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Calling all GURU"S , seeking advice

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The dead silence is upon us now, waiting upon draw results to break. I am very new to varmint hunting and I am seeking advice on calling. I have built a homemade caller with different sounds of rabbits, rodents and birds. I went for the first time varmint hunting with my friend and had a blast, no kills, but learned. My friend was using a electronic caller you can buy already set up with sound’s. We set up in about 4 different stands (that’s what he calls them) and he turned on the call, instead of animals coming towards us, they were heading for hills. I asked him what happen , he told me they have been called before and that sound means a big BOOM !I totally understand that , I told him , that’s kind of like the elk call Hoochie mama means a man with a bow .

My question to all the GURU’s of varmint hunting is I’m putting together a play back sequence myself and wondering how long to play a sound , what is to long or to short and I want to add silence in between , but not sure what is best . My sequence will be about 12 to 15 minutes or should it be longer per stand.

I think this will be a great way to spend more time with my son , during the break , tell draw results come out.

 

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I like to start the sound out pretty quiet for about the first minute then gradually make the sound louder. I will pause the caller about every 2-3 mins for about 30 seconds. Don't be afraid to change sounds every 7-8 mins. I have called in bobcat fox and coyotes after I have changed the sound. This time of the year calling is tough and I will sit a little longer for coyotes than at the beggining of the season (around October). for about 20 mins. Hope this helps....Goodluck!

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Just a few key points I have learned since I called my first fox on my 10th birthday in 1994.

 

Hide the truck

Be 100% silent walking in.

Try keeping the wind in your face all the time. (On your approach & during the stand)

Get a decoy, it will focus the predators attention away from you.

Call at least 7 mins for fox and 15 for coyotes.

Get as many stands in a day as you can.

Don't discount the use of a shotgun for predators.

Get on the predator masters forums for guys that are totally nuts for this stuff.

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Try mixing in some hand calls. This really works well to get them to come in a little closer..

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I really believe in mixing up your sounds. I use everything rabbit,bird,kitten,k-9 pups,rodent squeeks. I will run a sound sometimes continuosly for twenty minutes but most time I start run for 5 then pause switch sounds and repeat until something shows or I get bored with the stand. I do have my favorites but that just comes from time out calling and seeing what I have had the most success with. I will usually call for 12 minutes but when I am looking for cats in particular I will do 20 even 30 if I have good sign in the area. Although most of my cats come within the first 5 minutes. I use to worry about the wind alot but sometimes I want to call an area and the wind is bad so I just figure a good appraoch with a cross wind but if i just want cats and fox I will call without even caring about the wind. Coyotes are tough right now but using coyote vocalization may work better. Just get out and try some more and eventually they will come.

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Here's what you need:

 

Predator Calling Seminar

Desert Christian Archers

Next general meeting

Tuesday February 16th, 7pm

Calvary Community Church in Room 204

12612 North Black Canyon Highway

Phoenix, AZ 85029

 

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render...aycqE6aBuR6o%3D

 

Map:http://www.mapquest.com/maps?address=12612+N.+Black+Canyon+Highway&city=phoenix&state=az&country=US

 

Predator Calling Seminar by Ray Evridge

Phoenix Varmint Callers Inc.

 

 

Ray Evridge has been very involved when it comes to predator calling, not only has he obtained expert status in the field, he has also served as president of Arizona Predator Callers and Phoenix Varmint Callers and has done seminars to teach others the skills that he has learned. Matter of fact the teaching is really Rays great passion. He loves bringing new people into the sport!

He discovered years ago that if he wanted to spend more time in the field hunting he would have to explore new and different venues. He was introduced to predator calling by a friend and fell in love with the sport. Since that time Ray has been very active with the Arizona Predator Callers and teaching others to enjoy this action filled sport!

Come join us and learn some techniques that will bring 'em in running!

This is down season for most of us but not for those that are into predator calling and hunting! Not only does this offer year 'round hunt opportunity but it helps to control the predator population!

Ray will show us call techniques, how to properly set up and what to look for when planning your hunt!

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Varmint Al's website has some MP3 calls you can down load. A couple are 20 minutes long with a verity of sounds on the 20 minute down load.

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varmit al's also has a link to a program called audacity. using this program u can make your own calling sequences. The program takes a little bit of getting used to and if you have any questions about how to use audacity check out youtube. A bunch of tutorials on youtube. Enjoy

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To get a predator to commit and enter your stand you need to trip one of its biological triggers. There are 7 different reasons coyotes come to the call, and i would surmise that bobcats and foxes are along the same lines. These reasons range from hunger to territorial maintenance to outright curiosity. When you are blowing your hand call or using your electronic caller you should vary the sounds util you trip one of these biological triggers. Cottontail distress for 4 minutes and then switch to a mouse squeak and then switch to a coyote pup distress whimper sound. That being said there are certain sounds that particular predators respond to almost 100% of the time. For example, grey fox. They are nowhere as smart as a coyote and the same animal will respond to the same sound in the exact same location over and over. When I am wanting a fox to come to the call I use Johhny Stewarts Grey Fox Pup Distress.

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+ 1 on adding some hand calls or even nothing but hand calls. Try the cottontail call by primo. Works great when you spot varmits at a distance and need to get them closer. Or even start with it then go to the Varmit call.

2 cents

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since your just getting into calling my first word of advice is to get ready to get addicted. at least that's how it was for me. i started calling about 7 yrs ago and its been non stop ever since. Ive even got my fiance going out with me now.

 

 

it seems the hardest part about calling now days is finding places where not many people have called before. if you can find something like that then i would say you should have pretty good luck. all the other advice you've gotten so far is all good. i tend to stay away from mouth calls though. Ive had predators come in so close using mouth calls in the past that they either see you blowing the call or see you drop the call to grab your weapon(usually in thicker,bushier places) that you either don't get a shot off or end up missing because you were rushed. so i use a digital call(fox pro). its really handy. you can set it up almost anywhere. i usually hang it in a tree or elevate it somehow so the sound carries further. your gonna want a decoy as well. they work especially well in wide open country and are great for coaxing those bobcats the extra mile.

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I have shot a bobcat, a coyote, and now a fox all within a hundred yards using the homemade e-caller and varmint Al's 16 minute sequence.

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Another thing to remeber is to go to a place where there is predators. I scout for them like deer or elk, checking for tracks at water, listening for them early in the morning or at dark, looking for droppings (especially in roads, usually different groups of coyotes marking territory) and sometimes staying up all night and using a siren to make them howl to find them for the next morning (just dont have a spotlight out with firearms in your vehicle, we usually take 2 vehicles, one we leave behind with guns for the morning locked up, and the vehicle we locate coyotes with).

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