1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Rieves 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: my stories and the country skills that will help you 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: beat the system. This Country Life is proudly presented as 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: part of Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: outdoor podcast the airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two to teach you. 10 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: Decoy dogs. I'm talking about decoy dogs this week, and 11 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: not the dogs are decoys I'm normally associated with. You 12 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 1: don't hunt birds or bandidos with these cane nines, And 13 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: believe it or not, the dog is the decoy. We're 14 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: hunting codies. And if you're not familiar with how it works, 15 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,639 Speaker 1: just hang with me and I'll tell you all about it. 16 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: But first I'm going to tell you a story. This 17 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: story comes from This Country Life mail bag and listener 18 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: Justin Moore from way up Yonder for me Anyway in 19 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: Orchard Lake, Michigan. Orchard Lake is a bustling metropolis of 20 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: some twenty three hundred folks, with the most notable being 21 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: our pal Justin and Bob Seer. We're turning the page. Bob, 22 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: it's Justin's time to shine. And does this boy shine? 23 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: I'll say he does. And Justin's words in my voice. 24 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: Here's Justin's story. Well, it was the fourth of July 25 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. I had the day off from working long 26 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: care and I had decided to go fishing. There was 27 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: a small lake in the back of my division that 28 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: only me and one other gentleman fished. It was perfect. 29 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: I had the whole place to myself, and for some 30 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: reason unknown, I decided not to take the boat out 31 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 1: that day and just to fish from the bank. And 32 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: after a couple of hours and a few fish later, 33 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: a woman came walking up the beach I was fishing 34 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: with a big old flamingo floating well there with the fishing. 35 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: She told me she was just going to anchor it 36 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: out a little ways for her grandkids could swim on 37 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: it and play on it the next day when they 38 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: had a cookout. Well, I thought that was a great idea, 39 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: so she started swimming out with it as I started 40 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: packing up my gear and loading everything in my truck, 41 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: and then I heard something no one ever wants to 42 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: hear at any given place a yell for help, but 43 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: I mean a real yell for help. I ran down 44 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: to the edge of the water like I was getting 45 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: paid for it, and I started yelling her, you okay, 46 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: what's wrong? She continued yelling for help, and I pulled 47 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: out my phone to call nine one one, but I 48 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: quickly realized that whatever was going on, it couldn't wait, 49 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: and in the water I went. I wouldn't be surprised 50 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: if a witness told me I had a rooster tail 51 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: of water coming up from behind me on my way 52 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: out too or while I was swimming. I tried to 53 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: keep communication with her, and I tried to keep her calm. 54 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: I'm coming, it's gonna be okay. She wasn't responding, and 55 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: that big floating flamingo a terror, was blocking my view. 56 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: I came around the end of the floating All that 57 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: was sticking out of the water was the woman's nose 58 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: and her mouth. The anchor had wrapped around her arm 59 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: and was pulling her under. Now she had enough time 60 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: to grab the seam of the flamingo with the tips 61 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: of her fingers, and I told her to stay calm 62 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: and most importantly, don't grab onto me, or we're both 63 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: gonna be in a big mess. I was able to 64 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: reach under her for the rope with one hand and 65 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: grabbed the floating with the other and pulled them together. 66 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: I eased a tension off her arm and she was 67 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: able to swim away. I made sure I wasn't in 68 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: any way tangled up in that rope too, and I 69 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: let it go. Who were both tired. She said, let's 70 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: float on our backs to the beach now. I quickly 71 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: made her aware that personally, I do not like being 72 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: in deep water. Now. I'm a great swimmer, don't get 73 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 1: me wrong, but I'll take the boat out and catch 74 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: some fish anytime. That's never been a problem with me, 75 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: and I just don't like knowing what's underneath me. Anyway, 76 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: we made our way back to the beach in safety. 77 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: She's a wonderful woman whom I'm glad to still know, 78 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: and she laid her notified the fire department in our 79 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: local newspaper, where I was recognized by the city and 80 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: awarded the Meritorious Citizen Award at the fire station. To 81 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: this day, she brings me down to jar of her 82 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: homemade strawberry jelly for Christmas. And boy, that stuff will 83 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: put some folks out of business. More importantly, Miss Andrew 84 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: is still alive and doing well, and faced with that 85 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: same situation, I'd do it all over again. And according 86 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: to Justin Moore, that's just how that happened. Well, Justin, 87 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: you earned that strawberry jelly, my friend. I'll tell you 88 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: something else. If I ever find myself in Orchard Lake, 89 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: Michigan being attacked by floating flamingo, I ain't gonna be 90 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: hauling for Bob Seger to come save me. It's gonna 91 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: be Justin Moore and nobody else. Decoy dogs. I had 92 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: the pleasure several years ago before I started filming my 93 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: old palle clay chasing bears, to be introduced to some 94 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: of the coolest dog related hunts I'd ever been on. Now, 95 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: I'd hunted coons, worlds, deer, quail, rabbits, hogs, and coyotes 96 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 1: with dogs of all makes and models, and I assumed 97 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 1: I had done just about every type of hunting imaginable 98 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: with a dog in Arkansas, and I was wrong. Through 99 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: an Internet hunting form, I ran across the guy from 100 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: North Arkansas who was not only a decoy dog hunter, 101 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: but about the best in the business. I'd soon come 102 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:27,919 Speaker 1: to find out. I never heard of decoy dogs or 103 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: what they were used for. That was all about to change. 104 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: When I saw some footage connected with a man named 105 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: jeff Ryder. I told him I was intrigued with what 106 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: he was doing, that I was trying to get into 107 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: filming hunts and wanted to meet up and document what 108 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: he was doing. Over the course of the next couple 109 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: of years, I spent a lot of hours traveling and 110 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: filming some amazing dog work and interactions that, while were 111 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: exciting and action packed, were also providing a service to 112 00:06:55,040 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: landowners and wildlife. Before all you lovers started lighting your 113 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: torches and issuing out pitchforks. The National Agricultural Statistics Service 114 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: reports that ninety five thousand caves were lost one year nationwide, 115 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: and sixty five percent of the calf losses because of 116 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: predators were attributed to coyoties. Now, codies can have a 117 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: significant impact on cattle, sheep, and goats, but there there 118 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: can be original differences as well. They can be worse 119 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: in some places than others. Kansas, for example, sees coyoties 120 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: being responsible for eighty four percent of calf losses. Not 121 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: eighty four percent of losses to predators. Eighty four percent 122 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: of all losses are to old wiley Cody filling his 123 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: belly with baby bovines. That's a lot of calves. There's 124 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: also a lot of bees. Kansas is also where my 125 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: friend Jeff does a lot of his coat. Then more 126 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: on Jeffrey in just a minute. Coats also impact dear 127 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: another wildlife. After all, that's where they naturally get their groceries. 128 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: And I get it they got a E two. But 129 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: a study in South Carolina involving ninety one radio collared 130 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: fawns saw fifty six of them killed by colds. That's 131 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: why of those jokers have got to be held in check. 132 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: Enter the decoyed dog hunter as one method of controlling them. 133 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: And like I said, until I met Jeff, I didn't 134 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: know there was such a thing or such an activity. 135 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: He explained to me that there had been government contract 136 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: hunters for years out west whose sole purpose was to 137 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: control the colt population, and most all of them used 138 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: decoy dogs. Now y'all have heard me talk about how 139 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: my dad and his colt running buddies did it. They'd 140 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: gather up after dark on the timber company roads near home, 141 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 1: and they'd make the colts hound by blowing a siren 142 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: at them, or mimicking the howl with their voices, or 143 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: finding scating the road and just cutting the dogs loose, 144 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,439 Speaker 1: and the race would be on, literally a race. They 145 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: chased them. They chased them through the woods and the 146 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: the dogs did through the woods and the river bottom 147 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: until the cold got away. Now rarely did they catch them, 148 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: and they didn't want to catch them. They wanted them 149 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: to run so they could hear the hounds barking to 150 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: see whose dog was the best. Then come back and 151 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: do it again another time. And the longer the race went, 152 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: the more testament to the dogs that keep up and 153 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: stay in the contest. We just drove around different roads 154 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: and keeping the dogs within the earshot and listening. Now, 155 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,560 Speaker 1: when using the decoy dog, the time of the day 156 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: you hunt and the ending is much different, especially for 157 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: the cows. Now here's how Jeff did it. When I 158 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: was filming them in Kansas. He drive for miles talking 159 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: to ranchers and farmers getting permission to hunt property specifically 160 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: for coyote control. Now this was in the days before 161 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: on next one, folks had to read maps, and Jeff 162 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 1: had a landownership plat book in his truck with property 163 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: owners marks that he'd gotten permission to access. And I 164 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: remember thumbing through that book, and I don't recall the estimate. 165 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: He told me once about how many thousands of Acrecy 166 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,839 Speaker 1: had permission to hunt coyotes on. But it was a lot, 167 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: like a jillion. There's a jillion, and actual number, if 168 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: it is, I know it's a big one. And Jeff 169 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: had three of them. He knew those areas like folks 170 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: know their neighborhoods that they live in. And we drive 171 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,199 Speaker 1: from my alls according to wind direction and the position 172 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: of the sun, and cherry picking the best spots to 173 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: set up and call a coat and break him once 174 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: and for all from the bad habit of eating cash 175 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: phones and building elaborate bombs and traps to catch road runner. 176 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: We started daylight on that had creek bottoms and thickets 177 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: next to prairie ground and pastures with grass that was 178 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: short enough that you could see a good ways across it. 179 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: Then he checked the wind direction and we'd set up 180 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: with the wind in our face or at least a 181 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,680 Speaker 1: quarter and two us in one direction of the other. 182 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 1: The reason being is if they smelled us before they 183 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: heard the call or engaged with the dog, the chances 184 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 1: of us even seeing them were drastically reduced. Kylds ain't dumb, 185 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:33,079 Speaker 1: and they're thriving everywhere because of their adaptability and weariness 186 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: when it comes to survival. But you can throw all 187 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: of that stuff out the window. Once they get focused 188 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:44,080 Speaker 1: on that dog, they do some really wild stuff. Now 189 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: I've buried the hook deep enough, let's get to it. 190 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: Check this out. We set up in a fence row 191 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: or beside a big round bala haea, the tree line 192 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: or brush topping. Nine times out of ten, we wasn't 193 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: wearing any camouflage. We was just in jeans, overalls and 194 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:06,079 Speaker 1: T shirts and sitting on folding stools. And Jeff would 195 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: run a fox Pro predator call out about thirty yards 196 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:13,679 Speaker 1: or so away, sometimes closer and come back and he'd 197 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: set beside me and the camera on one side and 198 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: his decoy dog spot on the other. Spot was a 199 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: bobtailed Catahoula curR cross that was the smartest dog as 200 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:28,079 Speaker 1: I've ever seen. She was laid back, professional and knew 201 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: what her job was as well as any seasoned veteran. 202 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: Her job was to be the judas to every coat 203 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: she could find. Jeff would kick that predator call off 204 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: with different sounds depending on the time of the year, 205 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 1: and set back and await for a coat to reveal itself. 206 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 1: All the coaches had to do was be in a 207 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,959 Speaker 1: position where Spot could lock in on them. Couch sometimes 208 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 1: would be hundreds of yards away when we saw them 209 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 1: trotting closer to the sounds coming from that predator call. 210 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: They moved in and out of the thickets and trees 211 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: like ghosts until they got within one hundred yards or so, 212 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: and with spot laser focused on that coyotes, Jeff would 213 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,640 Speaker 1: send her out towards the colt. Now eight times out 214 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: of ten, the cold would see Spot loping out towards 215 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: them and freeze until she crossed whatever distance that cayote 216 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 1: had chosen us close enough, and then they turned around 217 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: and start running away. But just before they hit the 218 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: woods or a thicket, they'd always glanced back at Spot. 219 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: And here's the cool part. Jeff had trained her and 220 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: conditioned her to retreat when the coach did this, and 221 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 1: it became so ingrained in her that he didn't even 222 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,439 Speaker 1: bother toning her back anymore over their tracking collar. She 223 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: see that colt look back, and she'd voluntarily start back 224 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 1: towards where we were sitting, and just like setting the 225 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: hook on a fish, that colt would stop, turn around 226 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: and follow her. Now. Once that happened, our scent, our movement, 227 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: and any other thing that would normally spook a coat 228 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: into another zip code went out the window. With the dishwater. 229 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: They lost all natural fear of anything they were genetically 230 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: coated to avoid, mainly people. It was incredible to watch 231 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: the interaction between the dog and the colt, and every 232 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: stand would have the coat turn and chase Spot, then 233 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: turn and start back to safety, only to have Spot 234 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: turn around and go back. Then the coat would re 235 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: engage and Spot would once again make tracks back toward us, 236 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: tolding the coat even closer. I've seen this back and 237 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: forth go several rounds until Jeff ended it all with 238 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: a well placed two twenty three round or turkey loads 239 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: at close range. I remember one of the first times 240 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: I hung with Jeff and witness this back and forth 241 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: between Spot and the coat. We were sitting on the 242 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 1: edge of a pl loud field in the Arkansas Delta, 243 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: not far from where my brother Tim and I are 244 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: putting the SmackDown on the catfish in the Arkansas River. 245 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: It was nearing sunset, and the last end of the 246 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: day was this one before we headed back to camp 247 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: and supper, and we walked down the river levee and 248 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 1: were more or less in the bald open setting on 249 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: the ground, resting against the field levee with us hoping 250 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: that it was tall enough to break up our outline 251 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: against the horizon. The field was muddy, and Jeff laid 252 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 1: the predator call in the seat of his hunt stool 253 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: about twenty five yards out in front of us, and 254 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: then he walked back through that gumbo mudding, settled back 255 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 1: down beside me, and he turned it on. Almost immediately. 256 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: We saw one, two, then the third codey entering the 257 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: field a quarter of a mile away, heading toward the 258 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 1: diet rabbit sounds coming out of that collar that was 259 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 1: wailing out in front of us. Then they saw us 260 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 1: and they froze and spot right on. Q took off 261 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: like a labrador after ducking the decoys, and all three 262 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 1: of them, at different stages, started going back from where 263 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: they came. Just before hitting the field edge, they looked 264 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: back and spot did her thing. One by one, they 265 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: turned and followed her back, tried to catch her. She 266 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: was playing tag, but the coyotes weren't playing at all. 267 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: She was an intruder and if they could, they had 268 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 1: to catch her and turn her into suffer. But Jeff 269 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: was ready to make sure that that wasn't going to happen. 270 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: But back and forth they went, spotting all three colts 271 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: like a k nine yo yo. Every time they came 272 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: back they got a little closer. Jeff could have whacked 273 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: all three of them at any time, but we were 274 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: enjoying the show and it wasn't showing any signs of ending. Son. 275 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: The predator call was twenty five yards in front of us, 276 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: and at one time there was a cold walking around it, 277 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: another one just behind it making laps. But the bravest 278 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: of them all was following the spot back to where 279 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:04,360 Speaker 1: we sat in the bald open match. That one got 280 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: so close. When he turned to go back yet again, 281 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: he kicked mud on me and my camera. He was 282 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:12,399 Speaker 1: easily within ten feet to where we were sitting. I 283 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: could have jobbed him with a frog gig and never 284 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 1: fully stretched out my arm. It was crazy then it 285 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: got loud, bam bam. The end of two cold is 286 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: the third one, old, spooky, the one that never came 287 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: in as close as the others. He got away. The 288 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:36,159 Speaker 1: thrill and enjoyment of seeing the interaction is what's so incredible. 289 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: You know, I enjoyed cold hunting with my dad only 290 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 1: because he was there. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy 291 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: hearing a good dog race as much as anybody, more 292 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: than most. But there's a reason I don't have a 293 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:51,440 Speaker 1: pen full of cold dogs out behind my house. Well 294 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: there's probably several reasons, really, but the main one is 295 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: I don't enjoy it enough to justify owning a passive 296 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 1: of them. But hunting like he did, I had to 297 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: guess at what was going on out there? Where his 298 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: dog's really leading the pack or were they just allowedest 299 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: or was it Toby's or Raimonds getting the best of 300 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: all of them? You know, no one really knew, But 301 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 1: with a decoy dog, the only thing you wondered about 302 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,879 Speaker 1: is why you hadn't heard of this, or why someone 303 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 1: hadn't told you about it, or why you hadn't tried 304 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: it before. Now it's fun, but it's not all action 305 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 1: all the time, you'll have stand after standing, have driven 306 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 1: miles and miles between them and zeroed on all of them. 307 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: But just like that one good golf shot that keeps 308 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: Gary Believer Nukem out on the link swinging the wrenches 309 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: when it works, and you see a code attempting to 310 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: play his deadling ninja skills in the broad daylight up 311 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:53,920 Speaker 1: close and personal. Man, it is a sight to behold, y'all. 312 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 1: Check out Jeff's YouTube channel, Decoy Doggers. Reeve was going 313 00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: to post up a link to it in the description, 314 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 1: And while you're wandering around on there, ease on over 315 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: and smash the old subscribe button to our new Meat 316 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: Eater YouTube channel two. It's gonna have the audio to 317 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: all the podcasts and the video to the ones that 318 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: are filmed. And we just started filming the Bear Grease 319 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: Renders and that buffoonery will be up there soon too. 320 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: Lots of other stuff is coming and in the works, 321 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: and I'm excited for y'all to see it. I hope 322 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July, or 323 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: as I like to call it, America one England zero 324 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: day until next week. This is brit Reeves. Sign it off. 325 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:37,360 Speaker 1: Y'all be careful.