Electronic squeakers

[jasnt]

Has any one used anything like this? Thoughts?  My concern is it would attract thieves as well. I have an old trapping video from tom Miranda that shows one that only plays while it's dark, which would help with that but I can't seam to find one that only plays while it's dark?  Is it even worth looking in to?

[Trapper John]

I used them years ago both for cats and coyotes with some success.
If your away from the public I would use them but if your close to the public I say don't put them out.  Noise attracts all like on four and two legged critters.  I have several sitting in my shop that I might be interested in selling if you need or want.
JC   

[Bigshooter]

I have used them.  I had the ones that would play when it was dark.  I wouldn't waste money on them again.

[ouchfoss]

Last year I did a little experimenting with a mini all in one mp3 player. I first set up two different mp3 files that were each an hour long. One was total silence and the other was a shrieking baby cottontail. I had to edit that file so the decibles were really faint ( that way to save on battery life). I would then make ten copies of the silent file and fourteen copies of the bunny file and then set it up so that you start on the silent files during the daytime and then play into the shrieking files during the nighttime. I would get about 30 hours of continuous playback so it would work out perfect for 24 hour checks. I had some beaver chunks in my cage as well but after trying this whole setup for a week without catching any fur, I can't say whether there was an advantage to it or not. Seems like a good idea for cats and it might be a difference maker as far as making the cage shy ones actually enter but I had no success in an area I know had cats. I might try it again this year when I get ready to start going after cats in January.

[Trapper John]

If you do try it again, put a trail camera up to see if it attracts any wildlife.
If it attracts cats than you will see whether it shy's away or what it does.
JC   

[jasnt]

I like ouchfoss's idea but one thing I've learned about predator calling is  they can get bored of a sound rather quickly sometimes.  Cats often sneak up on a sound/ critter in distress.  They normally come in slow and cautious and if listening to the same thing over and over they loose interst. This maybe the reason the squeakers never impressed anyone with good results   I may play with this idea, I have a ton of distress sounds! Many of which I have made. Maybe start with mouse squeaks then after 10 min switch to rodent or gopher ect. 

I have been putting a cam on my cat set and did have a large raccoon check it out but wasn't what it wanted I guess. 

[Bigshooter]

One thing that I do want to try on a bobcat set is crow sounds above the trap.  Like crows feeding if there is such a thing.  This obviously would be sounds during the daylight.  But I have read that predators will come in to crow sounds.

[ouchfoss]

I like ouchfoss's idea but one thing I've learned about predator calling is  they can get bored of a sound rather quickly sometimes.  Cats often sneak up on a sound/ critter in distress.  They normally come in slow and cautious and if listening to the same thing over and over they loose interst. This maybe the reason the squeakers never impressed anyone with good results   I may play with this idea, I have a ton of distress sounds! Many of which I have made. Maybe start with mouse squeaks then after 10 min switch to rodent or gopher ect. 

I have been putting a cam on my cat set and did have a large raccoon check it out but wasn't what it wanted I guess.

I had something similar to that for my shriek sound. It started with a thirty second series then it would go quiet for a full minute then start up again for about a full minute and that was my file looped over enough times to fill one full hour. I still think it would catch more cats than without but is it worth the time and effort to switch out callers and batteries that often? 

[jasnt]

I like ouchfoss's idea but one thing I've learned about predator calling is  they can get bored of a sound rather quickly sometimes.  Cats often sneak up on a sound/ critter in distress.  They normally come in slow and cautious and if listening to the same thing over and over they loose interst. This maybe the reason the squeakers never impressed anyone with good results   I may play with this idea, I have a ton of distress sounds! Many of which I have made. Maybe start with mouse squeaks then after 10 min switch to rodent or gopher ect. 

I have been putting a cam on my cat set and did have a large raccoon check it out but wasn't what it wanted I guess.

I had something similar to that for my shriek sound. It started with a thirty second series then it would go quiet for a full minute then start up again for about a full minute and that was my file looped over enough times to fill one full hour. I still think it would catch more cats than without but is it worth the time and effort to switch out callers and batteries that often? 

you make a good point with the battery's