# How NOT to call coyotes....



## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

It's hard to call coyotes when your truck is sitting like this.

I was out making a few morning stands when the sandy road gave way under the front tire and the whole truck went in. Luckily, the only thing hurt was my ego and my feet from the 5 mile hike out wearing cowboy boots. Got coordinates and an SOS to my wife at 10:30. Search and rescue showed up to help at 1:30 after i had already packed out to the main road. It was a free ride back though so I guess I won't complain about response times.

Cat says my truck is just like me... both of us on our sides lol.

I'm betting this would have never happened if i had a ford.
















Anyway... free Monday night entertainment for you all. Go ahead and take jabs... I deserve it.


----------



## Helmet_S (Mar 18, 2010)

I am really surprised that your minivan fit in that ditch that good. Hope it didn't mess it up to badly.


----------



## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Well I don't know what to say( though everyone here would say YA right ), Do not drive in the Rocky Mountains, seeing the difficulty you have on flat ground and the valley bottoms I would highly recommend you to stay away from steep windy mountain roads-- increase insurance, only use the buddy system, mountain bike with three gears, rent a mule, stay on serviced roads and buy better bino's etc etc. There might be a few more replies to this post so I'll give them some room HA!! Anyways glad your alright.


----------



## CO204yoter (Aug 9, 2010)

hey chris dont worry about it i wasnt here in colorado a week when i turned my p/u turtle so it gets us all


----------



## ebbs (Feb 7, 2010)

ROFL! Jason you're right. I'm amazed he was able to get his station wagon down that far into the canyon to begin with!!!


----------



## CO204yoter (Aug 9, 2010)

yeah mine did it while i was trying to get to a Pdog town and there was a moose 2 elk and a *[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]* bear involved that caused my pickup to turn over lol


----------



## ebbs (Feb 7, 2010)

CO204yoter said:


> yeah mine did it while i was trying to get to a Pdog town and there was a moose 2 elk and a *[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]* bear involved that caused my pickup to turn over lol


Now THAT'S a story, Jason! One you'll be telling the little one for years to come I'm sure.


----------



## CO204yoter (Aug 9, 2010)

yeah well its more of an az guy who has never seen those critters up close at the same time lol and to much speed lol if me you and chris get together i will tell the story lol


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Well I'm glad that you are OK....... 
I'm glad that the girls weren't there.

The mule hassell mentioned might be a consideration.
At first I thought you had ebbs sideways camera.


----------



## bar-d (Feb 3, 2010)

Chris Miller said:


> Cat says my truck is just like me... both of us on our sides lol.
> 
> I'm betting this would have never happened if i had a ford.
> 
> ...


Maybe if that Ford was BIGFOOT. That is a heck of a divot you're in there partner. Does the driver's seat have a pucker spot in it? Glad you are OK.


----------



## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

OH, NO.........Were gonna have to get our leader some outriggers for his pickup so he can't tip over any more.

Nice park'in job ya did there buddy.


----------



## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

Miss K just saw the pic of your park'in job Chris..................She's impressed.lol.


----------



## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Hey Chris....so why did you just not just drive it out of there ?

That has to be one of the best photos of a parking job I have ever seen !!!

Did you take any photos of them getting you out ?

I think we should all pitch in and buy Chris AAA


----------



## ebbs (Feb 7, 2010)

ROFL Bar-D!!!



> Does the driver's seat have a pucker spot in it? Glad you are OK.


----------



## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

Who wants to guess the amount of the recovery bill? They brought out a ton of equipment. I wasn't there for it but apparenty it took 2 extractors to lift it out. Oh and they had to bring all the stuff 5 miles into the canyon and work off the same narrow road I fell off of.

Clue...it was a LOT!


----------



## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

2500.00 I am guessing a crane was needed ?

Did the truck suffer much damage ?

Be glad it was not full of water.


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I was thinking a little less maybe 2 grand although (thank God) I have no personal experience(knock on wood). Did they cite you for not feeding the meter? So what now ?


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

My wife says 3800.00 And wonders if you got a good echo in that canyon??
Just in case we have any Jim Carey as the Grinch fans.


----------



## Live2Hunt (Dec 12, 2010)

I'm sure you will have to sell alot of those furs to pay the recovery bill! If you have any $ left over, you might just buy some bigger tires for that "Ram", so you can keep it on the road! Glad you were not hurt and the family was not involved!!


----------



## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

$9300 was the total paid to the recovery company. I guess it took 2 truck mounted cranes. He kept calling them rotators.

We fought the insurance company all day on it. They started at 3:30 yesterday and didn't finish until 4:00 this morning. Some of that was drive time. I finally had to lead them to the truck yesterday evening because they couldn't find it in the canyon even with the coordinates I gave them.

Found out today that there was no engine damage. Chrysler figured there was a 50/50 chance because it's a turbo diesel and was on it's side for 14+ hours.

Now we sit and wait. The hope is to get it driveable so we can pull the trailer back to TX on Friday and then we'll fight the insurance company on what is probably another $10k in repairs.

Really crappy situation for sure. I fully expect to be shopping for new insurance after this.


----------



## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

OUCH!!! Hopefully this is the end of the bad luck for 2010, keep your chin up, you still have your health and a good family--- 2011 can and will get Better.


----------



## CO204yoter (Aug 9, 2010)

i am not surprised about the rotators i work for a a tow company that deals with AAA and the last call we had like that was way up on rampart range and it took our 50 ton peterbuilt and both heavy flatbeds and 12 hours and cost the cust 8750 and AAA payed about 300 of it


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

OUCH is right!! Holy crap I feel for you. On the plus side I doubt that you'll be asked(read allowed) to drive if you hunt with any of us.

Who is your insurance co.?


----------



## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

youngdon said:


> OUCH is right!! Holy crap I feel for you. On the plus side I doubt that you'll be asked(read allowed) to drive if you hunt with any of us.
> 
> Who is your insurance co.?


Haha! I knew that was coming! Even the county sheriff who picked me up said that what had happened was a freak accident. He had never seen the road give out in that area before.

I'm ok as a passenger though. I would welcome the change! I'm the main driver in the family and have been accident free..... except a few freak accidents.









Geico is the insurance company for now.... probably won't last much longer.


----------



## bar-d (Feb 3, 2010)

"Really crappy situation for sure. I fully expect to be shopping for new insurance after this."

Don't blame you Chris. Most insurance companies are real nice till they have to ante up on a claim, then it's like Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde.


----------



## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

My insurance company would have paid for it...I have heard things about Geico not being real easy to work with. Cincinatti insurance is the best in my experience !! They just take care of things and smile. They are GREAT. With my bussiness we have had a number of claims and not once did they do better than I thought they would.

I thought it would have came out easier than that. My buddy has a crane and I know some of the things he has done.

I just wonder if a dozer would have been better ?

So did your insurance cover any of it chris ?


----------



## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

OMG Chris thats terrible, I Know most of us who have been in the woods have had incidents before. I rolled a brand new Toyota 4x4 one night raccoon Hunting Luckily we were walking distance from a tractor and got it out fairly easy. Definitely Not Like Your Situation! I hope it all works out for ya!!


----------



## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

*WOW *That price is WAY, WAY, WAY outta line. With prices like that, I can't see how an outfit can stay in business unless they are runn'in an oil field contract somewhere in the junction area. Oh, I know---their having Chris pay their yearly wage.

My sister-in-law has a vet clinic in GJ and I have worked the area quite a bit over the last 20 years and know what types of equipment Grand Junction has to offer for projects like Chris's park my truck so the coyotes don't see it plan.

That recovery team must be some hot shots---2 cranes, a number of support vehicles---maybe even air support. *[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]*---were only talk'in about a Goat in a ditch.

Last time I checked (not too long ago) a guy could lease a 30 ton crane and crew for $110.00 an hour---thats from the time they turn the crane on in the yard until it returns to its starting point. 

Lets give the crane and crew the benifit of being slow and a bit stupid. Give them 3 hours travel time both ways and 2 hours to pick the truck from the ditch with a strongback (spreaderbeam) and three straps and set it on a rollback to transport. A 3 ton pickup isn't much of a challenge for a 30 ton crane. 8 hours---$880.00---and they can stick it to Chris a bit because he forgot to bring the beer. Times two (no beer) $1760.00. That's a long way from $9300.00.

Heck---I could have roaded a Cat 950 loader out to the crash site and picked the critter out of the hole same method as using the crane. Or, if someone wanted to play in the dirt---dig a ramp down in the roadway beside the truck, hook up and set it on it's wheels, and winch it up on the roolback for transport. 

Charge $200.00 per hour for the Cat loader (a price nobody will pay for that machine) at 12 hours machine time, plus double it because---Yes---Chris forgot the beer, and get a bill for $2400.00. 

A quick figur'in in my head says that they charged somewhere around $770.00. per hour. Clients need to be told of outrageous charges like that BEFORE hired.

Hey guys---for that kind of money, lets get an air crane (helicopter) to pick it, and fly it into GJ.

Outfits like that burn my butt when they take advantage of folks that are in a bad situation. Sounds like they need to have a lawyer hand them some paperwork.

If you think the auto repair bill is gonna be too steep, give me a call,---I could talk to those thieves up that way with my stick---heck, I'll even bring BigD.lol.









Guess I was raised wrong---I always charge a fair price for a fair days work.

I'm done...........Bye.


----------



## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

Dave,

You're spot on my friend. I know it is outrageous but the insurance company picked em, and approved the charge. I had zero say in any of it. They're paying the bill so i'll let them be as wasteful as they want - I guess.









The tow company even bragged about being the "only recovery company in this valley". I think they know what they are doing out here, and that's taking customers for all they can.

As of right now, we're still stuck on this side of the mountain. We're supposed to be getting an alignment, and they want to "scribe the rear axel"?? and if everything else looks OK, we might get to leave tomorrow with the truck and use it to haul the RV back to TX. Then they will complete the repairs there if that's what they choose to do.

I guess we'll see...


----------



## huntfishski (Mar 17, 2010)

Wow that is one heck of a parking job! And one heck of a parking ticket! At least no one got hurt. Hope everything works out...those insurances can be brutal. Just tell them the chubacallbra ran out in front of you!


----------



## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Dave I am with you ! That is why I said a dozer and heck while your at it pack the road back in. I am not a crane operator but I think I could have done well with a D6 or even less.

Some guys are just plain ol robbers.

As for you Chris I understand your hands were tied. Just make sure it is 100 % when it is all said and done ! Insurance is paying for it a claim is just a claim no matter how big. So...take care of your goat !

Still wondering why you just did not drive it out ??

I really feel for you boss ! freakish things do happen !

Wishing I would have been there to help you out.


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Did you REALLY want to go there ?


----------



## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

Sorry for your troubles.


----------



## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

Well we got the truck back. Fixed good enough to haul the trailer and get us back to TX. No engine damage which is good. Chrysler said there was a 50/50 chance from being on its side. Surprised that the passenger side mirror was still in tact! Tow truck driver said the ravine was 12 ft deep and the truck didn't even make it to the bottom.

The damage looks to be minimal to me, but the tow guy thinks Geico will total it. We'll know more when we get back to TX.

Thanks for all the notes and kind words guys. The Miller's look at this as just another obstacle in the little adventure we call life. We'll get thru it....


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Wow I am surprised that is all the damage, but yeah they very well may total it.


----------



## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

youngdon said:


> but yeah they very well may total it.


But its the 5.9 cummins!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I know how you feel, I really like mine.


----------



## jriggs (Jan 3, 2011)

Chris Miller said:


> View attachment 1201


well that the best *[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]* effort i've ever seen at hiding the truck before calling the stand! don't feel bad though...*[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]* does happen...that's one of those ugly things you really can't see coming.


----------



## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Good one JR, you can never find your truck too well.

Damage is less than I thought Chris.

Where you in the truck when it went down...I want to see photos of you climbing out. That had to be a challenge !


----------

