• Coyote hunting stand setup with hunter north, caller upwind to the south, and coyotes circling downwind north.

Morning sunlight spills across the Ochoco hillsides, casting long shadows through tall pines and firs. The slope is steep, covered in grass and scattered rock, with pockets of dark timber giving way to open ridges. It’s the kind of country that looks beautiful from a distance but quickly reminds you of its toughness once you start climbing. This was the view on one of my September mornings — no elk bugles breaking the silence, just the sound of my own breathing as I worked my way up and down the mountains