Jackrabbit sounds in the east?

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DDiggler

New member
Just wondering if anyone has experimented with jackrabbit sounds for fox/coyote. I thought it might still bring them in since it was a change of pace... or do you think it would spook them? I live in PA.
 
DDiggler,
Not sure about your fox, but the coyotes will come to the jackrabbit screams just fine. I have called several coyotes here in western Iowa with jackrabbit screams. I haven't seen a jackrabbit here for at least 40 years.
 
Hey Ddiggler,

I'm an old Pennsy boy myself; caught the bobcat fever up on the Tangaskootack River way back when. What part you from?

We've got both jacks and cottontails here in Central Cali, and I've called gray fox with both. Which is surprising considering some of the blacktail jacks are nearly as big as fox hereabouts, several even looking as though they might easily whup a fox in a fair fight.

But I can report having MUCH better results on fox with high-pitched squeaky calls, rather than lower pitched gravelly-voiced jacks (which I often use to start a sequence for mountain lions). Something about a 15KHz+ Crit'R Call or a handsqueak that really drives grey fox nuts and they can't resist. So a jackrabbit call isn't my first choice for fox, or even bobcat for that matter. It will carry better in wind, though, and sometimes you have to play the hand you're dealt.

Incidentally, if you're talking about red fox, they seem somewhat more inclined towards fowl, especially waterfowl. Duck calls, if legal? The woodpecker calls would be another good choice here. Quail calls and the like would also be good coaxers. But I've called several Reds to within a few yards of me, with nothing more than lip and handsqueaks.

LionHo
 
I often use a Jackrabbit call here in New Hampshire. We have snow shoe hares and the Jackrabbit calls you can buy commercially are pretty close, not exact, but close. Coyotes respond to it quite well. I think one of the reasons here is that the Eastern Cottontail is on the downward slide towards being a thing of the past. We even have areas here where you can't hunt them anymore. So maybe that is why they come to the snow shoe hare or jackrabbit sounds so well.

But I have to agree with LionHo, I have called a lot more fox with the higher pitched sounds, like baby cottontail, high pitched cottontail and bird sounds.

If you are using an E caller, you might want to look at the Johny Stewart Gobler Distress sound if you have turkeys in your area. I have been having a lot of luck with that sound in one particular spot. It's s sure change of pace in sounds and like I said, it seems to be working.

Al

THO Game Calls
 
I've gotten grayfox and coyotes to respond to Jackrabbit Distress as well as Groundhog and Prairie Dog and they're not native species in SC.
The distress sound in the call is what triggers the predator's instinct to respond to an easy meal, not the species that makes it.
 
I agree with Swampbird.I think the distress call in general is what triggers the predators response.I've never tried it but I wouldn't doubt if I played a feral pig distress here in PA I'd have a chance of getting a yote to respond.I also believe that in some areas that receive alot of calling pressure you may be better off using an off the wall distress sound.The local predators might be call-shy of the old cottontail distress after busting a few hunters. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
 
I also agree with swampbird and beagler.The first sound I ever used was a Murry Burnham lip squeak.It was deadly on fox and it didn't sound like anything I ever heard.Just my 2cents.
 
I agree with everybody.We have neither Jacks nor cottontails up here,snowshoes only.As Al said,the Jack voices are closer to the real thing but I don't think it matters that much to coyotes?I'll bet they'd come equally as well to a distressed kangaroo? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
 
Quote:



Incidentally, if you're talking about red fox, they seem somewhat more inclined towards fowl, especially waterfowl. Duck calls, if legal?

LionHo

Duck calls,eh??Now why didn't i think of that? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gifI've seen reds many times working the shoreline while I've been duck hunting.I assumed they were feasting on cripples,especially on big marshes that get gunned alot.Just never thought of trying to call fox with a duck call I guess.The more I think of it,the more ideal locations I'm coming up with to try it.BTW,are you using"standard" duck vocalisations,hails,chuckles etc. or going for a more distressed duck sound?
 
LOL - I agree with all of you. Coyotes respond to distress sounds. It doesn't matter what is making that sound, if they hear it, and think they can eat it, they will come in for a look.

Wasn't it Rich Cronk who called one in with a Kazoo?

A perfect example is the Fawn Bleat. Fawns only drop in the late spring early summer, but coyotes here respond to fawn bleats in January, February, March....

Being an old fly fisherman though, sometimes it's hard not to try to "match the hatch" as they say. Besides, who caries only one call into the field /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

AL

THO Game Calls
 
I have always had better luck with the cottontail over the jack I have always figured to be because of my area, but figured that a hungry cold yote will come to most distress calls in winter.
 
When you get a few callers together comparing notes, some ideas come out of the converstation. I spent the weekend with one of the areas better turkey hunters. We talked turkey and predators all weeekend long with folks coming to the show. One thing that always came up in the discussions was rythem. It's the key to what ever sound you use.How you sound doesn't make that much diference in the way they respond. You can hit off notes and as long as the rythem is correct it works.

This whipped pup sound I use doesn't make sense to our ears but it has the rythem of canines in distress. That is why it works so well.Jimmie
 
That's an old turkey hunting addage. Everywhere you go and find good turkey hunters, they always talk about rythem. Must be something to it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Al

THO Game Calls
 
Quote:
Something about a 15KHz+ Crit'R Call or a handsqueak that really drives grey fox nuts
LionHo



Darn, so that means making a call that.... I cant hear. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif getting older, Rock Concerts, 2 stroke dirt bikes and Magnum Rifles = no to 15Khz. or 12K and barely 10K.

Looks like its time to take home a spectrum analzyzer from work /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Hi here every body and there brother has used a rabbit in distress . And i have had good luck with a jack rabbit sound one of my best tapes when i used a JS 512 caller was the Superjack. Like to have it on my Foxpro caller. VM
 
Timbertoes, the free software download GoldWave has a spectrum analyzer built into the controls panel. (Windows-only, unfortunately). It's not terribly difficult to to record handcalls in order to see what the audio spectrum looks like.

Wait, wait... it's EXCEEDINGLY COMPLEX AND EXPENSIVE to determine the spectral response of handcalls. Which means all you custom handcall builders had better send me a 3 copies of each of your best calls for destructive testing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

LionHo
 
If you need any help LionHo, let me know, I'll record the sounds and you analyze them. Then we can split up the destructive testing portion and compare notes.
 
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