Distress call only bringing in vultures and crows..

N

nc_deerhunter

New member
It seems that every time im predator hunting and I start using my cotton tail distress call all im bringing in are vultures, crows and an occasional red-tail hawk. But no coyotes, foxes or bobcats! Am I using my call wrong or is it a good sign that I am calling in these birds?
 
I am very limited to the amount of land I am aloud to hunt on. Im hunting a small stand of hardwoods and some pines. About 10 acres all together. The land joining mine has another small strip of harwoods maybe 200 yrds wide and after that there is nothing but open pastures and small tree lines dividing them. 316 acres of pastures to be exact (I read the For Sale sign...lol). Im trying to call in the direction of the pastures but I havent had any luck with coyotes. I heard them last year howling and such back there so I know that they're there somewhere. Thinking about baiting them to help draw them in a little closer to where I am hunting. Id rather not though. Id like to know that I called them in and not the "bait".
 
I agree with Roy, if you're calling in those critters you're doing ok. You may have called in some critters and never seen them, how you select your stand is very important. With such a small amount of land to hunt, I wouldn't think it's a good idea to call it every week. Coyotes make there rounds, the'll be back unless someone beats you to it. Keep at it, you'll get it done, Good luck
 
You're doing fine then. Sometimes a hawk or especially a crow will actually follow a predator to the sound. Look under the birds and see what you see.
 
NC-deerhunter -

You might try looking for a yote or two out in a field, somewhere where you can see them and see their reaction to your calling technique.

After sitting on several setups with no results, I tried this and the first couple of times the yotes ran like hell! I just needed more practice time with the call.

Now, I can stop them, turn them and get them coming toward me with no problem. If you can see their initial reaction to the call, you will have more confidence on a setup when calling blind. I know I did.

Truckeedan
 
If you are calling in birds you’re doing it right, try to keep them there. Stay on your stand longer and keep you’re eyes peeled. Birds not only follow the yotes, yotes follow the birds and watch them for danger signals.

Try throwing in a few howls and challenge barks this time of year.
 
Are you using multiple calls? If not you may want to try a completly different sound to try to switch it up on them a little bit. If they caught you before with one sound and you continue to use it they may be on to you by the sound.
 
I believe its a good sigh calling in crows,I've been calling some riverbottoms and everytime I use howls and barks I'm calling in a herd of cattle!!!
 
It seems that I specialize in "bi-product" animals comming to my call. I usually am surrounded by crows or jays and from my experience in the woods, that isn't all bad.

Last week during a short Michigan "thaw" I successfully caught the attention of two ferocious possums and they flanked me from two sides. I noticed the little monsters when I left the stand. Since possums are great eaters of grouse and woodcock eggs, not to mention other ground-laying birds, I sent those two critters packing off to neverland.

PJ

Keep calling!!
 
if your calling in birds you have it rite the thing is this time of year you are better of spending a lot more time on your stands if you are only using a preditor call. try howling and me personally for the area i live in the challenge how is a verry usefull tool, though some would not agree with me. i like them to try to call this time of year in nevada with out it!
 
Thaks for all of the advice. Ive been using only my predator call because of some neighbors I dont want to disturb with my howler. When I use my howler I can hear their dogs start barking. I been mixing up my calls everytime I hunt. I can make a rabbit distress, squeaks and a bird distress with this one call. And I have recently figured out how to make a pup distress too. When I go hunting ill make just one call on every trip. like one Saturday ill make the rabbit distress then the next Saturday ill make the pup distress and stick with the same sound all day. I dont like doing that but I dont wont the yotes to get used to my calling. I just recently got permission to hunt 316 acres of property behind mine. its 80 percent pastures and the land owner said that he wouldnt even mind going with me and trying it himself sometime. He was telling me about all the places that he has recently heard yotes and everything. So I hope that my chances for getting a yote will get better. He hasnt had any problems with the yotes killing his livestock or any of his other animals, so I really dont know how I lucked up and got permission to hunt his property. Another good thing that I found out is that his property has never been called before! And he has heard and seen sign of yotes in the past few weeks just working on his farm and not looking for the sign. So maybe ill get me one. Thanks again for the replies and advice.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top