Now that you have made the decision to become a predator hunter, the next question is what you’ll be hunting. Calling different kinds of predators may require different equipment and techniques.
Most predator hunters want to go after coyotes. Welcome to the big leagues. You have decided to lock horns with a crafty, sly and adaptive predator. Some people think that bobcats are harder to hunt but they really aren’t, there just aren’t as many bobcats as there are coyotes. Coyotes can be found pretty much everywhere, although I have yet to see any in Hawaii. Coyotes are found from the deserts to the snowy north and from swamps to the mountains and everywhere in between. But they tend to be concentrated in certain areas at certain times of the year. I try to scout out areas using Google Earth looking for what any animal needs to survive: food, water, cover. It saves time and money and lets me cover more areas.
So, with coyotes supposedly everywhere, why can’t you find them? Great question. Remember, they are crafty. Coyotes do not suffer fools gladly. A little mistake and a coyote is gone in a flash of brown fur, and you may not have ever even seen it. I am sure that I call in more coyotes than I ever actually see. They may not come in for a variety of reasons and some of those may not have anything to do with you. Sometimes coyotes are run off by other coyotes. I have seen many coyotes bolt at the sight of another coyote. I have even seen coyotes get driven off by crows flying overhead. A good coyote hunter is sensitive to any little thing that might cause a coyote to pick you up before you get your shot off.
Coyotes are equipped from the factory with some very nifty little tools. They have a great sense of smell, hearing and keen eyesight that is fine tuned to the littlest movement. One thing that a new predator hunter should avoid are the easiest to control. No, you can’t make your truck silent. But you CAN prevent excess noise such as the slamming of vehicle doors. Voices are also a no go. Now, in some states hunters cannot legally transport a loaded firearm. So they have to wait to get out of their truck before loading and chambering it. I have hunted in these states and while it is a bit of an inconvenience, the law is the law, so I will load my gun when I get out. I have still called in enough coyotes in these states to see that this little bit of noise is minimal in the grand scheme. But a truck door slamming, or voices talking are a sure fire way to guarantee a blank stand. I try to minimize anything that I can from making unnatural noises. I tape my stool, I rattle check all my gear. I try to walk without stomping my heels. I try to avoid breaking large branches. Everything that you do can reap benefits.
In some areas bobcats can be found in the same areas as coyotes. In my experience bobcats are more sensitive to volume and call quality than coyotes. In those areas a good predator hunter should be ready to encounter a bobcat using the same sounds that will bring in a coyote. Normally bobcats stick to thicker brush than most coyotes. So if I am really targeting bobcats, I will tend to get closer to the thick brush and the rocks than I would if I were going after coyotes. Bobcats will come to the very same prey calls that coyotes will, and I have even taken more than a few bobcats that came in on puppy distress calls.
Foxes come in a few varieties, with grays and reds being the most prevalent. Reds tend to behave more like coyotes than a gray fox. Grays are a bit pickier. They will come to the same types of prey calls, but are a bit more cautious out in the open so they will be found in greater numbers in the thicker brush and rocks. Foxes will also come to the sound of other foxes in distress as well as puppy distress calls. Foxes seem to be sensitive to volume so you will not want to call as loudly for foxes as you do coyotes.
Badgers can be found in the same areas as bobcats, foxes and coyotes and they will also respond to the same prey distress calls.
Mountain lions are probably some of the hardest to call, again because of their populations. When you decide to call mountain lions you should be prepared for some long stands, typically 2-3 times longer than I will stay on a coyote stand. While I have seen mountain lions come to the same prey distress calls as coyotes and bobcats, they will also respond to bigger calls such as fawn distress calls.
Deciding which predator can be as tough as deciding to become a predator hunter. I have called for all the above predators and find each to be their own challenge. You may find that limiting to one specific predator could mean more success in the early days of becoming a predator hunter. It might make it a bit easier on your bank account getting started.
Most predator hunters want to go after coyotes. Welcome to the big leagues. You have decided to lock horns with a crafty, sly and adaptive predator. Some people think that bobcats are harder to hunt but they really aren’t, there just aren’t as many bobcats as there are coyotes. Coyotes can be found pretty much everywhere, although I have yet to see any in Hawaii. Coyotes are found from the deserts to the snowy north and from swamps to the mountains and everywhere in between. But they tend to be concentrated in certain areas at certain times of the year. I try to scout out areas using Google Earth looking for what any animal needs to survive: food, water, cover. It saves time and money and lets me cover more areas.
So, with coyotes supposedly everywhere, why can’t you find them? Great question. Remember, they are crafty. Coyotes do not suffer fools gladly. A little mistake and a coyote is gone in a flash of brown fur, and you may not have ever even seen it. I am sure that I call in more coyotes than I ever actually see. They may not come in for a variety of reasons and some of those may not have anything to do with you. Sometimes coyotes are run off by other coyotes. I have seen many coyotes bolt at the sight of another coyote. I have even seen coyotes get driven off by crows flying overhead. A good coyote hunter is sensitive to any little thing that might cause a coyote to pick you up before you get your shot off.
Coyotes are equipped from the factory with some very nifty little tools. They have a great sense of smell, hearing and keen eyesight that is fine tuned to the littlest movement. One thing that a new predator hunter should avoid are the easiest to control. No, you can’t make your truck silent. But you CAN prevent excess noise such as the slamming of vehicle doors. Voices are also a no go. Now, in some states hunters cannot legally transport a loaded firearm. So they have to wait to get out of their truck before loading and chambering it. I have hunted in these states and while it is a bit of an inconvenience, the law is the law, so I will load my gun when I get out. I have still called in enough coyotes in these states to see that this little bit of noise is minimal in the grand scheme. But a truck door slamming, or voices talking are a sure fire way to guarantee a blank stand. I try to minimize anything that I can from making unnatural noises. I tape my stool, I rattle check all my gear. I try to walk without stomping my heels. I try to avoid breaking large branches. Everything that you do can reap benefits.
In some areas bobcats can be found in the same areas as coyotes. In my experience bobcats are more sensitive to volume and call quality than coyotes. In those areas a good predator hunter should be ready to encounter a bobcat using the same sounds that will bring in a coyote. Normally bobcats stick to thicker brush than most coyotes. So if I am really targeting bobcats, I will tend to get closer to the thick brush and the rocks than I would if I were going after coyotes. Bobcats will come to the very same prey calls that coyotes will, and I have even taken more than a few bobcats that came in on puppy distress calls.
Foxes come in a few varieties, with grays and reds being the most prevalent. Reds tend to behave more like coyotes than a gray fox. Grays are a bit pickier. They will come to the same types of prey calls, but are a bit more cautious out in the open so they will be found in greater numbers in the thicker brush and rocks. Foxes will also come to the sound of other foxes in distress as well as puppy distress calls. Foxes seem to be sensitive to volume so you will not want to call as loudly for foxes as you do coyotes.
Badgers can be found in the same areas as bobcats, foxes and coyotes and they will also respond to the same prey distress calls.
Mountain lions are probably some of the hardest to call, again because of their populations. When you decide to call mountain lions you should be prepared for some long stands, typically 2-3 times longer than I will stay on a coyote stand. While I have seen mountain lions come to the same prey distress calls as coyotes and bobcats, they will also respond to bigger calls such as fawn distress calls.
Deciding which predator can be as tough as deciding to become a predator hunter. I have called for all the above predators and find each to be their own challenge. You may find that limiting to one specific predator could mean more success in the early days of becoming a predator hunter. It might make it a bit easier on your bank account getting started.