Martin: Bring 'em to you

There are some hunters in Buckeye country that believe there are two ways to seek game animals. One is to go out and hunt them and the second is to bring what you're seeking to you. Of the two methods, the latter is much easier and sometimes more productive. And summer when there is little to be done in the hunting field, it is a great time to practice your calling skills so they are ready to go when needed. Take coyotes, for example. These big grey predators are plentiful in Ohio, and there's evidence that they're causing inroads on game animals as well as fur bearers and family pets, particularly cats. There's no season and no limit on coyotes, and while they can be hunted with dogs, they come readily to a call and it's an easy way to hunt them. There are lots of calls on the market these days and any good sporting goods store should have both hand helds and electronic calls, so would-be callers can go either way. And if there's a perfect time to hunt coyotes with a call it's at night when they're hungry and actively searching for a meal. You'll need at least a full moon for this, and a 12 gauge loaded with mag 4's or 2's is good enough for night hunting. Things to remember when calling time comes: If you've a friend who's good with a little bellows-type rabbit squeal and a squeaker, take him or her along and seek out places with a little cover, good visibility, and a fair patch of brush and timber nearby. Make certain the wind is coming to you from the brush or at least quartering, and take turns working the calls sitting at least 20 yards apart. You'll want to begin quietly, using a squeaker or a wounded rabbit call as softly as possible, just in case there's something nearby. Keep in mind that you're imitating a small animal in distress, so don't use long bursts of sounds loud enough to wake the dead until you're at the end of a calling stint and almost ready to leave. I have a friend who can use a hand call so artfully and imitates a dying rabbit so well that it would bring tears to a strong man's eyes, and coyotes often come in at a run. They're not afraid at all. As the biggest predators around, they can easily take a cottontail or mouse away from the fox, great horned owl, weasel, or mink that's killing it, and a free meal is a free meal. Daytime hunting works well too, though you'll need better cover. If hunting with a friend make sure one of you has a flat shooting rifle and the other a shotgun. Should it get suspicious and hang up out there, the rifle is fine, and if it pops into visibility close, the shotgun is ready. If you're hunting alone with an electronic call, place the call in a bit of grass or cover about 20 yards away. The coyote will concentrate on the call and usually give you an easy shot. Red fox can be taken the same way with an electronic or hand held call, and they're equally interested in a rabbit squeal. But reds are sneaky, suspicious animals that will hardly ever come right in. Every red I've ever called hung up at distances from about 75 to 100 yards, trotted back and forth, then began to circle to get a whiff of what's calling. So, a good, flat shooting rifle with scope is necessary for these. Greys? They're almost extinct in the northern half of the state and fairly rare in the south, but they're absolute suckers for a rabbit squeal or squeaker. One night while standing on a railroad track and waiting for the hounds to track down a raccoon, I tuned up a little bellows-type squeal, and had two greys come crashing through the brush and run right up on the track just 10 feet away. I didn't even have to aim. Deer are susceptible to calls, especially during the last part of the rut when unbred does are scarce and the big bucks are aggressive and hunting hard for those that are left. A deep voiced buck grunt will often bring the dominant male in an area at a run, and rattling antlers can be so effective that it's almost scary. To rattle, use two antlers saved from a previous season and simply rattle them together loudly. You'll be imitating two bucks fighting, so clatter the antlers then stop as if the opponents are gathering breath, then rattle again. A few years ago, friends of mine did some rattling during the rut, and made their stand at the edge of a cornfield with good brush along one side. One man rattled while his partner waited with an arrow nocked, and within a few minutes they heard something freight training through the brush heading their way. A minute later another deer came crashing through the corn throwing stalks in all directions as he beelined toward the callers. "I killed the cornfield buck" the shooter said, "a beautiful 12 point, but for a minute there I didn't know whether to shoot or run." Everyone knows at least the basics of calling spring turkeys to the gun, but a few have learned how to call fall ones, too. You'll not get one using spring calling tactics, but some hunters seek out a flock of mixed birds and simply charge, loud and noisy. The turkeys scatter like a covey of quail, flying in all directions, then the well camouflaged hunter takes a stand right there and opens up with a soft hen cluck. The flock wants to get back together, and some or all will gradually move toward the hen cluck, giving the waiter a good shot. I've not tried this one, but at least four turkey hunters have assured me it works. Finally, you just never know what will come to that call, which makes the sport even more exciting. I had a raccoon come once to a mouse squeak, and a great horned owl nearly land on my head while I was working a squeal. Once a squeal even called in three curious deer who danced around and snorted for several minutes. There's plenty of time to practice if you decide to let them seek you. Rather than vice versa. Dick Martin, a freelance writer from Shelby, is a retired biology teacher who has been writing outdoor columns for more than 30 years. Reach him at richmart@neo.com. You also can visit his blog at outdoorswithmartin.com.