Hitting a "sour note".

Rustydog

New member
This question has been bothering me for some time now. Being fairly new to mouth calling, every once in a while when calling I hit a note or sound which is awful. A squawk, or beep or some such horrible non-coyote sounding squeal!

Am I "toast"? Have I scared any critter clear out of the area, or does it matter that much? I really hope some of the veteran callers weigh in on this one because it is a source of frustration and worry for me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Rustydog
 
Rustydog,
Coyotes hit sour notes pretty often theirselves. I hear coyotes with frog in their throat once in awhile. I rememember one coyote that sounded so bad that only the cadence of his howls told me that it actually was a coyote. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Coyote howls with pitch breaks in the middle of the howl are real common. Rabbit's can't even squeal right sometimes, but then they usually only get to do that once. No chance to practice, ya see. Hit a sour note? Don't worry about it, the predators won't care.
 
I've howled in coyotes with some really pathetic sounding howls to my ear. However, the coyotes evidently didn't mind. The first coyote I ever called in the early '70's was with a Burnham Bros. harmonica style bite call. I didn't really have a clue how to use it, and I know I sounded bad, but it got me a coyote. Try and call to the best of your ability, but don't worry about a bad note. Have confidence, you will call something in. Oscar
 
Just keep calling and don't worry about it. If you mess one up just recover and make a good call.

Skinner 2[/QB][/QUOTE]

Ditto to what's been said. Keep calling and watching. My son does atrocious moose calls and yet had a bull come within six feet (way too close). I've heard elk croak out awful bugles, coyotes choke and make all kinds of quirky squeaks and chirps, etc. A couple of years ago I was calling deer with a new call and kept stuttering, breaking off the sound that should slide, croaking it once in awhile, etc. and I got so disgusted with myself that I quit calling and got out my lunch. I drank some water, ate, stepped aside and took a leak, and was repacking my daypack some 15 or 20 minutes later when a dandy heavy antlered buck stepped into view. He'd been standing there watching me evidently. Wish I could say I grabbed my rifle in time but alas... So once you start a stand, stay with it.

Cats and gray fox are extra dumb at times. A friend calling deer had a pair of young cougars come in. He stood up and waved them off, then started calling again and the cats came back. I drew blood on a gray fox one time, just a knick with the edge of the broadhead near the tail (do not comment on my shooting). When I got up to retrieve my arrow I decided I should have squeaked him into a better position for a shot and started practicing lip squeeks. A minute or so later I turned around and the fox was as close behind me as a dog at heel, looking hopefully up at my head as the source of the squeeks.
 
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