Make Your Predator Hunting Real

As hunters we try to fool animals into coming within gun/bow range so that we can make the harvest. We all know that sometimes it can be tough. Whether it's hunting pressure, high winds or some other unforeseen dilemma, we have to remember no matter if it is a big buck, a long bearded gobbler, or a wily coyote, these animals are surviving for their life everyday. Needless to say, they get smart! As hunters, we have to think about the situation and do our best to outsmart what we are hunting. Since it is winter and a lot of hunters have their Johnny Stewart Calls out trying to get some coyotes, foxes, or bobcats I thought I would enlighten you on what I mean with a few tips on calling in predators.

One of my favorite tactics while predator hunting is to make my sounds as real as possible. With the excellent quality of sounds from the Johnny Stewart library, that is an easy task to achieve. Add a little scouting to those sounds and it can make it even better. I'm a big believer in making sounds that are natural to the area you are hunting. Let me first stress that yes, you can call predators with multiple sounds no matter where you go. However, for some of those coyotes that have been hunted hard, making your sounds match the environment can make you a more successful hunter.

For example, a couple years back I had hunted a farm in southern Missouri several times that year. I had taken coyotes off of this farm, plus I was seeing tracks and droppings each time I hunted. Needless to say, I knew there were coyotes, they were just not coming to a call. This farm had several cows in its pastures, so I went to the Johnny Stewart download center on hunterspec.com. I found a baby calf distress sound and I downloaded it to my Bloodhound electronic call. Then I went back to this particular farm and I set up just to the edge of the pasture with the cattle feeding in it. After about 6 or 7 minutes of calling, a coyote came racing out of the timber into the pasture. Boom! The plan worked.

This can work with multiple sounds. Late summer when hunting some of the farms that we deer hunt on, I will use fawn-in-distress. Does have their young ones, so it is natural to hear that sound. Another scenario is when predator hunting in timber. I like to use the rodent-in-distress sounds, because it is where chipmunks and other prey live. Again, use a sound that is natural to that area.

Another tactic to help with realism is using a decoy. There are several versions of predator decoys on the market, such as rabbits and woodpeckers, as well as actual coyote decoys. When a coyote comes into a call, then sees what is making the sound, it can be the missing piece of the puzzle into fooling them into gun range. This is also another time to bring The Snoods out of storage. Using a turkey decoy can be very effective with coyotes and especially bobcats. Using the gobbler-in-distress sound in combination with having a couple of The Snood turkey decoys can be a very effective method of bringing a predator in those last few steps.

One last tip for fooling a predator into believing it's real is fooling his nose. Of course a good scent elimination system is always a must. However, using the Primetime Pure coyote urine, as well as the Primetime rabbit urine, can fool their nose just as much. Having scent out can work as a cover-up to keep a coyote from smelling you. But more importantly, when a coyote comes running in to a rabbit-in-distress, for example, then smells rabbit urine as he gets closer it's that missing piece into fooling them into thinking it is real.