Night calling for bobcats.....how

[Sagedawg]

 Ive read alot about doing this but dont have a clue how to get started. Everyones bit a bit vague in how they go about it. Is it just doing some calling in a good area wait alittle bit and then sweep the area with a spotlight? I have a few good spots in mind but just dont want to wise them up before I even see one. Any help would be very cool.

Thanks Sage

[billythekidrock]

I have only called them in during the day...and out of season.
But I would like to learn how to hunt them at night.

[Machias]

I have been lucky enough to call in quite a few bobcats, all but one has come in at night.  They seem to be alot easier at night IMO.  First off it starts in the daytime with scouting.  Your looking for bobcat sign, ie toilet areas and tracks.  Once you find those areas come back at night.  Just because it's night and you can't see much past your hand, you need to approach these predators with the same respect as you do during the daylight.  Set up and breakup your outline, watch the wind, ease into an area and be quiet.  If I am targeting bobcats I like the wounded bird call and cottontail calls.  Use a spotlight with a red lense, keeping the main center part of the bean just above where you expect to see eyes.  Now keep an eye downwind as well, but generally bobcats and yotes at night will just make a beeline in.  The red lense makes their eyes look like these HUGE red bouncing balls coming in, they show up way better then the white lights.  The red light does not bother them although you do not want to shine the concentrated bean directly in their eyes becasue you can see them blink and turn away.  I like a shotgun at night with Hevi Load or 00 Buck is also really good.  If your calling around water you will also have coons respond.  If you shoot, keep calling, others may still come in.  Also a word of caution, lots of things like to come to calls at night, deer, livestock, etc.  I once almost put a load of 00 Buck into a donkey who came in with his head down low.  Usually you can tell what is coming in, yotes bound in or run in full bore and cats will slink in and alot of times they sit out there and watch then move in a little and then sit down and watch, then move in a little.

[WAcoyotehunter]

Does the scatter gun tear up the hide on cat/yotes?  I've never used one, because i was afraid i'd wreck the hide.

[jdb]

Ive killed and seen killed quite a few coyotes with a 12 gauge #4 buck it really dosent tear them up bad at all JB

[WAcoyotehunter]

Should I use a tight (turkey) choke? 

[tmike]

I know nothing about calling predators. I've got a few questions for you bobcat experts. I have a stud of a bobcat living around me. He's been around a few years. I've seen him twice and he is big. A friend shot a 35 pounder and this guy looks much bigger. My neighbor saw him last week while she was hanging lights in the middle of the day, and also saw him 2 consecutive days in early fall just sitting on the edge of our property without a care in the world. Anyway I hear you talk about calls, are there certain brands I should use. My area is thick reprod. type of country with some survey lanes running through it. Would you recommend a tree stand? I'm not sure about finding sign out there, but I have tracks on my 2 acres. The other thing is that I'm in a firearm restriction area so it would have to be a rim fir, or shotgun. I'd love to put this guy on the wall. I'm pretty sure he took out my cat. Is it futile in such thick country?

[billythekidrock]

I think you will be fine if you hunt from the ground, tight to the edges with a shotgun. Rabbit distress is the easiest, but a woodpecker/bird distress would probably be the best. I have called them in with fawn distress as well. Burnham Brothers, R & R Calls there are alot of great calls out there. Good luck.

[Houndhunter]

does anyone call from a tree stand on here? always wondered if they'd come into it, or would they know that it just doesnt sound right coming so high up? tried it once in a home made stand with no luck, but i dont think it'd work that great, not natural sounding

[billythekidrock]

I have not called from a treestand, but I did call in a bear when I was up a tree sitting on a branch... I think my rifle still has pitch on it.

[tmike]

But did you kill the bear?

[billythekidrock]

But did you kill the bear?

Yes..

[tmike]

Nice! Keep the pitch on there. It will remind you of that bear every time you get it all over yourself.

[billythekidrock]

Nice! Keep the pitch on there. It will remind you of that bear every time you get it all over yourself.

LOL...yea, that is what it does..

Here are a few pics of bobs called in during the day. These were spring 2007.

[tmike]

Those are really nice! Are those average size? If so the one running around here is exceptional. He's very thick, pure muscle. I need to see him just like yours in the pictures, but with cross hairs.