calling Cats

[180grainer]

Anyone called in and shot any cats? Manual calls, electronic? Share any strategies?

[Rieber]

One TV segment showed cats coming in very quickly to the sound of a lady shaking a box of Tender Viddles.

[srthomas75]

One TV segment showed cats coming in very quickly to the sound of a lady shaking a box of Tender Viddles.

I remember that segment. [ 15- 20? years ago ] I would suspect that the technique still works well.

[Grizz.325]

I have tried calling cats with a doe bleet but no luck. I do know a guy that has had success with that strategy in the US where cat populations r denser.

[swampthing]

Dudes up in the prince george area are very successful calling in Lynx.

[bighornbob]

I lent my fox pro to a buddy and he called in a Lynx.

BHB

[warnniklz]

My brother has a friend that calls in cougars. From what I gather, you gotta sit for a couple hours as they like to circle a few times and try to set up an ambush. Just gotta be more patient than them.

I've never personally tired, but have been becoming more and more interested in alternate methods to cat hunting from running dogs. Not that I'm against using dogs. Just don't know anyone with them that would take me out.

[Kopper]

Ive only called in Lynx before. As stated the PG folk are flooding the fb pages with them. I’m hoping to get out after the holidays for some cat calling but will be focusing more on bobcat country.
Down in the south Lynx aren’t as widespread so you’ll either need to find old sign or a bunch of rabbit sign rather than just calling blind. I use a fox pro with a moving decoy attachment, the moving decoy is critical as they really hone in on the movement. Snowshoe hair distress starting quiet and increasing volume; spend the better portion of an hour on a set.
Lynx tastes remarkably good so make sure to use the meat! Perfect way to keep hunting all winter long.

[Ron.C]

My brother has a friend that calls in cougars. From what I gather, you gotta sit for a couple hours as they like to circle a few times and try to set up an ambush. Just gotta be more patient than them.

I've never personally tired, but have been becoming more and more interested in alternate methods to cat hunting from running dogs. Not that I'm against using dogs. Just don't know anyone with them that would take me out.

I called one in while bowhunting early sept elk several years back in mu 4-25. I had set up in very hard to get to steep somewhat open timbered area between 2 thick slides where I had glassed elk feeding the eveing before. It was late evening and I was cow calf calling on/off for about 90 minutes and picked up a slight movement off to my left at about 40 yards. A big cougar !!! I remained still as he stalked toward my renzo's decoy set up on a small clearing the to my right and about 30
yards behind me. Was pretty obvious he could see it. He came in cross wind head low in full stalk mode and did just as you said, circled down wind until he caught my scent. He quietly slipped away down wind without ever making a sound. Whole episode lasted about 5 minutes.

Was to this day the most facinating experience I ever had with a wild animal.

Ive since wondered, how many I may have unknowingly called in on past hunts. Not sure it would be an easy task to intentionally call one in to shooting range but hey, would make for an epic hunt if you could pull it off

[todbartell]

for Lynx, Foxpro Woodpecker distress, higher volume and call steady. Decoy will help a lot

[Firstblood]

Ill be giving it a try this winter. picked up a lucky duck revolt half price at cabelas. has decoy and lots of calls. for coyotes Ive heard 30 minutes max for cat ive heard an hour for the small ones and a couple for cougars. I will be snow shoeing out and finding fresh sign then calling on that for better chances.

[77Gunner]

Rabbit in distress call has worked for me in the past.

[dracb]

Fresh snow helps a lot to get you close enough to a bobcat or lynx for it to hear you calling. Cats tend to be much more sparsely distributed across the landscape than coyotes. the smaller cats also tend to be tied more closely to specific bits of habitat. So if you do not already know the locations of several pockets of cat preferred habitat start out by cruising the roads after a fresh snow and look for cat tracks. You might want to put the coordinates of each set of tracks in your hunting diary and or on your local map. These points will be good starting points for days when there is not any fresh snow and you have to call blind. Anyway after finding the tracks continue checking the road and side roads if possible to try to determine if there is fresher sign nearby. Make a decision on where to set up along the cats projected travel path where you can be comfortable and have shooting lanes. Comfort is important because you need to sit as motionless as possible for at least an hour. Probably more cats are called in by accident by coyote hunters using rabbit or deer vocalizations then by dedicated cat hunters because coyote hunters probably outnumber cat hunters by 20 to 1. People focusing on bobcats tend to use bird vocalizations more often than coyote hunters do.

With cougars it is even more important that you try to find very fresh sign so that you have some hope of having a cougar within earshoot. They are exceedingly difficult to call in if they can not hear you imploring them to come visiting. None the less, every year one or more of my clients relates that they were just sitting there tweeting on a deer call or an elk cow call when they found themselves being stalked by the cougar they brought to me.

[warnniklz]

Fresh snow helps a lot to get you close enough to a bobcat or lynx for it to hear you calling. Cats tend to be much more sparsely distributed across the landscape than coyotes. the smaller cats also tend to be tied more closely to specific bits of habitat. So if you do not already know the locations of several pockets of cat preferred habitat start out by cruising the roads after a fresh snow and look for cat tracks. You might want to put the coordinates of each set of tracks in your hunting diary and or on your local map...

If smaller cats stay local, are larger ones more transient?

Also does anyone know if cats leave the area if they've been treed and released by hounds?

[walks with deer]

some will many wont.

[The Hermit]

I think to avoid getting busted by your scent it would be a good idea to be 25 feet up in a treestand...

[B.C.Boy(100%)]

Saw three cats June 19 playing on FSR, decided I would try and mimic the Cougars chirping sound, well I had a cat 40’ away in seconds.
These cats were so intrigued they came walking in, and they could plainly see me standing there.
I may try this again, but how many cats will show up, and will I see them all?

[xlcc]

I use a rabbit in distress mouth blown call.Cruise known rabbit areas for cat tracks.Once you find a location on a calm day setup your stand location so you are camoed with some branches to cover your movements.Have patients,sometimes they will come in then just sit there and watch to see what all the crying is about.I think a tassill or feather or something that moves around is a good atracttant 25 yards away from you.
I have only killed one lynx this way.After I gave up and moved to another location then came back to my stand I have found fresh tracks all around.I didn't stay long enough.
This winter I will try some more stands.

[mod7rem]

for Lynx, Foxpro Woodpecker distress, higher volume and call steady. Decoy will help a lot


I agree. I’ve had good luck with that call.

I’ve never called in a cougar but have called in many Lynx. They don’t seem to be very cautious. In my experience they come in slow and relaxed just taking it all in. They never seem to care that I’m there either. They just casually look at me and walk on by looking for what’s making the noise. I’d have to believe that cougars would be more careful than a Lynx or there would be a lot more success stories over calls.

[IslandWanderer]

If anyone on the South Island wants to do some calling I'd be in. My son usually hunts with me, but sitting in a blind for extended periods would be boring for him.

I have a couple blinds, big buddy heater, foxpro fusion with extra speaker, fox pro decoy, alpha dogg, etc.

[180grainer]

I've always wondered if trying to call in a cat while hunting alone is a good idea. At least with the foxpro the animal will focus in that direction. I have an old model. Holds 15 calls. The one I thought would work best was fawn in distress. I'll have to look to see if I have woodpecker. I think I can buy downloads so if I don't I can always get it.