Calling Fox by Pete Hauer

Twenty eight years ago, as a Pennsylvania resident, I became hooked on calling fox. While I still have much to learn, I have picked up a few tricks and tips that may help a new caller. I now live in Maryland, where we enjoy one of the highest densities of red fox in the states. For the past 5 or 6 years I have used Foxpro callers to hunt predators on the east coast, and it has greatly helped my success calling fox. Utilizing the Foxpro caller will be discussed throughout this article.

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) are both curious and cunning predators. Often it seems one can do no wrong when calling a red that has never been hunted. An uneducated fox will come quickly to a call, whereas a fox that has been hunted unsuccessfully seems to be an entirely tougher animal to call. Topography of the land, weather, scents, breeding seasons, prey animals, prevailing winds and even time of day all affect calling strategies. Perhaps the toughest thing to remember is that you can't call a fox to your sofa!

It is possibly the easiest time to call in a fox when the weather turns downright cold. Under adverse weather conditions, prey animals seek cover and are not as abundant for the fox on the hunt. At the same time, a fox's caloric demands are greatest when the mercury plummets. The best time for calling is usually either the first few hours of daylight or from dusk to several hours after dark. However, if the temps are bitterly cold, a fox may bundle up and sleep during the coldest times of the day and come out to hunt during the warmest part of the mid day sun. Try to figure out when the prey animals are active and you will be on your way to success.

On most morning hunts, I have the greatest success when calling at the first available light of day. That first half hour of daylight seems to be a magical time for morning fox hunts and success generally drops off as the morning progresses. On morning hunts, I will often seek the cover of the woods and will enter my stand site as quietly as I can under the cover of darkness. In my area, fox tend to hunt more open fields when it is dark, and they hunt woodlot thickets hardest at first and last light. A fox that hears slamming car doors or watches a hunter enter the stand is not one that is likely to come to the call. They are remarkably in tune with their natural surroundings and quickly shy away from anything that seems out of place. After I reach my stand I will wait at least five to ten minutes before calling and will only call as soon as I can see well through the scope of my rifle.

Stand location is dictated by many factors. I usually pick a location that gives me a sight and wind advantage. It will also be in a spot that is a transition between hunting and bedding areas. Fox will often bed on crests of hills where there is cover from brush behind them. Many beds I have seen were set up where a fox could hear or smell something coming from behind them and they had a commanding view of the area below their hill. Likewise, deer will also bed in these areas and multiple times I have seen deer and fox bed within 20 yards of each other. Are they just sharing a strategic secure location by nature of the topography, or are they helping each other by looking for mutual signs of danger? The former is most likely.

When choosing a ground level set for fox, I will weigh location, wind direction, thermals (rising or dropping), location of the rising sun and proximity to where I think the fox are at the moment (where are the prey animals right now?). I try to set up where a fox will have to approach the stand from either my front or from the sides. If he enters from behind me, it is difficult to turn around for the shot without spooking the animal. The great majority of the time, fox will often try to enter downwind of the caller. However, there are ways to prevent getting winded by the fox. The hunter can utilize the topography of the land, very steep embankments, geographical features like streams and rivers, or heavy brush to steer a fox that is coming to the call.

Setting up your location with the Foxpro caller is very easy because you are only positioning a small lightweight caller with no wires attached. If you have the remote, life just got even easier for you the hunter. I find I have best success when I set up my caller either crosswind or upwind of me. With a crosswind, I will place the caller directly in front of me and the fox will usually enter from the downwind at my side. I may well set up where the fox can't get directly downwind of me by using a stream or steep embankment that is downwind. This forces the fox to cut crosswind to the caller and he won't enter my scent path. When calling, I religiously wear clean 18" tall rubber boots and have my pant legs tucked in the boots. When a predator with a great sense of smell crosses your path, they often pick up microscopic skin particles that have rubbed off your legs and fallen to the ground. By tucking your pant legs in your boots, you have just cut down on the scent you will leave on the trail.

If the setup is ideal, many fox will come to the Foxpro caller in a relatively short length of time. Be prepared BEFORE you turn on the caller. I have had fox show up within 5-10 seconds of turning on the FOXPRO! Getting into the location quietly is a major advantage. When soft snow covers the ground, it is a great time for calling. I have often had very fast responses after setting up in this condition. I believe the reasons for this are two-fold. First, the fox doesn%u2019t hear the hunter move into calling position, and secondly, they are able to run fast to a calling location without making much noise themselves. This is a big advantage to a predator that is trying to get to a prey animal. A quiet approach keeps them from being detected by either the prey animal or another predator that may already be on the scene.

I have learned to place the Foxpro caller above the ground whenever I can. In the woods, you can hang it from a branch on one of many saplings, on a fence post or anything that gets it off the ground. The reason for this is simple. Many fox come running to the call and quickly either hit your scent path or figure out a caller has duped them. They will usually run off fast and will most often retreat towards the direction from where they approached. They will run towards that direction because they know their back trail was safe. If the caller is elevated, they will run in and focus their attention on the caller, which they can't reach. I have shot many fox with their front legs up on fence posts or saplings while they are looking up at the caller. I learned this after having many fox run to the caller on the ground; knock it over and retreat at high speed when they figured out what was happening. Those fox are much tougher to call the next time. Normally I set up with either my back to a tree to break up my outline, or I set up behind a fallen tree. My rifle is on safe and generally pointed in the direction of the caller when I start calling. This minimizes movement when the target animal shows up.

It could be just that I am not fond of getting up at 4:30am for cold morning hunts, but I tend to have the most success hunting fox in the evening. In truth, it probably has more to do with their eating patterns than my will to get out of bed in the morning! On an evening hunt, I believe they are often more hungry than at first light of the morning. Keep in mind, fox will often feed heavily just before daylight. This allows them to sleep during daylight hours when they are less active. While some may consider red fox to be predominantly nocturnal, I think they are mostly crepuscular animals, which are most active at dusk and dawn.

REGARDING EVENING HUNTS FOR RED FOX (MY FAVORITE)

Fox tend to be cagey animals that prefer the cover of brush while they hunt during late daylight hours. In my area, they will usually hunt the thickets at dusk before they head to the fields for mice and rabbits. In hunting season, they usually don't enter the fields till last light and hunt hardest during the first few hours of darkness. While it is legal to hunt at night in Maryland, I usually try to get in a set or 2 at dusk when the light is waning. Because our deer and fox seasons overlap, I often do double hunts for deer and predators (bow hunting) from the same stand. I will locate likely trails in the thickets close to the fields the deer are using at night. Because fox tend to be comfortable in thickets, they will often respond quickly on an evening hunt in that location. It is likely their bellies are growling by dusk as well, since they haven't eaten much during the mid day hours. I have found hunting from a tree stand at dusk and in the thickets is usually the most effective for me.

Think about it, you just sat quietly deer hunting for several hours elevated at 30 feet and you are now in the area the fox is hunting. There is no set up noise and you are at a sight advantage in a tree. A quick check with a silica powder wind tester will reveal what the thermals are doing in your area. When tree stand hunting, I like to position my stand on the opposite side of the woods from where I will likely see fox. With the trunk of the tree concealing your movement, it allows you to either draw your bow or raise your gun without being seen by the fox. It also allows you to utilize the side of the trunk as a rifle rest. If possible, try to set up with the sun behind you in relation to where you expect to see an approaching fox. It will keep glare out of your eyes and will also make it tougher for the approaching fox to spot you in the tree. The tree stand hunter has the ability to see a fox coming through the thicket because he is looking from above. This also creates safer shot angles in areas with housing close by. I like to set up where prevailing winds will take my scent over a ridge and I am usually near the edge of a hill with the valley at my downwind side. My scent will loft over the hill and dissipate more effectively before it reaches the ground. Keep in mind some days you see cold dropping thermals (easier to get winded by the fox) and other times, you still have warm rising thermals from a warm day. A powder tester will tell you when and where you have to shoot that fox before he winds you.

REGARDING THE WEATHER

We spoke a bit about cold weather being good for calling and generally that is so. However, many guys will stay inside when it rains or if it is windy. In truth, fox have to deal with changing weather on a daily basis and we should learn to adapt and figure out where the animal is when certain weather hits. At times I have found adverse weather can actually help your situation. Remember that fox wants to eat every day regardless of the weather. Adverse weather can cause the prey animals to be scarce and that means hungry fox that respond to a call faster. I have called in quite a few reds in light rain, but personally see a drop in activity in heavy rain. Wind on the other hand can create logistical problems for the caller. If really heavy winds are present, the sounds from your calls don't travel very far and you need to cut the distance between stands. However, you can use the wind to your advantage if you figure out where the animals go for windbreaks. Generally, I find them more concentrated in valleys and on the downwind side of hills. If you call on the windy side of the mountain or on top, you may be in for a long and unsuccessful hunt. Realize this, go to the windbreak side of the mountain, and spend more time in the valleys. Where to put the moon phases in this equation? Many hunters find tough hunting for predators when there is a full moon and I generally agree with that for fox around this area. I do believe full moons make it easier for the predator to do his hunting at night when he feels most secure. I am not sure what the best advice is for full moon hunting except to say I have had some full moon days that provided some good hunts at mid day hours. I believe their feeding patterns are thrown off causing them to eat at slightly different hours. Fox are creatures of habit...

After spending considerable time in a tree stand in prime fox country, I have come to realize fox are indeed creatures of habit. Many times I have watched the same fox time and again use the same trail, visit the same brush piles, mark the same scent posts day after day and you could almost set your watch by some of them. More often than not fox in this area will use a predictable route through the thickets around dusk heading to fields where they go mousing and rabbit hunting. If you get to know these routes well enough, you will pick up some fox without even calling. I often hunt these transition corridors in early season and may even hunt them without calling. If I manage to kill a few fox without associating the sound of calling with a gunshot, I can hunt that spot more times before they get wise to the game. Many old time trappers set up their own corridors by placing things that fox like on the location. In the case of trapping, it could be something as simple as a dirt mount that is higher than the existing land. Hay bales are good examples of structures fox will climb to get a better view of their surroundings. With time, a keen eye will even be able to tell you, which trail is the trail the fox uses to come to that landmark. He will have an entrance and exit route.

Scent posts are visited regularly and marked daily in many cases. This could be a lone tuft of grass in a field at a corner of fields, a fence post or any other structure that draws their attention. Speaking of trails, fox will use deer trails to their advantage and I have seen this many times. Watch a fox cross a field where there are a number of deer trails and often he will be following a trail the entire time. Beaten down trails and dirt roads allow the fox to slip through the woods and fields quietly, which is needed to stalk up on any animal they are hunting. Another prime time to hunt deer trails is after a fresh snow that is more than six inches deep. Fox will follow beaten down deer trails in the snow to get to the same thickets the deer are using. They save energy instead of breaking trail themselves. This is less of an issue when the snow is heavily crusted with ice and a fox can walk on top without breaking through.

Along these same lines, I have noticed that fox LOVE to walk on fallen tree trunks. Consider a 60-foot oak that has fallen, and realize the fallen trunk can provide a means for the fox to enter an area with squirrels without making a sound, even when the fall leaves are crunchy. I have hunted freshly timbered areas with many downed trees on the ground. It was here I called fox directly under my stand without hearing them approach. The fox were literally jumping from tree trunk to tree trunk and passing silently. It was a real eye opener and I learned to be extra vigilant with visual scans in these areas.

WHAT CALLS TO USE?

This is perhaps the most often asked question and the hardest for me to answer. There is no golden bullet of calls that will work EVERY time plain and simple. What works today may be a bust tomorrow and you need to learn to read the situation at hand to be successful. The wide variety of calls offered by FOXPRO is tremendously helpful when targeting a call shy red.

I usually start all my calling stands with some quiet time to allow Mother Nature to get back to normal. When a human enters the woods, he creates a situation that disrupts the natural happenings of other animals. Give yourself 10 minutes to just be quiet and take in what the woods are telling you. If you enter the woods and spook all the squirrels, a fox already knows something isn't right about the situation. Let them get back to feeding and let the birds get back to chirping and singing their songs. That way when a fox is coming, you will again hear the disruption of the natural prey animals. Squirrels and birds will often scold a hunting red and this is a direct tip off that one is headed your way and from what direction he is headed. I start all my stands with just a few squeaks of a squeaker bulb. It could be a specialized squeaker just for predators or one you stole from your dog's toy. Personally, I like the high-pitched squeakers and get the best response from them. A few squeaks are sufficient, but overdoing it is similar to a chipmunk that is screaming danger to everything in the woods. In this case, less truly is more, as the saying goes. I have seen the results of my hitting the squeaker too hard and too fast and it caused the fox to turn and leave. They are used to getting busted by squirrels and chipmunks and leave the scene when it happens for they are wasting their time to stalk an area when it has been warned of danger. What never ceases to amaze me is their uncanny ability to key into an exact location after only a few squeaks. I have lip squeaked, squeaked with a bulb or even used a cork in a bottle and had them come across a field directly to my location. Less IS more with squeakers. If you see a fox a distance away, give him a few squeaks and see how he responds. If he comes your way, stop squeaking and let him come. He has already locked in on your location. If he hangs up, give another squeak or 2 and see how he reacts. Generally, if I have one headed my way, I shut up and let him come. I want him to hunt me and not just watch me from a distance while looking for the exact thing making the noise. Calling continuously during daylight hours is a good way to get busted by a wary fox. Sooner or later, he may well catch you moving if you keep squeaking.

If nothing shows up within a minute or two, I will call with either a mouth call or my Foxpro Caller. I use both in conjunction on almost every hunt and they compliment each other well. A nice feature of the Foxpro caller is that it can be used in very cold weather and is only limited by its batteries. It will not freeze up like a mouth call can. However, a dry chemical heat pack (50 cents) rubber banded to the battery pack can be a good idea if you are calling in frigid temps. Generally speaking, with no moving parts and solid-state components, the Foxpro is very easy on batteries and gives long use on a single set. In very cold weather, I like to keep my remote control either in my chest pocket or in a jacket pocket with a hand warmer. Simply put, it keeps 9-volt battery functioning and the remote distance range will remain unaffected.

I guess if there were one piece of advice I would give callers about calling fox, it would be to not call too loudly. Lets face it, prey animals don't often scream for a half hour at peak volume and a fox knows that in my opinion. I start out calling low and for short periods of approximately one minute. I will leave a break for maybe a minute and listen for footsteps or other animals warning of a predator coming. Chipmunks, squirrels, blue jays and crows will all give warning of a fox in the area and you need to listen for their warning calls. If I still see nothing, I will call louder for a short period of maybe a minute or two. I will raise the volume and then let it die back during the latter part of the sequence. I figure if I got the attention of a cooperative red, he is headed my way and likely in a hurry. Keep in mind the overwhelming majority of reds I have called and killed responded within the first 3 minutes of calling on a fresh stand. If I leave the volume high, it may well spook him as he gets closer. Back to another minute of silence and listen for warnings from prey animals. Follow it up with one or two more sets of quiet calling and silence.

I like sporadic calling because this keeps the fox interested enough to hunt YOU, whereas with constant calling I have seen them sit back and watch till they caught movement from the hunter. That light bulb went off in my head one day when I saw a red leave my set from about 150 yds after I wiped my nose while in my tree stand! Lesson learned. The key during this time is to remain motionless. If a fox hears predictable and constant calling, they may well hang up a couple hundred yards away on a distant ridge and watch your location. I think they are looking to see what is creating the pain to the prey animal they are seeking. I have seen two occasions where a fox ran to an owl that was in the process of killing a rabbit and once to an owl killing a squirrel. In one instance I saw the fox take a rabbit from an owl that I couldn't identify the species of. I never did see what the final outcome was with the other rabbit, but I think the third fox got the squirrel. I saw him leave with something in his mouth but never did positively ID the animal. I also don't think every fox necessarily wants to tangle in a fight for his food. This is usually not a problem with a big male red, as he will charge in and do battle with a lesser fox for his meal. I haven't seen that with smaller fox or what I thought was a female. In THIS area we are JUST starting to see an occasional coyote and calling strategies may have to change quickly, for I don't think there is a red in this world that would tangle with a coyote for a meal! Oddly enough, probably 90-95% of my called in fox have been males and I think this has to do with the fact they are more apt to fight another fox for their meal.

What the Foxpro Caller does do is to give you many options. It is a lightweight caller that is loud and clear and also very easy to operate. For fox my #1 favorite call would have to be the woodpecker in distress followed by chicken, kitten, rabbit, rodent, groundhog, squirrel, red and gray fox pup distress, blue jay, and flicker. While all these calls will work, the best call in a given situation may be determined by many factors. I try to use a call first that represents a favored food source in that area. For instance, farmers who were losing chickens and cats have called me to come to a few locations, and those calls on the Foxpro called in seven fox in several nights.

GIVE THEM SOMETHING THEY HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE

This past season, I had a call shy red I had a hard time getting. He had predictable patterns, but wouldn't come out till it was pitch dark. I would call using my favorite calls, but he knew the game and tired of it quickly while making a fool of me. I would hide in a streambed and wait for darkness to cover the field he hunted. After playing my calls, he would come out to investigate, wander through some cattle and hang up at maybe 300 yds. I just couldn't get him close enough for a good nighttime shot with positive ID.

After thinking long and hard about it, I realized the streambed and pasture I was in often held ducks and geese. I gave him a break for a week or two and came back to the streambed with plenty of daylight. I sat there and waited for dark to cover the field black. I went straight to a feeding mallard call and that fox came right in as if on a string. I think he thought he would have an easy meal with mallards in the streambed in the dark. He was an older fox with worn down canines and a beautiful coat.

That was probably my most satisfying hunt because it taught me a lesson I have not forgotten. That lesson was to think about what the fox truly wants and expects to hear. Another example of this might be the reds I called in Pennsylvania while turkey hunting. It seemed every year I called in fox while giving turkey hen yelps. While I haven't used that successfully here, I am betting it would work in those areas. We don't have turkeys where I hunt fox in this county.

I have tried switching sounds on a single set and found out a few things. It seems if you bang through different calls in short order, my success ratio drops. However, I have seen fox respond to different calls on a set if you let 10 or 15 minutes pass between call types. That could be explained by a different fox just coming into hearing range in that time, but I will never be sure. I do know I have switched calls many times on a set, but usually only have positive responses if I give it some time between call changes. Enter the breeding season...

In late winter, red fox are breeding in earnest. Normal rules of calling can sometimes go right out the window and one must adapt to these temporary changes. While using prey calls can still work, this is a good time to institute the use of fox vocalizations. This time of year (January around here) the fox will become much more vocal as fights between males occur and both females and males will call for a mate. I have witnessed fox breeding several times and it is interesting to say the least. Similar to dogs, fox will couple till the job is done and males have a baculum bone in their penis. Once coupled, a male may drag around the female and it usually gets quite noisy! This past January, I was sighting in a few rifles at my gun club where we have a many red fox. We heard the hoarse raspy bark of quite a few males probably calling for a mate as well as calling to defend their territory. There was an extremely loud set of barking, growling and snapping foxes just over the side of the shooting berm. This noise continued for ten or fifteen minutes, and another shooter and I went for a look. A male and female had coupled and the male was dragging the female around in backward fashion. It was the loudest vocalization I have ever heard by fox of any kind. It also drew in another male fox. He definitely wanted in on the action and was literally fighting the male that was in the process of breeding.

While calling during the breeding season, I have witnessed more pairs or groupings than any other time of the year, with the possible exception of females with pups in the spring. One evening, I was calling at a farm and was situated on top of a 5 level stack of round hay bales. The farmer%u2019s son wanted to see what calling was all about and he had joined me on top of the bales. I was calling across a field to a section of woods with my Foxpro caller. We saw sets of raccoon eyes in several trees as well as several fox in both the field and in the woods. While the fox were looking our way, they weren't responding by coming any closer. I was using a woodpecker in distress call and decided to switch calls to a red fox in distress call. Quickly after changing calls several fox entered the field. After I shined the light on the fox, we watched the fox raced towards each other.

Of the three fox in the field, I don't know how many were males versus females. They were sprinting around like racehorses at top speed. To me, it looked like two males pursuing a female, but I am not sure. At any rate, it was two larger fox chasing a slightly smaller fox. At the speed and distance they were traveling, there was no chance for a shot. January is the time of year I have the strongest response to fox vocalizations and this makes sense when you consider their breeding cycle. At the current time, the Foxpro staff is working on more fox vocalization calls and you can bet I will be trying them out this December and January.

TECHNIQUES FOR NIGHT HUNTING

There are predator hunters who believe you educate many more predators when calling at night. The theory is that many of the called animals will see you and not vice versa. It also helps associate the sound of the caller with lights and gunshots which predators don't like. To consider the other side of the coin some hunters believe that predators let down their guard and are more likely to come to a call when they are under the secure cover of darkness. Probably both of these ideas have some merit to them.

When calling at night, I typically use an elevated position for a better view of the surrounding area. In my case, this is often stacked hay bales in a field where fox like to hunt mice and rabbits. I will position the caller to make it difficult for the animal to cut downwind of my location. Also, keep in mind, dropping cold thermals are often the kiss of death to a caller who is trying to remain unscented by the fox. At night you tend to not have the rising thermals like you would during the morning hunt. A quick squirt with a powder wind tester will reveal what the thermals are doing at your set. Use your tester often and set up accordingly to have the wind and thermals working to your advantage. Another benefit if you set up high on the edge of a hay bale, you tend to have less stray light revealing your location. If the spotlight is held in front of you and forward of the leading edge of the hay bale, your spotlight will not light up your calling location. This can be a problem when you set up on the ground and stray beams from the edges of your spotlight light up the ground around you. Many guys will use a tube around their spotlight to cut down on glare on their front scope lens as well as the surrounding area.

If it is safe to do so, I usually walk to my sets without any light and choose a route that keeps me from being seen. Most often I will work the woodlot thickets next to the fields at last light. This is a staging area that fox will hunt at dusk before they enter the fields under the cloak of darkness. I move to the actual fields when it is completely dark. While I am not a proponent of continuous calling during the daylight hours, I tend to prefer longer calling times on night hunts. I have seen fox simply leave the area when the caller was turned off. Perhaps they think whatever has killed the prey animal is now trying to eat it. At any rate, I would say I do better at night with more continual calling.

REGARDING SPOTLIGHTS FOR THE JOB

In this area, I simply use handheld spotlights with rechargeable batteries. I prefer a red filter that is easy to remove if possible. I have tried amber filters, but fox seem to spook more easily with them. There are many ways to hunt with spotlights at night. Quite a few hunters from western states leave the light on and directed slightly above the area they are scanning. Stray reflected light will reveal a fox coming towards you as it picks up their characteristic eye shine. The problem is if you are hunting without a vehicle and corded light, this wears down a rechargeable battery fast and your sets will be limited by battery time. Personally I choose to use relatively bright rechargeable cordless spotlights for brief periods at a time. If calling many sets or when calling in battery killing cold weather, I may carry 2 or 3 lights with me at a time.

I will call at a set and give it about 30 seconds before I shine my light. I will sweep at a moderate pace above the field to see if any fox have started working their way towards my location. If I see a fox out a couple hundred yards, I will turn off my light and continue calling till I think he may be within gun range. Generally, I am using a bipod and have my scope magnification turned down. I always positively ID my target before my finger gets anywhere near the trigger. Once a fox is identified and is within gun range I will position my spotlight either along the side of the forearm or under it. In those locations, you will not have a problem with glare on your scope.

With a bright light you usually don't have much time to shoot before a fox decides it is time to leave. If you have a problem getting on target quickly, your success rate will be rather low. I have seen very few fox that would tolerate a bright light for any length of time.

This article outlines the basics of how I hunt fox in either Pennsylvania or Maryland. If hunting from a vehicle out west, techniques may vary, and especially so if the animal is a Gray Fox. The Grays I have called generally come much faster to a call and are much more likely to hang around for the shot when called. This may also vary depending upon the area and how much pressure the animals have received.

Like any form of calling, the more ground you can cover, the better. I don't tend to stay at any of my sets for very long. If a fox is going to commit to the call in this area, it usually happens relatively quickly. Staying longer at a set has not caused my numbers of fox to increase. Rather, it limits how many sets I can cover in an evening. In this area, if a hunter wants to increase his numbers of called fox, more property is the best way to do it. If you can find unhunted property, your odds of killing fox there are greatest the first time you hunt it.

WHY CHOOSE FOXPRO CALLERS?

FOXPRO callers have been on the market for quite a few years and they are built by hunters for hunters. There is no doubt FOXPRO has revolutionized the industry and set the standard for digital callers. They have the longest warranty in the business and their callers handle the most demanding conditions with ease. FOXPRO currently has eleven individuals around the country that they have chosen as field staff. All of these men are dedicated and demanding predator callers who are asked to test the Foxpro equipment as well as new and existing sounds under the toughest calling conditions. This provides the feedback needed to enable Foxpro to continually improve their already fine product. Foxpro also gives careful consideration to their customer%u2019s feedback when it comes to designing new models.

Most notably, Mike and John Dillon of FOXPRO are good people to work with. Their word is as good as it gets in this industry and their customer service is second to none. Over time, they continue to add to their list of available call sounds and they have built up quite a call library. Their electronic callers are lightweight, loud, clear, have external speaker jacks may have remote capability or timers for delayed start, and audio inputs. The programmable models are simple to program and may even be changed in the field. I have used my FOXPRO callers in frigid and hot temperatures, in the snow and rain, and have never had a malfunction. They have incredibly long battery life and their remotes work as advertised. They are durable callers that continue to work well for many years.

With all this in mind, I also want to mention NO caller is the "Golden Bullet" when it comes to predator hunting. Even with the greatest equipment on the planet, the hunter still has to HUNT to be consistently successful. If you slam car doors, skyline yourself, make noise setting up, don't pay attention to the prevailing winds, etc, you will have a poor percentage regardless of what caller you are using. Some hunters question whether they want to spend their money on a high quality caller such as the FOXPRO, although they may not think twice about spending much more on a rifle. What they don%u2019t seem to realize is the FOXPRO will continue to call predators into close range for many years to come. Much like a good rifle, the purchase of a Foxpro caller is an investment that will pay dividends for years to come. After having used these callers for quite a few years, I can tell you they are definitely worth the price.