
could tell that every year the
0:12:08.920,0:12:14.839
competition you know was ramping up yes
0:12:12.040,0:12:16.959
for sure well let's uh let's move on to
0:12:14.839,0:12:20.240
the Eastern Elite which I guess was a
0:12:16.959,0:12:22.040
sister uh tournament to the Eastern what
0:12:20.240,0:12:23.959
what was different what separated it
0:12:22.040,0:12:27.519
from the regular traditional Eastern
0:12:23.959,0:12:31.560
tournament the Eastern Elite came about
0:12:27.519,0:12:33.800
um more or less or you it got to a point
0:12:31.560,0:12:36.360
where I'm not going to say every year
0:12:33.800,0:12:38.800
but most years you would see a lot of
0:12:36.360,0:12:42.880
the same teams that would be in the top
0:12:38.800,0:12:44.639
10 you know that uh I'd say 70% of the
0:12:42.880,0:12:48.240
same teams every year be in the top 10
0:12:44.639,0:12:51.399
and uh they were all in agreeance that
0:12:48.240,0:12:53.720
they wanted to do a a high stakes you
0:12:51.399,0:12:57.959
know hunt where it was going to be a
0:12:53.720,0:12:59.839
$1,000 entry fee you know pay two places
0:12:57.959,0:13:03.680
big money payout
0:12:59.839,0:13:05.680
and um it it was for the guys that they
0:13:03.680,0:13:08.240
knew who the competition was and they
0:13:05.680,0:13:10.320
felt like they had you know what it
0:13:08.240,0:13:12.120
would take to to win it if you were if
0:13:10.320,0:13:13.920
you were entering the Eastern Elite you
0:13:12.120,0:13:17.000
were entering because you thought you
0:13:13.920,0:13:18.360
could win it right yeah this wasn't you
0:13:17.000,0:13:20.120
know a thing where you're like well I
0:13:18.360,0:13:22.079
can kill three or four and you know
0:13:20.120,0:13:23.639
collect some Bounty money you're like
0:13:22.079,0:13:25.920
hey you know me and my team we have a
0:13:23.639,0:13:29.399
real shot at that you know winning this
0:13:25.920,0:13:31.839
10 12,000 you know pot of money right
0:13:29.399,0:13:33.760
and uh that's how it came about and it
0:13:31.839,0:13:36.160
was a little different
0:13:33.760,0:13:38.040
format uh the first year it might have
0:13:36.160,0:13:40.959
been the first two years that they did
0:13:38.040,0:13:44.160
it where you also you had a rep that
0:13:40.959,0:13:45.839
that went with you right I remember that
0:13:44.160,0:13:47.639
yeah you'd have a randomly selected rep
0:13:45.839,0:13:49.160
that went with you know each team and
0:13:47.639,0:13:51.600
you know confirmed that you know the
0:13:49.160,0:13:54.560
kills were legitimate and so on and so
0:13:51.600,0:13:56.839
forth right and um which which is isn't
0:13:54.560,0:13:59.600
isn't a isn't a bad idea I mean it was
0:13:56.839,0:14:01.959
kind of a cool I remember that and
0:13:59.600,0:14:05.560
no I mean you're right there's there was
0:14:01.959,0:14:08.639
a few hunts um at the time or prior to
0:14:05.560,0:14:10.160
the elite uh the uh Georgia classic was
0:14:08.639,0:14:13.079
one of them that me and Benton competed
0:14:10.160,0:14:14.839
in for years that it uh it used that
0:14:13.079,0:14:16.560
same style of format now there was a
0:14:14.839,0:14:18.120
couple hunts out in the out in the
0:14:16.560,0:14:20.120
Midwest and West that you know did it
0:14:18.120,0:14:22.079
too where you had a rep system and and I
0:14:20.120,0:14:25.040
loved that that format because it you
0:14:22.079,0:14:28.079
know it it got rid of you know cut the
0:14:25.040,0:14:30.480
BS out BS right and there was there was
0:14:28.079,0:14:33.639
no question as to was going on the the
0:14:30.480,0:14:35.920
only downside is is you kind of had to
0:14:33.639,0:14:38.560
cap it at a certain amount of teams to
0:14:35.920,0:14:41.000
find that many you know reps because
0:14:38.560,0:14:42.600
this this wasn't an event the difference
0:14:41.000,0:14:44.920
in the elite versus some of these other
0:14:42.600,0:14:46.720
hunts that had a rep system was they
0:14:44.920,0:14:48.759
they would all take place in just one
0:14:46.720,0:14:50.839
you know singular State all the Reps
0:14:48.759,0:14:52.800
were from that state well you know the
0:14:50.839,0:14:54.839
elite you you may have had you know guys
0:14:52.800,0:14:56.600
hunting in 15 different states and so
0:14:54.839,0:14:59.120
you were you know trying to find a rep
0:14:56.600,0:15:01.199
that didn't have to drive 12 hours to
0:14:59.120,0:15:04.199
you know rep for this team so it was a
0:15:01.199,0:15:06.320
little more you know involved um with
0:15:04.199,0:15:09.120
setting it up but you know it was
0:15:06.320,0:15:11.120
successful and and I think a lot of
0:15:09.120,0:15:14.040
people really looked forward to that
0:15:11.120,0:15:15.920
hunt every year um you know that none of
0:15:14.040,0:15:17.639
that stuff I ever participated in but it
0:15:15.920,0:15:20.600
was one of those things it was fun to it
0:15:17.639,0:15:23.040
was fun to follow along you know you you
0:15:20.600,0:15:26.120
know I look forward to it coming up all
0:15:23.040,0:15:28.480
the trash talking between you guys some
0:15:26.120,0:15:30.800
of the teams and you know all for fun
0:15:28.480,0:15:33.040
you know been some a little serious but
0:15:30.800,0:15:34.680
but it was you know it was fun to fun to
0:15:33.040,0:15:37.279
follow along with and then plus you know
0:15:34.680,0:15:38.880
I wanted to see how everybody performed
0:15:37.279,0:15:41.240
and there was some very impressive
0:15:38.880,0:15:44.279
numbers that turned out and I know uh
0:15:41.240,0:15:46.680
you know our our buddies J Jamie Terry
0:15:44.279,0:15:49.440
and you know JT we call him and and
0:15:46.680,0:15:51.480
Dayton far um I think they won that
0:15:49.440,0:15:53.360
thing what like four times in a row but
0:15:51.480,0:15:57.319
you were on the teams that actually won
0:15:53.360,0:15:59.360
you won backto back um Eastern Elites uh
0:15:57.319,0:16:01.199
was it with those guys was it with
0:15:59.360,0:16:04.000
Dayton and JT that you w back to back
0:16:01.199,0:16:07.160
with it it was yeah it was it was with
0:16:04.000,0:16:08.600
those two guys back to back and um yeah
0:16:07.160,0:16:10.720
and the other thing that was that was
0:16:08.600,0:16:12.480
neat about it the way that Jason did you
0:16:10.720,0:16:14.240
know like the the live I don't want to
0:16:12.480,0:16:16.800
say live score tracker but he would
0:16:14.240,0:16:19.000
update you know what had you know kind
0:16:16.800,0:16:20.800
of been you know killed at by midnight
0:16:19.000,0:16:24.000
on night one and then he'd give an
0:16:20.800,0:16:27.519
update you know going into lunchtime of
0:16:24.000,0:16:28.600
of day two and so you know people were
0:16:27.519,0:16:30.319
people that were sitting at home not
0:16:28.600,0:16:32.440
competing it they felt like they were
0:16:30.319,0:16:34.519
you know somewhat involved or you know
0:16:32.440,0:16:36.639
it was fun it was fun keeping up with it
0:16:34.519,0:16:39.639
it really was and uh just to give
0:16:36.639,0:16:42.600
everybody that's not familiar with uh uh
0:16:39.639,0:16:45.680
the eastern and the Eastern Elite um
0:16:42.600,0:16:47.519
like your your all's backto back wins uh
0:16:45.680,0:16:50.079
that you were a part of on the Eastern
0:16:47.519,0:16:54.279
Elite how many coyotes did it did you
0:16:50.079,0:16:57.839
all turn in on those two hunts the the
0:16:54.279,0:17:04.240
first one I believe it was
0:16:57.839,0:17:06.360
like 27 I think 28 maybe yeah um that
0:17:04.240,0:17:09.640
that particular year it was it was a
0:17:06.360,0:17:12.760
full moon uh weekend and it was a little
0:17:09.640,0:17:16.000
tough but the following year 28 coyes it
0:17:12.760,0:17:17.400
was sound like it's tough yeah yeah well
0:17:16.000,0:17:20.679
I mean it was it was
0:17:17.400,0:17:23.240
tougher it could it could have been now
0:17:20.679,0:17:25.679
the the following year we uh we killed
0:17:23.240,0:17:28.600
40 and uh we had actually we had quit
0:17:25.679,0:17:31.039
hunting about 2:30 in the morning yeah
0:17:28.600,0:17:34.280
and um and they were just on fire that
0:17:31.039,0:17:35.600
weekend and on paper it was a terrible
0:17:34.280,0:17:37.240
I'm not going to say terrible weekend
0:17:35.600,0:17:41.240
obviously you know we caught a lot in
0:17:37.240,0:17:44.520
but I mean it was teens for the
0:17:41.240,0:17:48.760
temperatures uh night one we had 20 to
0:17:44.520,0:17:51.640
25 mph winds night two I mean gust 30
0:17:48.760,0:17:53.400
plus and but they were on fire I mean
0:17:51.640,0:17:56.320
you just couldn't do no wrong as far as
0:17:53.400,0:17:57.559
calling Y and uh you wouldn't if You'
0:17:56.320,0:17:58.880
have looked at it on paper you'd have
0:17:57.559,0:18:00.919
been like man this going to be a tough
0:17:58.880,0:18:03.559
weekend but it just it was the complete
0:18:00.919,0:18:05.200
opposite you never know I mean and y'all
0:18:03.559,0:18:08.919
check checked in 40
0:18:05.200,0:18:10.799
cows yeah 40 40 CS in one the other
0:18:08.919,0:18:12.000
hunts with with JT and Dayton didn't
0:18:10.799,0:18:13.679
they kill wasn't there one of those
0:18:12.000,0:18:15.919
tournaments they actually turned in more
0:18:13.679,0:18:17.520
more than that was it like is like mid
0:18:15.919,0:18:20.960
40s or something or am I remembering
0:18:17.520,0:18:22.919
wrong no they they not in a contest they
0:18:20.960,0:18:25.200
had killed they had done some pleasure
0:18:22.919,0:18:26.840
hunting weekend trips uh before where
0:18:25.200,0:18:28.919
they had you know killed more than than
0:18:26.840,0:18:32.520
40 in a week and I think they killed
0:18:28.919,0:18:35.799
like 28 or 29 one night just just
0:18:32.520,0:18:36.919
pleasure H you know just uh you know you
0:18:35.799,0:18:39.000
it was one of those nights You' have
0:18:36.919,0:18:40.559
wish you were in a contest well you know
0:18:39.000,0:18:42.640
you know just speaking of all that stuff
0:18:40.559,0:18:44.440
like you talking about that that one
0:18:42.640,0:18:47.559
tournament where you all checked in 40
0:18:44.440,0:18:49.400
coyes that kind of speaks to how serious
0:18:47.559,0:18:50.559
the competition was in this it was one
0:18:49.400,0:18:52.760
of those things you know you were
0:18:50.559,0:18:53.919
thinking if you're entering that contest
0:18:52.760,0:18:56.720
you're already thinking hey I've got to
0:18:53.919,0:18:59.080
reach 30 I got to have at least 30 coops
0:18:56.720,0:19:01.039
in the trucker I might not win and then
0:18:59.080,0:19:02.919
you might kill 30 I don't even know what
0:19:01.039,0:19:06.280
second place was do you remember what
0:19:02.919,0:19:08.400
what second place was they turned in I
0:19:06.280,0:19:11.679
think it was
0:19:08.400,0:19:14.840
24 it was Y come close to doubling
0:19:11.679,0:19:17.960
everybody else yeah it was uh there was
0:19:14.840,0:19:20.600
definitely um there was a decent Gap you
0:19:17.960,0:19:23.679
know from first first to second but I
0:19:20.600,0:19:27.400
also just talking to a lot of the teams
0:19:23.679,0:19:29.640
you know after you know the event uh we
0:19:27.400,0:19:31.640
we went about a little bit different
0:19:29.640,0:19:34.880
strategy or a lot different strategy and
0:19:31.640,0:19:37.520
it it paid dividends you know at the end
0:19:34.880,0:19:39.559
and um and I think that you know that
0:19:37.520,0:19:42.640
strategy is a strategy that a lot of
0:19:39.559,0:19:44.600
guys have started to implement you know
0:19:42.640,0:19:46.600
in the last few years that for the guys
0:19:44.600,0:19:49.360
that still compete and and you can see
0:19:46.600,0:19:50.600
it you know in the numbers um that that
0:19:49.360,0:19:52.400
following year you've seen a lot of
0:19:50.600,0:19:55.799
people's numbers really start to know
0:19:52.400,0:19:57.039
jump up 20 30% you know yeah and know
0:19:55.799,0:19:59.360
that and that's the thing it's just like
0:19:57.039,0:20:00.880
at tourament you know you say you do
0:19:59.360,0:20:02.080
if you Wen keeping up with everybody
0:20:00.880,0:20:03.400
else or you wern't keeping up the
0:20:02.080,0:20:05.760
tracking and stuff and you was just
0:20:03.400,0:20:07.720
sticking to yourself and and and
0:20:05.760,0:20:10.679
grinding killing Coy and you end up with
0:20:07.720,0:20:12.520
30 or 35 coyotes in the truck and you're
0:20:10.679,0:20:15.520
thinking that you're going to win it and
0:20:12.520,0:20:18.600
then the number one team turns in 40 I
0:20:15.520,0:20:20.640
mean I mean that's that's pretty it's
0:20:18.600,0:20:23.600
just Elite numbers there in my
0:20:20.640,0:20:25.000
opinion no I mean it it was I mean at at
0:20:23.600,0:20:27.240
that time I mean that was the most that
0:20:25.000,0:20:32.200
you know we had ever had ever killed in
0:20:27.240,0:20:34.640
a weekend and and we knew just hunting
0:20:32.200,0:20:37.640
the dirt previous years that it was
0:20:34.640,0:20:40.120
capable of producing you know those
0:20:37.640,0:20:42.280
types of numbers it it was just that we
0:20:40.120,0:20:44.120
had never lined out you know those two
0:20:42.280,0:20:45.799
fire nights where you could you could
0:20:44.120,0:20:47.440
make it happen I mean and unfortunately
0:20:45.799,0:20:49.760
that's the thing with with contest hunt
0:20:47.440,0:20:51.880
I mean you can do all the scouting and
0:20:49.760,0:20:54.919
prep work and have the dirt and you know
0:20:51.880,0:20:57.320
have a game plan but you may just it may
0:20:54.919,0:20:59.240
fall on a weekend where you know weather
0:20:57.320,0:21:02.400
trumps it or you know
0:20:59.240,0:21:05.600
calling activity is is slow and you know
0:21:02.400,0:21:08.320
just uh you know things uncontrollable
0:21:05.600,0:21:10.880
factors right um and then you know every
0:21:08.320,0:21:13.240
once in a while you'd it would pan out
0:21:10.880,0:21:14.960
to where the contest lined up with a
0:21:13.240,0:21:16.840
great weekend of calling and you know
0:21:14.960,0:21:18.679
you did your part and you know that's
0:21:16.840,0:21:20.840
when that's when you'd hit those those
0:21:18.679,0:21:24.200
record you know numbers a lot of a lot
0:21:20.840,0:21:26.240
of things got to come together right
0:21:24.200,0:21:29.600
let's talk let's move on to I mentioned
0:21:26.240,0:21:31.240
the uspc earlier the UN United States
0:21:29.600,0:21:32.840
Predator Challenge and that might be
0:21:31.240,0:21:34.039
something that's a little less known
0:21:32.840,0:21:37.159
than the rest of them because I think it
0:21:34.039,0:21:41.039
was only one year but it was yes sir was
0:21:37.159,0:21:43.679
very very you know I think our Al Morris
0:21:41.039,0:21:47.440
is one put that together and it has a
0:21:43.679,0:21:49.440
really intriguing idea and I think it's
0:21:47.440,0:21:52.320
kind of a shame that it get to go more
0:21:49.440,0:21:55.240
than just one year because I think that
0:21:52.320,0:21:57.679
that talking about winning that kind
0:21:55.240,0:22:01.120
of you know separates the men from the
0:21:57.679,0:22:03.159
boys I guess to say it uh um cuz you had
0:22:01.120,0:22:06.200
to hunt it was a it was a
0:22:03.159,0:22:08.400
three tournament it was a three contest
0:22:06.200,0:22:11.640
tournament so you had to hunt a Eastern
0:22:08.400,0:22:13.360
leg a Midwestern leg and a western leg
0:22:11.640,0:22:16.679
so you had what was it it was based on
0:22:13.360,0:22:20.559
points right it it there was a point
0:22:16.679,0:22:23.000
scale and essentially how it worked was
0:22:20.559,0:22:24.919
I mean you you had to compete in all
0:22:23.000,0:22:26.440
three you were going to have to compete
0:22:24.919,0:22:28.559
in all three events you know to get
0:22:26.440,0:22:31.320
enough points you know to win it because
0:22:28.559,0:22:32.720
even even if someone just did mediocre
0:22:31.320,0:22:34.279
you know across the board you only
0:22:32.720,0:22:35.720
competed in two just the way that the
0:22:34.279,0:22:37.320
point scale worked out you know they
0:22:35.720,0:22:39.840
were going to probably you know Edge you
0:22:37.320,0:22:43.279
out in the end but I mean as long as I
0:22:39.840,0:22:44.720
can remember and and anyone that's done
0:22:43.279,0:22:47.120
a significant amount of coyot hunt in
0:22:44.720,0:22:48.919
the last 10 or 15 years knows what I'm
0:22:47.120,0:22:51.039
talking about when I say this there's
0:22:48.919,0:22:52.760
always been this debate of the Eastern
0:22:51.039,0:22:54.679
coyot Hunters versus the Western KY
0:22:52.760,0:22:56.600
Hunters I mean it's just you know and
0:22:54.679,0:22:58.799
and a lot of it was all in fun and you
0:22:56.600,0:23:00.520
know and then you got the you got to
0:22:58.799,0:23:02.520
throw the midwestern stuff in there too
0:23:00.520,0:23:04.720
because all cou different regions and
0:23:02.520,0:23:07.120
three different styles of hunting so
0:23:04.720,0:23:10.240
well yeah and and it was just it's
0:23:07.120,0:23:14.159
always been you know there's no doubt I
0:23:10.240,0:23:16.000
mean coyote hunting has has you know
0:23:14.159,0:23:17.919
been going on a lot longer out west than
0:23:16.000,0:23:19.360
it has on on the east coast and it's
0:23:17.919,0:23:20.880
just simple fact that there's been
0:23:19.360,0:23:22.640
Coyotes out there you know a whole lot
0:23:20.880,0:23:25.799
longer than it was you know on the
0:23:22.640,0:23:28.120
Eastern Seaboard but um there's always
0:23:25.799,0:23:29.840
been it's always been a rivalry I guess
0:23:28.120,0:23:34.760
you could
0:23:29.840,0:23:37.640
e vers the Western hunters and um you
0:23:34.760,0:23:39.640
know several of us had discussed you
0:23:37.640,0:23:42.600
know what if there was ever a contest
0:23:39.640,0:23:44.159
that spanned across the entire us and we
0:23:42.600,0:23:46.840
you know we broke it down into a few
0:23:44.159,0:23:50.039
different regions and you know hunted
0:23:46.840,0:23:52.120
our way you know across the country and
0:23:50.039,0:23:54.960
um it was discussed by by a lot of
0:23:52.120,0:23:56.840
hunters that I know for years but just
0:23:54.960,0:23:59.600
nothing ever came to fruition and then
0:23:56.840,0:24:01.320
you know one year out I know he got on
0:23:59.600,0:24:02.919
board and was like Hey you know we're
0:24:01.320,0:24:04.480
gonna do this thing and you know this is
0:24:02.919,0:24:07.520
what we're gonna call it and this is how
0:24:04.480,0:24:09.159
we're going to structure it and um uh he
0:24:07.520,0:24:11.320
was a large part in getting a lot of you
0:24:09.159,0:24:14.600
know sponsors involved you know Fox Pro
0:24:11.320,0:24:17.919
was a was a huge sponsor and uh Ruger
0:24:14.600,0:24:21.200
was a was a big sponsor uh Trion Optics
0:24:17.919,0:24:24.320
at the time horn I think maybe Hornady
0:24:21.200,0:24:26.880
was a yeah big sponsor and um you know
0:24:24.320,0:24:29.799
got the got the ball rolling on it and
0:24:26.880,0:24:30.559
um it was a it was a fun event I mean I
0:24:29.799,0:24:33.200
I
0:24:30.559,0:24:37.559
enjoyed that event probably more than
0:24:33.200,0:24:39.960
any contest I've ever hunted uh just
0:24:37.559,0:24:42.440
from the standpoint of it it took you
0:24:39.960,0:24:44.919
out of your your element and took you
0:24:42.440,0:24:46.960
off your home turf out of your backyard
0:24:44.919,0:24:49.080
and and I've said that for a long time
0:24:46.960,0:24:51.559
you know there's there is great coyote
0:24:49.080,0:24:54.960
Hunters Across the Nation there is no
0:24:51.559,0:24:58.039
doubt about that but I have seen great
0:24:54.960,0:25:00.520
coyote Hunters that Excel you know in
0:24:58.039,0:25:02.240
their home state and then the tactics
0:25:00.520,0:25:05.159
that they Implement there and are very
0:25:02.240,0:25:08.080
successful leave there and go somewhere
0:25:05.159,0:25:10.840
else and you know they're just they're
0:25:08.080,0:25:12.640
lost they get uh get dialed back get
0:25:10.840,0:25:14.799
knocked down a notch or two pretty quick
0:25:12.640,0:25:18.080
don't they yeah and I mean and that goes
0:25:14.799,0:25:20.520
for anybody and so there's only one way
0:25:18.080,0:25:23.600
you know to to get better at that and
0:25:20.520,0:25:25.399
that's you know start to travel and you
0:25:23.600,0:25:27.440
know hunt these different states in
0:25:25.399,0:25:29.440
different areas and and I mean I can
0:25:27.440,0:25:31.880
honestly say I I mean just about every
0:25:29.440,0:25:33.279
state that I've I've hunted you know
0:25:31.880,0:25:35.679
whether it's you know the terrain's
0:25:33.279,0:25:37.279
different or you know population city is
0:25:35.679,0:25:39.520
different you know whether you can day
0:25:37.279,0:25:44.000
hunt it or only night you know hunt it
0:25:39.520,0:25:46.600
or whatever the case is um it you would
0:25:44.000,0:25:48.279
critique how you your style of of
0:25:46.600,0:25:51.200
calling or style of hunting just a
0:25:48.279,0:25:54.440
little bit and youd learn things you
0:25:51.200,0:25:56.480
know across you know along the way that
0:25:54.440,0:25:58.960
would make you you know in my opinion a
0:25:56.480,0:26:01.360
better well-rounded H and to think you
0:25:58.960,0:26:02.880
know to to compete in this you had to
0:26:01.360,0:26:04.960
hunt three different hunts three
0:26:02.880,0:26:07.240
different tournaments one of them was
0:26:04.960,0:26:10.120
the Eastern that year the Eastern was
0:26:07.240,0:26:12.320
the Eastern leg and uh you night hunted
0:26:10.120,0:26:14.720
that and then you know they had the
0:26:12.320,0:26:16.640
midwestern leg and it was a daytime only
0:26:14.720,0:26:18.799
HP is that correct the midwestern leg
0:26:16.640,0:26:20.720
was correct and then the Western leg was
0:26:18.799,0:26:22.840
the same way it was so you had to be
0:26:20.720,0:26:24.480
well-rounded I mean if if you were a guy
0:26:22.840,0:26:26.200
in the west you could probably do pretty
0:26:24.480,0:26:27.799
good in that Western hunt and you could
0:26:26.200,0:26:29.919
probably do good in the midwestern hunt
0:26:27.799,0:26:32.080
if you had the ground but then if you
0:26:29.919,0:26:33.480
don't have any experience night hunting
0:26:32.080,0:26:35.600
and you're going to go try to day hunt
0:26:33.480,0:26:37.399
the East I'm not saying you not going to
0:26:35.600,0:26:38.799
kill any coyotes you know I do that
0:26:37.399,0:26:42.120
stuff all the time but you're not going
0:26:38.799,0:26:44.360
to compete with somebody turning in 30
0:26:42.120,0:26:46.840
coyes you know what I mean so you have
0:26:44.360,0:26:48.679
to be there's there was a few things
0:26:46.840,0:26:50.159
that that had to fall into place for you
0:26:48.679,0:26:51.440
even to be able to compete in this and
0:26:50.159,0:26:53.200
let's just get the obvious out of the
0:26:51.440,0:26:55.279
way is you had to have the time to go
0:26:53.200,0:26:57.080
hunt all three and you had to have the
0:26:55.279,0:26:59.679
resources to hunt all three and the
0:26:57.080,0:27:02.120
final one uh even if you had the time
0:26:59.679,0:27:04.399
and the resources you had to have the
0:27:02.120,0:27:06.760
ability if you were not a well-rounded
0:27:04.399,0:27:08.799
coyote Hunter and coyote Coller you are
0:27:06.760,0:27:11.279
not going to place in
0:27:08.799,0:27:14.320
this no I mean that's and that was the
0:27:11.279,0:27:16.640
beauty of of that hunt was that it it
0:27:14.320,0:27:18.440
took there was it it really leveled the
0:27:16.640,0:27:19.760
playing field whether it didn't matter
0:27:18.440,0:27:21.360
where you were from whether you were
0:27:19.760,0:27:23.960
from California or whether you were from
0:27:21.360,0:27:25.960
Virginia you at some point in time
0:27:23.960,0:27:27.679
throughout that series you you were
0:27:25.960,0:27:28.919
going to be out of your comfort zone and
0:27:27.679,0:27:32.600
you were going to have to figure some
0:27:28.919,0:27:34.760
stuff out and um yeah I I wish it had
0:27:32.600,0:27:36.000
gone on for another year or two or you
0:27:34.760,0:27:38.120
know that they still had it today
0:27:36.000,0:27:41.039
because I may it may entice me to get
0:27:38.120,0:27:43.080
back into doing some cont so what was
0:27:41.039,0:27:46.640
was the was the Western leg the first
0:27:43.080,0:27:49.279
leg of it the Western leg was the first
0:27:46.640,0:27:51.600
leg and what what it was you and Benton
0:27:49.279,0:27:54.480
Bowman that did this you all that was
0:27:51.600,0:27:56.919
your team uh what did you all place
0:27:54.480,0:28:00.039
where did you where was the check in for
0:27:56.919,0:28:04.799
the Western Le and and um what how did
0:28:00.039,0:28:07.679
you place it I believe we placed like
0:28:04.799,0:28:10.600
seventh I can't remember
0:28:07.679,0:28:12.120
to top 10 finish in the Western League
0:28:10.600,0:28:15.039
coming from
0:28:12.120,0:28:16.840
Virginia correct and going out west and
0:28:15.039,0:28:18.120
and grabbing ground and hunting and made
0:28:16.840,0:28:22.799
a top 10
0:28:18.120,0:28:24.919
finish yeah and and honestly um I mean
0:28:22.799,0:28:27.039
like I said you you you learn things
0:28:24.919,0:28:29.559
along the way I mean no one would I know
0:28:27.039,0:28:31.360
now I mean we we made a lot of mistakes
0:28:29.559,0:28:34.840
of things that we could have done better
0:28:31.360,0:28:37.679
or you know should have done uh better
0:28:34.840,0:28:39.600
but we did at the time what we what we
0:28:37.679,0:28:41.480
knew best and that was you know try to
0:28:39.600,0:28:44.880
get into areas where we we thought it
0:28:41.480,0:28:47.200
was good KY numbers and yeah um got on
0:28:44.880,0:28:50.720
some private ground but also had to
0:28:47.200,0:28:52.760
Resort back to some public ground and we
0:28:50.720,0:28:56.120
found out real quick that that was
0:28:52.760,0:28:58.519
pretty beat up yep but um you know we we
0:28:56.120,0:29:00.080
we made up for it you know as far is in
0:28:58.519,0:29:01.440
in the shooting department and you know
0:29:00.080,0:29:04.320
we killed just about everything we
0:29:01.440,0:29:06.120
called in and it was enough to to get us
0:29:04.320,0:29:08.720
some points to where like all right well
0:29:06.120,0:29:10.360
we're not where we obviously we want to
0:29:08.720,0:29:12.519
win it you know every contest we've ever
0:29:10.360,0:29:14.000
signed up for we want to win it but you
0:29:12.519,0:29:16.440
know we're sitting
0:29:14.000,0:29:19.360
okay the next leg was going to be the
0:29:16.440,0:29:21.360
Eastern hey we can gain some ground back
0:29:19.360,0:29:25.039
you know get some get some points some
0:29:21.360,0:29:27.200
some good points on the board yep and um
0:29:25.039,0:29:30.120
and then obviously the Midwest was the
0:29:27.200,0:29:32.600
was the final so on the Eastern if I
0:29:30.120,0:29:34.760
remember right you all got second place
0:29:32.600,0:29:38.519
in the Eastern second place yes sir
0:29:34.760,0:29:41.880
second place on the eastern and um and
0:29:38.519,0:29:45.080
then the midwestern leg uh we got second
0:29:41.880,0:29:48.519
place so so two second place finishes
0:29:45.080,0:29:51.440
and then a a top 10 of seven or eight in
0:29:48.519,0:29:53.760
the Western League correct it's pretty
0:29:51.440,0:29:56.559
solid and three three different
0:29:53.760,0:30:00.360
tournaments in three different regions
0:29:56.559,0:30:01.679
of the US Eastern Midwestern and Western
0:30:00.360,0:30:03.799
like I said that kind of separates the
0:30:01.679,0:30:06.399
men from the boys right
0:30:03.799,0:30:08.360
there no it it was a lot there was a lot
0:30:06.399,0:30:09.919
of tra I mean and like you said time was
0:30:08.360,0:30:11.600
was one of the the biggest factors of
0:30:09.919,0:30:13.480
that hunt I mean you know because you
0:30:11.600,0:30:16.600
you knew that you were going to have to
0:30:13.480,0:30:19.279
dedicate you know three weeks out the
0:30:16.600,0:30:22.120
gate to you know Scout and Slash the
0:30:19.279,0:30:24.200
hunt for for each event minimum minimum
0:30:22.120,0:30:27.120
right yeah and um that didn't that
0:30:24.200,0:30:31.200
didn't include you know the hundreds of
0:30:27.120,0:30:33.600
hours that I spent on onyx hunt M right
0:30:31.200,0:30:35.279
right you know that's where I really
0:30:33.600,0:30:38.960
learned how to become efficient at using
0:30:35.279,0:30:41.559
Onyx was was for that that hunt well I I
0:30:38.960,0:30:44.919
know I can't remember it was either at
0:30:41.559,0:30:47.039
uh at the nwtf show or at the Great
0:30:44.919,0:30:48.399
American outdoor show up in Harrisburg
0:30:47.039,0:30:51.000
Pennsylvania I can't remember which one
0:30:48.399,0:30:53.200
it was but I remember you and uh you and
0:30:51.000,0:30:55.399
bitton come walking up to the booth and
0:30:53.200,0:30:58.039
there y all had you big buckles on and I
0:30:55.399,0:30:59.840
was like it is the most that is awesome
0:30:58.039,0:31:02.440
is the awesomest side ever to come up
0:30:59.840,0:31:05.200
here wearing that was uspc buckles cuz
0:31:02.440,0:31:07.240
Hey one one and done it was only one one
0:31:05.200,0:31:09.240
time it was held and you all want it I
0:31:07.240,0:31:11.559
think it's pretty cool no we we were
0:31:09.240,0:31:13.360
proud of that one and um should be you
0:31:11.559,0:31:15.960
know and we we did we put a put a lot of
0:31:13.360,0:31:18.320
work into it and and I I will never
0:31:15.960,0:31:20.440
forget Benton telling me on the it was
0:31:18.320,0:31:23.120
the last couple hours of the the
0:31:20.440,0:31:26.200
midwestern leg and he looked at me and
0:31:23.120,0:31:29.679
he's like Kyle he said this is the last
0:31:26.200,0:31:31.799
one he said so we better do good he he
0:31:29.679,0:31:33.679
said I'm done with him after this and he
0:31:31.799,0:31:36.200
was hey when y when yall know you
0:31:33.679,0:31:38.320
sitting pretty there in the midwestern
0:31:36.200,0:31:39.679
leg and you had a pretty good idea you
0:31:38.320,0:31:41.039
was going to get some buckles was you
0:31:39.679,0:31:42.120
already thinking about buying a new belt
0:31:41.039,0:31:44.880
or was you just going to slap that
0:31:42.120,0:31:46.760
buckle on an old belt yeah I mean I
0:31:44.880,0:31:48.559
think we were so tired after that event
0:31:46.760,0:31:52.760
we didn't even care all we wanted was
0:31:48.559,0:31:57.039
was a hotel bed to go sleep but
0:31:52.760,0:31:59.919
um no it was uh that's definitely the
0:31:57.039,0:32:03.320
the the Buckle that I I'd say I cherish
0:31:59.919,0:32:05.880
uh the most just CU it was uh it was a
0:32:03.320,0:32:08.639
lot of lot of effort put into it yeah
0:32:05.880,0:32:11.360
it's that's good stuff well Kyle for for
0:32:08.639,0:32:13.639
all these great runs in the contest
0:32:11.360,0:32:15.240
world and um you know what were some of
0:32:13.639,0:32:18.120
the factors that you wouldn't care to
0:32:15.240,0:32:20.159
share that that made you made you and
0:32:18.120,0:32:21.880
your teammate so successful you know
0:32:20.159,0:32:25.000
during the Eastern Eastern lead and this
0:32:21.880,0:32:26.600
big uspc um you know stuff like you know
0:32:25.000,0:32:28.159
I guess one of the obvious things is
0:32:26.600,0:32:29.480
that you got to have to land on if you
0:32:28.159,0:32:33.240
ain't got no ground to hunt you can't
0:32:29.480,0:32:36.399
compete nothing yeah I mean land is
0:32:33.240,0:32:38.600
that's always been a huge factor in
0:32:36.399,0:32:40.799
contest hunting and you know we were me
0:32:38.600,0:32:43.279
and B were fortunate enough that we had
0:32:40.799,0:32:44.720
a lot of buddies that you know gave us
0:32:43.279,0:32:47.760
access you know whether it beat the
0:32:44.720,0:32:49.559
private ground or you know pointed Us in
0:32:47.760,0:32:51.880
the direction of you know some areas
0:32:49.559,0:32:53.559
that we ought to go Scout and you know
0:32:51.880,0:32:56.200
look at and then you know we did a lot
0:32:53.559,0:32:57.960
of scouting on our own and you know just
0:32:56.200,0:33:01.600
you know whether it was on Google Earth
0:32:57.960,0:33:04.399
or onx and um would make scouting trips
0:33:01.600,0:33:05.880
I mean a lot of people uh don't know
0:33:04.399,0:33:08.399
this but you know for probably a
0:33:05.880,0:33:10.720
two-year window I mean during the
0:33:08.399,0:33:13.559
summertime me and Benton would hop in
0:33:10.720,0:33:15.960
the truck and we take you know a three
0:33:13.559,0:33:19.000
four day weekend and we'd go to a state
0:33:15.960,0:33:21.480
we had never been to and literally try
0:33:19.000,0:33:23.480
to just go get ground you know access on
0:33:21.480,0:33:24.679
private ground to hunt and I mean we
0:33:23.480,0:33:26.720
wouldn't even hunt it like we wouldn't
0:33:24.679,0:33:28.600
even while we were there you know
0:33:26.720,0:33:30.760
knocking on doors and acquiring ground
0:33:28.600,0:33:32.559
we literally would spend four days just
0:33:30.760,0:33:34.159
picking up dirt we wouldn't tell anybody
0:33:32.559,0:33:36.519
you know where we gone or what we were
0:33:34.159,0:33:38.399
doing and you know and would do that
0:33:36.519,0:33:39.919
quite a bit it was like we burn our
0:33:38.399,0:33:42.639
vacation time just to go get K and
0:33:39.919,0:33:44.960
that's what it took I mean and we knew
0:33:42.639,0:33:46.960
that uh if you know we'd put in that
0:33:44.960,0:33:48.639
effort to do that that it was going to
0:33:46.960,0:33:51.960
you know help us out at the end so it
0:33:48.639,0:33:54.840
was a big combination of e scouting and
0:33:51.960,0:33:56.960
boots on the ground knocking on doors
0:33:54.840,0:33:58.440
sure I mean you know to gather the
0:33:56.960,0:34:01.360
ground and then Plus you had to look at
0:33:58.440,0:34:04.679
it you had to see what you had right and
0:34:01.360,0:34:06.720
and not just that I mean getting a a a
0:34:04.679,0:34:08.520
Rancher farmer phone number and calling
0:34:06.720,0:34:10.440
him up you know asking permission to
0:34:08.520,0:34:12.919
hunt you know sometimes you can be
0:34:10.440,0:34:14.399
successful doing that but you know
0:34:12.919,0:34:16.200
actually going and shaking his hand and
0:34:14.399,0:34:17.960
meeting him face to face could could be
0:34:16.200,0:34:20.800
the difference in you getting access or
0:34:17.960,0:34:24.079
not so um and we knew that because it it
0:34:20.800,0:34:25.679
was it's that way here in Virginia so um
0:34:24.079,0:34:27.440
we knew we had to you know put a lot of
0:34:25.679,0:34:31.119
miles on the vehicle and you know go
0:34:27.440,0:34:32.720
meet these people what about um what
0:34:31.119,0:34:34.440
about you shooting you know shooting had
0:34:32.720,0:34:36.839
to be on point you could call in 100
0:34:34.440,0:34:39.320
coyes you only kill five of them guess
0:34:36.839,0:34:41.960
what you ain't going to compete U sure
0:34:39.320,0:34:43.399
shooting had to be on point I mean uh
0:34:41.960,0:34:44.960
how much did you PR did you practice
0:34:43.399,0:34:47.320
much I mean I know you're just I know
0:34:44.960,0:34:49.639
you're a natural Marksman but you
0:34:47.320,0:34:51.399
know I know a lot of these hunts y all
0:34:49.639,0:34:53.760
pretty much killed you know knocked down
0:34:51.399,0:34:56.119
everything that came to the call and uh
0:34:53.760,0:34:57.800
shooting is definitely a large a large
0:34:56.119,0:35:00.760
part of it and I mean there's there's so
0:34:57.800,0:35:02.560
many different aspects in my opinion of
0:35:00.760,0:35:05.400
of the shooting when it comes to contest
0:35:02.560,0:35:07.079
hunting I mean you know whether you're
0:35:05.400,0:35:09.400
you know banging steel and you got a
0:35:07.079,0:35:11.920
range you know at your house or in your
0:35:09.400,0:35:14.680
backyard I mean just just pure Trigger
0:35:11.920,0:35:16.440
Time you know could help out a lot but
0:35:14.680,0:35:18.640
uh we did a lot of pleasure hunting too
0:35:16.440,0:35:21.000
here in Virginia where I mean at one
0:35:18.640,0:35:22.680
point in time I mean I'd hunt three four
0:35:21.000,0:35:24.920
five nights a week you know and even if
0:35:22.680,0:35:27.200
you were just going out and killing two
0:35:24.920,0:35:29.079
or three kows a night just getting Trigg
0:35:27.200,0:35:31.240
your time animal yeah just the
0:35:29.079,0:35:33.280
repetitive process of hunting all the
0:35:31.240,0:35:35.240
time and hunting with your partner you
0:35:33.280,0:35:38.040
that's that's something that people
0:35:35.240,0:35:41.119
Overlook commun so much I've
0:35:38.040,0:35:43.680
seen you could take a a great shooter a
0:35:41.119,0:35:47.839
great caller a great coy Hunter and you
0:35:43.680,0:35:49.960
can put him with uh someone who is just
0:35:47.839,0:35:52.920
you know let's say a novice or mediocre
0:35:49.960,0:35:54.880
and you know that team fall apart I mean
0:35:52.920,0:35:57.319
you you have to have a well oil machine
0:35:54.880,0:35:59.480
you got to have two guys that are in
0:35:57.319,0:36:01.839
sync that know what the other one's
0:35:59.480,0:36:05.440
thinking um and and that's one of the
0:36:01.839,0:36:07.480
the biggest uh challenges I I see with
0:36:05.440,0:36:10.240
the guys that steal contest hunt today
0:36:07.480,0:36:12.920
you know they they may have a partner
0:36:10.240,0:36:14.599
and you know life hits them or something
0:36:12.920,0:36:15.839
where that partner's like man I can't do
0:36:14.599,0:36:17.520
this anymore you got to find a new
0:36:15.839,0:36:18.920
partner you know I got too much work
0:36:17.520,0:36:21.960
going on and you know they they're
0:36:18.920,0:36:23.359
rotating a new partner every year and
0:36:21.960,0:36:26.440
they're a great hunter but they just
0:36:23.359,0:36:27.880
can't ever quite get to that top level
0:36:26.440,0:36:29.440
because they're they don't have a steady
0:36:27.880,0:36:30.680
partner that you know is they're
0:36:29.440,0:36:32.440
constantly working with and you know
0:36:30.680,0:36:34.440
ironing Out The Kinks You know and
0:36:32.440,0:36:35.480
getting getting a team that you know
0:36:34.440,0:36:38.359
runs
0:36:35.480,0:36:42.880
smoothly um but no yeah shooting
0:36:38.359,0:36:44.960
shooting's huge uh for sure and uh I'll
0:36:42.880,0:36:49.200
tell you I mean as far as like the
0:36:44.960,0:36:50.680
running shots yes um clay Reed probably
0:36:49.200,0:36:52.400
probably helped me in betting out more
0:36:50.680,0:36:53.680
than anybody on a running shots because
0:36:52.400,0:36:56.200
we'd go down to
0:36:53.680,0:36:58.280
Clay we' go down there and shoot pigs
0:36:56.200,0:37:01.480
and we'd go you know week or two before
0:36:58.280,0:37:03.720
a contest you know burn three 400 rounds
0:37:01.480,0:37:05.160
of ammo shooting the pigs well by the
0:37:03.720,0:37:08.079
time that contest come around in a
0:37:05.160,0:37:11.160
couple weeks our uh our shooting was was
0:37:08.079,0:37:12.800
on point for for runners right right
0:37:11.160,0:37:16.520
that's that's good stuff what about
0:37:12.800,0:37:18.480
let's say like um you know planning
0:37:16.520,0:37:20.359
planning everything out and your calling
0:37:18.480,0:37:22.760
strategies and making sure you wasn't
0:37:20.359,0:37:24.560
wasting no more time than you had to cuz
0:37:22.760,0:37:26.119
everything just had to click you know
0:37:24.560,0:37:28.359
you had to have the ground you had to
0:37:26.119,0:37:30.599
have a well laid out plan to hit those
0:37:28.359,0:37:32.839
stands that you need to hunt with the
0:37:30.599,0:37:35.720
whatever wind you all were offered and
0:37:32.839,0:37:38.520
you know you had to have a pretty you
0:37:35.720,0:37:40.119
know well thought out calling strategy
0:37:38.520,0:37:42.240
hey we're going to go- hit these stands
0:37:40.119,0:37:43.880
we're going to run these sounds and
0:37:42.240,0:37:45.319
we're going to kill every cow that comes
0:37:43.880,0:37:47.520
in and we're going to run back to the
0:37:45.319,0:37:49.760
truck these coyot and hit the next one
0:37:47.520,0:37:52.440
so like what is your calling strategy
0:37:49.760,0:37:54.560
and stuff like that yeah I mean I mean
0:37:52.440,0:37:57.280
our calling strategy for the longest
0:37:54.560,0:38:00.359
time was let's find the dumbest cows
0:37:57.280,0:38:02.760
right you know I like yeah let's let's
0:38:00.359,0:38:05.119
find the dumb Couts and and that has
0:38:02.760,0:38:09.079
always been the name of the game for
0:38:05.119,0:38:10.480
contest hunting I mean um you know sure
0:38:09.079,0:38:12.599
you could sit there and you can make a
0:38:10.480,0:38:14.640
20 minute stand and you know cows are
0:38:12.599,0:38:17.520
there and they vocalized you're you're
0:38:14.640,0:38:18.920
running vocals and but you can't you
0:38:17.520,0:38:21.079
can't sit on a stand that long when
0:38:18.920,0:38:23.200
you're contest hunting I mean this is
0:38:21.079,0:38:25.839
the faster you can do it you know the
0:38:23.200,0:38:28.040
better and you know the time management
0:38:25.839,0:38:30.800
from let's say that you you know you
0:38:28.040,0:38:33.359
shoot a pair of Couts and and instead of
0:38:30.800,0:38:35.200
you know both guys you know walking out
0:38:33.359,0:38:37.000
there and you know each grabbing one
0:38:35.200,0:38:38.640
throwing a drag around their mouth or
0:38:37.000,0:38:41.359
leg and then dragging them back to the
0:38:38.640,0:38:42.960
truck it's like you know one partner hey
0:38:41.359,0:38:44.680
I'm gonna carry the guns to the truck
0:38:42.960,0:38:46.240
I'm gonna reload everybody's magazine
0:38:44.680,0:38:48.520
I'm gonna get them in the truck you go
0:38:46.240,0:38:50.359
get the Couts and you know time
0:38:48.520,0:38:52.480
management I mean there's there's so
0:38:50.359,0:38:54.880
many different you know little tips and
0:38:52.480,0:38:56.760
tricks that you know guys use for you
0:38:54.880,0:38:58.240
know conserving as much time you know
0:38:56.760,0:39:00.599
you think about it throughout a night
0:38:58.240,0:39:03.319
you know you can knock out 30 plus
0:39:00.599,0:39:04.880
stands and you know you are more
0:39:03.319,0:39:06.400
efficient than than the next team and
0:39:04.880,0:39:08.839
you're saving you know one to two
0:39:06.400,0:39:10.280
minutes just by your time management
0:39:08.839,0:39:11.960
well you just picked up a few extra
0:39:10.280,0:39:13.960
stands over that other team that extra
0:39:11.960,0:39:16.960
stand could be a triple or a quad at the
0:39:13.960,0:39:18.079
end of the night so it's huge and most
0:39:16.960,0:39:21.560
people don't look at it from that
0:39:18.079,0:39:23.800
perspective you know right um so no I
0:39:21.560,0:39:28.280
mean time time management was a was a
0:39:23.800,0:39:30.000
big you know key factor and um um and
0:39:28.280,0:39:34.040
like I said just
0:39:30.000,0:39:36.839
not not making long sets you know if if
0:39:34.040,0:39:41.160
we kind of had a rule what was the max
0:39:36.839,0:39:43.480
like time we would normally we would
0:39:41.160,0:39:44.599
normally cap for most of the time you
0:39:43.480,0:39:46.200
know depending on if it was just a
0:39:44.599,0:39:48.440
really bad night and just nothing was
0:39:46.200,0:39:52.599
calling we might extend you know the
0:39:48.440,0:39:54.480
call in time but um 12 minutes or less
0:39:52.599,0:39:57.599
and it was one of those things you know
0:39:54.480,0:39:59.960
if if we were getting you know 70% call
0:39:57.599,0:40:02.960
up you know on these 12 minute stands
0:39:59.960,0:40:05.240
but it was inside of the you know five
0:40:02.960,0:40:07.040
to seven minute Mark we we' cut that
0:40:05.240,0:40:10.680
time down you
0:40:07.040,0:40:12.280
know ask like if you started calling and
0:40:10.680,0:40:13.680
in the first three minutes you kill a
0:40:12.280,0:40:14.839
double you all going to go ahead and
0:40:13.680,0:40:16.760
grab that double and get out of there
0:40:14.839,0:40:18.920
you gonna still call for another 10 or
0:40:16.760,0:40:21.160
12 in case there's another straggler out
0:40:18.920,0:40:22.680
there no I mean I can remember in
0:40:21.160,0:40:25.000
particular it's been years ago but we
0:40:22.680,0:40:27.079
hunted uh the Georgia classic one year
0:40:25.000,0:40:29.480
and I mean it was just a fire night and
0:40:27.079,0:40:32.240
you you know we had like three stands in
0:40:29.480,0:40:34.560
a row where we called up Pairs and they
0:40:32.240,0:40:36.560
were all coming you know inside the
0:40:34.560,0:40:38.520
two-minute mark and it was like all
0:40:36.560,0:40:39.920
right stand number four like we're gonna
0:40:38.520,0:40:41.960
cap this one at five minutes you know
0:40:39.920,0:40:43.880
we've got enough round you know we can
0:40:41.960,0:40:45.560
make five minute sets you know
0:40:43.880,0:40:48.000
throughout the whole night and there's
0:40:45.560,0:40:50.920
just no sense in that point of you know
0:40:48.000,0:40:52.920
right burning extra time so um and and
0:40:50.920,0:40:55.079
and and there's so many different
0:40:52.920,0:40:56.400
strategies I mean people you know some
0:40:55.079,0:40:58.920
people may not agree with that
0:40:56.400,0:41:00.640
particular method you know to a te I
0:40:58.920,0:41:02.359
mean there's there's different ways you
0:41:00.640,0:41:04.520
know you can do you got to find a system
0:41:02.359,0:41:06.880
that is efficient and that works for you
0:41:04.520,0:41:08.880
and your partner right right and that's
0:41:06.880,0:41:10.960
just that's what worked for us well
0:41:08.880,0:41:14.640
going off that what what advice would
0:41:10.960,0:41:16.280
you give someone you know say some of
0:41:14.640,0:41:18.160
these guys that's listening right now
0:41:16.280,0:41:20.160
that that might love the contest stuff
0:41:18.160,0:41:22.680
but have never done all that great or
0:41:20.160,0:41:25.040
never placed in a top 10 or or somebody
0:41:22.680,0:41:26.480
out there that who's looking to get into
0:41:25.040,0:41:28.079
contest hunting what would be some
0:41:26.480,0:41:30.640
advice you give
0:41:28.079,0:41:33.119
best piece of advice you give
0:41:30.640,0:41:36.319
them the best piece of advice that I
0:41:33.119,0:41:39.839
would give is I mean with with the
0:41:36.319,0:41:41.720
current situation with contest hunting
0:41:39.839,0:41:43.599
Across the Nation as a whole and these
0:41:41.720,0:41:45.640
states you know trying to ban it or
0:41:43.599,0:41:49.280
these you know anti-hunting groups you
0:41:45.640,0:41:52.680
know animal rights activists I would say
0:41:49.280,0:41:54.720
a if if you enjoy the contest and you
0:41:52.680,0:41:56.640
want to compete in them you know do them
0:41:54.720,0:41:57.839
while you still have the opportunity now
0:41:56.640,0:42:01.160
because I don't know how much longer
0:41:57.839,0:42:03.119
they'll be here in a few years but um
0:42:01.160,0:42:04.839
you know be if if you want to win them
0:42:03.119,0:42:07.400
and you want to be at the top I mean you
0:42:04.839,0:42:09.560
got to be willing to work harder than
0:42:07.400,0:42:12.560
everybody else I mean when everybody
0:42:09.560,0:42:15.280
else wants to slack off or it's a slow
0:42:12.560,0:42:17.240
night and it's 2:30 in the morning and
0:42:15.280,0:42:19.720
and you haven't called in a cow and the
0:42:17.240,0:42:21.359
last seven stands you can't say well
0:42:19.720,0:42:23.800
let's sit in the truck and you know take
0:42:21.359,0:42:25.040
a 30 minute nap like you don't know when
0:42:23.800,0:42:27.440
it's going to turn on like a light
0:42:25.040,0:42:29.960
switch and you might bang out three or
0:42:27.440,0:42:33.319
four the next STS and you know kill you
0:42:29.960,0:42:35.760
know three triples right so um you you
0:42:33.319,0:42:39.040
just uh you got to want it I mean you
0:42:35.760,0:42:42.200
gota if you're willing to to work harder
0:42:39.040,0:42:44.760
than everybody else a lot of times
0:42:42.200,0:42:47.520
you'll come out on top it's pretty good
0:42:44.760,0:42:49.240
stuff you you mentioned the future there
0:42:47.520,0:42:52.920
uh what does the future look like for
0:42:49.240,0:42:56.319
kyot contest uh Contest
0:42:52.920,0:42:58.520
time you know I I don't even know John
0:42:56.319,0:43:00.800
how many states we up to now that have
0:42:58.520,0:43:02.559
have ban contest it's quite a few mostly
0:43:00.800,0:43:06.240
Western States yeah seem like a new one
0:43:02.559,0:43:10.000
every year or so year it is and I I in
0:43:06.240,0:43:13.839
my opinion I think you know 10 years
0:43:10.000,0:43:16.839
from now I think that half the states
0:43:13.839,0:43:20.839
across the US are are gonna you know
0:43:16.839,0:43:22.520
will be done banned you know pry it's
0:43:20.839,0:43:24.160
pretty sad to think of and I know you
0:43:22.520,0:43:25.880
have firsthand experience of it you've
0:43:24.160,0:43:27.960
had to deal with this in your home state
0:43:25.880,0:43:30.559
of Virginia I I know y'all had a couple
0:43:27.960,0:43:35.319
big battles uh trying to trying to fend
0:43:30.559,0:43:38.319
it off yeah yeah we we did uh a few few
0:43:35.319,0:43:42.119
years ago our game in fish was wanting
0:43:38.319,0:43:44.559
to ban KY calling contest and um they
0:43:42.119,0:43:47.520
were getting some push back from like
0:43:44.559,0:43:49.760
the Humane Society and you know project
0:43:47.520,0:43:52.880
coot and a couple other of these
0:43:49.760,0:43:56.839
anti-hunting organizations and you know
0:43:52.880,0:43:59.800
and they are their reasoning behind it
0:43:56.839,0:44:01.760
didn't make any sense but they were
0:43:59.800,0:44:04.640
saying that they felt like it was you
0:44:01.760,0:44:06.400
know bad Optics you know for the sport
0:44:04.640,0:44:09.119
but you know really didn't have any data
0:44:06.400,0:44:10.760
to back it it was just that they they
0:44:09.119,0:44:13.160
didn't want the publicity that they were
0:44:10.760,0:44:14.960
getting from the anti-hunting groups and
0:44:13.160,0:44:16.440
it's like look they don't want any kind
0:44:14.960,0:44:19.240
of hunting you know they want to ban all
0:44:16.440,0:44:20.280
hunting this is is just a stepping stone
0:44:19.240,0:44:21.960
yeah they just want to get their foot in
0:44:20.280,0:44:23.200
the door then once they get that knocked
0:44:21.960,0:44:25.599
out they're just going to move right on
0:44:23.200,0:44:27.880
to something else they're they're you
0:44:25.599,0:44:31.520
know they're not happy with just in
0:44:27.880,0:44:33.000
coyot tournaments the next tournaments
0:44:31.520,0:44:35.200
you know that was just a lwh hanging
0:44:33.000,0:44:36.599
fruit at the time you know and so if
0:44:35.200,0:44:37.839
they could if they could get that Bann
0:44:36.599,0:44:40.079
you know now they got their foot in the
0:44:37.839,0:44:42.359
door and you know could move forward
0:44:40.079,0:44:45.920
with with whatever else and the problem
0:44:42.359,0:44:48.040
I see now is they're they're going about
0:44:45.920,0:44:50.880
it in a different manner where if if
0:44:48.040,0:44:52.800
they don't get it done through you know
0:44:50.880,0:44:56.119
Game and Fish departments you know in
0:44:52.800,0:44:57.720
that state um now they're just trying to
0:44:56.119,0:44:59.720
work their way up the ladder and push it
0:44:57.720,0:45:02.079
through legislation and that's what they
0:44:59.720,0:45:05.240
eventually tried to do here in Virginia
0:45:02.079,0:45:07.240
luckily um it did get shut down but I
0:45:05.240,0:45:09.079
believe it's a matter of time before
0:45:07.240,0:45:12.520
they they do get it past what do what do
0:45:09.079,0:45:15.839
we need to do as Sportsmen and um and
0:45:12.520,0:45:17.599
Coy Hunters KY cers um what do we and
0:45:15.839,0:45:20.200
and the thing is here reason I'm asking
0:45:17.599,0:45:23.200
this guys that's listening you might be
0:45:20.200,0:45:24.680
for for KY calling contest you might
0:45:23.200,0:45:27.200
love it or you might not care a thing
0:45:24.680,0:45:29.720
about it but the thing is we're all on
0:45:27.200,0:45:32.400
the same team you know we're all Coy
0:45:29.720,0:45:35.599
Hunters here so so what do Sportsman
0:45:32.400,0:45:39.119
hunters and Coy Hunters need to do Kyle
0:45:35.599,0:45:42.839
in your eyes to help fin this fin this
0:45:39.119,0:45:44.640
off well you got to stay involved and
0:45:42.839,0:45:47.119
it's it's taking away a right it's
0:45:44.640,0:45:49.319
taking away one of our American rights
0:45:47.119,0:45:51.680
is basically how you can explain this so
0:45:49.319,0:45:54.680
you know what I mean so what can we do
0:45:51.680,0:45:56.040
why we well there I'd say that there's
0:45:54.680,0:45:57.640
there's several things that you know you
0:45:56.040,0:46:00.440
can do one
0:45:57.640,0:46:03.359
uh being to to get involved and you know
0:46:00.440,0:46:06.200
make contributions to organizations like
0:46:03.359,0:46:08.160
Hunter Nation uh that was the the uh
0:46:06.200,0:46:10.000
nonprofit organization that that really
0:46:08.160,0:46:12.400
helped us when we were fighting our our
0:46:10.000,0:46:13.839
game in fish here in Virginia yeah and
0:46:12.400,0:46:15.559
uh essentially they they fight for
0:46:13.839,0:46:18.480
Hunter's rights you know all over you
0:46:15.559,0:46:20.280
know the country and so you know helping
0:46:18.480,0:46:22.000
out organizations like that because in
0:46:20.280,0:46:24.280
the end you know they're helping you out
0:46:22.000,0:46:25.960
and you know trying to preserve with the
0:46:24.280,0:46:28.839
style of hunting or you know the species
0:46:25.960,0:46:31.280
that you enjoy uh to hunt but also
0:46:28.839,0:46:34.079
staying involved and what I mean by that
0:46:31.280,0:46:35.960
is I mean I've always been aware you
0:46:34.079,0:46:37.480
when when we get new game regulations
0:46:35.960,0:46:39.119
that come out you know in Virginia or
0:46:37.480,0:46:41.880
they change this for That season or
0:46:39.119,0:46:43.520
whatever the case is but you know they
0:46:41.880,0:46:46.440
every department and every state you
0:46:43.520,0:46:48.720
they have have board meetings and you
0:46:46.440,0:46:51.960
got to get on the website and and see
0:46:48.720,0:46:54.119
you know what is being a what's coming
0:46:51.960,0:46:57.359
up as a proposed you know regulation or
0:46:54.119,0:47:00.960
you know uh go watch you know
0:46:57.359,0:47:02.960
uh the meetings that they that they uh
0:47:00.960,0:47:04.599
do every every quarter I mean I don't
0:47:02.960,0:47:06.040
know if every State's the same I think
0:47:04.599,0:47:08.559
we have them like every quarter here in
0:47:06.040,0:47:10.280
Virginia right but they don't advertise
0:47:08.559,0:47:11.920
these things like the these proposed
0:47:10.280,0:47:13.599
regulations where they may want to ban
0:47:11.920,0:47:16.520
something in your state they're not
0:47:13.599,0:47:18.640
gonna you know get on Facebook or social
0:47:16.520,0:47:21.280
media like hey guys we're planning on
0:47:18.640,0:47:24.599
you know we're trying to ban this so you
0:47:21.280,0:47:27.000
know you've got to do your part staying
0:47:24.599,0:47:28.720
up with it right and and you know
0:47:27.000,0:47:30.800
checking their website you know say hey
0:47:28.720,0:47:32.839
what what what's on the agenda you know
0:47:30.800,0:47:34.559
for the the meeting you know this month
0:47:32.839,0:47:36.680
oh they're they're trying to ban KY
0:47:34.559,0:47:39.119
contest here and you know then that's
0:47:36.680,0:47:41.160
where it the work starts you know right
0:47:39.119,0:47:44.800
um so you got to stay in stay involved
0:47:41.160,0:47:46.599
if it's something that you want uh to
0:47:44.800,0:47:48.079
have in the future it's one of those
0:47:46.599,0:47:51.000
things it's like I said you you might
0:47:48.079,0:47:53.240
not be a hunter that's um that ever
0:47:51.000,0:47:54.880
plans on hunting a ky tournament but
0:47:53.240,0:47:56.200
like we said this is just a stepping
0:47:54.880,0:47:57.520
stone for them it's just wait for them
0:47:56.200,0:48:00.079
to get their foot door the next thing
0:47:57.520,0:48:02.359
will be is your your night season it'll
0:48:00.079,0:48:03.960
be your your coyot season in general it
0:48:02.359,0:48:05.920
might be shortening your season if
0:48:03.960,0:48:08.480
you're somebody that lives in a state
0:48:05.920,0:48:10.640
that has season open you know all year
0:48:08.480,0:48:12.040
long you might be faced with a with a
0:48:10.640,0:48:14.400
season like some of these other states
0:48:12.040,0:48:18.559
have where you can only hunt from you
0:48:14.400,0:48:23.079
know whatever date to date so right
0:48:18.559,0:48:25.040
right you know like I hear I hear a lot
0:48:23.079,0:48:26.319
of hunters say you know well you know
0:48:25.040,0:48:27.359
our gameing fish they're just going to
0:48:26.319,0:48:29.640
do what they want to do and they're
0:48:27.359,0:48:31.400
going to pass this and pass that and um
0:48:29.640,0:48:33.000
I I don't agree with that perspective
0:48:31.400,0:48:35.520
and I'll tell you why I mean the more
0:48:33.000,0:48:37.079
that that we dove into they will they
0:48:35.520,0:48:41.280
might if you let them you know what I
0:48:37.079,0:48:43.760
mean right but at the end of the day the
0:48:41.280,0:48:44.960
the licensed you know hunters and and
0:48:43.760,0:48:47.119
people that buy fishing lights in the
0:48:44.960,0:48:50.440
Outdoorsman in Virginia you know we are
0:48:47.119,0:48:53.480
a large uh part uh of their their
0:48:50.440,0:48:55.000
revenue for the year so if you if you're
0:48:53.480,0:48:56.920
willing to push back and put some
0:48:55.000,0:49:00.079
pressure on them and you know you get
0:48:56.920,0:49:01.920
people on board um you know they're more
0:49:00.079,0:49:03.319
inclined to listen to what you have to
0:49:01.920,0:49:06.599
say you know if they know that they're
0:49:03.319,0:49:08.520
going to get a lot of backlash you know
0:49:06.599,0:49:10.079
same thing in Kentucky that's how their
0:49:08.520,0:49:11.240
that's how their salaries are funded
0:49:10.079,0:49:14.079
that's how our fish and wildlife's
0:49:11.240,0:49:16.920
funded in like my state is from licensed
0:49:14.079,0:49:19.799
sales so yeah it can hurt
0:49:16.920,0:49:21.760
them sure sure so you got to make it
0:49:19.799,0:49:23.240
where they uh where they got to listen
0:49:21.760,0:49:26.440
to
0:49:23.240,0:49:28.000
you well I don't know we'll see what the
0:49:26.440,0:49:31.440
future your HS I
0:49:28.000,0:49:33.319
guess yeah I mean hopefully you know the
0:49:31.440,0:49:34.480
contest you know will continue on I know
0:49:33.319,0:49:37.240
there's a lot of people across the
0:49:34.480,0:49:40.960
country that enjoy uh competing in them
0:49:37.240,0:49:43.480
but uh I think overall the direction
0:49:40.960,0:49:46.640
that this country seems to be going it
0:49:43.480,0:49:48.359
it doesn't look promising at times well
0:49:46.640,0:49:49.799
we've been on here quite a while I got a
0:49:48.359,0:49:51.960
few
0:49:49.799,0:49:55.079
few questions here I want to ask you
0:49:51.960,0:49:57.440
before we get off here one is I want to
0:49:55.079,0:49:59.960
know what you most memoral
0:49:57.440,0:50:01.520
memorable coyot tournament was because I
0:49:59.960,0:50:03.400
think I remember you saying a few years
0:50:01.520,0:50:05.920
ago after you won one of these you said
0:50:03.400,0:50:08.119
something like you know it's not about
0:50:05.920,0:50:10.720
all the kyes that you killed it's not
0:50:08.119,0:50:13.640
about all the recognition it's not about
0:50:10.720,0:50:16.079
killing 40 KS and two nights or whatever
0:50:13.640,0:50:18.079
it's it's about the memories so what is
0:50:16.079,0:50:20.520
your most memorable and you know what
0:50:18.079,0:50:22.920
you hold closest to your heart you know
0:50:20.520,0:50:24.799
I i' I've got so many of them I can't
0:50:22.920,0:50:26.720
honestly say that I have one in
0:50:24.799,0:50:29.079
particular but I I I know which one
0:50:26.720,0:50:31.720
you're referring to and that was the
0:50:29.079,0:50:34.960
hunt that uh one of the elites that me
0:50:31.720,0:50:38.079
and uh okay yeah Dayton and JT hunted
0:50:34.960,0:50:41.280
and um that was the one where we had we
0:50:38.079,0:50:43.040
killed to 40 and it was just brutal
0:50:41.280,0:50:45.640
weather
0:50:43.040,0:50:47.599
and after that hunt concluded you know
0:50:45.640,0:50:49.040
looking looking back on it a few months
0:50:47.599,0:50:51.760
later it was man it was just the
0:50:49.040,0:50:53.319
memories that we made and just you know
0:50:51.760,0:50:55.240
we're we're standing out there shoulder
0:50:53.319,0:50:57.319
toosh shoulder you know freezing to
0:50:55.240,0:51:01.359
death can't even feel your finger you
0:50:57.319,0:51:04.240
know um but coyes are rolling in you're
0:51:01.359,0:51:06.480
just having the time of your life and um
0:51:04.240,0:51:08.400
you know and once it's all said and done
0:51:06.480,0:51:11.799
all the work and you know grinded it out
0:51:08.400,0:51:13.520
for for two long nights um those are the
0:51:11.799,0:51:16.440
ones that you'll you'll remember you
0:51:13.520,0:51:19.319
know when you're you're 80 years old the
0:51:16.440,0:51:21.880
the stands the stands themselves might
0:51:19.319,0:51:23.359
might get a little fuzzy and the coyotes
0:51:21.880,0:51:25.240
that you killed might get a little fuzzy
0:51:23.359,0:51:26.960
but you always remember the the guys you
0:51:25.240,0:51:29.880
did it with that's for sure and
0:51:26.960,0:51:32.319
experiences well right and not just you
0:51:29.880,0:51:34.880
know you you kind of look at it you're
0:51:32.319,0:51:37.960
like hey whether we won that hun or
0:51:34.880,0:51:39.359
whether you know we didn't we had a
0:51:37.960,0:51:41.079
blast and you were out there with your
0:51:39.359,0:51:42.520
buddies you know doing what you love to
0:51:41.079,0:51:44.440
do and some people take that for granted
0:51:42.520,0:51:46.160
I mean myself included I mean I look
0:51:44.440,0:51:49.760
back on a lot of the Hunts I did over
0:51:46.160,0:51:51.079
the years and I'm like you know I'm glad
0:51:49.760,0:51:52.400
that it got to a point where I was like
0:51:51.079,0:51:55.720
I'm just going to sit here and soak this
0:51:52.400,0:51:57.200
in you know enjoy it it's good stuff
0:51:55.720,0:51:58.760
what about uh
0:51:57.200,0:52:01.599
you know one thing we talked about
0:51:58.760,0:52:03.359
earlier was your is the shooting had to
0:52:01.599,0:52:05.400
be on point everybody had to do their
0:52:03.359,0:52:07.799
job and you wanted to hit the coyot that
0:52:05.400,0:52:09.319
you called in but more importantly
0:52:07.799,0:52:11.040
besides hitting the coyot you got to
0:52:09.319,0:52:12.920
kill the coyotes that come in what was
0:52:11.040,0:52:15.119
your caliber choice because you know
0:52:12.920,0:52:16.960
you're you're going out to to win this
0:52:15.119,0:52:19.839
tournament so you're not going to I'm
0:52:16.960,0:52:21.480
sure you didn't use a 17 HMR right you
0:52:19.839,0:52:24.480
watch your caliber of choice if you want
0:52:21.480,0:52:26.760
to go win a coyote tournament two four I
0:52:24.480,0:52:29.440
mean I've used a lot of calibers over
0:52:26.760,0:52:32.599
the years but most of the Cs that me and
0:52:29.440,0:52:34.119
my partners you know kill were with 243
0:52:32.599,0:52:35.680
if he going this if he was going this
0:52:34.119,0:52:38.119
weekend own a big tournament that you
0:52:35.680,0:52:41.119
can win a million dollars at what rifle
0:52:38.119,0:52:42.839
what rifle what caliber you take it be a
0:52:41.119,0:52:46.760
a a 10f
0:52:42.839,0:52:50.079
frame AR chambered in 243 I mean that's
0:52:46.760,0:52:52.400
just it's tried and true I mean it's
0:52:50.079,0:52:54.079
hard to be that 6 mm yeah it's hard to
0:52:52.400,0:52:57.119
beat totally agree with you totally
0:52:54.079,0:53:00.559
agree with you so not to 22 long run
0:52:57.119,0:53:04.280
rle no no got to got to leave uh or the
0:53:00.559,0:53:07.680
17 rington or 204 yeah I I used to carry
0:53:04.280,0:53:09.240
a 22 Nosler uh sometimes and I'd have
0:53:07.680,0:53:12.000
I'd have some Splash with you know those
0:53:09.240,0:53:14.079
55 grain bullets Benton would
0:53:12.000,0:53:16.480
always see what happens when you got
0:53:14.079,0:53:17.599
that squirrel gun ah I can hear him
0:53:16.480,0:53:20.720
right
0:53:17.599,0:53:23.760
now what about uh what about your what
0:53:20.720,0:53:25.160
was yall's choice in ecall uh like just
0:53:23.760,0:53:27.319
same question if y'all was going to go
0:53:25.160,0:53:28.920
win a go hunt a tournament to win it
0:53:27.319,0:53:30.599
this coming weekend you there was a
0:53:28.920,0:53:32.520
million dollars on the line what call
0:53:30.599,0:53:35.319
you Tak
0:53:32.520,0:53:38.079
cs24c that's what's be my bulletproof
0:53:35.319,0:53:40.520
tried and true it is is that what y'all
0:53:38.079,0:53:43.599
ran on most of those winning winning
0:53:40.520,0:53:47.119
runs most of them uh now when it got
0:53:43.599,0:53:49.240
real windy uh a CRA TOA oh man hey I got
0:53:47.119,0:53:51.799
a CRA I got a crack TOA too sitting
0:53:49.240,0:53:53.559
right here beside me right now I never
0:53:51.799,0:53:56.839
even run I've never ran it in the field
0:53:53.559,0:54:00.359
but I've got it that that thing was it's
0:53:56.839,0:54:02.400
it's a beast but uh I I truly believe
0:54:00.359,0:54:05.200
you know on those really windy nights it
0:54:02.400,0:54:07.720
absolutely uh makes a difference and I'd
0:54:05.200,0:54:10.119
Mount mine up on a on a tripod just put
0:54:07.720,0:54:11.880
a little par rail in the bottom of it
0:54:10.119,0:54:15.160
yep mount it on a tripod and you know
0:54:11.880,0:54:16.599
was a little more weight to carry but um
0:54:15.160,0:54:18.520
I did I didn't mind carrying it because
0:54:16.599,0:54:21.240
that extra volume you know made the
0:54:18.520,0:54:25.200
difference a lot of times I got one more
0:54:21.240,0:54:27.359
question for you are you retired from
0:54:25.200,0:54:30.880
contest huh
0:54:27.359,0:54:33.440
uh for the most part yes there there's
0:54:30.880,0:54:35.960
actually um me and Dayton and JT have
0:54:33.440,0:54:38.359
been talking about uh hunting a day
0:54:35.960,0:54:42.599
contest that we we hunted a day Contest
0:54:38.359,0:54:44.720
out in um Kansas I guess it was two or
0:54:42.599,0:54:46.640
three years ago and we've we've been
0:54:44.720,0:54:48.559
considering maybe doing that one again
0:54:46.640,0:54:50.640
and it's it's just a one day hunt you
0:54:48.559,0:54:52.680
know and we enjoyed it it's a big big
0:54:50.640,0:54:55.040
payout hunt and that really would entice
0:54:52.680,0:54:57.440
us more than anything right um I'm not
0:54:55.040,0:55:00.559
saying I'll never hunt another another
0:54:57.440,0:55:02.319
night contest but um you know it's going
0:55:00.559,0:55:05.079
to have to be it's going to to be the
0:55:02.319,0:55:07.720
right circumstances and you know so what
0:55:05.079,0:55:09.760
you what you're saying is if if there's
0:55:07.720,0:55:13.200
a night big night tournament somewhere
0:55:09.760,0:55:15.200
and and these guys listen if they see
0:55:13.200,0:55:16.280
Kyle crickenberger name on the list here
0:55:15.200,0:55:18.599
they better watch
0:55:16.280,0:55:19.520
out well I don't know that I'm probably
0:55:18.599,0:55:22.440
be a little
0:55:19.520,0:55:26.559
rusty I bet it come back to you I'll
0:55:22.440,0:55:28.920
give it all I got no um it's it's one of
0:55:26.559,0:55:30.680
those things where you know my I've told
0:55:28.920,0:55:33.039
you this before my my kids are getting
0:55:30.680,0:55:35.559
older my little boy's five and you know
0:55:33.039,0:55:37.280
I you know he he hunts with me now and
0:55:35.559,0:55:39.559
he's only been KY hunting with me a few
0:55:37.280,0:55:41.280
times but next year I think he's going
0:55:39.559,0:55:43.039
to be you know getting to that age where
0:55:41.280,0:55:45.880
he's big enough to you know really get
0:55:43.039,0:55:48.079
behind the gun and um I'm I'm G to look
0:55:45.880,0:55:50.520
forward to taking him out more than
0:55:48.079,0:55:52.480
anything and if it it gets into where
0:55:50.520,0:55:56.079
you know he wants to compete in in
0:55:52.480,0:55:56.799
contest that's father son do yeah that's
0:55:56.079,0:56:00.000
right
0:55:56.799,0:56:01.760
so yeah he was talking about JT and and
0:56:00.000,0:56:03.720
Dayton I need to get those guys on here
0:56:01.760,0:56:05.920
sometime I've actually talked with them
0:56:03.720,0:56:07.440
before about coming on just never had
0:56:05.920,0:56:09.359
pulled it all together had to get them
0:56:07.440,0:56:11.400
on for like a part two of this sometime
0:56:09.359,0:56:12.720
maybe but uh Kyle I appreciate you
0:56:11.400,0:56:14.960
coming on buddy is there anything you'd
0:56:12.720,0:56:17.920
like to like to leave everybody
0:56:14.960,0:56:20.720
with no I mean I think that's about it I
0:56:17.920,0:56:22.079
appreciate you having me on and um yeah
0:56:20.720,0:56:24.119
we'll definitely we'll definitely do
0:56:22.079,0:56:25.680
another one and you maybe we'll get get
0:56:24.119,0:56:27.720
some of the other team members you know
0:56:25.680,0:56:29.839
on a on conference call or something and
0:56:27.720,0:56:32.480
we can we can tell some of the the
0:56:29.839,0:56:35.359
screw-up stories on stand stuff like
0:56:32.480,0:56:37.319
that all all the the things that went
0:56:35.359,0:56:39.880
wrong while we were on a
0:56:37.319,0:56:41.640
contest well we appreciate you Kyle we
0:56:39.880,0:56:43.039
hope everyone enjoyed this episode we
0:56:41.640,0:56:46.599
hope you join us again right here on the
0:56:43.039,0:56:46.599
fox Pro podcast