A good cottontail distress call?

[5RWill]

Title says it all looking for a decently priced, good cottontail call, for Predator hunting.

http://www.ms-sportsman.com/details.php?id=357

I didn't see this article until this year, think about how much fun i could've been having on nights out at the farm getting rid of Coyotes and Bobcats. Now with any caliber i please. Time to get some weapon lights for the ARs.

[Hunter Customs]

I have a good assortment of mouth blown predator calls, everything from expensive custom handmade calls, calls I made from deer antler and different manufactures mass produced calls.

There's two I never leave the house without them in my pocket. They are my "Little Buddie" predator calls.
These calls are not expensive, they look like the tops from plastic ball point ink pins so they clip right in your pocket.

When I opened the package and looked at them I really did not think they would do that well.
However on my very first hide that I tried one I blew a calling sequence through the cotton tail call. In five minutes or less here came old wiley at a dead run, bounced to a stop 80 yards in front of me looking around trying to figure where the rabbit was and before he could figure it out I introduced him to rule 22-250.

The calls are two different colors, the red one sounds like a distressed cotton tail, the blue one is raspier and sounds like a distressed jack rabbit.

As I said these calls are light, easy to carry and I believe if you give them a fair chance you will really like them.

Best of luck on your predator calling.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

[rickyrick]

I'm gonna Google now. I have no luck with my rabbit calls, the coyote call has been working great. So im gonna look for better rabbit calls.

[rickyrick]

Wow, ten bucks, well worth a try

[mrawesome22]

I buy about everyone I come across and so far the circe sounds the best.

I've witnessed rabbits getting attacked and the circe sounds EXACTLY like the real thing.

[5RWill]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Going to look at both and see what i think i would like better and just get one. I'm no expert hell i've never called a coyote up before. But i figured it can't be near as hard as learning how to duck call since the requirements for duck calling are using air from your diaphragm or residual capacity of your lungs. Or at least thats how i was told.

[Steel Talon]

Many Years Ago when I smoked..(i quit 1980) I used the cellophane from a pack of cigs with great success.Many a coyote lost thier lives coming to me using that call.

While not intending to do so, I even teeed off a white tail doe once she came came in boxing at me with her fore legs wanting to stomp a mud hole in my but..

[5RWill]

Couldn't resist to the "little buddie" calls. For 9.99$

[Hunter Customs]

Camo clothing, I'm a firm believer in it because I want to blend into my surroudings as much as possible.
I do not like to to have any bare skin reflecting light and this holds true especially with your hands and face.
If it's to warm to wear my camo hood over my hat I use camo paint on my face, neck and ears.
I also do not want any reflection off of my equipment I'm using.

Picking your spots to make your hides is very important.
You want to take advantage of everything you can and especially the wind, I try to keep it in my face if possible.
I always sit with something at my back that will help break up my image, I dont want to look like a big lump sitting out there.
I try to make my hides so the animals approach will be in clear shooting lanes, I do not want anything in front of me that may deflect a bullet.
I pick hides that I can sneak into and sneak back out of, I don't want to educate the coyotes anymore then I have to.
I never hunt the same hides to often.

When it comes to the calls I use, I have both mouth blown calls and electronic calls and I've had good success with both.
If I'm going to be walking long distances I rely only on mouth blown calls as I don't want the extra weight of the electronic calls.
At every new hide I make I wait at least 15 minutes before I start calling, this gives everything a chance to settle down.
Rabbit distress sounds work good until the coyotes get educated to them, then you will need to switch up with pup distress sounds or bird distress sounds.
During the breeding season coyote sounds work real well.
Even though I don't normally use a decoy I do agree with JJ that they are a big help.
I have a cadre of mouth blown calls everything from expensive custom hand made calls to mass produced manufacture calls, they all work well.
That being said my favorite mouth blown rabbit squealing calls is my "Little Buddie" predator calls. These things are not very expensive, they look like a couple of ink pin tops with reeds in them, they sure bring in the coyotes.

As for other equipment, I like a cushion to sit on, I prefer one that's water proof.
As for the guns I use, depending on where I'm hunting I use a 12 ga shotgun with #4 buck, 223, 22-250 and 243.
I use the shotgun and 223 for closer in work and night time hunting, for longer range work I use the 22-250 and 243 these are my day time guns.
The reason I like the longer range guns for the daytime work is because I've had coyotes sit-up on me at longer ranges and no amount of coaxing would bring them in, the long range shot takes care of that problem.

If you are going to use mouth blown calls practice a calling sequence and don't over use the call when out hunting.
Listening to a couple of elctronic calls will help you learn a calling sequence.
As for electronic calls the Fox Pros are hard to beat.

Good luck on your hunting, and don't get discouraged.
Once you call your first one in it's real easy to get hooked on this type of hunting.

Blackops 2,

Here's some additional information that may help you become a successful preator hunter.
Give the "Little Buddie" calls a fair try and I'll believe you will like them.
Best of luck on your predator hunting.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

[rickyrick]

Update;

Last night I tried a rabbit call that I got from Wal-Mart a couple of months ago that I wasn't having any luck with.

I tried blowing a little softer with a different rhythm and I got a large male coyote.

I don't remember the name of the call but it is sorta rubbery like and the outlet is sorta like a little mouth that you can open and close with the fingers.

If I remember the name I will post it.

[rickyrick]

I also use skunk essence as a cover scent....they get real close up without noticing.

My biggest key is the scent control and the Camoflage. I used to be pretty lax in that area. This year I have been real strict about scent control and its paying off.

[5RWill]

Thanks for the tips guys. Awaiting my "little buddy" calls can't wait to try them.

[mrawesome22]

Sounds like a flextone.

Hang a turkey feather off a stick with a string. The feather flutters with even the slightest breeze. Gives em a distraction.

I killed a big male during deer gun season a couple weeks ago. I was sitting on the ground wearing a full blaze orange coat and blaze orange hat.

The dog came straight at me from about 120 yards away and was 10 yards from me when I shot. You don't need fancy camo but it helps. They are just like any other animal. They key in on movement. Staying warm is the biggest help in sitting still. If you are warm you are far less prone to movement.

The wind is your enemy, or your friend. They will either catch your wind, or they won't. Doesn't matter what kind of scent control you waste money on.

Male


Female with the bow a couple weeks earlier.

[5RWill]

Wind plays a big part in almost any animal that is competitive in hunting and has any sense of smell. Its not cold here at all right now which sucks. Now the only thing i don't feel like doing is ordering a crouching bipod. Harris has one that goes from 13"-27" which would be perfect but i don't want to drop the money. I have two BRM-Ss one notched and one regular that are 6-9" so my silhouette would be pretty disguised. I'll eventually make a ghillie suit tacticool or not can't deny it blends in and reduces visibility of the human silhouette

Whatd you take the male with?

[mrawesome22]

Muzzle loader. I was deer hunting. Deer seasons over now so it's time to go into predator mode.

[rickyrick]

Yes it was indeed a flextone, it was about six or seven dollars.

I pick up most of the cheap ones that I run across. After deer season I find a myriad of deer calls on clearance real cheap and I get those for parts and tinkering around with, they are awesome to annoy dogs and family members alike LOL

[stevelyn]

If you haven't mastered the use of open reed calls, Sceery makes a decent closed reed which also includes a cottontail version. For a versatile open reed I like the Talley-Ho.

[5RWill]

Well looks like i have both electronic and hand calls. Dad was having a hard time deciding what he wanted for christmas (zeiss, foxpro, binoculars) well he gave into the foxpro firestorm so going to give it at try when it comes in.

[L_Killkenny]

Crit'r'call for open reed (Tallo Ho would be second but is harder to blow and not as loud), Johnny Stewart PC2 Mini for closed reed.

While the sound you produce is prehaps the least important part of predator hunting there are some calls that really really stink. Faulks adjustable predator call being one. When starting out stick with popular calls that have been around a long long time. Starting out is no time for experimenting.

LK

[5RWill]

Just got my little buddy predator calls in. Going to give them a try.

I do have a question should i blow soft to mimic this sound, or give it a good loud scream and wind down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFlgaDrsWSU

[Hunter Customs]

I start my calling on the soft side in case there's coyotes close by. Then I'll increase the volume after I've called for awhile, I never do blow real hard into my calls.
A coyote can hear a good distance, this will vary depending on the conditions and terrain.
One time I called one in and seen him come off a hill a mile north of me, he came on a dead run.
However when the wind shifted and blew my scent right in his face he left just as fast as came in.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

[5RWill]

Wasn't much wind today 5mph on the kestrel was the avg. It was a crosswind. For some reason the cottontail call kept sticking and i checked it out and bent the reed slightly. Going to have to mess with it to get it to work right again. So I used the jackrabbit. Was unsuccessful but i'm going to give it another go. Just got to find out how to sequence the calls, how long to stay in a hide, etc. Foxpro should be in this week which should give me some help. Feel like i'm calling too loud and thats probably the case.

Depending on the population of rabbits if we have more cottontails (which we do) than jackrabbits it would be correct to assume that a cottontail distress would be more useful right?