electronic calls

[bigben]

I read about others facing into the wind, crosswind, facing down wind, etc.  I try to make all my setups so that "downwind" is an area they are not going to be willing to go.  I would NEVER put the caller behind me.

I do not allways put the call behind me only in situations that warrent it.  I used to do that till I found out that if a animal is determined enough to get to a area that I do not think they will go guess what they go.  unless you are butted up against a stream or a shear cliff then the animal will get downwind.  you are limiting your self on calling areas. 

[muttbuster]

I agree. I've had them do both, especially at night. Fox and coyote. I've had both of them 3 feet from my lap. They're as unpredictable as they are predictable.

[bigben]

sorry but in my area they do.  maybe they are pressured too much by me?  maybe by other callers.  but in the last few years I have been noticing I have been getting busted more by critters getting downwind of me.  now I am not saying allway look straight down wind.  but here is one scenario that I use.  

I park at the house.  walk in via the road.  most of the times I make a stand right inside the woods for greys real quick.  5 mins of grey fox pup or another sound and then head deeper into the wooded section.  blue dots are the road.  this road gets traveled alot and there is not very many leaves on it.  a quiet aproach helps.  on a full moon night it is hard to call the back of this field.  the front part of it that is south south east gets hit hard by spotlighters and others that call the area even though they are not supposed to.  the grey road heading south south east goes to the hard pavement.  I could walk in that road making a few stands along but it does not seem to work very well.  I set the caller behind me on the road.  two dots back from the big red one.  most any fox is going to come running into the call along the edges.  the one edge coming from the north east and the other edge coming from the south east.  if I do not call this spot this way I never have any luck.  they spot me before I get a chance.  moving under the cover of trees helps.  and I am facing east in this scenario.  wind is going from west to east.  

[bigben]

remember fellas I never said it was gospel.  I just said I am using this technique for areas that never produced before.  a buddy from alabama told me to try it and it works.  not everytime but in the right situation it works.  if I had never tried it this way in this scenario then I would not have had this farm turn out to be sucessful.

[Leglifter]

Nice set up Ben,
I think I'd still be paranoid about an aproach from behind
if the ground was quiet
but thats me
I like to see everything if possible

[bigben]

here is exploded view.  and this is a night stand scenario

[bigben]

tell me how would you approach this setup?  now at the east of this field that fencerow on the other side is a different owner.  can't go there.

[bigben]

everything north west is mountian for 5 miles maybe 10.  and yes that is a pond

[bigben]

I got a question.  if you aproach from the south where would you make your stand and how would you make the shot?  one thing you do not see is the field slopes towards the pond.  if you were to theroetically speaking make a stand at the northern corner of the pond you would be shooting up hill and more then likely be shooting at houses.  unless you get lucky and get a long shot with the rifle towards the north.  but from the north east all the way through the southern part of shot there are houses.  not good shots.

[bigben]

lets say it was a eastern wind.  heading west.  which way would you setup? 

[Dale]

do you have access through the house at the bottom right of the 2nd picture?... if so park at the house and walk back the lane about 1/2 way to the woods... dark night, watch the skyline behind you... keep low if necessary... that'll let you call down to the pond and to draw them from the woods too... take your rifle and tripod...   

[bigben]

the house is actually a church and me and you have hunted this peticular farm before.  the biggest problem with setting up by walking in on the road is there is a security light the shines out into the field.  I am not sure if that hurts but I do not believe it helps. 

any other thoughts from some of the other hunters.  I have found though when hunting at night.  even more so in the late season.  it helps to be paying attention to the down wind side.  with a shotgun it is even more important to venture farther down wind.  I know uncle buck and dave kaprocki uses the corner setup with e calls or another calling partner, and it involves the hunter placing the caller out in the field about 75-100 yds from a corner.  the fox runs down the edge righ to the shooter. 

[Trophiesonly]

Ben you are right,but in my neck of the woods the downwind part further into the season is further downwind at night,fur is coming in 200 yards downwind.I set my small mp3 system in a tree and go 200 or more if its a field corner,as im useing a 223 and im good to 250 yards.I got 2 coyotes that way.The female i got in october came right up a revine from the upwind side as BP said.Sometimes i think a person has too look at the terrain,i use those msn maps.com,to look at the ground i hunt in the daylight and find the funnels.Seems to help.

[TrappinJohn]

For me it depends a lot on what I'm hunting and when.

Daytime
If I can, like a cross wind from left to right with the call 75 yards or so in front of me aimed down wind.

Night
Reds/coyotes - Same setup, but I keep the call closer, maybe 15-20 yards.   This way I have a better straight on look at their eyes.

Greys - I keep the call at my feet and pointed toward where I think they are.  I keep an eye downwind, but 90% of the time they come straight to the speaker regardless of the wind.

No matter where I'm setting up, I alway try to keep my speaker pointed down a logging road, pipeline, ravine, cornfield corner, fence row, etc.

Now, if I could find a spot like that at every location.....

[Dale]

I remember that spot well... thats where I went out and dropped down the back side of that hill, you were up top somewhere... if you were to go out about as far but drop down to the left towards the pond till you weren't back lit or sihlouetted, that'd still give easy access for the critters to come out the road to you then drop down to the call... sit the call out no more then 1/2 way to the woods if you're so inclined to set the call out and away...