Jackrabit Call VS. Cottontail Call

N

nickmyron

New member
I am going to go over to the Coast of Oregon in a few weeks to try my luck at Coyote hunting, anyway i am looking at hand calls, and i had a question for you guys.

I am mainy gonna be hunting over on the coast and there is WAY more cottontails then jackrabits over there, so my question is which call would be better (jackrabit or cottontail) or does it matter, cause the sound pretty much the same from what i have heard.....

If it doesnt matter I need some advise,
I want to get two calls (closed reed), I want one Circe Call and one Sceery call, but which should be the jackrabit and which should be the cottontail?

Thanks

Nick~
 
The Circe medium range cottontail is pretty hard to beat. The only mouth call I've had better luck with is the Sceery AP6 ( I think that's the number), which is a variable pitch call that will make just about any sound known to man including coyote noises.
Most jackrabbit calls are a little deeper and raspier than cottontail calls.
Something to think about: a couple of weeks ago my once a year hunting partner and I were in Nevada hunting. We were using cottontail calls of various kinds, and not doing very well. We switched to a jackrabbit tape on the electronic call, and started bringing in dogs. Makes sense, since there are way more jackrabbits in Nevada than cottontails, at least where we were. You might want to go with the cottontail call, or the variable pitch, on the coast, since there are probably way more cottontails over there than there are jackrabbits.
My advice is kind of like everybody else's: the price is right (free), and you can use it or not. Just hunt and have a good time, that's the important thing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Let me wade in here and throw out some food for thought Moonshine. I am going to be out for a few days so it may take me awhile to get back on here but let's see what developes.

I have long contemplated why that phenomenom occurs that you have mentioned. Why does one type of species distress work better in a given area over others. I don't want to believe that a coyote would hear the distress of two different edible rabbits at different times and choose not to respond to one over the other.

Why would that coyote choose to continue with his aching empty belly simply because the food source is not as common as another might be. I want to belive that coyotes are opportunists and will respond to what sound interesting, edible and available.

What other factors could influence the success of one sound over another. One possible factor could be that the area may be heavily influenced by the excessive use of a category of sound or type of calls. I can go into an area where the predominate calls used are mouth blown and many times do very well with a variety of electronic calls. The same is true of areas over called with electonic favorites. I can do quite well in an area that I know is hit hard with electronics simply with my PC-3.

Will Wiley choose not to investigate a possible meal of woodpecker simply because he eats jackrabbit most often? Just food for thought. Anybody else want to weigh in on this one? I know there are some deep thinkers lurking out there in HunterLand.
 
Your question is kind of like asking what fishing lure to use. Some may work at a given time, others not so well. There may be more of one kind of prey in the area and that's what the 'yotes are used to hearing so it's a dinner bell. Or everyone who goes out in the area may be playing the same song. On the other hand you could go out with an African Springhare sound and they say, "Hey I've never heard that before but it sure sounds like food. Let's go see what it is." I'm not trying to be difficult but you just never know. One time I was fishing with a plastic worm doing pretty well. Then I switched over to a spinner bait and couldn't keep the bass off my line. Don't be afraid to try something different like the caller above responded. above
 
Here where I call in NV we have tons of Jackrabbits. I have had far better luck with cottontail calls. I dont know why, my feelings are that since I have had better luck with the cottontail I just use it more and try alittle harder with it. I dont think a hungry yote would pass on either.
 
Good points, GS. I don't know if one call just sounds a little different and more enticing on a certain day, or what. It's kind of a big crapshoot as to what's going to work and what's not. Nobody can really say for sure what the best call is, it's kind of a matter of going for it, using what you've got, and sticking with the one that starts producing. Maybe that's why I've got so many calls. I don't want to take a chance on not having the one the coyotes want to come in to on any given day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

In other words, Nick, buy 'em all, and keep trying until you find the one that works. I still vote for the Circe cottontail. I've pulled in several dogs with that one, some from a long ways away.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top