Unintended predator call?

[James Harvey]

#5209

So I don’t own any predator calls but I do practice the Ishi ‘two fingers to your lips’ every now and then, for no good reason. Well, I was out in the middle of nowhere recently, long bow in hand trying to land a big ol piggy before the rainy season starts, when I came across some dog tracks in a dry creek bed.

Well, I was pretty confident they must have been wild dog tracks given how far I was from anyone and the complete lack of any vehicle or human tracks I’d seen for a long time. So I found a nice thick bush as a back screen with some light foliage about 5 yards in front of me as a front screen that I could see through. Then I started my Ishi calling.

Alas, no dogs came (wild dogs here have ranges of a couple hundred clicks.. hard to pin them down). However I got a lot of raptor attention. One kite came blazing in at my front screen, jagged right, then turned in, face to face with me at about 5 yards on the wing. Thank the gods (Artemis, Ullr, Jahweh, you choose..) that kite could turn on a dime because he did and a repeat of Fabio’s misfortune was avoided.

That was the closest call, but I had a big wedge tail come soaring over me having a look and a couple more kites buzzing around me. Have any of you guys ever had big birds come looking at you when you use predator calls? Do you think they’re likely to keep other predators (like cats and foxes) away? I was quite surprised by their interest. Maybe next time I won’t use such a good front screen so they can see me a ways off and realise my fraud 😉

Jim

[Ralph]

#38306

Been concerned about the intentions of buzzards a couple of times. That count?:D

Seems us old guys have some strange thinkin’ at times.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#38318

Living where I live, I do not predator call in my local mountains. The chance of a large and highly unwelcome visitor is far too great.

But any close encounter with a raptor like that is always fun. 😉

[David Fudala]

#38345

I often have owls come in to my distress calls while out coyote hunting. I usually try not to spook them because if I get more than one they tend to get vocal and the commotion can attract other predators. I’ve had hawks come in too but they tend not to hang around long.

[grumpy]

#38385

NO, but you can catch bats with a fly rod…

[Ptaylor]

#39540

Jim,

Do you mean the wedge-tailed eagle? I had to look that one up.

[James Harvey]

#39659

That’s it Preston. We get some monsters up on the range near here. The one real road that runs through the area is a main truck route between western mines and the port here, so there is an endless supply of roo, pig and deer roadkill, which I imagine must contribute to the size of them. Some look about as big as a pelican… which is pretty darned huge for an eagle!

Bruce, that seems like a fair reason not to use a predator call 😉

Brennan, I saw recently a tally of Howard Hill’s game taken in N.A. and he had shot something like 5 owls… I wondered how he did that and maybe you’ve answered my question 😀

Grumpy… I feel there’s a tale to be told there!

[grumpy]

#41592

Bats on a fly rod. Actually I was on a fly fishing forum 10 or 15 years ago, and the subject came up. Think about it: the trout and bats are eating the same mayfly, and your imitation is good enough to fool the trout. It is flying around in the air among the bats. What could be more natural than catching one of the bats? Yet when it happens (and it happens ALL of the time) its one god awful surprise. Gory details are not Archery, so you can use your imagination. Anything your imagination can come up with has happened. 🙄

[Etter1]

#41975

I have called in crows, hawks, deer, and a pile of predators with them. Always cool stuff.

Had a huge blonde coyote come in on me last night but he picked me out in the tree and I couldn’t “squeak” him back.

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