African Predator

In this edition we discuss an important subject, what call to use when, this is very important as well as echoes, day /night sounds, understanding the moon and what to do when we cannot hunt. We must utilize the days when we cannot hunt and make these unproductive days into productive periods to help us out in other ways.

Predators are erratic and hard to figure out, predators don’t think like we do, they don’t plan for tomorrow or the next few hours, they do whatever their gut tells them to do next, it is this unpredictable behaviour that sets them apart, it is this behaviour that has allowed them to survive all these years. The key to hunting jackal is to know what call to use when, that’s a vital point often overlooked by hunters, get to know your area and match the times of the year.

This subject must be addressed in serious detail as it will be your success or failure. I know a lot of hunters I have spoken to that use the incorrect sound; it is fairly safe to say that one can use a food sound all year as that’s a natural sound that will get interest levels up amongst predators. However if we use our imagination we can use sounds far more appealing to a jackal, a sound that will interest him even more. For instance I use a jackal yapping call. It sounds like a young jackal about 7-8 months old, goes yap yap, yap yap, makes small “tjank” sounds that are very effective in the time young ones are out and starting to walk around, late Nov/ Dec. This gets interest and it kills. So, to make appropriate sounds at the correct time of the year is important. Even more is don’t use the wrong sounds as you will chase away a jackal- for instance, don’t play a social barking sound when little ones are out as a female will never come in as she will be scared those jackals will injure her pups. So, think like a jackal to catch a jackal.

Here is a simple yearly chart that I work by, some areas may be a slight bit different, so give it a month more on each end of the seasons to be sure if you don’t know your area very well. To begin you can use a standard predator distress caller during the year, you will pull in a predator no doubt about it, but getting more involved with sounds increases results.

APRIL ( Half month) Social period Lots of jackals chatting is good mix with food

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AUGUST (Late) Use a lonely Jackal looking for company as July & August is hard to call Jackals, possibly the hardest time of the entire cycle, so try a lonely dog looking for company.

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SEPTEMBER Puppy rearing time (puppy’s underground) FOOD SOUNDS Fawn- Rabbit

NOVEMBER Puppy’s up and about time (Puppy’s out) PUPPY DISTRESS CALLS / FOOD

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In September also try a jackal sound that they make outside a den, then mix with a male alpha call, it will make the resident Jackal male cross, and he will possible come in to kick that other dogs ass! So try to trick them.

· Luscious Lips

· Scrub Hare Distress

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May is an extremely aggressive period, a male jackal is worked up in May and will protect his area, use a challenge caller, and it’s a killer! This is a yearly advisory chart that you can work to, it will give you a very good idea of times of the year and what call to use. For the cat chart it is far simpler. I have a CD with squeaky sounds on to use during the year, it works well, but better is a standard fawn crying type sound, remember cats like a lot of busy calling, not dead faded out sounds, it must be awake and really active sounding for better results on cats. I have also found calling on a slight wind has given me good results. On some farms using a distress caller all year works well so never discount that hand call for both jackal and lynx!

For a better call for cats, buy a Tweety caller or open reeded call and make squeaky sounds, my personally made cat killer is a good call also, see my website on the main page called CAT KILLER. On an electronic caller like a Foxpro get Luscious Lips and a sound called SCUB HARE, both deadly cat calls.

If you are a Northern Cape resident like me and operate in jurisdictions of Sutherland, Touwsrivier, Laingsburg and Beaufort West I would suggest to you to not use a straight forward rabbit sound, a sound more commonly known as a Jackrabbit. I repeat, rather not use it, rather go for a sound more mouth watering, that of a small animal that’s endangered in these areas, namely the Riverine rabbit. These small rabbits make a very nice tasty and delicious meal to any predator, they know it as well!!!!!!!! So, use a smaller rabbit sounding call, use a cottontail sound.

I hunted in Ladismith on a weekend a year ago, after a successful weekend of calling black backed jackal we decided to get up early and set up, after sitting in the darkness for two hours we started calling 2 hours before it got light. The area we hunted was deserted, so I stopped next to a dust road. After calling for 20 minutes with a CASS CREEK I saw eyes, big ones at 200 yards. After turning down the volume it took the cat another 15 minutes to cover 70 yards. At 130 m he sat on a sandy patch, I could make him out in the scope with the white sand around him, my partner dropped him were he stood- The call I used was a COTTONTAIL on the Cass Creek. Cass Creek electronics are good for the price you pay for them (about R300-00) but sounds tend to be a little scratchy. However they do work, my only problem is you cant put your own sounds on them and they have no genuine jackal sounds.

In my opinion after years of experience I would say generally mid April and May are a jackals most aggressive periods, going into his area and barking with aggression or a challenge call will really make that dog mighty angry, this is the time he has settled in to a breeding pattern with a new mate or resident dog, and by you doing a challenge call of aggression will really make him angry and chances are good he will come looking for you. Late June, July and August is the worst time to call Jackals.

Remember it is important to work out your area and the jackal cycle, some areas and the breeding times are very different to others, the above is just a guideline to areas I have hunted. With regards to a jackals active period in an evening I would say when it’s a quarter to half moon he is more active. Generally speaking they begin moving around an hour before it gets dark to about 10-11 at night. Then again from about 5 in morning to an hour after it gets light, and as I mentioned if it’s misty & overcast in the day and again if it drizzles at night, these are productive times.

A good call I use is a woodpecker sound, this is an inviting sound, a sound many lynx have made a mistake by coming into. Rabbit sounds are ok, but fawn is definitely better. Because it is hard to pin point when a lynx has little ones, it makes sense to play a squeaky sound but as I say a standard fawn sound is good, next time at that same farm use a riverine rabbit. I have shot kittens in December, July, August and March at the same farm, so a special time of the year for breeding does not affect these cats much, although books tend to say summer, I have proven they breed anytime. They teach kittens to hunt when older and sheep lose is higher.

Cazando con reclamo that’s Spanish for hunting with a call. Your Reclamo must be good to outwit that predator, so know when and at what times to use those calls.

This is often an aspect overlooked by callers and hunters, many guys don’t know that times of the day or night require different sounds to attract predatory animals. As you are aware we don’t hear Jackals barking and howling in the day, so it’s not a good idea to use a CD with live jackals on during daylight hours or as it gets light. That’s a pretty foolish move that will not get many results, if any at all. We must match the predator’s moves to outwit him. As it gets light in the day the best sound is a sort of lets call it an across the board type of call, one that’s good to call cats and jackals as well.

This call must be set up on your CD or electronic and be in place before it gets light, so when the light is right you push play and let the electronics play the bunny blues or fawn sounds. The other option is blowing a mouth caller but this practise in the day is more difficult as your movements will give you away. To hear a distressed animal can be anytime so this will not direct suspicion and caution a predator’s way. In the day you will be required to sit still, sun behind you and be elevated without a truck, but this we will cover in more detail later on, day hunting brings out the educated animals.

It is also quite an interesting topic to discuss as to why a rabbit screams in the way it does, and all predator hunters are very used to the bunny blues being played at night, but do you know why bunnies scream? It’s no stranger to the hunter, using a standard bunny in distress sound. Generally

its thought that a rabbit screams when its caught by a predator because its in pain. NOT SO!!! It s actually a last straw kind of tactic to get away from a predator, also you will have observed that often when you call you might find a rabbit close and he is in no way bothered about that distress sound you make. Well, it’s not a bunny beware predators are around kind of warning they make when screaming it’s actually quite the opposite, it’s a way to call in other predators so that the predator that has just caught a rabbit will find himself face to face with another predator, this is the rabbits whole game plan, now the two predators must tangle to keep the prize, this affords the rabbit to make a getaway. This is why a rabbit screams when caught by a predator; it’s a sort of last attempt for survival.

Never just call in one direction : When we think of calling and sound, it is important to remember that sound travels and changes its pitches, wave lengths and the surround sound we try project is constantly changing, so when you call with a hand call the sound you hear is not what that predator hears. He hears that sound in a different wave length and pitch, so try to create what modern high tech radios have, namely surround sound. Don’t just blow the call I one direction, turn in circles when you blow at the back of the truck, change direction and blow in a full circle. This will ALSO give the impression that a distressed animal is moving and not sitting still. After all, a distressed animal turns and does not sit still so, make the sound change direction, this will simulate a moving animal. When we call that sound will bounce of mountains etc, so the more we make it a simulated movement the more it will seem more realistic to a predator.

If using a shooting stool, fit a caller to your chair, and speaker also, then as the chair turns so to does that speaker, and then from a distance because of the turning the sounds will change in highs and lows and the predator will think that rabbit is moving around as the sound waves are always changing! Now that’s a clever trick! One I use all the time!

See my site here

http://www.africanpredator.com/electronic.html scan down and you will see the speaker on my chairs armrest with my mp3 player and small amplifier.

I have a rule, if I promote or use something I show that I do!

This is a topic often asked by hunters, this sequence is directed at hunting jackal during a social time of the year as we noted before being January to early April. When I begin calling I always first scan before any calling in case a predator is walking around close by. Then I begin with a very soft call, like a coaxer caller also more commonly known as a mouse squeaker. ALWAYS BEGIN SOFTLY IN CASE A PREDATOR IS NEARBY!!! This call I use very softly in the beginning when calling, making a very low pitch squeak with the call, it is a very appetising call and definitely gets a meat eaters attention fast!

This call I blow for about 5-7 minutes, after about 4-5 squeaks I stop, scan with the light going at least twice in a circular motion, never less than once in case I miss eyes on the first scan. After I put out the light I blow again for 4-5 times, wait 15 seconds and do it again. After the 4^th series I again light up the area. After 5-7 minutes if I have not observed any eyes I go over to a more hectic call that of a larger rabbit, fawn, or piglet or whatever I have decided to use after the rabbit squeaks. Remember while calling with your mouth call to blow in different directions, and then from a distance it sounds like that rabbit is moving around.

I start the fawn or rabbit medium pitch so it travels within 400-500 metres, most predator calls get that kind of range at night easily. Remember at night the sound travels much further than what it would in the day, as at night we have no air pollution like the heat etc. I carry on calling with that pitch for at least 10 – 15 minutes. Thereafter I go to a longer range of 700-800 yards. A good call as TNT or Lohman, Circe, Haydels or Wiley will have no problem in getting that range.

REMEMBER this important tip!!!!!!!!!! We all know a jackal will make his area for breeding as far away from human contact as possible, SO!!! If you are calling at the time of the year when puppies are under the ground like OCTOBER then REMEMBER that if you call long range the dogs will hear that call and they will chances are be far from you, so give them time to get to your location, don’t give up to early! WAIT LONGER!

Finally if I am hunting in jackal country in late April, May, June and I have not got an electronic caller, I will use a South African product made by us called a jackal adult and puppy barker. This caller is good to use in May as I mentioned and all you do is bark aggressively in a jackal’s area. He will become severely aggressive and look for the intruder. Then again in November you can use that barking call again when the puppy is out and about, by barking then and imitating a puppy the mother will approach thinking a little one is in trouble- unlucky her! This is an idea as to how I conduct my hunts, and note these are night hunting routines, day hunting will be very different.

For hunting of the felines remember cats like busy noisy sounds, a cat gets bored very fast! So, for him make busy active sounds, the concept can be carried out in the same way as I described above with the mouse squeaker first and then over to the short and long range call.

My hand made CAT KILLER CALLER.

BUT remember a cat takes his time, he travels far to get to you so where you call for 35 minutes for a jackal call for at least 55 minutes for a cat. I keep record of EVERY hunt I do, and 99 percent of all the cats I have called came in after 40 minutes. Because of a cats nature being slow to respond we must give him the time to get to us. If I want to change my tactics I will use my CASS CREEK electronic on a very low woodpecker setting and later turn it up. A cat cannot avoid a distressed woodpecker, it is a really juicy sounding call, and also squarely attracts jackals.

As I commented on before, I would say a hunter equipped with a squeaker call, rabbit distress call and a barking call will be sufficiently equipped with correct ammunition for the hunt. I do not want to talk figures, so I will just say that over the years the amount of cats I have called in with a mouse squeaker / coaxer call is proof that it’s a deadly companion to have, and a sure acquisition to get. On a predator calling course I did in 2004 in Sutherland I called 3 cats in 2 nights, and back in Cape Town that week later on a farm in Philadelphia I called in another lynx that the client missed! These cats all were outsmarted by a squeaker. This is yet another reason why I like a Lohman / Circe MVP-4 predator call as it has a squeaker built in, so to does the Haydel’s cottontail caller. I also now use my personally built CAT KILLER game call, seen in above photo at second from bottom.

This is the one if not the most important topic regarding calling besides a calling LOCATION. I went calling with a caller once on a full moon, he used a black truck and had a large gap between the red lens and the white light he was using, so you know exactly how many predators we killed that night! This individual mentioned to me he had hunted predators successfully for over 3 years! The moon is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. This will determine the outcome of your hunt. Jackal are active over a quarter moon condition, but they can see well as can cats, you can hunt a jackal on a quarter moon as long as you don’t move much, have good telescope, stay well camouflaged, call well, and don’t call him to close.

A cat will spot you EASILY on a quarter moon, I can honestly say that in all the cats I have called in my time, and that’s quite a sum I don’t think I have if 2 times called a cat on a moon condition, from a tiny slit in the sky showing a moon – this is already to much. They can see very very well. Make no mistake; they are out and about on moon nights as they can hunt and see better. For jackal a quarter moon will offer many hunters with more powerful scopes of 17 power and up more advantages than hunting the jackal on a dark night. But they DO still move around. You may find that if you hunt jackal on a no moon condition they may get really close to you, not like moon hunting.

All my farms I hunt on are cat and jackal active farms, SO I naturally choose a night that’s will suit both, and if it’s before a rain storm even better!!!! These are all my tips I am offering as they work for me.

To be successful means to understand the moon and how it changes or moves cycle. This will give you an easy way to grasp the concept, as I said every year the moon cycle changes so if you read this in 3 years time and I give times then by that date it will change. So I will work this an easy way.

Every year the moon comes out earlier. In winter it gets dark faster and in summer much later, so after a full moon in winter you can hunt two days afterwards, the moon will pop over the horizon about an hour an half later, by then you have finished hunting, but summer you will have to wait 4 days before you can hunt as it stays lighter longer.

So, this is how I work the moon, find out what date it is FULL MOON, lets say it’s the 10^th, then ( WINTER) I wait for 2 days then I can go hunt for an hour, after that day the moon comes out later and later, then I can hunt longer each night if I want to. I then have about 13 days to hunt till NEW MOON. Then on new moon the moon starts getting bigger again, this is still ok to hunt for 3 days after new moon, then the moon is a slit in the sky, no good for cats, but if you want jackal then you still have another 5 days to hunt till its past quarter moon. So all in all 4 days after full moon you have for jackal 13-14 days to hunt.

Every year the moon is at full moon about a day to 30 hours earlier than the previous year. And in a year the moon cycle changes by about 18 hours in reverse.

Here is an example. In June 2007 full moon was full on the 30^th, now in 2008 full moon is on the 18^th of June. It goes in reverse in a moon cycle.

If its summer, you will have to wait about 4-5 days after full moon to hunt because it gets dark much later, then your hunting days are about 11 days in total. Keep in mind many farmers don’t allow hunting on Sundays, so that also affects the balance of days. This is an easy way of working the moon, wait till full moon, and then after 2 days go hunt in winter and summer wait 5 days and go hunt.

However the predators I hunt do not go to church so I hunt Sundays as well, it is up to God to decide whether predators are good or bad, but it is up to you and I to arrange that meeting.

Here follows an easy reference for you regarding night hunting in South Africa, it will help you choose good times ahead for calling.

REMEMBER; Go to the best place first and prepare yourself for the night, set up at least an hour before dark, and wait nightfall, then melt in with the area around you, let everything come back to normal and then when its dark start calling softly, then after 5 minutes up that volume. Give a jackal spot 35 minutes and for cats an hour.

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Social Jackal chatter sounds, also a LONELY jackal looking for company sound

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Breeding season – Use Challenge sounds- short burst 3 seconds every 20 seconds

Because it’s early in April use a LONELY JACKAL sound, looking for company

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Breeding season – Use Challenge sounds- short burst 3 seconds every 20 seconds

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Food sounds are now good, as in some areas female is in need of food for stamina for little ones soon to be born