Predator hunters should consider several factors about where to set up a remote electronic call to improve the odds of a successful hunt. (Photo: Mark Kayser)

You’ve saved your Benjamins and procured the latest in remote electronic callers. As you prepare to set it out, a quandary may hit you. Where do you put it? How far away should you set it? Will walking out beyond your original setup site jeopardize your invisibility? Will your remote even be able to operate the unit at an extended distance?

Before you embrace the greatness of calling technology, take a minute to understand how that technology operates, how it can benefit your hunting success and how it could sink your setup like an iceberg striking the Titanic. Electronic callers with remote capabilities have the knack for both positive and negative results. 

Test Time

When you bring your baby home it’s time to test it before the big day. What you are looking for is how far the remote will operate your caller and whether it needs line of sight to function. Line of sight is defined as having the caller and the remote within sight of each other to allow them to communicate. Some companies pride themselves in not requiring line-of-sight, which allows you to stash your caller in a wash, or gully, but still allow it to function.

Take your caller to park or nearby pasture and test it at varying distances. Begin testing it at the distance advertised by the manufacturer. Increase or decrease the distance until you discover its maximum distance. Take a Sharpie pen and write it on the unit for quick field reference.

Next, test the line of sight to see if it will or won’t operate when the two components can’t “see” each other via electronic signals. Advertising hype may be more than truthful or your unit may be able to function even if it is not advertised as a line-of-sight unit. If you’re in a city park it would be wise to turn the volume down. You don’t want to scare the kiddos!

How Much Shooting Iron?

This likely goes without saying, but I’m just saying … you need to take into consideration the shooting iron you’ll tote in the field.

With a centerfire rifle you can utilize a remote-controlled caller to its fullest extent if the environment allows. The sections below will help you out. With a scattergun in your lap you won’t want to push the limits of your pellet pounding. Fifty yards gets to be a long shot with a shotgun, so keep that number in mind as you set your caller out.

Imagine the future path a predator will take when looking for the sound. They’ll likely swing downwind, and if you place the caller at 100 yards it could challenge your shotshell. If you carry both, you can breathe a bit easier and freelance your setups.

Consider the Cover

Tight and medium cover are where remote callers shine. Predators already will be hunting hard for the maker of a sound. By placing the caller upwind of you, but with plenty of distance between you and the caller, you can orchestrate a deadly moment.

Keeping in mind the ability of your remote to communicate with the caller, 100 yards is ideal in many shooting lanes. This gives a predator room to swing 20 yards or more downwind and also provides you with a shot of less than 100 yards at a distracted critter looking the other way. It’s a win-win.

One major element could spoil your day. Remember that wherever you walk you leave scent. If a predator comes across the scent you left while placing the caller it will explode and escape. Cover your scent with a quality scent-eliminating product like the Scent Killer lineup from Wildlife Research Center. Next, remember your line of travel and pull the trigger before the animal crosses the path. 

Wide Open Spaces

Putting a caller in the wide open unlocks a world of shooting opportunities as a predator circles it. Keep in mind the communication abilities of the caller, your shooting confidence at longer distances, hiding the caller in pool-table landscapes and lastly, the risk of exposing yourself to a predator.

The first two aside, some pastures and fields could be so bare that the exposed caller might actually spook an incoming predator. Eliminate that by stashing it in tumbleweed or a fallen limb you drag into the field. The even bigger risk you take is exposing yourself in some landscapes to the watchful eyes of predators on the prowl. Coyotes come to mind, and many experts discourage silhouetting as you cross over a hill to call. Walking an additional 100 yards could cause any guard dogs to sound the alarm.

Since open country gives you ample vision you may just as well be served by setting up prone or hunkering in the shadows with the caller beside you. Having a cagey coyote close the distance further in open country simply means a closer shot. Everyone can appreciate that opportunity.

Remote-controlled callers have many benefits, but unfortunately they also can open new challenges. Test your caller and think every setup through to boost success.