Parrey Cremeans Turns the Tables on Predators
John E. Phillips 06.12.13
Parrey Cremeans guides for elk, mule deer, blacktail deer, and other species in California, Mexico, and other areas with Just For Hunting, a full-service outfitter (visit www.justforhunting.com, or call 650-888-0808). If you plan to hunt in the far West, make your reservations now to hunt with this Mossy Oak Pro. If you can’t get in for this year’s hunting season, go ahead, and book for next year.
We do quite a bit of predator hunting on our ranches, especially during the off-season. We’ve got tons of mountain lions, but we’re prohibited from hunting them. In 2012, we also lost bear hunting with hounds in California. Most people don’t realize it, but we have some of the biggest black bears in the nation. Some folks don’t realize that we have bears in California at all, but we spot-and-stalk them, call them and do quite a bit of hunting for them in the fall.
We took a man on his first bear hunt this year with hounds. The main reason he wanted to do it was that he knew it would be eliminated the next season. The bear he took was upward of 600 pounds with a skull that green-scored 23 inches. Once it’s dried, it probably will be in the top 10 for Boone & Crockett.
We can hunt other predators all year, so if you like to hunt, California is a great state to visit. We can hunt coyotes in the daytime or at night, but taking them at night is tough, since they usually circle you to get downwind before coming in to a call. Being able to see them when they circle downwind can be hard at night. If you don’t see them quickly, they’ll be gone, and you never will know they were there. Bobcats and foxes are different, since they’ll come straight into calls. We can hunt bobcats from the middle of October until the end of February. Foxes and coyotes can be hunted all year.
A really good coyote hunt will be five coyotes taken in a day. On public lands, the coyotes have experienced a lot of hunting pressure and are very smart. So, we opt to hunt on cattle ranches. We can harvest quite a few coyotes, especially when the cows are calving, because coyotes will come to those cows and also during the coyotes’ breeding season. Our best coyote hunting usually occurs in January and February. We not only look at coyote hunting as a way to control predators. It also gives us the opportunity to take people hunting when other animals aren’t in season.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
