# Predator Hunting Experience



## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

Just a thought. I was wondering about how long we have been hunting predators. I myself, started really hunting predators in 1995.
Of course, growing up in Utah, we took that pot shot at any coyote we seen while hunting other game, but for the most part, I never really pursued predators specifically until '95. So I guess I've been at it 17 years. My dad was a caller back in the late 60's early 70's, but never really stuck to it like I have. I remember watching him call and thinking how cool that was, but I never really caught the bug till much later. My brother taught me how to use a mouth call, and is probably the best caller I have ever met. An artist with a mouth call for sure. Here he is, and yes, that is an original Weem's. So how long have you boys been calling, culling and taking out predators?


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## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

You sure your brother and and yourself aren't twins ? LOL


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

JTKillough, I am new to the game. Living in Illinois for 20 + years I trapped and hunted upland birds, ducks and small game, we didn't have coyote up their yet. Does woodchuck count? I had to change the way I hunted this year because of back problems. Looks like your in a good part of Arizona for predators...


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## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

I started back around 1995 with coyotes. Had been trapping fox late 70's and early 80's with an older guy from high school. Got my first coyote in 95 while deer hunting. I've shot 5 during deer season in the north woods. An old farmer friend started to take me out calling coyotes at night when time permitted. I didn't shoot but 3 of them in about 5 years mainly because I would get so excited I'd miss. The old man showed me how to scout and locate. We called in many and he'd shoot quite a few. I still remember his JS cassette caller he used. Early 2000's I only was able to shoot them during deer season as I worked a ton of hours and travelled. Started seriously calling them here in 2008 and and killed a few yotes and a red fox. I've called in more than I've shot. They're holed up in the thickets and getting a shot can be a PIA at times. I'm still learning and hope to get a full season finally after two years of enduring back surgeries right before the season opened. The guys on here, yourself ( JT ) included have really helped me out and I do appreciate what every one offers !!


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## bar-d (Feb 3, 2010)

I have been coytote hunting since 1976 or 1977 JT. It has certainly changed a lot. Made lots of mistakes, teaching myself as I went. Back then there were no computers, search engines or forums to garner information. Just try, fail, and try again.


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

I'm a blend of old school and new age myself. My brother really showed me how to use a mouth call, then I developed my own methods/techniques after that and have done really well with mouth calls. I have done a lot of homework on predators, read many books and studies, trying to figure the best tricks that may pay off. The INTERNET has helped out immensely, but sorting through all the info can ruin a good day when you could have been out doing really "boots on the ground" research. As you know, I push technology in my magazine articles quite a bit. I feel that predators will forever be figuring out the difference between real and fake, and that means we will forever have to change our technique, day by day, year by year. One year you can't beat a Tally Ho, next year its a Cottontail squall, played at a super raspy-slow tempo on a Foxpro. This makes it hard to teach or help new-bees, because we change it so much, there is no set way, or wonder technique that is a dead ringer. I plan to continue my research though, and I promise to keep you posted. If I strike gold, you'll be the first to know.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I didn't start predator hunting until I moved to AZ in 1980. I lived up north of Tucson which was a target rich environment at the time. Like so many, there was a lot of trial and error....lots of error. Through the years I have had to at times, put it on the back burner due to raising a family, work, lack of funds. The internet sure does help.


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## Rick Howard (Feb 25, 2012)

Well I started when I was 12... kinda.. It was my first time Bow hunting for deer. I had sat on stand with my dad before but, never in my own stand with a bow in my hands. My father sat in a stand across a corn field from me. I had 3 coyote run out and stop 20 yards in front of me. On our way back to the truck pops asked why I did not shoot one... I replied... I was deer hunting. He told me in the future to let them have it. I was on the look out for coyote ever since. I started calling them at 15 ('97 or '98). Only a few times a year as I did not have much property to hunt. I really started to ramp it up when I was 18-20. I hunted and called often in those 2 years. Then I took a little time off of calling until I was 24. I still hunted them on the occasion when deer season was over. At 24 I started calling a few times a year again. Most of my time was just sitting in tree stands waiting or walking through the woods in search of them. At 28 is when the calling bug really hit me. I began reading and doing my homework, gaining more properties to hunt, and calling more often. Which brings me to current. Almost 31. Going into my 4th season of lots of calling and hunting. I still enjoy sitting in a stand waiting for the chance encounter, or walking in search of them too. I do this when I have called most of the properties a few times. It keeps me hunting but not whaling them over the head with calling.

All said and done my number of years might not equate experience. I would say the 18 years is probably more like 8 years of real experience.

LOL.... Until last season... My call selection was as follows.... An enclosed reed rabbit, And enclosed reed howler, and a bellows style call that had a coaxer reed on the side, I did have an e-call early on but, it was ruined in a basement flood and never replaced it. I used it a hand full of times but preferred hand calls anyway. For Christmas last year I received lots of gift cards to basspro. I figured I would try some new calls.... I bought a few with a gift card.... then a few more.... then a few more... Then started tinkering with making some.... Then started making them... So I have yet to successfully connect on a critter with one of my own calls. lol There are several folks who have.... I have called in a bunch critters with them..... I just have not gotten them in my cross hairs yet. I tried some night hunting for the first time in about 10 years on Monday. We called in a bunch of fox and a couple coyote.... but I struggled to find my cross hairs in the dark.....


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## Rick Howard (Feb 25, 2012)

LOL I must get the longest post award this year....


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

I trapped my first coyote in 1970 as a junior in high school, called my first coyote in 1973. Calling in the early 70's in southern Iowa was also a very target rich area. Just about any farmer you'd ask would let you hunt.


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

I started in the early 70's just as a means to be out hunting. My hunting buddy suggested we should keep pelts and so we made our own boards(boy were they wrong). When we sold our first batch the fur buyer was almost laughing when we laid the pelts out. After talking with him and spending all our money on new stretchers we had a better idea of what he wanted. In the early 80's when construction was real bad the same buddy and I starting calling every other day and the day off we stretched hides.We made more money calling along with unemployment( I know should have reported it, LOL)than we had been making as carpenters after the fur market dropped i gave it up untill just the past couple of years, now I am fully addicted to it again.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Bought my 22-250 in 81 along with my re-loading equip. and packed it around to all my new employment jobs, just never found the time to just predator hunt, trapped in the 70's and then again in the 80's, caught some wolves and lynx but never actually called for predators. Thanks to this site I've gotten more incentive to go out predator hunting, my past hunting and trapping years has help in my success as a predator hunter.


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## Weasel (Jun 18, 2012)

I started hardcore calling in 1967.


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## SHampton (Apr 20, 2012)

2 years


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## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

Is that all you can remember ? LOL


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## SHampton (Apr 20, 2012)

Ha. No, it's the troof!


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

2 years here as well. But I'm not as good at is as Scott is.


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## SHampton (Apr 20, 2012)

Fred, I'm just fortunate that I'm in an area where there are a lot of coyotes and I get to hunt a lot. Shortens the learning curve.


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## gentlemanJ (Oct 20, 2012)

I am very new to calling and have yet to get one calling....but ive been huntin fox with beagles eva since i can remember. When we moved to Ga. started on bobcats with a couple of redbones n a walker hound. Past few years though its been hogs, after gettn a shore provin nosed female black n tan from the local fairgrounds raccoon classic. We attend it every year, to sell our pits for catch dogs to folks all over the country. Its our family thing, Recently tried our luck w gator huntin, but didnt see one big nuff to bag. Trying for 12' or better. Lilest boy calls it dinosaur huntin, he aint but 3 tho.lol


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## HowlinRed (Feb 3, 2011)

This will be my third season and am still looking for my first yote.


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## Cheez (Dec 12, 2011)

My dad was called Trap in High school and college because he spent most of his time running his trap lines, so I have been around hunting and trapping all my life. 3 years ago I got to go out predator hunting with my friend and his dad who were just getting into it, after that I was hooked. I went out with them as much as I could those first two years then this last year my dad and I purchased a FoxPro Spitfire. Our first time out last November 2nd we called in 3 I was in shock and only got one shot off but I got him. I was using my win. 270 and my dad had his mavrick 88 12 gauge. since then we go out at least once a week in the winter have up graded our guns to a Remington 870 sps supermag and a TC Venture .223. We killed 3 yotes and one Bobcat last year and learned a lot so this year they are going down.

So for me its 3 years since I first hunted but only 1 year of hunting hard. We saw a total of 6 yotes and 2 cats last year shot 3 and 1 respectively.


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