Stories
Predator Hunting with Decoys
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12/9/2011
Today's predator hunters have a lot of choices in decoys and calls. Turn the last 100 yards into a vision too enticing to resist, and you’ll get a lot more fur in the truck.
by Art Isberg
Of all the problems I encountered as a novice predator caller, the ones that perplexed me most were the fox or coyote that stopped 100 or 200 yards out and wouldn’t come closer. If I lifted the call, trying to coax them in, many times they turned and ran. This was frustrating, because I did not know what to do or what calls to make. This is a big bugaboo for both novice and veteran callers.
The key to high success is pulling predators in the last 100 yards. Standard calls start them in with regularity because they’re at a distance and can’t see the caller or the dying critter they think they’ll find when they get there. Once a predator gets close and can’t see the source of sound it becomes suspicious and cautious. The cure for this is a decoy.
The magical thing about decoys is that, regardless of what sound you are using, once they come into visual range of a decoy, even though that decoy doesn’t match the sound, it will often lure them in all the way. The killing instinct for an easy meal overrides considerations of caution, suspicion, and safety.
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