RX-1000's, MT Trip and our move Options

[Mark Zepp]

Few things cause you to reevaluate almost every aspect of your life like health problems do. While you’re lying in that bed, it’s a reminder of , despite your differences, just how much you take the daily goodness and kindness of not only your wife for granted, but many of your family and friends.

I just “came to” a few short hours ago (6/14) from another surgery to kill off an infection in my jaw which will hopefully end the problems I’ve been having the last few months. With ice bags packed around a fat swollen face, the first thing I want to do is thank not only Amber for putting up with me through this but several of you guys out there for checking in on me every now and then. I have missed well over a month of work out of the past three dealing with this thing and am looking forward to putting it behind me.


The biggest recommendation I can give anyone is to stop taking family and friends for granted. In the end they are what really matters and much more important than another coyote "adventure". I've been laid up for several days now and appreciate Wyatt and Amber more than ever. Sometimes a guy just needs a good "kick in the jaw" to make him appreciate life a little more.



Good guys always equal good times, whether coyotes are responding or not. Lt to Rt. - Jim Smith, Allen Alderson, Gary Williams and Big Mark

I had another wonderful hunt with my Wyoming buddies Allen Alderson and Jim Smith last month. Gary Williams from down here in Tucson came along for two very fun filled days. We saw a lot of coyotes, missed a lot of coyotes and learned some valuable lessons along the way. Ranch manager Brian McCarty OK’d our cameras and provided A#1 hospitality during our stay. This will be the last footage we add to our upcoming DVD which will release this Fall.


Jim Smith and Allen Alderson putting their binoculars to work. Big country calls for no less than 10X binoculars.

Binoculars are a big time difference maker when hunting in many situations, especially out in the big open country of the West where many times, with a little effort, you can spot a coyote before you ever begin calling. While I prefer 8x40’s for much of the country in Southern Arizona they are simply not powerful enough in areas of big open grasslands and I switch over to a pair of 10x40 Gold Rings I own.


Leupold’s RX-1000 did a "spot on" job in Montana and work equally well while shot gunning coyotes.

I found myself using Leupolds RX-1000 rangefinder quite a bit on this trip. The biggest reason for that was because Gary was shooting a .223 and I didn’t want him squeezing at coyotes much more than 150 yards away when Allen and Jim had a pair of Swifts which would knock down animals much better without any spinning for the camera at longer ranges. While my 8X40’s come with the rangefinder in them, the 10x40’s don’t, and at this time Leupold doesn’t make a higher power glass with a rangefinder built in them.


I’ve owned several brands of binoculars over the years but, long before they were a sponsor, gravitated towards Leupold products.

The RX-1000 has been handy because I’ve had hundreds of thousands of” shotgun only” acres within literally, a mile of my house the last few years. A guy doesn’t need or have time for binoculars in 99 percent of these situations, but I definitely think carrying a rangefinder into these stands and checking out your “kill zone” is a good idea. Suffice to say, there would be a whole lot less folks saying, “I killed a coyote at 85 or 100 yards with my shotgun” if they knew the facts. I’d sure hate to fish with some of these guys. I stick these rangefinders on the strap of my shotgun so they are never left behind in the truck and are easy to get to before turning on your call, but they will easily fit into your shirt or coat pocket. Most of time these area’s a too thick to worry about using range finders, but a few times a day there is a perfect time for them. It is amazing how hard it is to accurately judge ranges from 40 to 70 yards at times. If you don’t believe me, carry a range finder and ask your partner how far away things are while you’re hunting some time, his answers will make you a believer in what I’m saying.

The very controversial Gary Clevenger has the best, most informative, well written, educational article on shot gunning coyotes that I’ve ever read. I believe it is available somewhere here on the pages on Predator Professionals and I urge everyone who wants to learn, and especially those who think they already know everything on the subject and can’t learn anymore, to read this article once a week for a few months. It is that good and that full of ROCK SOLID, 100% educational information.

I love the size of the RX 1000 and never “missed” a reading on anything under 700 yards with it at all times of day.
There are parts of WY and MT that are beautiful beyond belief, but when the cool Fall days end and the snow starts to fly and the wind starts to blow, few folks can comprehend what Winter means when compared to that part of the world.

Our “Predator shop and tools” and the first load of “Zepp Possessions” are headed towards Hoosier country and are due to arrive in Goshen, IN tomorrow morning (6/15). The rest of the move is scheduled for the end of the month and with a little luck, we will spend July 4th in our new home.

Warmest regards friends,

Big Mark