Calling

[manxxcatt]

Took a break from stretching fences today, late evening, walked to the back of the family land, took a distressed rabbit call, just for the heck of it. ( I did take my shotgun, ya never know) Got sat down (wet and squooshy the ground was.) and started in with a nice loud, OMG I just got my leg caught in that daggone wire squeal. Ran with it for a good 30, maybe 40 seconds. waited a bit.... maybe a minute, and let out a low squall, that, well, hell, I'm caught, cry about it.....a lower longer squall. drew that out a bit, and waited....repeated that every 3 minutes or so.....

I was really looking for maybe one of the 2 or 3 bobs or one of the coyotes that keep sneakin in across the Wyerhouser tract, to come creeping....nope...here comes a pretty fox. Came in slow from my left, from the tract, working in and out of an old overgrown firebreak. Of course, not fox season, but it was just really cool to watch him/her work in towards me. Got maybe 60 or so yards from me, popped up the lip of the firebreak, and got a whiff of human. scooted down the break and was gone. Didn't matter. Was just cool to be there.

[newhornet]

Congrats on the success!!!!

[manxxcatt]

thanks. my heart was bumping a million miles an hour. even though I knew I wasn't taking a shot, just the thrill of having called the fox in close was enough. now that I look back, in retrospect, the conditions were right. light wind from my 12 o'clock, sun was heading down, and just happened to plop my old butt down in the right spot. Now, if I can just get that daggone bobcat to come in like that......ah I can wish, right?

[newhornet]

Well the fact that you got a response is THE SUCCESS...TOO many times people are only complimented only on the fact that they "killed" something. It is the same way with rabbit hunting with beagles. Here, there are few rabbits and I can run them day after day....you can only shoot them one time. People claim their rabbit hunt successes on the number they kill...it says nothing for how the dogs performed. Oftentimes they get a large group of "hunters" to surround a block and the dogs, along with the drivers, push rabbits to shooters. They then claim the number of kills to their dogs. I got sidetracked....lol...It is basically similar though. The response of a predator to a call, either blown or electronic is a task. I have found that grays will actually come to a call blown or played from an open less hidden position if they haven't been called before. After that first or second calling they tend to smarten up quite a bit. Practicing on those grays certainly helped me with the coyotes in the following years. You already are aware of the wind, sun, etc. which is quite impressive to hear, considering most of the people I hear about know or give little attention to these VERY important variables. Around here they just go buy the cheapest caller they can and wear their cologne soaked clothes out and "CALL". It really makes it harder for anyone else, despite the fact that you do everything as "right" as possible. I personally do NOT think you can outsmart a coyotes nose. You can only try to play the wind....try to know where he is coming from..."try"....lol It tickles me to hear the guys around here talk about the TV show callers....they think it's the same....That in itself is a natural limiter to how much competition you have. Once again, CONGRATULATIONS on your calling success. You could have taken that fox, had the season been in, thus you accomplished your goal!!!