Tad Brown on Decoy Placement

Technique of the Week: Today, I interviewed Tad Brown of Flambeau, which also markets predator hunting products under the Lohman Game Calls and Circe brands. Specifically, Tad talked to me about using decoys for predator hunting.

Tad covered many aspects of decoys, but I found his advice about placement especially valuable. Hunting with the wind in his face, Tad said he usually places the decoy about 30 yards away off to his right side, because he shoots right-handed. But that’s not all. He tends to put the decoy behind him and to the right of the area he expects the animals to approach from.

Why?

The coyote will generally circle, and when it does, even if it’s a wide, cautious loop, the coyote will be within easy shooting distance.

Tad puts it to the right so that if a coyote comes straight to the decoy, it will pass in front of him.

“When the predator is looking at the decoy, I don’t want to be right in their line of sight,” he said. “You want that coyote to be looking past you.”

One more tip about decoy placement. “The higher up it is, the better it is,” Tad said. “If the coyote can’t see it, it isn’t helping you.”

Bobcat Curse: Being a Wisconsin Hunter

Wisconsin is a wonderful state for hunters. We have world-class white-tailed deer hunting, have become a top three turkey state, boast excellent bear hunting, grouse hunting and are blessed with a lot of public land.

However, if killing a bobcat is your goal, your chances are very limited. Wisconsin has a preference point tag system, and only awards 1,000 or so permits each year. More than 10,000 people apply. Essentially, you wait four to five years, dutifully applying and paying a $3 permit fee each year for your turn. Then, when you are drawn, you can only hunt or trap a bobcat in the northern third of the state. If you don’t live in the open area (I don’t), you must plan a special trip, and scouting is difficult because of distance and time considerations. As a result, most Wisconsin bobcats are killed with the help of guides and dogs.

The good news is bobcats are becoming more abundant and expanding their range in Wisconsin. Eventually, that might lead to more hunting area and more permits, just as it has for trappers who want to catch fishers. In fact, a University of Wisconsin Stevens Point researcher is studying the bobcat population using hair snares. Her research is an important step in quantifying the state’s bobcat population and range.

I am currently writing an article about the expansion of bobcats for Wisconsin Outdoor News. When the article is finished, I will post more information about Wisconsin’s bobcats and how it could impact future hunting seasons.

Like most predator hunters in Wisconsin, I hope someday to call in a bobcat in my home state. I sure hope I have a kill permit in my pocket when I do.

Poll Results: Dedicated Callers Here

As expected, most predator hunters who responded to the first poll begin hunting in November or December.

However, I expected that answer to garner even more than the 43 percent it received. Nine of 21 people answering the question “When do you begin calling each year?” tabbed November-December as the answer. Surprisingly, 24 percent (5) call year-round, while 19 percent (4) begin in September or October. Only 14 percent (3) start in January or later.

I know it’s a small sample size, but it shows that a very dedicated group of predator hunters read this blog. Thanks for voting and reading!

I’ve posted a new poll tonight. Please vote.

Feeding a Calling Affliction

Welcome to Paul Wait’s Hunting Predators, a blog written for you by a professional magazine editor with a decade of experience calling coyotes.

I’ve learned the art and skill of calling predators first-hand by joining some of the best hunters in the country in pursuit of coyotes, bobcats and foxes. In addition, I’ve edited hundreds of predator calling articles from many more experts.

Somewhere along the way, calling predators became an affliction. It might have happened during my first hunt in North Texas, when I singled a coyote from a pack of four that charged to find the sounds of a pig fight. Maybe the first coyote I killed on film in Missouri turned the tide. Or could it have been a midnight encounter with a bobcat that mysteriously melted into the sage and cactus as my finger twitched on the trigger?

To be honest, I’m not sure exactly where and when my affliction took root. It really doesn’t matter. I just know the coyotes, bobcats, foxes and other predators have blessed me with countless encounters and exciting memories. And I'm not stopping now.

In this blog, I’ll write about the fascinating animals we call. I’ll cover encounters, situations and tactics. I’ll share successes and commiserate about failures. I’ll strive to give you a glimpse inside the personalities within the predator hunting industry, take you into the brush across the country and share thoughts on calls, guns and gear to make your hunts more enjoyable. Together, we’ll feed our calling affliction until we get into the field to make the next stand.

Welcome! By all means, please share your ideas and feedback. Good calling to all!

World Predator Expo

OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS – Forgive suburban Kansas City coyotes if they are feeling a bit self-important these days.

An envious collection of predator hunting talent from all points on the compass rolled into town Aug. 22 to 24 for the World Predator & Hunting Expo. The Expo featured a stellar lineup of how-to demonstrations, a multitude of vendors displaying a dazzling array of predator calls and hunting equipment, and a world championship predator calling competition.

Household names in the predator calling industry, such as Gerry Blair, Randy Anderson, Byron South, Gerald Stewart, Les Johnson and Tad Brown could be found working vendor booths. Stunning custom mouth calls crafted from exotic woods adorned tables, and the latest electronic callers, decoys and predator guns were right there to touch and try.

Mike Dillon of FoxPro showed me the company’s newest e-caller, the Fury. He said it can hold 500 sounds, which is absolutely astonishing to me. I know other digital calls have incredible capacity, too. Not so long ago we were flipping cassette tapes with repetitive short loops of the same squalls. Now we have 500 choices at the touch of a button or two. Amazing.

A few booths away, Byron South was touting the virtues of Remington Arms new ARs designed specifically for predator hunting. When major firearms manufacturers start making predator hunting guns, the sport has arrived!

The success of this event also points to the growing popularity of predator hunting. Promoter Brent Rueb, who also runs Predator Sniper Products, put together a very professional event. The vendor area was continually abuzz with predator hunters, while the demos drew standing-room-only crowds. Tension and anticipation ran high during the predator calling championships. I’ll write more about the calling competition (I was a judge for the howling event) in another blog entry. I will tell you here that the competition was extremely strong.

The resounding sentiment from people I spoke with about the Expo was, “I can’t wait until next year’s show.”

Although it hasn’t been set in stone, I heard the 2009 Expo is likely to be in Ohio. I will confirm the time and place with Rueb and announce it here.

Photo: Byron South shows off Remington line of predator guns to a father and son at the World Predator & Hunting Expo in Overland Park, Kan.