Predator Hunting Tips

General Predator Calling Tips

Before you begin calling you will want to choose a good location.  Look for tracks and droppings around water holes, stream banks, game trails, and in soft dirt along the roads.  Remember, you are wasting your time if there are no predators within hearing distance of your calls.  Next, choose a stand on a high spot that will give you some cover, but not compromise visibility in all directions.  Always call into the wind but watch all directions as predators will approach from any direction.  Use the calls for 15-20 minutes before moving to the next stand.  Allow 3/4 of a mile between stands in open country and about 1/2 of a mile in wooded areas.  Early morning and late afternoon are the best times for predator calling during hot weather.  Predator calling is good all day when the weather is cool.  The effectiveness of predator calling is diminished on very windy days.  Do not get in a hurry to shoot an approaching predator.  Instead, lure him in for a closer shot.

How To Use Predator Calls

Predator calling involves 3 different types of game calls: long range, medium range, and close range.  The game calls are not designed to sound like a coyote or fox but instead they sound like injured or dying rabbit or small rodent.  Hold the end of the call in the "V" formed by your thumb and palm of your hand.  You can amplify and muffle the sound by opening and closing your hand.  Close your hand over the end of the call and blow hard, opening your hand at the same time.  Make the first few screams loud and terrified, and then let the screams trail off as if from exhaustion.  End with whimpering cries that gradually fade off.  Wait about one minute and then repeat the series of calls.  You must impart the feelings of terror, pain, and despair to the screams emitted by the call.

The first call to use is a long range call like the PC-2 : Jackrabbit.  This call can be heard up to a mile away in open country.  Use this call to start the predator your way.  Next you will use a medium range call like the PC-3 : Cottontail to bring the predator closer.  This call is also useful in wooded areas.  Finally a close range call like the PC-4 : Coaxer,  PC-4A : Hands Free Coaxer, or the PC-5 : Mouse Squeal is used to bring the predator even closer.  These call produces the high pitched squeaks of small rodents.  Pocket Call Company also manufacturers the 3-N-1 : Jackrabbit - Cottontail - Coaxer, which contains the long, medium, and close range voices all in one game call.

Bobcat Calling

Bobcats are more cautious than any other predator and will take advantage of all available cover when approaching the caller.  (However, you will occasionally have a bobcat come in on a dead run.)  Bobcats are very curious and will watch the caller for up to several minutes.  Bobcats are very wary and there is little chance of calling back a bobcat that you missed.  Always take a good look at anything off color or different from the last time you studied a particular area.  Take special notice of any small white spots as most bobcats have white spots on their chests.  You will call many bobcats that you will never know about, but practice will increase your percentage of cats called or killed.

Coyote Calling

Coyotes probably provide more thrills and excitement than any other predator as they usually come in very fast and it is not unusual to call them within 10 feet.  When a coyote is spotted coming in it is best to stop calling because he has a good idea of the exact spot where the sound is coming from.  The coyote will probably stop within good shooting range to listen for another sound from the rabbit he thinks he is after.  If the coyote is on a wrong course or you want to stop him in a favorable position, give a soft blow on the Cottontail : Medium Range call or on the Coaxer : Close Range call.

Fox Calling

Fox are the greatest suckers of all for a predator call.  Once you have convinced a fox that there is a rabbit in distress, it is very difficult to convince him otherwise.  In fox country, it is not unusual to call and kill several, one after another.  If you call a fox and miss or only wound him, keep calling because you may be able to call him back.

"Good Luck and Good Calling"