It wasn’t a run-and-gun weekend Dave told me.  He said he and Dan were taking it easy, looking for prime areas, and calling into spots that had the terrain, vegetation, and sign they thought would be the most productive.  Their approach paid off.  Early Saturday morning this big tom came to the call in less than 5 minutes and Dave dropped it with a single shot from his 12ga.  

Dave Martens and Deuce pose with a Big Northern AZ Bobcat

Dave’s calling technique was pretty simple.  Get in tight to the best available cat cover and introduce the sound low and easy.  A mix of mice and cottontail rabbit distress  from his WT Mighty Atom 21 brought this bobcat into shotgun range.  Dave said he would have gotten louder and more aggressive and utilized bobcat vocalizations and/or bobcats & foxes fighting as the stand progressed but never needed to. 

Later in the day Dan spotted another pocket of tight brushy cover several miles from where Dave took his bobcat.  After surveying the sign, terrain and the most probable foot access routes predators would take into the heavy cover Dan and Dave set up covering as much open ground as possible.  Using the same calling technique of low & easy Dave mixed up a combo of bird distress and cottontail rabbit distress to bring this big bobcat into Dan’s shooting lane in about 4 minutes.  Dan fired one shot from his 12ga to close the deal.  

Dan Tone and Deuce the Jack Russell with a Big AZ Tom Bobcat

With two cats in the truck Dan and Dave took a few minutes and skinned them.  A little closer inspection showed one had been eating jackrabbit and the other was full of Merriam’s turkey meat & feathers.  The fact that the cats were both operating on full stomachs didn’t slow them down.  It seems that curiosity (or a little greed) does kill cats.

Wildlife Technologies Mighty Atom 21 and N. Arizona Tom Bobcat

The remaining few stands on Saturday and Sunday morning were unproductive so Dave & Dan headed for lower elevations and into an area both of them have hunted and scouted for years.  They set up a stand with bobcats and mountain lions in mind and Dave started the Mighty Atom playing with a mix of mice, birds and cottontail distress.  Dave got no early takers and began to get more aggressive, turning up the volume and introducing gray fox & bobcat vocalizations into the mix.  After 30 minutes there was still nothing moving in and Dave started dropping in some young cougar vocalizations (whistle sound) in the mix of calls.  About 10 minutes later Dan gave Dave the signal that they had an approaching predator.  

Hoping to get whatever Dan was seeing closer to the speaker, Dave dropped the volume and kept playing various young cougar/fox/bobcat/prey distress sounds and heard nothing more from Dan.  A few minutes later Dave decided to turn up the heat on the stand even more and introduced adult female cougar communicative vocalizations into the sound picture.  There was an immediate reaction from Dan that something was now leaving.  Night was now approaching and Dave wrapped up the stand.  He discovered from Dan that a rather small lion had worked it’s way up a cattle/deer path and veered off the trail into some heavier cover and held up about 60 yards from the caller.  The lion was hesitant to cover the final distance down to the area where Dave had the caller hidden.  Once Dave introduced the adult lion vocals, the small lion turned back and left quickly on the same trail it had come in on.  Due to the size of the lion Dan never fired a shot.  

This was Dave’s second trip back into the field since rolling his quad and tearing his Achilles tendon last year in March.  It seems he still has the Midas touch.  He told me it was all about the basics of good predator calling–let the terrain, sign, cover, and a working knowledge of your intended target’s behaviors be your guide.  I say congrats on a memorable weekend–nice work Dave and Dan.  

Subcriptions to this blog are free.  

We’d like to thank Danny for the open and candid way he shared his story and tactics.  We hope these tips work for you too. 

Danny was hunting near the Arizona/Mexico border (US side).  He was calling for a mixed bag of predators, and although he wanted to call up some bobcats or a lion, he was perfectly happy chasing coyotes.  About a half-hour before dark on a still & clear afternoon, this bobcat arrived on his stand.  Two shots from his .223 dropped the cat 12 steps from his Wildlife Technologies KAS-2030-ML. 

Danny Avey and His Southern Arizona Bobcat

 Side Note: It appears that Danny’s hair slipped off his head and got stuck on his chin.

Here is a full run-down of his set-up and the sounds, times, and volume settings:

Before setting up, Danny carefully selected his site by looking for a long & wide sandy wash that went for several miles in each direction.  The wash was very steep on both sides and had a generous amount of brush and desert trees along both sides.  In the bottom of the wash he found a medium sized bush with low-hanging limbs.  Danny turned his caller to the on position and hid the speaker inside the bush.  This is one of the techniques that we talk about often!  Make the predator (especially cats) approach the location to get a better look at what’s happening inside the bush. 

Danny took a position on the upper part of a wash bank overlooking the area he had hid the speaker.  The place he sat gave him the advantage of being able to see all potential approach locations (especially downwind) and it kept the sun at his back. 

Danny started his stand with between 2 and 3 minutes of Pileated Woodpecker Distress.  He kept the volume in the low and medium range hoping to get a quick taker that was laid-up nearby. 

His next sound was Adult Cottontail Distress.  He kept the volume at mid-range for about 3 minutes. 

At this point he was between 5 and 6 total minutes on the stand.  Danny seamlessly changed the sound to Crows Mobbing Food and turned the volume up a notch for about a minute and then back down to medium for 2 more minutes. 

At about 8.5 minutes he decides to switch back the Adult Cottontail Distress and let it run to the 15 minute mark.  While this cottontail sound is playing, Danny turns the volume all the way up for several seconds to reach out to critters that might be hanging up at a far distance, and then goes back to the middle of the scale.  He continues turning the volume up and down, hoping to create the illusion of movement and activity. 

At the fifteen minute mark there were still no takers, but Danny wasn’t done.  He changed to Ravens Fighting Over Food for 2.5 minutes and then Gray Foxes Fighting for 2.5 minutes.  The volume for both of these sounds was medium-loud and pretty aggressive. 

At the 20 minute mark, he switched back to Cottontail Adult Distress for 6 more minutes.  He was back up and down with the volume and being pretty aggressive with the upper limits.

At 26 minutes, Danny switched to the Young Cougar Whistles and let it run for about 3 minutes.  He then switched to the Adult Male Coyote Challenge Howls and and let it run for about 2 minutes.  He told me he wanted to create the illusion of predators in the area and in a dispute over rights to the still-screaming food. 

Toward the end of the coyote howls, Danny saw a bobcat casually approaching about 125 yards away.  The bobcat was in the wash bottom and was walking from bush to bush, slowly making its way to the speaker.  Danny immediately dropped the volume and went back to the Adult Cottontail Distress.  He said there were a couple of different times that he could have taken a shot at the bobcat, but chose to watch the bobcat and watch its behavior.  The bobcat used all available cover in the wash bottom and took several minutes to walk from 125 to just 12 yards from the speaker.  A caller who didn’t see the cat at 125 yards and stopped the stand at 31 minutes would have forever assumed nothing came in – patience is the key with cats. 

The bobcat stopped in the open staring at the bush the speaker was hidden in and Danny used his AR-15 .223 to shoot the bobcat just behind the front shoulder with a Nosler 55 grain Ballistic Tip.  The bobcat spun and acted as if it hadn’t been hit.  Danny took aim again and delivered another shot to the ribcage.  This time the bobcat dropped straight down.  An inspection of the bobcat showed that it had been hit both times through the lungs and heart.  The lesson here – always be ready to shoot a cat again – they are tough as nails. 

His choices of sounds and volume changes certainly adds to the argument that we, as humans, can way over-think what makes a predator come or not come to the call.  Lots of callers, me included, might assume that lion sounds and coyote challenges would scare a bobcat away.  As we see here, that’s just no so.  This says a lot about the chaos and challenges of nature that we’re disconnected from and don’t fully understand. 

Your questions and comments are always appreciated – please comment below.

Blog subscriptions are FREE – sign up at the top right of this page and please, tell a friend. 

Thank you again Danny – and good calling to everyone!

Mark Healy

mark@wildlifecallers.com

1-877-734-1010

Choosing gray fox and bobcats to write about was an easy choice.  The hard & fast way gray fox come to the call is a confidence booster for any predator caller, and I’ve never met anyone who didn’t want to call more bobcats – ever.  And, the truth is, bobcats aren’t terribly hard to call – they are terribly hard to see.  I absolutely believe that most bobcats called in go unseen by the caller. 

Dave Martens of Wildlife Callers AZ Bobcat & Fox Double!

Generally speaking, bobcats come slower to a call and use cover all the way in.  There are always exceptions to this rule, but more often than not they will be slow and methodical about their approach.  Also, if you’re serious about harvesting more bobcats, take binoculars on every stand.  Once a bobcat has gotten a visual on the speaker or the bush it’s in, they will often stop coming and sit down.  A motionless bobcat in a bush at 30 yards is nearly impossible to see without binos. 

Here is my fox & bobcat method and my typical sound list:

Note:  These sounds are on my Wildlife Technologies Mighty Atom 15 and 21. 

From the start of my stand to minute three, I normally start with partridge distress or pileated woodpecker and keep the volume on levels 2 and 3. 

If there are no immediate takers, I will hit the adult cottontail distress and begin to increase the volume over 2 to 3 minute period.  My volume in this phase will be mostly at level 3 and I’ll increase it to level 5 and 6 for just a few seconds each to get the attention of any predators that might have been reluctant to get up and come on over. 

At about the six-minute mark I will start in on the birds of prey and scavenger bird sounds and “begin building my case” as to why a quick response would be in the best interest of the fox or bobcat that’s still not convinced.  I have very successfully turned my caller to redtail hawk screams following rodent, rabbit, and bird distress, and triggered a hard charge from coyotes, fox, and bobcats.  Crows & ravens fighting over food also works well. 

Side Note:  While I was in Mexico (Sonora) crows mobbing food played immediately follwing three-minutes of whitetail fawn distress was all that was necessary to bring a group of coyotes running.  I have only had this work as magically for me just a handful of times north of the border, but if you are in an area that’s full of crows and ravens I highly recommend it.  It was absolutely amazing on coyotes that lived in an area where crows were abundant and stiff competitors for the coyote’s food. 

For the next few minutes I will go back and forth from hawk screams to the groundhog adult distress, to the crows, and back to the cottontail rabbit, then to the ravens, and back to the partridge distress. 

At this point I will usually be at the ten to twelve minute mark.  If there are still no takers I will get more aggressive. 

For the next three or four minutes I will alternate between adult & juvenile gray fox distress, bobcat greeting calls, and female bobcat distress.  Normally if there is a gray fox hanging out in the brush in the area, he’ll be in front of the speaker in just a few seconds.  This is a great time to start scanning the brush with your binoculars for any cats hiding & watching.  This sequence of sounds might not get a bobcat to run in, but it might get them to sit up, move, change positions, or any other number of movements that will allow you to see them. 

Here is a post that illustrates the importance of binoculars and mountain lions:  http://www.wildlifecallers.com/blog/2009/08/don%e2%80%99t-leave-your-optics-in-the-truck/

At this point the stand is at or approaching the fifteen minute mark.  I usually make a decision at this time to stay for five more minutes, or fifteen to twenty-five more minutes.  If there is little or no bobcat sign in the area, I will usually pack it up at the twenty minute mark and move on.  If there is a decent chance of calling a bobcat, I will call to the thirty or forty minute mark. 

After fifteen minutes I tend to get pretty aggressive and use my bobcats fighting sound as well as the gray fox and bobcat fight to get any hold-outs more excited and agitated.  I normally change the sound of the caller every two or three minutes and mix distress sounds with sounds of predator fights and various birds clamoring to get to the food.   

My volume levels at this point go up and down too.  I normally stay at volume level 3 & 4 most of the time, but I’ll get louder and softer to create excitement and the illusion of movement and chaos in the area of the caller. 

There really are no “bad” distress or bird sounds on a stand.  I have been asked several times if playing lots of sounds “confuses” the predators.  I have never noticed anything that would lead me to believe this could be the case.  It would be mighty hard to confuse an animal that can only process a single thought at a time.  When the sound changes, they change to the new sound.  Fortunately there are times they will commit to coming over and getting a closer look – other times they just won’t, no matter what you play.  Sometimes they come for hunger, sometimes for territory, and sometimes just out of curiosity.  Starting out low and easy with prey distress sounds, and then getting progressively more aggressive and frantic covers all of the bases. 

Here is post about a stand that had more than a dozen sounds played on it:  http://www.wildlifecallers.com/blog/2009/11/big-tom-bobcat-called-and-taken-photos/  The best part is we called a coyote, six foxes, and a whopper bobcat.  This stand was noisy as heck – between me changing sounds, the blue jays & other birds flying in screaming, the gray foxes barking & arguing with each other, and the coyote chasing foxes up and down the wash, it was absolutely crazy and loud!!  This chaos added up to success – big time.  I try to replicate the chaos of nature every time I’m out.  Remember, nature only rewards the strong and the lucky – it’s every crazy critter for itself. 

Don’t be afraid to mix it up and get your bobcats and foxes whipped into a lather.  Lots of guys get stuck on 10% of their sound list.  You’ll be amazed at what will come in to some of the sounds you never use!  I had a pair of foxes come running in to some very loud adult javelina distress and male cougar vocalizations.  I thought, really??  What in the heck are you two 9 pound macho men gonna do with 40lbs of hurtin’ pig and the 120lb cougar that’s making it dinner?

Questions??  Don’t hesitate to comment below or send me an email.  Everything I have written here has produced for me many, many times and I will clarify anything that is not clear on this post.

Subscriptions to this blog are always free!

We wish everyone the best of the rest of this season,

Mark Healy

Mark@wildlifecallers.com

Hat Tip to Alan N. of Sonoita for the great question.

You might wonder why we’re recommending trapping books.  Well, both of these books are dedicated to successful bobcat locating and are full of information on behavior, travel patterns, terrain, and how to read land formations to locate more cats.  Knowing that trappers must know bobcats well enough to get a bobcat’s foot in less than a six by six inch spot to trap it, then it stands to reason their locating & trap placement tactics will get us close enough to call them (or smack ‘em with a hammer).

Bobcat Trapper's Guide by Mitchell Ricketts

The Bobcat Trapper’s Guide by Mitchell Ricketts gives a lot of information on bobcat habitats across the United States.  The level of detail this book offers about bobcat behavior and how to identify what the author calls “key activity areas” is outstanding.  I keep this book in my calling equipment box.  This book as available from Amazon both new and used. 

The Competition Line Bobcat Trapping Guide & Gray Fox Refresher by Tom Miranda is not as data-driven as Ricketts’ book, and has several photos of terrain, travel areas, lay-ups, and practical advice on how to locate more bobcats.  This book is an easy read and one that I keep with me in the field.   Be advised, Miranda talks briefly about bobcat terrain across the US, but the focus of this book is mainly in the western US.

As always, thank you for reading and posting comments.  If any of you have any book recommendations, we’d like to read them and put them on the blog.  Please put them in your comments.

Subscriptions to the blog are FREE.  Just put your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the upper right side of this page. 

May all of your stands be productive in 2010!

Mark Healy

mark@wildlifecallers.com

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! 

You can subscribe to get free blog updates by putting your email in the Subscribe Box on the upper right of this page. 

Comments and questions are always appreciated. 

Good calling to everyone and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Mark Healy

mark@wildlifecallers.com