Poll: Response Rates

In my travels, I’ve met predator hunters who expect to call coyotes at every stand they make. If nothing responds, they feel like something went wrong with the stand. I’ve also hunted with guys who think getting a predator to come in on every third of fourth stand is excellent.

Where you hunt, time of the year, amount of hunting pressure, weather, terrain and other factors certainly influence calling response rates. Just for fun, let’s see how your response rates compare to other predator callers from around the country.

Take the poll to the left. To be clear about what constitutes a response, it’s a coyote, bobcat, fox, raccoon or other predator that is approaching your position as a result of your calling, whether you get a shot or not. Also, if three coyotes come in at one stand, that counts as one successful stand.

Please tell the truth. No one will know who you are anyway, so there’s no shame or bragging either way.

Fur Market Forecast

As fur market analyst Parker Dozhier has told me more times than I can count over the years, it’s all just a guess. However, I can’t remember a year heading into the season when fur buyers and those in the know had as much uncertainty as they do right now.

Of course, when the stock markets tank, then drop again and the global economy is as shaky as it is right now, we’re all in uncharted waters. Still, commodities often hold their own when the economy gets rough and the markets falter.

So, the best guess: coyotes – not so good; bobcats – should be as good; gray foxes – down a bit, but still solid; red fox – still poor; raccoons – could be very good, could drop dramatically.

Coyotes: A lot of unsold lower-grade pelts exist right now, so that will hold the price of new goods coming onto the market down. Dozhier says the best coyotes – pales with wide, white bellies from the Rocky Mountains might bring $40 to $45, but most will fetch far less. He put Wisconsin skins at $25 and down for the best large, heavy coyotes. A representative of North American Fur Auctions also indicated the coyote market was not expected to have much depth and generally be poor. Might be a good year to tan some coyotes and sell them to alternative markets.

Bobcats: Dozhier said he thinks the high-end bobcat market will hold up for another season, although the best skins might not hit $1,100 as a few did last year. Bobcats are being used to make luxury goods, and the demand continues for spotted fur.

Gray foxes: After doing exceptionally well last winter, gray foxes did not do as well at the spring auctions. Dozhier termed it as a hiccup, and said he thought the market would still be good for grays. He suggests hanging onto grays until later in the season.

Red foxes: Ranch production of foxes continues to keep the market for wild red foxes depressed. Expect a replay of last season, Dozhier said. The best might bring $35, but most will be $20 or thereabouts.

Raccoons: Every year, it seems one furbearer receives extra attention as the species to target. In 2008-2009, it’s raccoons. Many trappers and hunters are expecting to average $40 or more this season. Dozhier and the NAFA rep agree that the raccoon market holds great promise, but caution that the weather – both in the United States and Russia – will play a major role in determining the size of the harvest and the demand for the fur. If it snows and freezes early in the United States, and Russia has a frigid winter, fur harvesters who have a bunch of raccoons to sell will benefit nicely. If it’s warm here and there, disappointment is likely.

It’s all a crap shoot. Just like the stock market.

Calling All Predator Clubs

In the true spirit of being on the Internet, today I added a links section to this blog. It’s titled “Predator Hunting Sites” and is located on the left-hand bar.

I have listed several established predator hunting association sites. Feel free to click on the links and see what is out there for calling groups.

In searching for predator hunting clubs, I found that many states do not have associations, or if they do, do not have a functional Web site.

However, I’m sure I have missed several associations in my search. If you are a member of a club with a Web site or know of a site I have not listed, please let me know by clicking on “comments” in this thread and telling us how to find the association.

I appreciate your help.

Another Use for E-Callers

Technique of the Week: It might seem unorthodox, but a good way to learn how to use a mouth-blown predator call is to mock an electronic caller.

Why? For starters, you’ll really pay attention to the cadence, tone and urgency of what most likely is a real rabbit in distress or an actual coyote barking and howling. You’ll discover the nuances in the sounds, and you’ll figure out how to mock it by trial and error.

After you think you have mastered the sounds, tape yourself. Compare it to the electronic version. It’s really no different than a football coach reviewing the game film Monday morning to see how the players performed and where they need to improve.

Keep working at it until you have it down, then add your own twists and flavor to your calling routine.

But why bother to learn if I own an electronic call?

Electronic units are super tools, but having the flexibility to pull out a tube and use it can save your hunt if the e-caller malfunctions. By using a mouth call, you can vary the tone and cadence to make sounds and sequences that differ from those programmed into your unit. You can also blow a mouth call while your e-caller projects another sound.

Today’s predator callers are lucky to have an overwhelming number of electronic units and mouth-blown calls available. Knowing how to use both effectively will enhance your calling success. That’s a great reason to use one to learn the other.

Confirming the Obvious

Here's a shock: Your favorite calling target is the coyote.

OK, OK, so no one is surprised by that. When I made the poll question, I thought maybe more of you coyote killers would be tempted by less common and more vexing predators such as bobcats and mountain lions. For the record, my favorite is the bobcat, probably because I haven't been successful at killing one yet, despite several encounters. This year!

Anyway, the results revealed that 65 percent of you identified coyotes as your favorite animal to call. Red foxes and bobcats tied for second with 14 percent, and raccoons garnered 7 percent. Mountain lions and gray foxes did not get a vote in the poll.

Onto the next poll. Let's look at guns. The question is "What is your primary predator calling weapon?"

As always, thanks for voting.

Where to Rest Your Rear?

Technique of the week: You’ve parked the truck and you’re packing a predator rifle. Now where should you plunk your rear?

Your first consideration should be sight lines. If you can’t see a predator coming, you have no chance to shoot it. If you choose a spot, then discover you can’t see, get up and move before making the first calling sound.

You want cover behind you to break up your silhouette. Don’t sit at the top of a hill. You will stand out, no matter how good your camouflage. Although it might be stating the obvious, don’t sit at the bottom of the valley, either. Simply put, it’s tough to see approaching animals when you’re lower than they are. You also don’t want to spread your scent all the way down the hill.

Another major consideration is the sun. If at all possible, set up with your back to the sun. Even better: Set up in shade with the sun behind you. Predators approaching while facing the sun have a much more difficult time picking out a hunter. By sitting out of the direct light, you’ll eliminate glare from your rifle, glasses and your face. In addition, most camouflage patterns are far more effective in shadows than in full-on sunlight.

No matter where you sit, a padded seat like those on many turkey hunting vests is very helpful for predator hunting. Cactus needles, jagged stones, barbed wire and spiny roots can painfully shorten a productive day of predator hunting. Some hunters carry a short stool. It can help you sit more upright in a more comfortable shooting position, and it certainly keeps your backside dry.

At the ideal stand, you’ll back into a bush partway down a hill in the shade on a padded seat with the sun behind you.

Comfortable? Now scream!

Another Reason to Visit Sturgis, S.D.

The land of wild motorcycle rallies and presidents carved in stone might have another claim to fame.

Specifically, the Black Hills of South Dakota is becoming a prime place to call a mountain lion. The 2008 season, which actually begins on Jan. 1, 2009 and runs through March 31, is the fourth season in recent times in South Dakota.

An estimated 220 to 280 mountain lions inhabit the Black Hills, according to the state’s game and fish Department. Lion hunters cannot use dogs, bait or traps, but they can use electronic game callers.

The harvest is limited to 35 animals total, or 15 female lions. In 2005, hunters killed 13 mountain lions. That jumped to 16 in 2006, followed by 18 during the 2007 season.

The license fee is $15. Unfortunately, only residents of South Dakota are allowed to participate in the hunt.

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.

Scouting? Hit the Drink!

Technique of the Week: Early in my predator hunting career, Verne Howey told me, “When you scout, start at the stock tank. All animals have to drink.”

I’ve applied that advice many times since. OK, so there aren’t many stock tanks in Wisconsin compared to Howey’s home range of Wyoming, but his point still holds. If you’re looking for predator sign, water is a great place to begin your search.

For starters, animal tracks are always more evident in the soft soil near water. You can usually identify with confidence which predator species are in your zip code. You can also get a sense of how many animals are around, and even the size/age of them in some cases.

In general, you’ll also recognize which direction the animals are heading. Follow the trails leading away from water, looking for additional tracks, scat and hair at fence crossings. Search for travel corridors such as saddles, ravines, creek beds and field edges that could make good calling stand sites.

Water also attracts prey animals. Take note of areas of thick cover that hold rabbits, rats and other predator food sources. Often, the most-edible plants in the area are found near a water source, so that will also concentrate animal sign – both of predator and prey.

So whether you’re planning to call an unfamiliar area or just trying to get a handle on the current predator population in your calling territory, head to the water’s edge with your investigator hat on.

A Combo to Crow About

Technique of the Week: Today’s predator hunters are blessed with the availability of an incredible number of calling sounds.

The latest digital game call units hold dozens and even hundreds of sounds hunters can employ at the touch of a button. And many units allow callers to mix two or more sounds together.

While I don’t know any callers who advocate using all of the sounds on your electronic caller at a single stand, you can – and should – try a couple of combinations when other sounds aren’t working. My favorite combo is a cottontail rabbit distress and an excited crow sound.

I like to play crow sounds for coyotes because they attract crows and ravens. I’ve found that having the black birds circling overhead adds appeal for coyotes. Essentially, birds act as confidence decoys that are visible from long distances. The more of a ruckus you can create at a stand, the more likely a coyote won’t be able to stay away. Crows squawk about fresh meat, and coyotes know it.

Some callers I’ve hunted with play one sound on an electronic unit and use a mouth-blown call to make the other. Another option is to alternate using mouth calls, or have a partner blow crow sounds while you wail away as a dying bunny.

No matter how you produce the combo, try a few crow/cottontail stands this fall. It’s a killer.

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.

Are You Ready to Shoot?

Technique of the Week: Every Tuesday, I’ll share a predator hunting tip, technique or tactic to help make your predator hunts more successful. Although some of the information will come from my knowledge acquired in the field, many entries will be the result of interviews with accomplished predator hunters from across the country. So here we go with the Technique of the Week. Please feel free to click on the "comments" and add your thoughts.

Are you ready for the moment of truth?

Way too many predator calling stands end in failure because hunters just plain are not ready to shoot when the coyote, bobcat or fox presents the opportunity. I’ve watched hunting partners frozen with their rifles across their laps when a coyotes unexpectedly pop up within 100 yards. I witnessed another hunter fumbling with his jacket as a pair of coyotes ambled past. And yes, I admit it: I’ve been caught off-guard more than once.

To make sure I’m ready to shoot, I follow a little routine when I sit down. First, I make sure I can sit at that spot for the duration of the stand. Sitting on a rock or stump feels OK for the first few minutes, but can become uncomfortable after 15 minutes or more. A cushion or small stool helps. If you don’t think you can sit there for the entire stand, select a different spot. I always make sure I can swing and turn 90 degrees in each direction, too. I take stock in the brush and terrain immediately behind me, because we all know that predators rarely come out and stand in the perfect spot for a shot.

OK, so I am sitting comfortably, concealed with a good view. Next, I shoulder my rifle or shotgun. If I am using shooting sticks, I position them at the appropriate height so the butt of the stock fits correctly into my shoulder and my eye is lined up with the scope. If you have to strain your back and neck to get a sight picture, reposition so you don’t. Then, I look through the scope and find that big tree 100 yards away and spy a large rock 200 yards out. I’m logging reference points into my mind, which will make it easier to locate a running coyote and have a sense of the distance when I’m aiming. A little scanning through the scope can also help eliminate distractions because you will have processed those images before you are trying to shoot a coyote. Just as importantly, I know my rifle is ready. The lens cap is off, the rifle is at the correct height and I know what’s on the horizon.

I keep the stock buried into my shoulder and sit so I don’t have to move my head more than a couple of inches to look through the scope. My gun is up and ready. I can quickly acquire the animal in the scope or move the rifle rapidly to my left or right to shoot.

By thinking about my shot long before the predator is within range, I’m ready when a pair of coyotes charges or the spotted cat materializes from behind the sage. For most of us, predator encounters are rare enough that we can’t afford not to seal the deal when everything else goes right.

So the next time you are camouflaged and about to press play on your digital call, ask yourself, “Am I really ready to shoot?”