Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Lafayette, Tn
Posts: 701

Cut Rusty and Bailey loose round 9:30 tonite. After about 15 minutes they struck and the race was on. Bout a mile or so from where I cut loose at they were treed on a creek bank. Shined for about 10 minutes with no luck. Give em the "dead" call and off we went. Somewhat disappointed. My lil gyp decided to turn and go back and though she aint real confident on the tree by herself she was treeing enough to get my attention and when I turned around to call her back off the tree for whatever reason I looked up and there the dang coon sit right in the wide open. Still havent figured out how I missed it the first time. Now normally when I have to get up early if I get a good race and tree with the meat I just go on home. I know better than "just one more drop". Thats the one that usually keeps me out most of the night and/or something goes haywire but contrary to my instinct of going on home I send them out one more time. Why I always choose to do this even though I know ahead of time something aint going to work out is beyond me. Anyways I turn them out at the pond below my house. Colse to home and generally always get a quick tree here. Well they dont much more get all 4's on the ground when they open up and head down the hollow. No problem I know exactly where this chase will end. Wrong!! When they get to the split in the holow Rusty goes right and Bailey head left. Cant let Rusty go across the road so as much as I hate to get a dog off a good track I had no choice. Everything across the road from me is off limits to hunting and even though all my neighbors tell me I can go on in and fetch my dogs I prefer not doing so so there is no sour taste in anyones mouth because we all get along super good its just they enjoy all the wildlife and I respect that. Now back to Bailey. Im listening to her really work a hot track like a champ and am nothing but smiles all the way. After about 20 minutes she finally sits down and starts treeing like I have never heard before. I am completely psyched and drive around closer and head off in the woods. I get to the tree and get ready to tie her off when I hear leaves rustling coming down the hollow. I turn around and see eyes and immediately call for Rusty and bend over to put the leash on Bailey and it hits me. Rusty is in the box so I jump up and turn around and now about 30ft from me are not 1 but 3 coyotes growling and yappin and such and since season dont open for a few more weeks I got no gun on me either. Of course there are no limbs laying around close by either so I double up the lead and start whooping and hollering like the scared idiot I was and they didnt budge. I start towards them and when I get about halfway there they finally take off back up the hollow and I go from not being able to drive a toothpick up my rear with a jackhammer to yelling obsenities at them like Im cock of the walk. All the while my lil gyp never missed a beat and it didnt take but a minute to find ol ringtail. I was fine and dandy till I reached down to snap her up and head back to the truck and I guess the adrinaline dropped off and it took me nearly a half hour to quit shaking. Even after all this and knowing full well "just one more drop" never ever ends right I can honestly say that I did not learn a darn thing cause I am absolutely positive next time I go hunting I'll think I can beat the "just one more drop" curse. Can anyone else beat this curse on a regular basis?

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Jeff Driver

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Oregon
Posts: 243

Progress, not perfection on beating the 'just one more quick drop' drop

That's a good 'last drop fiasco' story though...better yet cause no harm done, and a coon seen, too! I'd have to do the fateful 'one last drop' next time if I were you!

It is funny how that can happen on night when nothing is being seen, or a night where they are doing great...

Happy hunting!

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