Predator Call

I just returned from attending the World Predator and Hunting Expo in Overland Park, Kansas.  While we would all like to see the show better attended with more exhibitors, I feel it was a success for a first time show.  I had the opportunity to see some of my friends that I don’t get to see on a regular basis and meet some of the new guys in the industry. As I walked through the hall, I was shocked and proud to see that most of the exhibitors were less than 40 years of age.  Everything from animal scents to shooting sticks were on display.  The youthfulness of this crowd was quite refreshing because many say that hunting is a dying sport.  There was an excitement and camaraderie exhibited that I had not seen in many years.  After attending this show, I would say that there is no doubt that predator hunting is the fastest growing shooting sport!

Several years ago, I was on a turkey hunt with many of the very famous turkey hunters and callers.  One of the fellows asked the question, “What innovation in turkey hunting has made you a more successful hunter?”  Without hesitation, one of the older hunters said “improved camouflage”.  He went on to say that when he began hunting, no one used face masks or gloves and the few camo patterns that were available did not blend in every situation.

I think that the same can be said for predator calling.  Until Mossy Oak introduced the Brush pattern, there was not a pattern that really blended with the open western terrain that I so dearly love to hunt.  I have found that I am able to hide in very open terrain with very little cover.  Another reason that I am able to call some very open terrain is the electronic predator call with remote capabilities.  The animal calls produced by the Compucaller keeps the predator’s attention directed away from the hunter. 

Growing up, I rarely missed an episode of GUNSMOKE.  Matt Dillon would start every episode, stalking a gunfighter on the dusty streets of Dodge City.  While Matt never got off the first shot, he aim was always true.   

While calling a coyote may not be a life and death situation like the one that Marshall Dillon faced, the successful predator hunter wants every advantage just as the gunfighters of the old west.  Hunt with the sun at your back or in an westerly direction until noon, as the sun starts to descend  hunt in an easterly direction.   The sun will not only aid your ability to see an approaching critter, it will hinder its ability to see you. 

Use the wind to your advantage.  Place the electronic predator call upwind so that an approaching critter will circle between you and the caller as it attempts to smell the source of the sound. 

The domesticated version of the turkey is definitely responsible for the misconceptions that people have about turkeys in the wild.  When people think ‘turkey,’ the image of a large, unthinking bird comes up. But what most people don’t realize is that this does not apply to wild turkeys.  Wild turkeys are actually highly intelligent birds that are known for the cautious behavior, and cunning. 
 
The wild turkey can fly up to 50 miles per hour, spending upwards to a quarter mile hovered over the ground. They are known for their ability to detect danger, and at the first sign that something is amiss, they will take off in flight.  Turkeys have many vocalizations: “gobbles,” “clucks,” “putts,” “purrs,” “yelps,” “cutts,” “whines,” “cackles,” and “kee-kees.”  The male, also called gobblers or toms, use a specific turkey call in the early spring to attract a mate.  Hunters of wild turkey in the spring use this call to lure hens to a specific spot.  This has to be done as stealthily as possible because when turkeys get wise, they get flying.

Hunting has been a part of human activities for a long period of time.  Even before there were Homo sapiens, there were hunters.  The reason for the shift from primary gathering to a varied diet consisting of meat is still a topic of debate.  One theory is that environmental factors changed the landscape and necessitated the development of hunting.  Another theory is that our growing brains needed added nutrients to sustain, which correlated with our increased intelligence and the ability to hunt.  No matter what the real root, it is accepted that hunting has been an integral part of our species. 
 
Even with the advent of animal domestication and agriculture, hunting still remained a contributing factor to the human food supply.  The materials gathered from hunting animals (fur, leather, sinew, bone, protein) were valuable commodities, even among early farmers.  The hunting tools man used at the first hunts were rock and crude spears.  They soon learned various techniques that made hunting an easier task, such as using animal calls to lure animals.  Outsmarting animals has been an essential part of human development.

Now I am not trying to make any of you “cat lovers” mad, but I truly believe that a feline is not as intelligent as a canine.  In my opinion, this is one of the reasons that it takes the cat longer to respond to a call.  There is no doubt, felines sneak upon their prey which requires more time than rushing their prey as a canine would.  Another reason that response time is longer on a bobcat than a coyote is that a cat is easily distracted as it responds to a call.

Several times, I have had the opportunity to observe a bobcat in open to fairly open terrain as it responded to my calling.  If a rabbit or rodent was spooked by the approaching feline, most times it would momentarily forget it’s mission and start after the prey that was close at hand.  Usually a little more calling will redirect the cat’s attention to you and put him back on track.  It is easy to see how this “attention deficient” problem would cause a hunter to stay longer on a stand when bobcat hunting.

The Burnham Brothers SL-18 Shooting Light offers a stellar advantage for the best of hunters.  When you have this light, no predator can hide.  With this light shooting system, you can be sure that the target that you have in mind is going down. 

Welcome to the future of hunting.  Don’t be left behind.  It does everything advertised as well as being compact and has no loose wires to get tangled up in.

Rarely a day goes by that I do not hear, “I can call fox and an occasional coyote but I can’t seem to call a bobcat, what am I doing wrong?”  My usual response is, “I have never hunted with you, so how can I tell you what you are doing wrong?”  It is when I start questioning the hunter, that I generally find the answer. 

Bobcats are generally slow to respond to calls so you will have to call for a longer period of time. When bobcat hunting, I will call for a minimum of 30 minutes.  If I feel that it is a very good area, I may call for an hour.  Bobcats are slower to respond to calls for a couple of reasons.  One, cats tend to sneak up on their prey rather than rush it as a canine would.  Sneaking obviously requires more time to cover ground than does running.  Another reason that felines take longer to respond to calls is that they are easily distracted.  I have had the opportunity to observe bobcats responding to my distress sound in fairly open terrain.  If a rabbit, rat or other prey animal flushes in front of the bobcat, it will generally quit coming to me and it’s attention will be directed to the “new” prey.  For this reason, I feel it is a good idea to use busier sounds for bobcats.  The constant calling will help keep the cat’s attention directed to you. 

I feel that one of the easiest predators to call is the fox.  In fact, the very first critter that I ever called was a gray fox.  He responded to my game call the very first time I ever blew it in the woods.  I was a ten year old boy and I had never seen a gray fox in the wild until that evening.  Since that day, I have called hundreds of gray foxes and a few reds in the Texas Hill Country.  It is rare to call a fox where the coyote population is high for coyotes will prey on the lesser predators.

While the gray fox is not a large predator, he generally responds very aggressively to distress sounds, taking a direct line to the predator call.  It is not until he is very close to the source of the sound that he attempts to gain wind advantage.  Perhaps the reason for this behavior is due to the fact that the fox’s olfactory senses are not as good as some other predators such as the coyote.      

I feel that one of the reasons for the rapid growth of coyote calling is because he is considered a non-game animal in most states.  Being a non-game animal means that the hunting of this predator will not be as closely regulated.  I am not aware of any state that protects the coyote with a season or bag limits.  In my home state of Texas and many others, coyotes can be hunted after dark with the aid of an artificial light.

If you are looking for another excuse to get out of the house and pursue a critter that will make you a better hunter, then coyote hunting is for you!