Downwind of the caller. The fox will try and go to the caller from down wind and you want to be set up so the fox comes from where you think it will come from and between you and the caller. Edit to add: In my limited experience I have been trying to set up so there are limited ways the fox can come in. I had a pond on one side of the caller when I got the fox to come in down the road.
First thing I can say guys, is yotes are MUCH smarter than a deer or turkey, and their senses are much sharper as well. Cats and foxes aren't nearly as smart in my experience, as a matter of fact I've seen cats and foxes do some pretty dumb stuff. I also start low with the caller. I don't wait as long though, I maybe run through a 2-3 minute sequence on level 3. I'll stop then, wait maybe 2-3 minutes.....then run through the same sequence again but at 5. I'll wait then another 2-3 minutes with the call on mute. If nothing happens after my first loud sequence, I'll typically switch from a distress call over to a territorial call. I bet half of the dogs I've called in came from yote vocal sounds, vs. distress calls. My sets are typically no longer than 20 minutes, I'm more concerned with moving and looking for aggressive dogs that want to come in. Jeff - Absolutely setup downwind of the caller. I'm usually setting up 50ish yards downwind during daylight hours, thats about as far as I can see in most of the spots I'm hunting. Most of my shots are in the 20-40 yard range. I can tell you that it almost never happens like you see on the TV shows, at least not in the woods I hunt. Yotes/foxes/cats never come into the open during daylight hours, out of a couple dozen that I've killed only one came in a field during daylight. Night time is a different game though. 90% of the daylight predators I've gotten were in VERY thick stuff. They like break lines, and changes in terrain.......just like a deer. I absolutely will use barriers to make them come from the direction I want. Water, open areas they don't want to break across, etc........use your imagination. Nothing is more important than wind direction, but second is to use terrain to make them come from where you need them. Unless your doing this, they will surprise you very often by coming from areas you don't want them, and you will also educate a lot of them. The only downside is that you will often run into dogs (cats/foxes I haven't seen this with) that will decide not to come in from a less than ideal direction, where they can't use their nose......and then they hang up. I had a dog last winter that came in almost every time I called the area, but used a creek bottom to protect my downwind side.....several times I hunted this and the dog would come in and try to circle, sit down next to the creek, wait.....and then leave when he knew he couldn't approach with the wind in his favor. I caould tell by the tracks in the snow. I'm guessing I educated this dog at some point, not sure.......but I'm going to try again to kill him in two weeks, I've let the spot rest since late last February.
Great post Matt! You verified the impression I had of foxes not being overly cautious. Coyotes sound extremely tough and, on one hand, I'm glad we don't have a coyote problem but, on the other hand............. We do have coyotes but I think their numbers are still relatively small. Tons of fox though, tons.
OK...got my caller. Now...explain a "sequence" (please!). Also, I should have asked, earlier.......do yotes spook at the sight of a blind? I was hunting turkeys with Huntingson, and we had one come to within 30yds (and we weren't brushed in). That's my only experience. Thanks. I'll be setting up for the 1st time, Monday morning.
Called in my second one last night.............still got outfoxed but I'm learning. My understanding of a sequence (remember, I am new at this and have a long way to go) is the way you present your sound(s) to attract the animal inquestion. I use mostly the cottontail distress and will start low volume and move up to high volume and then back to low. Then maybe switch to squeeker/coaxer at 1 for when fox gets closer.I may change the duration of each level somewhat but that would be a sequence. Another sequence I tried was the cottontail distress followed by red fox & cottontail followed by cottontail distress starting low, increasing volume and then decreasing. Another one I am going to try gray fox & woodpecker followed by woodpecker distress. For me, a big part of the fun is learning the sounds, what may work, how to use them, when to use which ones. One thing I really need to get used to is shooting at night. It's so ingrained to identify your target that shooting at a fox shape in the moonlight has been a small hurdle. I have got to get a light system down that works with thick gloves and is fast.
I guess I could hunt at night. I really don't know. I'm pretty sure I don't wanna be in the woods with a spotlight of any kind and a rifle, though!....lol Cool deal, Bruce (the 2nd fox). I'll have to go to the next county over to even kill a fox. We can't kill them in my county (and we have PLENTY!).
Shotgun(12) at night, 3" shell, 4 shot and a turkey choke. They have lights that mount on your scope for rifles, all kinds of setups really. Night hunting is a whole different ballgame for me. Oh, and don't forget your hearing aids , it makes it real tough to gauge how the caller is doing ( I know you don't actually wear them but, if you ever did, don't be a dumbass like me LOL).
Oh....Thanks a LOT, guys! I just opened the unit.....and already had my AA batteries I bought sitting here with me. Then, I opened the back of the remote.
Predator hunting is a blast, hard work at times but fun when you call one in! I really LOVE hunting them at night, all night, full moon with snow on the ground and COLD as beens! Too much fun! I've always used mouth calls, thinking bout an E Caller, might look into this one, want to shoot one with the Longbow! Killed dozens with the .204!
I don't think anyone answered...... Do coyotes balk at ground blinds? We're trying to decide whether or not to use one. I don't want to go through the hassle (I'll probably just wear a leafy suit). My buddy wants to use a blind. Thanks.
Jeff - I wouldn't bother with a blind, they should be dead before they are close enough to pick you off, and with the amount of ground you should be covering it's going to be a hinderance. Each calling spot should take you 20-30 minutes, then off to another spot. Plus with their tendency to come from every direction except for what you planned, a blind could be a major PITA. Also, a "sequence" is the series of sounds you play during each "set". What sounds did you buy on the call, and what specific predators are you targeting? I can probably make some suggestions if you like. Bruce - I think you would be surprised how ineffective #4 shot is on yotes. Most guys with shotgun setups for predators are using #4 buckshot (much bigger than regular #4), or if using HD shot BB is popular. Most guys will also choke a bit looser too when using the bigger shot, otherwise you loose the center of your pattern. My predator shotgun setup is an 870, with the Dead Coyote choke tube, Mueller 2-7 illuminated scope, Streamlight TLR-1, and I'm shooting 3" Remington Wingmaster HD in size BB. I've patterned it out to 50 yards and rolled one last year at about 45 with it. The Streamlight will actually give you about 150ish yards of shooting light, I swap it between my AR and my shotgun depending on how close the quarters are.
I have no idea. I just bought the std. unit at ...uh...Richard's (wink). I was gonna practice with it today. But, no one told me I needed a 9V battery....lol. When you do your 20-30min. sets......how far do you need to move to do another? Thanks, for all the info.
No coyotes to speak of around here, Matt, but plenty of foxes. My "predator gun" is my turkey gun LOL. If I see a fox at more than 30-40 yards in the places I currently hunt it will be daylight and to many trees in the way to shoot.
Matt (and Bruce...hell you both run circles around me): I have a 9V battery! OK....so, I'm going after yotes. I have the "std" calls that came on the machine. I can list them, if you want (please don't make me...there's 24 of them!). The remote works great. It's an interesting little unit. An idea I had was to take one of those little three-legged "tripod-dy" things that you put on cameras to take portraits with in the field. The legs are only about 3" long/ea. But, it would help angle the caller "up" a little to hopefully get better range. Lil' help!
I think if you don't get a "hit" in one location move to the next. I can see raising to extend the range but I think that would be more effective if you had open spaces over long distances and were shooting long range. For me, at least, the rangesare not that far and I also have woods blocking the sound from really going to far no matter how much I would elevate the caller. You could always try it and see how it works. I am still doing a lot of trial and error myself. One thing I think I'm going to do is save the next squirrel hide/tail I get and make a lure out of it for daylight stuff in the woods for gray fox. If I can find a rabbit around here (not many, too many foxes) I am going to do the same with that hide. I have some feathers that I am going to rig on a stick and use them with the woodpecker sounds (red fox).
Depends on how thick it is, how far I think the sound is carrying, and how much property I have to cover. If I've got a 100 acre property that's a creek bottom, I know the sound isn't traveling far. I might make sets every 100 yards, moving into the wind with each set. If I'm hunting a large patch of open terrain (usually at night) and can really crank it up and the sound is carrying, I might move 400 yards to a half mile between them. Even with Foxes, you might be surprised at the limited range of #4's. I use my turkey gun too, but screw in a different choke and shoot a different shell. Even if you just get a different shell (just buy a box of 3" Remington Wingmaster HD in size BB), your going to increase your range to being a solid 40 yard gun even with the choke you have today. I just have a bungee cord that I insert the hooks through those holes in the handle, and hang in a tree. Easy to carry, and light, it always works. Elevating it is a great idea, and something I do on nearly every set, you will get increased range with the remote and the sound will carry much further. I'd love if you would list the calls included........lol. Even if you just list the numbers. Keep in mind while yotes have keen senses and will remember busting you, they are primarily looking for dinner (something in process of kicking the bucket, and easy to catch), or to challenge/breed. It's not rocket science, and easy to overthink. I usually start with a distress call, usually a rabbit or woodpecker type. After running for 2-3 minutes on volume level 3, then I'll sit for 2-3 minutes silent. Then I'll start another sequence of the same call for 2-3 minutes at volume level 5, then another 2-3 minutes of silence. Then if nothing comes in, I'll start with some of the challenge barks, or howls. In another month or so, they will be breeding in full swing, and lone female sounds will be VERY productive. I usually wrap the set up there, but if I really think it's a good set, I might try another 2-3 minute silence, then a different distress call. My favorite sound on the Foxpro list is Lightning Jack. I killed my cat and a few dogs over it so far, it's the best producer for me, not sure if it's just good, or if it's because I have confidence in it and I play it a lot.
Also, any type of K9 pup call is a great producer for me. I'd done well with nearly all of them. Just make sure if you are hunting the same property frequently to change up the sounds. Use different sounds in place of the distress calls (1st and 2nd calls of the set), and different K9 sounds (3rd call of the set) on a frequent basis. I have been busted, shown up a week or two later, then tried the same call, nothing........then go back in a couple of days and switch up the calls and location I call from and had them commit and come in. Not sure if it's coincedence or their brain, but everything I've seen about yotes is that they are the smartest critter in the woods.
