Orangehat44
New member
Hey all, first time poster, have lurked and read alot here and other predator hunting articles. But basically I'm pretty new hunter and completely green when it comes to predators. I was raised a city slicker by parents who were never to high on guns or hunting (but maybe Ii was switched at birth or something since I've gone the completely opposite path lol) but after graduating college bought my first house a few years back out in the country with 8 acres, alot of buddies at my job are avid hunters and I've learned alot from them and gone with them, mostly duck and goose hunting (thru them i have access to a few large acre areas) and sat with them or on their land a few times for deer but yet to get my first deer.
Im in western/central NY area so there isnt a ton of predator action and non of my friends have ever done much predator hunting, so am turning to the experts here for guidance. but there has been a fair amount of red fox around the last year and a half and have caught on my trail cam a few times and seen at least 2 in person within 40 yards of my house a few times. And I've heard coyotes around abunch some times closer than others but yet to see one, but locally there were two attacks recently, so if I could learn and get one or two I wouldnt feel bad. but all in all at this point in my life I will probably be a casual predator hunter.
Probably mainly focusing on the foxes around my house and land (my house is set back away from other houses so I can shoot off my back deck and have had that fox in my yard, so I could literally sit stand on my back deck or kitchen window lol) but also have a few other spots on my property to stand as well as my friends properties. as its ny its pretty wooded and any of the areas I have access to farthest shots wouldnt be much more than 40-50 yards.
My budget is still pretty limited at this point in my life for what i can spend on hunting (but fingers crossed wife just landed a new job that could open up somethings for us more financially, as well as i get a fair amount of dicks giftcards for xmas and birthdays lol) so I buy stuff when i can.
I've got my standard hunting camo clothing, and I've got the Rem 870 express combo so i have a rifled barrel with a scope and a smoothbore with a modified choke (or i have a old .22 lr bolt action or wife's gramps model 17 20ga, beautiful gun from 1920's but not planning on using it for more than the occasional skeet shoot, and know that a .22lr is not a good ethical choice for a weapon especially at my skill level). i cant justify one of those expensive electric calls at the moment (But i do have some bluetooth and wireless speakers has anyone ever tried planting one of those out and using their phone to send calls?. but really i am more interested in learning calling without the electronics even if it takes me a year to bring in anything, calling something in with a mouth or hand call just sounds like a much more fun and interesting and rewarding challenge than using an electronic call to me.
So all that being said most my initial questions are what should my shopping wishlist be to start acquiring. suggestions on what i need to get fox first and if im lucky a coyote but prob focus on the fox first as I know they are around, have seen them in person and regularly have them on my trail cams (and he regularly craps in my wifes garden so he gotta pay
).
Most i've read especially at the ranges i'm looking at people tend to use shot rather than slug? am i good with my modified choke or do i want something else (again my shooting ranges are prob 30-45 yards in most spots id sit, and about as far as i've been from him just walking out of my house with the dogs before he ran)? ammo size/brand would i be looking at? i've read alot about the hevi shots on lots of predator sites but know its expensive.
Also tips on mouth and hand call models/brands/types that would be good to start learning with again i dont care if it i dont call a thing in this season i want to start learning that art, but the market of those is so daunting when looking at calls at any store with so many variety/ brands and styles. (for the fox i've read people talking about the hand squeakers and even using dog toy sqeakers lol as our dog had to have emergency surgery due to ingesting a squeaker we pull their toys now at the first sign of them being destroyed so i prob have a few sqeakers lying around that i could use)
I can hunt night here and for a light i doubt i need one of those 300 yard red LED's again since nothing i'm looking at is more than 50 yards prob. most lights are pretty expensive has anyone made a cheap alternative out of like a work spot/ painters light or something with a red film filter over it?
And any other equipment or hunting tips are greatly appreciated.
Sorry for the wall of text and thanks for reading if you got this far. any and all input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Im in western/central NY area so there isnt a ton of predator action and non of my friends have ever done much predator hunting, so am turning to the experts here for guidance. but there has been a fair amount of red fox around the last year and a half and have caught on my trail cam a few times and seen at least 2 in person within 40 yards of my house a few times. And I've heard coyotes around abunch some times closer than others but yet to see one, but locally there were two attacks recently, so if I could learn and get one or two I wouldnt feel bad. but all in all at this point in my life I will probably be a casual predator hunter.
Probably mainly focusing on the foxes around my house and land (my house is set back away from other houses so I can shoot off my back deck and have had that fox in my yard, so I could literally sit stand on my back deck or kitchen window lol) but also have a few other spots on my property to stand as well as my friends properties. as its ny its pretty wooded and any of the areas I have access to farthest shots wouldnt be much more than 40-50 yards.
My budget is still pretty limited at this point in my life for what i can spend on hunting (but fingers crossed wife just landed a new job that could open up somethings for us more financially, as well as i get a fair amount of dicks giftcards for xmas and birthdays lol) so I buy stuff when i can.
I've got my standard hunting camo clothing, and I've got the Rem 870 express combo so i have a rifled barrel with a scope and a smoothbore with a modified choke (or i have a old .22 lr bolt action or wife's gramps model 17 20ga, beautiful gun from 1920's but not planning on using it for more than the occasional skeet shoot, and know that a .22lr is not a good ethical choice for a weapon especially at my skill level). i cant justify one of those expensive electric calls at the moment (But i do have some bluetooth and wireless speakers has anyone ever tried planting one of those out and using their phone to send calls?. but really i am more interested in learning calling without the electronics even if it takes me a year to bring in anything, calling something in with a mouth or hand call just sounds like a much more fun and interesting and rewarding challenge than using an electronic call to me.
So all that being said most my initial questions are what should my shopping wishlist be to start acquiring. suggestions on what i need to get fox first and if im lucky a coyote but prob focus on the fox first as I know they are around, have seen them in person and regularly have them on my trail cams (and he regularly craps in my wifes garden so he gotta pay
Most i've read especially at the ranges i'm looking at people tend to use shot rather than slug? am i good with my modified choke or do i want something else (again my shooting ranges are prob 30-45 yards in most spots id sit, and about as far as i've been from him just walking out of my house with the dogs before he ran)? ammo size/brand would i be looking at? i've read alot about the hevi shots on lots of predator sites but know its expensive.
Also tips on mouth and hand call models/brands/types that would be good to start learning with again i dont care if it i dont call a thing in this season i want to start learning that art, but the market of those is so daunting when looking at calls at any store with so many variety/ brands and styles. (for the fox i've read people talking about the hand squeakers and even using dog toy sqeakers lol as our dog had to have emergency surgery due to ingesting a squeaker we pull their toys now at the first sign of them being destroyed so i prob have a few sqeakers lying around that i could use)
I can hunt night here and for a light i doubt i need one of those 300 yard red LED's again since nothing i'm looking at is more than 50 yards prob. most lights are pretty expensive has anyone made a cheap alternative out of like a work spot/ painters light or something with a red film filter over it?
And any other equipment or hunting tips are greatly appreciated.
Sorry for the wall of text and thanks for reading if you got this far. any and all input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
