Predator Call

Lure animals out of their hiding places. The compucaller is an electronic gadget that gives you a hunting advantage because it uses authentic animal recordings that will divert any prey’s attention away from the hunter. The remote controlled compucaller comes in a camo water-resistant carrying bag that can be easily hidden in plain sight.  It features a backlit LCD screen that displays signal strength, battery levels, current sound playing, and volume level. The built-in amplifier and 20-watt speaker give the caller enough volume for any calling situation. Compucallers are designed and manufactured by hunters for hunters. They are moderately priced and inexpensive to operate because they run on rechargeable NiMH batteries.

Paula, who had just purchased a COMPUCALLER III for her husband’s Christmas present, caught me after church yesterday morning.  “That caller I purchased is the best machine ever built or we have the dumbest foxes in the country.  Two nights ago, nine hunters loaded up in a pickup and drove down in the pasture.  We called twice and killed two foxes!” I responded, “Chances are it was a little of both, that is a really good electronic game caller and perhaps those were young foxes.”  It seems that when a young predator “locks on” to a sound that he/she thinks is an easy meal nothing else seems to bother them. 

Two weeks ago, Nikon sent Michael Engelmeyer down from St. Louis, Missouri to photograph me with some of their new products.  Fortunately, we were able to accomplish our mission in one afternoon.  Last week, Michael returned with Erin Gavin with Mossy Oak and we shot photos of hunting apparel for two full days.  My oldest son, Clint is an archery hunter and modeled Friday morning and then left for Terrell County to do a little hunting with his brothers.I continued to work as we shot on three different ranches and with three different sets of clothes and three different hunting situations, predator, archery and deer.  I am not sure how many photos were taken but no doubt over 1,000; surely one or two of them will work for something.  The very best news is that I did not break the camera!

Across most of the country, it is time to pull out the predator calls and begin calling critters.  While there are a few hunters who call predators year round where legal, most of us wait until it cools off and the brush and trees loose some foliage.  Most of the country that I hunt is covered with a very good turf of knee high grass, making it almost impossible to see a critter responding to a call.  As a rule, I like to wait until the first of January because the cattle graze the grass short enough to increase my visibility.Good luck and have a safe and productive hunting season,

It is no secret that proper deer management can improve antler growth and overall deer health.  Removing excess does is a management practice that is needed across most of the country.  In the Hill Country, I feel that it is a good idea to remove the excess does early in the season while they are in good body condition.  Another reason to remove the does as early as possible is because they consume food that a deer that you want to keep could eat. Shooting does early in the season, especially in South Texas can create a few problems.  The rut in South Texas generally peaks 30 to 45 days later than it does in the Hill Country therefore, the fawns will be considerably younger in the first part of deer season.  I have seen a few situations where killing the doe stunted the fawns, as they were still nursing.  Though it was impossible for me to monitor the fawns on a 5,000 acre ranch, I always felt the fawns that were stressed might not ever reach their potential.

Everyone knows that an old buck can be difficult to find but, I have found that a whitetail doe can disappear as well.  When whitetail does realize that they are being hunted, I have to change tactics to find them.  I have found that deer calls, especially bleat calls are very effective on whitetail does.   

Last Saturday morning I awoke and walked out of the camp house over an hour before daylight.  I heard the rolling of rocks as my presence had evidently spooked some of the deer that feed and water near the camp.  A few seconds later, I heard the unmistakable sound of two bucks fighting.  The clashing of the antlers, rolling of rocks and breaking of brush lasted less than 30 seconds but is a sure sign that the rut is very near.  Fights regularly break out as bucks compete for territories.  The older more dominant bucks prefer to control high traffic areas as their chances of encountering a receptive doe is increased.  Bucks make scrapes, paw the ground and leave their deer scent from periorbital glands on overhanging branches to mark their territories as well.