Jackal Calling Sequences

When you call for predators, how do you do it? This may help a little.

I have called for a good few years now, and I have learnt many things from spending actual time in the bush as this is how you get experienced, not in a classroom but being in the bush learning. As the years went by I learnt many things from not calling to long with a sound, to calling not to loud with a sound etc, these are things you learn, and here is another!

JACKAL CALLING SEQUENCES

Try this next time, instead of just making a boring food sound for a jackal get his interest level to rise, get him more interested in your sounds. As an idea, let’s take a man who has a CD with sounds on it. Let’s say its March, so- a general period of a jackal’s cycle, this is before mating season.

So, instead of making a normal food sound for jackal lets mix it up like this;

March is a time that jackals will be very vocal at farms or many parts of the Karoo, you will hear them a lot, and it’s before mating season so a few will be also in search of mates.

So, lets match his yearly cycle and ALSO make his mouth water, here is how;

Start out with a general jackal that’s just barking gently, nothing aggressive just a normal chatting jackal sound. Play that bark to bark say twice and then switch it off, wait about 2 minutes and do it again, now go to a food sound and play food for a few seconds on and off, do this for half a minute and again gooi one jackal bark, then carry on and off with food.

This will sound like a predator has caught a rabbit etc and attacking it, it will get other jackals attention and raise interest, and you can possibly call one in. Try it!

Here is a list of times of the year for a jackal, his yearly chart and sounds to match him and a sequence that will work for you.

January – March

Time; Social Time, vocal and chatty

Typical Sounds to use; Food, Social chatter

Sequence; Jackal social bark x2 and put off the caller – after a minute gooi another bark, put off caller, now start with food medium volume, 5 seconds on and after 20 seconds repeat – carry on for the time you wish.

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(late) March - April

Time; Beginning of early mating season

Typical Sounds to use; Social chatter / Challenge

Sequence; Jackal Challenge but very little, you don’t want to scare away last year’s dogs, - if it is summer at your place use jackal sound with crickets in background on a Foxpro as it works well. Try a little social sound, 3-4 barks every minute. DO NOT OVERCALL, it is not natural. Match a food sound that you have in your area as a trump card, example, if you have Springhares then use a Springhare sound, mix up with a bark.

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April – May - June

Time; Mating season

Typical Sounds to use; Challenge, wounded, aggression – CRYING Jackal

Sequence; Jackal Challenge is good now, 3-4 barks of aggression and pause half minute, repeat again and wait 3 minutes. Repeat again and then straight away hit a WOUNDED JACKAL sound, this will sound like a jackal tried to challenge another and was hurt, it usually works, it worked in Namibia to call Hyena!

 Try if you can - set out two callers, 100m apart, play a challenge on the one and then play a challenge on the other BUT at two totally different volumes, it will sound like they are far apart, then with a mouth caller make a distress sound in the centre – AGAIN we used this in Namibia! It does work.. Try a crying jackal sound if you can on and off every 2 minutes.

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July – August- September

Time; VERY HARD TIME TO CALL

Typical Sounds to use; FOOD

Sequence; This period is hard, females are preggy, and the puppies will be born soon, the male lay around the den and will roam and search for food, but still will be hard to call, they are not eager to answer calls now. Use food in general – you can try a jackal sound that is denned, it may work, but better is a food sound, a juicy sound that is about your best bet now, the normal bread and butter sound.

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October - November

Time; Puppies born / Underground 35%

Typical Sounds to use; FOOD / Puppy distress / Puppy wounded/ Elsneus Teef Female sound

Sequence; Now, the various styles and sequences can be many, try a Elsneus teef for 2-3 barks then off and wait a minute, or try that but after 3 barks go into a wounded puppy or puppy distress or ONLY use a puppy distress without other sounds, or try just a food sound.

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November ( late) & December

Time; Puppies out of den & learning to hunt with adults

Typical Sounds to use; FOOD / Wounded puppy

Sequence; Don’t use jackal vocal sounds now, just use food and wounded puppy; if you play vocal sounds you will chase them away as they will be scared other jackals will hurt their young! Try to use a wounded puppy sound, or make a tjanking noise on a hand call.

If you have two callers place 50m apart and call and swop sounds from one caller to the other, it will sound like the rabbit is moving around and will seem more realistic, or put the caller on your chair and turn, then the sound wave turns and also sounds like a moving animal. These are things that work.

Hope this helps