I have called fox several times at night, in several differant locations, without any luck. I know they are there, but they are just not responding. I am curious to what sounds have been working best? It's got to get better, it can't get any worse. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Calling in West Virginia
- Thread starter mhtrapper
- Start date
For Greys it is hard to beat the Grey Foc Pup Distress. And for Reds, Bird distress or Cottontail distress is good, babby Cottontail, flicker, yellowhammer woodpecker, lucky bird, cow bird are all good sounds. I try and keep the sounds for fox in the high pich area, they just seem to get better responce.
Brent
Brent
Quarter Round
New member
I agree with Brent. Use the high pitch calls at low volume to medium volume. In the winter I like to get within a couple hundred yards of a denning area during the last hour of light.
JAMaidens
Custom Call Maker
mhtrapper, what part of WV are you hunting? Lower mountain or Northern foothills? I hunted in Marshall County all my life (until I moved to TN in '95) it was not the easiest of places to hunt. Do you have coyote in those same areas? If so, your fox will not come into the call as easily as when coyote are not in the area. I used to call fox in with no trouble, but after coyote started showing up in the early 90's they didn't come to the call as before. They are not as quick to get there if they think a butt whoop'in could come their way. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Here in TN when coyotes are around the fox are like calling cats, slow and no go. When they do come to the call, they stop at a distance to sit and look over the attack you are faking. Try areas that have easy excess to thickets or electric or gas right of ways. I have called more fox up out of hollows into gas and electric right of ways than anywhere. If that right of way passes through a thicket you just hit the lottery! Also key in on the winter feeding areas for the prey. Spiceberry bushes, wild grape tangles, and multi-floral rose are some that come to mind.
As for calls, try the squirrel distress, turkey distress, injured woodpecker, gray pup whines, and any other bird distress. Keep us updated!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
As for calls, try the squirrel distress, turkey distress, injured woodpecker, gray pup whines, and any other bird distress. Keep us updated!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Pruson
New member
Quote:
In the winter I like to get within a couple hundred yards of a denning area during the last hour of light.
I agree and have done this several times. That last possible light of day is very magical, especially close to a denning area. Success will repeat itself in this scenario. I have shot five grays while sitting with my back against the same tree during a period of two weeks, at last possible light. Funny thing about it was in a thicket, that it was really close to a powlerline rightaway like JAMaidens mentioned.
In the winter I like to get within a couple hundred yards of a denning area during the last hour of light.
I agree and have done this several times. That last possible light of day is very magical, especially close to a denning area. Success will repeat itself in this scenario. I have shot five grays while sitting with my back against the same tree during a period of two weeks, at last possible light. Funny thing about it was in a thicket, that it was really close to a powlerline rightaway like JAMaidens mentioned.
Last edited:
Quarter Round
New member
JAMaidens is correct about the butt whipping or plain ole killin. Since the coyotes have moved in they've put a hurting on the red and grey fox populations. Have started to see a few this past summer and mostly during daylight.
I used to see a fair amount of Red Fox but they have dropped off dramatically since the coyote invasion occurred.
Now the Reds I do see are very close to the house and one she fox has raised 3 litters of pups within sight of the house the last 3yrs. running.
Never was alot of Greys here but even so its been about 10yrs. since I've seen a Grey.
Went goose hunting this morning and the fields were cut up with coyote tracks. Will hit them hard after Christmas.
Now the Reds I do see are very close to the house and one she fox has raised 3 litters of pups within sight of the house the last 3yrs. running.
Never was alot of Greys here but even so its been about 10yrs. since I've seen a Grey.
Went goose hunting this morning and the fields were cut up with coyote tracks. Will hit them hard after Christmas.
Coaldigger55
New member
Have any of you W."By Gosh" Va. men ever tried calling down in Logan,Mingo and Boone Counties. A few years back I worked down that way. I think I was the only man in that area that called foxes. I usually would set up on the abandon strip mine areas. That was some of the best hunting I ever did. Plenty of reds and grays. Also it was not unsual to call in a cat. I have been told by several people down that way that coyote have now moved in and are kinda taking over.
Haven't been back down to Boone Co. since 2000 or maybe it was 2001? Hog Hunting but while there it was cut up with coyote tracks.
I was deer hunting very close to the Logan Co. line looking for Mr. Big. Did manage a 120 class buck. Hunted Grapevine for Hogs. Killed 2 hogs there over the years.
But it was hard not to notice all the coyote tracks. Saw several sets of bobcat tracks as well.
Theres some ideal calling set ups availible in Boone Co.
So for anyone close you might want to try going up Grapevine Branch for bobcats or on out to the Spruce Laurel Drainage for coyotes and cats.
Saw lots and I mean lots of coyote tracks out on the Colony Bay Mine Property. Stay away from active mining areas and they seem to tollerate you hunting there. I always stopped and ask and was always told go ahead stay away from active mining areas and do not park on haul roads.
I was deer hunting very close to the Logan Co. line looking for Mr. Big. Did manage a 120 class buck. Hunted Grapevine for Hogs. Killed 2 hogs there over the years.
But it was hard not to notice all the coyote tracks. Saw several sets of bobcat tracks as well.
Theres some ideal calling set ups availible in Boone Co.
So for anyone close you might want to try going up Grapevine Branch for bobcats or on out to the Spruce Laurel Drainage for coyotes and cats.
Saw lots and I mean lots of coyote tracks out on the Colony Bay Mine Property. Stay away from active mining areas and they seem to tollerate you hunting there. I always stopped and ask and was always told go ahead stay away from active mining areas and do not park on haul roads.
Coaldigger55
New member
Hey congrats on the buck. I know what you mean about the hogs, I think the state stocked them back in the late 60's or early 70's.When I left that area they were starting to get a good size population of hogs.and they were moving to other areas. I called quite a bit up Laruel. Took a lot of fox out of there. You should also see a lot of bear sign in that area. I have run onto them while squrrell and grouse hunting.
Quite a bit of bear sign indeed!
Grouse Huntings one of my favorites and I have saw alot of them while hog hunting there.
The hogs are all but gone! WV DNR blames several things but loss of habitat seems to be the main one. Hog unting went from a draw basis hunt with two hunts per year down to a no draw one season hunt. The late season was the best one to hunt but its been done away with and only the early season remains.
I would like to get back down there and grouse hunt of a day and call early and late. Time,money and family obligations have slowed my hunting journeys down alot.
Though I did manage to go on a Water Buffalo hunt and returned just late last week from a successful hunt taking a nice bull.
Heres Pic
Grouse Huntings one of my favorites and I have saw alot of them while hog hunting there.
The hogs are all but gone! WV DNR blames several things but loss of habitat seems to be the main one. Hog unting went from a draw basis hunt with two hunts per year down to a no draw one season hunt. The late season was the best one to hunt but its been done away with and only the early season remains.
I would like to get back down there and grouse hunt of a day and call early and late. Time,money and family obligations have slowed my hunting journeys down alot.
Though I did manage to go on a Water Buffalo hunt and returned just late last week from a successful hunt taking a nice bull.
Heres Pic
Victor Varminter
New member
That's a bunch of bull! You knew that was coming didn't ya. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Way to go rws /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Haven't seen much in the way of grouse here in East Central Ohio. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Haven't seen much in the way of grouse here in East Central Ohio. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
trapwv
New member
Very nice bull--congrats!
mhtrapper--I agree with alot of the earlier info.
Coyotes have definately put a hurting on the fox hunting in the last few years.
Dusk has also been my most productive time to hunt.
Grey fox didn't seem to care about wind or visibility before the coyotes, now I find them circling downwind and cautiously approaching.(They used to skid to a stop at the call!)
Set-up is the most important thing to try and improve. I like to allow cover downwind for the critters to approach. I position myself downwind from the call as far as possible depending on how thick the cover is. I am still learning myself. I have done much better setting up downwind. I wonder how many I have called in the past that left without a look. Even if the coyote population is not high, the fox will still be cautious if they know coyotes are around.
Hope this helps, good luck.
mhtrapper--I agree with alot of the earlier info.
Coyotes have definately put a hurting on the fox hunting in the last few years.
Dusk has also been my most productive time to hunt.
Grey fox didn't seem to care about wind or visibility before the coyotes, now I find them circling downwind and cautiously approaching.(They used to skid to a stop at the call!)
Set-up is the most important thing to try and improve. I like to allow cover downwind for the critters to approach. I position myself downwind from the call as far as possible depending on how thick the cover is. I am still learning myself. I have done much better setting up downwind. I wonder how many I have called in the past that left without a look. Even if the coyote population is not high, the fox will still be cautious if they know coyotes are around.
Hope this helps, good luck.
Quarter Round
New member
RW, Why didn't you put a nose ring in that one and bring it home for breeding stock. That would have got some attention at a livestock show.
Thanks All!!!
It was rather intense!!!! Heres the story I posted it at another hunting site I visit so I copied and pasted it here.
Just back and rested up from my Water Buffalo Hunt in Florida.
It took place near Indiantown Fl. at J&R Outfitters.
We started out a daylight riding a swamp buggy back into the marshes/swamps looking for an Asian Bull that would score in the upper 80s low 90s. After about an hour and a half we spotted a lone bull off some 400-500yds away.
From here we proceeded to stalk on foot. I'm carrying my Ruger No.1 in 375H&H and my guide Joey O'Bannon (also a Lisc. PH in Tanzania) is carrying some fine double in 500 Nitro Express. He preferes his 470 Nitro Express but its broke and away getting repaired.
Theres a White Cattle Egret on the bulls back and we guide on it as we make the stalk. Almost immediately we were in water about a foot deep and getting to over knee deep. Theres high grass so you can't see much of anything except occassionally the Egret. Joey checks the wind and we adjust our stalk to be from down wind of the beast.
We are going painfully slow trying not slosh the water too loud. Finally we come up on a little hill! About 1 ft.above the water line. And suddenly we have approached after a long slow stalk to about 35-40yds. BUT.... The grass is so high all you can see is the top of his back. He's got his head down but we can't see it.
So Joey coughs purposely to get it to raise its head. He says in a whisper its so so and we'll pass. But from that statement on things start on a steep down hill spirel!!!
The bulls locates us and wheels around threatening. Joey says "if he charges we will have to kill him" I say ok!
I can tell from raising cattle all my life that he's posturing to charge. Joey trys to get him to flee and shout and waves his hands. BUT the bull is no budging.
My heart is thumping 100MPH as dangers imminent. The Bull bows his neck and starts that quartering side walk in our direction. Just then he breaks into a charge at the same time Joey shouts "SHOOT HIM" This is all faster than I can tell it.
I fire and he drops like a rock! Joey says "reload" I reply I'm reloaded. Then up he comes again I hit him again! Joey then fire both barrels one after the other and it turns him.
I'm reloaded and fire again. Joey reloads and fires both barrels again and I've fired yet again. And reload and hit him again and he's down. This all happened so very fast its all a blur. I'm mean it was load and shoot as fast as it can be done.
We waited awhile, there was no death bellow and after a bit we quartered around from behind where he went down or at least where we last saw him. Finally we see him and close very very slowly to about 10yds. Joey whispers to me "Shoot him between the shoulders" I do and he quivers a second or two and its over. Joey with 500 Nitro at the ready eases up and touches his eye with the end of the barrel. He's done.
I tell Joey he was coming for us. He said no doubt we had no choice he wasn't going to let us go.
In talking in the after glow I ask do they drop like that with the first shot often? He said rarely unless brained or spined. I took his shoulder and heart out on the first shot.
Of nine rounds fired we found 7 hit (1 was from the insurance shot)
Turns out he scores right at 80. Not a monster by any means but a nice bull. I'm happy as it was the adrenaline rush of a lifetime.
Saw several bulls that would score over 90 but we couldn't get close to them. They ran off into the dense swamps.
I had a great time and it was fast and furious action. Seeing him break into that charge toward us was like OMG and then not anytime to think only time to shoot and reload and shoot again untill it was done. As nears as we can figure he was hit 4 times with the 375 and 3 times with the 500.
WHAT A RUSH!!!!! LOL
Joey said every now and then you get an ill tempered one. He said that bull left us no choice we had to shoot him. NO DOUBT IN MY MIND!!!!
It was rather intense!!!! Heres the story I posted it at another hunting site I visit so I copied and pasted it here.
Just back and rested up from my Water Buffalo Hunt in Florida.
It took place near Indiantown Fl. at J&R Outfitters.
We started out a daylight riding a swamp buggy back into the marshes/swamps looking for an Asian Bull that would score in the upper 80s low 90s. After about an hour and a half we spotted a lone bull off some 400-500yds away.
From here we proceeded to stalk on foot. I'm carrying my Ruger No.1 in 375H&H and my guide Joey O'Bannon (also a Lisc. PH in Tanzania) is carrying some fine double in 500 Nitro Express. He preferes his 470 Nitro Express but its broke and away getting repaired.
Theres a White Cattle Egret on the bulls back and we guide on it as we make the stalk. Almost immediately we were in water about a foot deep and getting to over knee deep. Theres high grass so you can't see much of anything except occassionally the Egret. Joey checks the wind and we adjust our stalk to be from down wind of the beast.
We are going painfully slow trying not slosh the water too loud. Finally we come up on a little hill! About 1 ft.above the water line. And suddenly we have approached after a long slow stalk to about 35-40yds. BUT.... The grass is so high all you can see is the top of his back. He's got his head down but we can't see it.
So Joey coughs purposely to get it to raise its head. He says in a whisper its so so and we'll pass. But from that statement on things start on a steep down hill spirel!!!
The bulls locates us and wheels around threatening. Joey says "if he charges we will have to kill him" I say ok!
I can tell from raising cattle all my life that he's posturing to charge. Joey trys to get him to flee and shout and waves his hands. BUT the bull is no budging.
My heart is thumping 100MPH as dangers imminent. The Bull bows his neck and starts that quartering side walk in our direction. Just then he breaks into a charge at the same time Joey shouts "SHOOT HIM" This is all faster than I can tell it.
I fire and he drops like a rock! Joey says "reload" I reply I'm reloaded. Then up he comes again I hit him again! Joey then fire both barrels one after the other and it turns him.
I'm reloaded and fire again. Joey reloads and fires both barrels again and I've fired yet again. And reload and hit him again and he's down. This all happened so very fast its all a blur. I'm mean it was load and shoot as fast as it can be done.
We waited awhile, there was no death bellow and after a bit we quartered around from behind where he went down or at least where we last saw him. Finally we see him and close very very slowly to about 10yds. Joey whispers to me "Shoot him between the shoulders" I do and he quivers a second or two and its over. Joey with 500 Nitro at the ready eases up and touches his eye with the end of the barrel. He's done.
I tell Joey he was coming for us. He said no doubt we had no choice he wasn't going to let us go.
In talking in the after glow I ask do they drop like that with the first shot often? He said rarely unless brained or spined. I took his shoulder and heart out on the first shot.
Of nine rounds fired we found 7 hit (1 was from the insurance shot)
Turns out he scores right at 80. Not a monster by any means but a nice bull. I'm happy as it was the adrenaline rush of a lifetime.
Saw several bulls that would score over 90 but we couldn't get close to them. They ran off into the dense swamps.
I had a great time and it was fast and furious action. Seeing him break into that charge toward us was like OMG and then not anytime to think only time to shoot and reload and shoot again untill it was done. As nears as we can figure he was hit 4 times with the 375 and 3 times with the 500.
WHAT A RUSH!!!!! LOL
Joey said every now and then you get an ill tempered one. He said that bull left us no choice we had to shoot him. NO DOUBT IN MY MIND!!!!
Coaldigger55
New member
Great Buff, How many lbs. did he dress out at? and how was he table wise? I had a friend who flew transports/tankers late 60's early 70s that brought some Water Buffalo back from SEA and from what I remember it was very good.
Well he probably hit the scales at 1400lbs. live weight. I raise cattle and needed no meat so I donated the whole thing save head/hide to a Drug Rehabilitation Center (read $3K tax write off LOL)
Young Water Buff would taste like beef and be good and tender but this bull was 8-9yrs old. It would taste good but you'd chew forever. The Rehab Center grinds them into burger and feeds the druggies.
He's an Asian "Swamp" Bull they have been there on the property all there lives. The place is High Fenced mainly to keep them from getting out and killing someone and then they sue or their family does.
Its not cross fenced and theres over 4000acres under fence so its not a "barnyard shoot"
I was apprehensive at hunting an enclosure even though it was a very big area but my worries were soon calmed once I saw the place and the wildness of the buffalo.
They do one of two things when approached and spot you. They ewither run off into the thickets or bunch up in a defensive circle out in the open and almost dare you to approach them. Joey says it takes an average of 5-6 shots to bring them down. The first shot killed him but he just didn't know it yet, so its shoot till he's down or outta sight which ever comes first.
Joey also a PH in Tanzania also guides Cape Buffalo Hunts and I ask him the differences in temperment he said "same animal, different horns"
Probably 99% of the time they run off if not shot. After being shot he said about 1 in 20 will charge you.
He also said it was rare to be charged by a bull thats unprovoked but said we got in past his tollerance zone and he said its like someone that gets up in your face your going to push him away. The bull felt we were too close and was attempting to push us away.
Looking back I truely believe it was the 500 that turned him as he was bent on hurting us. Once turned it was pour it to him. If not for the 500 who knows???? I had an empty gun and was poking another round into it as fast as I could. But if not turned by the 500 he woulda been on us most probably before I could have fired again. Exciting heart pounding action!
Young Water Buff would taste like beef and be good and tender but this bull was 8-9yrs old. It would taste good but you'd chew forever. The Rehab Center grinds them into burger and feeds the druggies.
He's an Asian "Swamp" Bull they have been there on the property all there lives. The place is High Fenced mainly to keep them from getting out and killing someone and then they sue or their family does.
Its not cross fenced and theres over 4000acres under fence so its not a "barnyard shoot"
I was apprehensive at hunting an enclosure even though it was a very big area but my worries were soon calmed once I saw the place and the wildness of the buffalo.
They do one of two things when approached and spot you. They ewither run off into the thickets or bunch up in a defensive circle out in the open and almost dare you to approach them. Joey says it takes an average of 5-6 shots to bring them down. The first shot killed him but he just didn't know it yet, so its shoot till he's down or outta sight which ever comes first.
Joey also a PH in Tanzania also guides Cape Buffalo Hunts and I ask him the differences in temperment he said "same animal, different horns"
Probably 99% of the time they run off if not shot. After being shot he said about 1 in 20 will charge you.
He also said it was rare to be charged by a bull thats unprovoked but said we got in past his tollerance zone and he said its like someone that gets up in your face your going to push him away. The bull felt we were too close and was attempting to push us away.
Looking back I truely believe it was the 500 that turned him as he was bent on hurting us. Once turned it was pour it to him. If not for the 500 who knows???? I had an empty gun and was poking another round into it as fast as I could. But if not turned by the 500 he woulda been on us most probably before I could have fired again. Exciting heart pounding action!