Texas Hunting Forum

Need major help

Posted By: Gw123

Need major help - 02/09/21 02:22 AM

I’ve been calling for 6 years now and I’ve only managed to call in one grey fox that’s at the taxidermist now.

I’ve tried all different sounds, times of the day, all weather conditions, playing the call quiet then loud, playing the call for long periods of time continuously, playing for a minute or two then stopping for a few minutes and playing again, I play the wind the best that I can and wait 15-30 minutes when I get settled in to play the call. I’ve tried everything I can think of and cannot seem to get coyotes or anything for that matter called in. I’m looking for any advice or suggestions. Thanks y’all
Posted By: Biscuit

Re: Need major help - 02/09/21 03:57 AM

Do you think you actually have predators in your area ?
Posted By: BigPig

Re: Need major help - 02/09/21 04:31 AM

Switch to mouth calls. Sounds like you’ve burned the area with electric calls.

Let’s start with where you are calling, terrain, and why sounds you’re using.
Posted By: gary roberson

Re: Need major help - 02/09/21 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by BigPig
Switch to mouth calls. Sounds like you’ve burned the area with electric calls.

Let’s start with where you are calling, terrain, and why sounds you’re using.


Yep, I agree with BigPig and your populations may be low as well. Not sure where you are hunting.
Adios,
Gary
Posted By: Gw123

Re: Need major help - 02/10/21 03:14 AM

Locations include Guadalupe county 5 miles out of the town of new Braunfels, this is a small place, only 17 acres, but I’ve shot two coyotes out there sitting in the deer stand and have seen more than that out there. I’ve seen a couple bobcats and actually missed an enormous one early in deer season and this is the place where I called up and shot the grey fox. So I know there’s a few predators around.

Next place is in Guadalupe county outside of Marion and is my uncles pasture he has leased for cattle (have permission from the owners to coyote hunt). Place is roughly 150 acres some wide open and some brush. His house backs up to the place and he regularly sees and hears coyotes howling but they won’t come in to a call for me.

Last place is in Leon county outside of Normangee. Again I’ve shot a couple coyotes here while deer hunting and have seen and have trail cam pictures of bobcats as well. Place is 220 acres and a mix of wide open pasture and heavy woods.

Hoping to get my boss to let me coyote his place in Kingsburry and his feedlot in Gonzales where I see at least two a day and have seen as many as 10 multiple times. They like to come in and get an easy meal at our dead pit.

So I know all places have predators passing through at least and it just seems that I out of all the times I’ve been out I could connect with one.

The call I’m using is a fox pro, not sure of the exact model, but it’s essentially a hard tan plastic looking speaker with a remote. I’ve tried most of the sounds but the ones I use the most are distressed cottontail, baby cottontail, vole squeak, and jack rabbit distress. I’ve also tried the deer fawn distress a bunch starting about mid March to May and in Leon county there’s a lot of woodpeckers so I play a woodpecker distress from time to time.
Posted By: Gw123

Re: Need major help - 02/10/21 03:15 AM

I’m not opposed to mouth calls but have absolutely zero experience with them and have no idea where to start trying to pick one or how to use it properly
Posted By: BigPig

Re: Need major help - 02/10/21 03:48 AM

For mouth calls, look at Red River Calls and check out his YouTube videos on how to work the call. When I hit a new place I often hit the howler locator a few times to get a sense of where they are, really I’m trying to get a sense of distance based on their return yips or howls.

Depending on the season depends on the call I use. They are breeding right now, it’s cold and they are starving, so cottontail or jackrabbit distress would be good, if you actually see these critters on the land you’re hunting. Fawns aren’t dropping yet, so pass on that for a few more months.

Pup in distress is my go to for pairs when I want the second coyote to come back, doesn’t always work, but it’s always worth a try.
Posted By: jetdad

Re: Need major help - 02/10/21 04:44 AM

Make sure you try to set up correctly according to wind direction. Coyotes especially will try to gain the wind advantage to sniff you out.
Posted By: BigRon

Re: Need major help - 02/11/21 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by jetdad
Make sure you try to set up correctly according to wind direction. Coyotes especially will try to gain the wind advantage to sniff you out.


This is important. Mask your scent and don't expect varmints, especially predators to come from down wind.

Other areas and situations will always vary, but the single most "sure-thing" call for me is raccoons fighting.
Posted By: DStroud

Re: Need major help - 02/12/21 10:04 PM

Are you hunting day or night? Not sure how you could do that much calling in the day time without seeing but one Fox. Unless you are just calling same spots over and over as they wise up to that quick.
Posted By: oldoak2000

Re: Need major help - 02/12/21 10:42 PM

Besides the mouth call suggestions, you running any visuals? quiver decoy, feather/string on a stick, etc?
Posted By: colt45-90

Re: Need major help - 02/14/21 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Biscuit
Do you think you actually have predators in your area ?

some times best to check out areas by going in am's and listening for howls, same at dusk
Posted By: TCM3

Re: Need major help - 02/14/21 11:52 PM

i use the Buck Gardner cottontail in distress, i don't go predator hunting much, but i've called in several foxes and coyotes over the last 3 years.
one time me, my brother, and his wife were fishing at the pond, and my brother started blowing on a blade of grass, about 5 minutes later a fox came up, about 40 feet behind him.
Posted By: Gw123

Re: Need major help - 02/17/21 02:20 AM

I am limited to places that I can hunt, however I do try to move a few hundred yards on places that are big enough every time I call so it doesn’t sound like the call is in the exact same place every time. As far as visuals I don’t use any at the time being. I’ve been wanting to try the feather on an arrow stuck in the ground but I haven’t gotten around to it. May have to try once the roads clear up here
Posted By: Ol Thumper

Re: Need major help - 02/17/21 02:32 AM

You’ve educated your prey by the sounds of it.
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