Wildlife Callers

Ned gets caught in a typical Arizona traffic jam last week and takes full advantage of his delay getting home. 

We appreciate veteran predator caller, Ned Burris sharing another success story with us.  There are several informational calling tactics & take-aways in this post. 

Have you ever been driving on the freeways/highways around your hometown and thought wow, that would be a great place to make a stand?  The brush looks right, there are no homes nearby, there’s a good water source, you’ve seen a few coyotes and small critters killed on the road nearby, but you’ve never taken the time to call it or had your gear with you when the urge strikes and time permits.  I’ve been there too, and here’s how a serious predator caller makes the most of his opportunities. 

Ned Burris - AZ Predator Caller

Ned Burris was headed home from work last week in west Phoenix and like every other work day, he jumped on the freeway and headed east.  Traffic on the AZ freeway system is never good at 4pm, but this particular day it was exceptionally bad.  Ned knew he was going to be stuck for more than an hour trying to get home.  Most people would have cranked up the radio, or called their aunt they haven’t talked to in a year and crawled along the freeway.  Ned, on the other hand, hit an exit ramp and got back on the freeway in the opposite direction.  In just a few minutes he was past the residential sprawl on the west side of Phoenix and looking for places to call. 

Ned, who knows how to maximize opportunities like this, keeps a few hand calls in his truck, a reliable 20 gauge shotgun, and a camo jacket.  He exited the freeway in some agricultural areas that were surrounded by thick stands of salt cedars and mesquite trees.  He’s called around areas like this in the past, and knows that bobcats love to lay-up in the thickets around the fields.  Today was no exception. 

Using his Pee-Wee Crit’R call, Ned let out several long sequences of high pitched distress cries.  On his first stand he called for 20 minutes and blanked.  On the second stand he saw a good sized bobcat sneaking in from about 200 yards away.  He wasn’t sure if the ‘cat would come all the way in and for a moment he wished he had his rifle.  Persistence paid off though, and after 10 more minutes of continuous calling with the Pee-Wee Crit’R call the bobcat popped out of the brush just 30 yards away.  Ned raised his 20ga and put a load of 000 buckshot down range.  Hit hard, the bobcat dropped to the ground.  But, being the bionic creatures they are, it jumped back up and started running.  A second shot rolled the bobcat and it was down for good. 

Traffic Jam Bobcat - Called by Ned Burris

Ned was not surprised to find that the stocky bobcat was a tom.  Ned wasn’t packing a scale and estimates the weight at right around 25lbs. 

Ned is an outstanding bobcat caller and was willing to share these calling tactics with our readers:

• He looks for places with lots of tight cover and access to food sources – the agricultural areas attract small critters.
• He doesn’t overlook places close to town – he does make sure he’s out of the city and away from homes.  If he only has to drive a few minutes to get in a calling spot, it stands to reason he’ll call more stands every year. 
• He likes open reed calls and the flexibility they give him to make a variety of high pitched distress sounds.  The Pee Wee Criter call is just one of a few open reed calls Ned uses. 
• Tenacity!  Ned normally calls a bobcat stand for 30 minutes.  However, he’s persistent and if he thinks the area is really hot he’ll stay longer. He once spotted a bobcat at the 20 minute mark and lost sight of it in the brush.  He called for another hour and 25 minutes until the bobcat eventually popped out the brush and he shot it.  Now that’s persistence!  Persistence pays!
• He scouts and uses sign (tracks and scat) to locate good bobcat calling areas.  He told me that tracks are good, but scat is the real indicator of bobcat activity.  He looks for scat everywhere he calls so he’s making the most of every stand. 
• Be Prepared.  You can’t make a few quick stands after work if your gear is on the other side of town.  Have some basic equipment stored in your truck.  In case of a break-in, don’t make it your best high-dollar gear. 

To read more of Ned’s field tips, go to his last bobcat calling post by clicking here.

 
We’d like to thank Ned again for sharing his years of experience with the readers of Wildlife Callers’ Blog.  If you’re looking to call more bobcats this year, or simply looking to call your first bobcat we hope these posts help and wish you the best of luck.  Check back for more calling tips from our Wildlfie Callers’ bloggers and guests posters! 

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Comments and questions are always appreciated. 

Good calling to everyone and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Mark Healy

mark@wildlifecallers.com