predator hunting » Wildlife Callers

International Sportsman’s Expo Predator Calling Panel – Full Seats & Lots of Questions!

Posted March 5, 2010 By Mark Healy and has 3 comments.

The first-ever predator calling panel at an International Sportsman’s Expo was a huge success. The seats filled up quickly and there was no shortage of questions for panelists. Predator hunting is on an upswing! Here’s a quick recap:

The Wildlife Callers' Crew - Marc Reindell, Dave Martens, and Mark Healy

This past weekend at the University of Phoenix Stadium, thousands of fishermen, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts from around Arizona and neighboring states turned out for the Phoenix International Sportsman’s Expo. Three hundred vendors from around the world were on hand to show & sell their products, offer advice, and entertain the Expo guests with various breakout sessions. Predator calling was a very popular breakout session and we’re hoping to offer it in future ISE events.

The Predator Panel Members (from left) Rich Higgins, Mark Healy (standing), The "Beastmaster" Gerry Blair, Ron Day of AZ G&F, & Dr. Frank Turkowski

The world-renowned predator hunter, author, and calling veteran, Gerry Blair, was in good spirits and entertained the audience with his quick wit & humor. When asked about scent control on a predator calling stand, he said hunters need to pay attention to their downwind side at all times and take a shower at least once every seven days. Sage advice from an industry original! (more…)

Categories: Books & Education, Predator calling, Shows and Expos

Tags: Arizona predator hunting, calling coyotes, calling mountain lion, coyote, Hunting, International Sportsman Expo, mountain lion hunting, predator callers, Predator calling, predator hunting, wildlife callers

Coyote Howling Techniques – Northern Iowa Callers Jim and Justin Blauwet Turn the Tables on Wary Dogs

Posted February 12, 2010 By Mark Healy and has 1 comment.

You’ve just dropped a bunch of money on a new caller. People around town tell you that the local coyotes just won’t come to a call anymore – “they’ve all heard a call a dozen times”. What do you do? Jim and Justin Blauwet use coyote vocalizations and leave the screaming rabbit sounds alone. Here’s their tactic that’s worked several times.

If a regular dog comes a runnin’ when it hears a can opener in the kitchen (a conditioned response), then it stands to reason that a coyote can also be conditioned by fooling it with a prey distress call, and then allowing it to barely escape with it’s life amid a hail of bullets.

That lucky coyote might still come to investigate a screamin’ rabbit sound, but the chances of it running in full-blast time and again are diminished with every negative encounter or impression – simple conditioning. Because of Mother Nature’s mixed message – sometimes the screamin’ sound is natural and associated with food – sometimes the screamin’ comes with smelly lumps of camouflage shaped like humans and loud bangs from predator rifles – coyotes naturally become conditioned to be cautious.

Justin Blauwet and His January Iowa Coyote

Using their new Wildlife Technologies Mighty Atom 15 electronic predator call, the Blauwet’s have called several of the “uncallable” coyotes. If you own Other Brands of Predator Callers you most likely have a series of sounds that will allow you to recreate this sequence.

Here’s how they do it:

(more…)

Categories: coyote, electronic callers, wildlife technologies

Tags: calling coyotes, coyote, digital predator caller, digital wildlife calling, electronic game callers, electronic predator calling, electronic wildlife caller, Hunting, predator call, predator callers, Predator calling, predator hunting, wildlife callers, wildlife technologies

Coyote Finesse – Dave Martens and Dan Tone Turn the Volume Down and Nail This Pair

Posted January 28, 2010 By Mark Healy and has 3 comments.

Dave Martens of Wildlife Callers Blog and his buddy Dan Tone of Apache Junction, Arizona teamed up for a day of mixed-bag predator calling just after our last heavy rain and snow storm. Two coyotes and one gray fox later, they’d had a great morning.

Dave and Dan figured they’d find some hungry & willing predators after five-days of hard rain and snow throughout the state. They headed into Arizona’s Unit 23 and in four wet & muddy stands, called in two coyotes and one gray fox. The coyotes pictured below both came right to the speaker in under five minutes. The gray fox came in super-quick too, stayed in tight cover, and ran out just as quick as he’d arrived.

Dan Tone - AKA "The Shotgun Sniper" and Two Excellent AZ Coyotes

The project for the day was to set up in good locations, keep the volume down, and see what some quiet calling would do. Dave kept the volume on his Wildlife Technologies Mighty Atom at 1, 2, and 3 all of these stands.

Here is his calling sequence in more detail: (more…)

Categories: Predator calling, coyote, electronic callers, fox, wildlife technologies

Tags: Arizona predator hunting, calling coyotes, coyote, electronic predator calling, electronic wildlife caller, gray fox, Hunting, Predator calling, predator hunting, wildlife callers

Nice Bobcat Down and a Response to a Pair of Sounds Most Callers Wouldn’t Expect

Posted January 22, 2010 By Mark Healy and has 2 comments.

One of our Arizona blog readers & veteran predator caller, Danny Avey, reads several of our posts about sounds & tactics, gives the techniques a try and calls this 28lb female bobcat in Southern Arizona. He openly shares his tactics and sound list with other readers.

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: (more…)

Categories: Predator calling, bobcat, coyote, electronic callers, mountain lion, wildlife technologies

Tags: Arizona predator hunting, bobcat, bobcat calling, bobcat hunting, calling coyotes, calling mountain lion, digital wildlife calling, electronic game callers, electronic predator calling, Predator calling, predator hunting, wildlife callers, wildlife technologies

Midwestern Success! Illinois and Missouri Hunters Share Their Photos & Tactics

Posted January 12, 2010 By Mark Healy and has no comments yet.

We started Wildlife Callers’ Blog for a very simple reason – info sharing that creates more success every time a predator hunter heads out to call. Here are two customer stories that were submitted to us just last night.

A big thank you to Doug U. of Illinois and Jason S. of Missouri for sharing their photos, calling tactics, and stories.

Doug from IL says:

I was driving down the highway when I noticed two red fox bedding down in the middle of a snow-covered cornfield. I pulled off the highway and made some phone calls until I figured out who owned the property. A few phone calls later I had permission to go and call for the reds.

I chose a downwind location to enter the field and walked to a pile of snow about 100 yards from the bedding location. The foxes must have been asleep, because they didn’t jump and run. I placed my Mighty Atom 15 behind the snow pile and took up a position about 80 yards away, lying down. I started the stand with cottontail distress, nice and low. It took the male fox just a few seconds to commit to coming in and, bang! he was running hard toward the snow pile. The fox came ’round the snow pile full speed and wasn’t able to stop before colliding with the call and knocking it over. While it was wondering what the heck was going on, I shot it with my .17 HMR and dropped it right to the ground.

Doug U. of Central Illinois and his January Red Fox & Brand New Mighty Atom

I noticed the other red was standing down the field watching what was happening and I was setting up to shoot that fox too. However, the way the second fox travelled, I would be shooting toward the highway and decided to pass. That fox eventually ran off.

This was my very first setup with my new Mighty Atom and it worked very well. The .17 HMR did very little damage to the fox, and it will make an outstanding mount!

Jason S. of Trenton MO told me: (more…)

Categories: Predator calling, coyote, electronic callers, fox, wildlife technologies