Break Free of Your Routine

Technique of the Week: People are creatures of habit. Most of us get up at the same time each day, eat lunch at the same time, go to bed at the same time, etc.

A few predator hunters I know also run their calling loop the same each day they hunt. They call the “old blowdown” first, then move to “green field” stand and so on, no matter what the conditions.

Well, consider for a moment that coyotes, bobcats and foxes are creatures of habit, too. The pair of coyotes that lives in the territory with the “old blowdown” might be in the routine of spending daybreak at a watering hole two miles away. If that’s the case, the hunter might never call that pair, even though the coyotes are in the area every day.

Vary your routine. If you call a certain stand at dawn one day, consider calling it late morning or midday the next time, or save it for the last hour of light. Another good reason to try a location at different times is that different animals might use an area in the afternoon vs. morning.

Certainly, factors such as sun direction and wind should be taken into account when considering the optimum time to call a given location. Still, when possible, try to mix up the time of day you call your standard predator calling loop.

Man Shot While Calling Predators

Nick Pallo, 29, of Palmyra, N.Y., was seriously injured Dec. 17 when the friend he was hunting predators with pulled the trigger on a fox standing between the two men.

According to Pallo’s explanation of the events on Trapperman.com, his partner John Murphy of Victor, N.Y., was confused because Pallo was playing a recording of a mouth-blown predator call. Pallo had set the electronic player a long distance in front of himself, then backed into the brush to wait for predators to respond. Pallo said Murphy had never hunted that spot with him. The incident happened at 10:30 p.m.

Pallo took two rounds of pellets from a 12 gauge shotgun from about 65 yards away. He reported that he has 15 or so pellets still lodged in his body. The shot hit his face, neck, arms, hands, chest and legs. He has a ¾-inch gash across his left eye.

Pallo, a professional animal damage control officer, is expected to need several surgeries to repair the damage. He is expected to recover, but will miss many months of work.

For more information, go to the trapperman.com message forums or nytrappers.proboards80.com.

I certainly wish Pallo a speedy recovery.

Cover Your Mugs

Technique of the Week: This morning, as the sun was cresting the trees, two duck hunters dressed in their best camouflage and deeply nestled into the cattails thought they were well-hid. But they stood out like a lighthouse beacon.

Faces in the sun flash light. When you’re hunting predators, cover your face. I see so many pictures in magazines of predator hunters on a stand with no face net, and it always bothers me. Coyotes, bobcats and foxes will pick out your mug if you leave it exposed.

Cover your hands. Always wear gloves, even if they’re nothing more than flimsy mesh. Think about it for a minute. You move your hands to blow your call or adjust your rifle for a shot. Uncovered hands can become like warning flags flapping in the wind for incoming predators.

When possible, sit in the shade. Doing so will reduce the glare from exposed skin. However, sun or no sun, always cover your dermis.

Sound Strategy: Don't Outsmart Yourself

Technique of the Week: I just read an article that advocates the use of turkey calls and duck calls for predator hunting.

While I’m sure you can call in a coyote or fox using a duck call, I’m equally confident the same coyote or fox will be just as likely to come running if you’re using a predator call. And so will dozens of other coyotes and foxes that will likely ignore mallard and turkey sounds.

Yes, I’m aware that you can make distress sounds on a turkey call or a duck call. You can also get out of your truck and push it down the road rather than get in and push the gas pedal. But why would you?

Using changeup or alternative sounds is a worthy tactic. But there’s a reason rabbit-distress calls are the most widely used tool to fool predators: They work best!

Don’t outsmart yourself trying to be different and offbeat. If you have attended to the other details of the hunt such as a stealthy approach, good concealment and a setup mindful of wind direction, any convincing distress sound should draw a response. By all means, experiment with new sounds to change up your stands, but don’t do it at the expense of proven predator killers.

If your goal is to call turkeys, then by all means, bring your slate and striker. But when predators are the plan, leave your gobbler enticers in the truck. You’ll kill way more coyotes bawling like a bunny on a predator call.

Shedding Light on Fur Primeness

A few recent posts on trapping and predator hunting message boards have my hide a bit chapped.

Let’s do away with the following myth: Cold weather causes animals’ fur to become prime. Weather has nothing to do with it. An animal’s fur thickens and becomes prime because of decreasing daylight. The animal – whether it’s a coyote, fox, beaver, raccoon or black bear – grows a thicker coat when the amount of light (called photoperiod) shortens. Less light triggers a chemical secretion in the animal that spurs the hair follicles to produce dense underfur and longer guard hairs.

A raccoon’s coat will be just as prime in November if the weather is unseasonably warm as it will be if we experience prolonged record cold in October. Biologically, animals need to have that thick fur blanket in place before winter rages across the landscape. We can just get an extra blanket out of the closet, but a coyote or fox needs to be wearing its protection before the weather gets nasty. If animals’ bodies only grew fur after the cold weather hit, they’d all freeze to death during the first cold snap.

Researchers have conducted experiments on mink that show temperature has nothing to do with fur primeness. In one study, mink were subjected to decreasing periods of light in the summer for six weeks. The mink all grew heavy coats, and the fur density and quality was similar to what would be expected of a mink in November. These mink were kept in normal summer temperatures. The amount of light was the only variable changed.

Incidentally, changes in photoperiod spur breeding behavior in many animals, including several furbearers. It also causes bird migrations, antler growth in deer and the changing of the color of leaves.

So the next time the discussion about what makes fur prime comes up, remember: It’s all about the light.

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!