December 18, 2023
By Wyman Meinzer
Fifty-four years ago, my hunting companion and I parked my 1966 Ford Bronco U13 Roadster convertible at the base of an isolated hill in the badlands of Texas’ Rolling Plains. It was a Sunday afternoon in March, with only a slight yet unpredictable breeze and a temperature in the low 70s, very nice for an otherwise windy and chilly time of the year.
The hill rose abruptly some 60 feet in height above the red scalds and arroyos, a land that once supported a plethora of game now long extinct as evidenced by my own excavations of bison and mammoth remains some years before. Ascending the hill was not an easy task as red berry juniper grew dense along the crest and over the top. It was impossible to make the entire climb without any noise as we slipped on eroded slopes and broke juniper limbs in our attempt to reach our intended calling location that would give us an expansive overview to the north.
Some five miles of rough country were visible from our vantage point, so without a doubt, somewhere down there a coyote had to be within hearing distance of my open-reed hand call. With our silhouettes broken by the juniper and a minimal breeze to our face, the location seemed about as perfect as it gets.
Within a few minutes we detected movement 500 yards out and were astonished to see nine coyotes running through the juniper and mesquite to our concealed position. How easy can it get? Waiting for the scampering predators to reach the bottom of the hill, I readied my custom .243 Winchester, anticipating at least three or four coyotes to succumb to the barrage that awaited them. Then came the unexpected! A rustle of breeze stirred the tree leaves behind me and I felt a coolness on my neck, indicating a shifting of the wind had occurred, taking our scent down the slope and into the shrubs below. Almost instantaneously, the seemingly perfect stand turned sour as the coyotes busted and went in all directions. I rolled one some 200 yards away while the rest are probably still running today!
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WHAT GOES INTO A STAND SITE? Selecting the perfect stand for calling predators can be a tricky endeavor, especially under conditions like the ones I just described. We had an elevated view over rough country — all the way to the base of our hilltop position — and our field of fire was good in three directions, but the shifting breeze, which was almost indiscernible, proved to be the single element that spoiled an otherwise perfect calling stand.
If I had the time and the space, I could relate hundreds of such experiences from my 57 years of calling predators; however, describing even just a few here might be of educational value to those seeking to experience one of the most exciting outdoor endeavors I have known.
So many elements come into play when selecting the right stand for increasing the odds in a caller’s favor, and each calling location offers different obstacles to address. Landscape issues such as arroyos or underbrush along the approach corridor, shifting wind currents and approach tactics of the target species are all factors to consider in selecting the optimum calling site. A thorough understanding of the predator’s stalking techniques will also play a significant role in overcoming natural landscape barriers that cannot otherwise be addressed. One must learn to work with the land if consistent success is to be achieved!
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I cut my teeth calling coyotes and bobcats more than a half-century ago in the Rolling Plains, a region that offers a variety of land types including rugged badlands cut by arroyos, deep boulder-strewn canyons, dense mesquite and juniper undergrowth and rolling grassland with minimal cover under which one might find a suitable site to remain hidden during the calling process. Although some locations might seem impossible for a calling stand, a thorough but discreet search will almost always result in finding at least a mediocre location. But, it’s also not unusual to simply give up and walk away as the impact of the wind, landscape and/or dense cover prove insurmountable.
In the big ranch country where my calling endeavors are centered, rough terrain defines most of the land where I target my efforts, offering ridges and rimrock geography for elevated views over vast stretches of rangeland suitable for predator habitat. Much to my benefit, these panoramic sites provide an ample backdrop of juniper that offers shade to effectively break the outline of my silhouette, an essential element when calling the wariest of predators like coyotes and bobcats. Unlike gray foxes that often approach a calling stand with wild abandon, coyotes and cats are constantly aware of any obstacle or unnatural movement on the hunting grounds they know so well.
KILLER CALLING LOCATIONS The late-evening sun cast long shadows as my brother, Rick, and I approached a lone hill almost void of vegetation at the crest, save for a single skunk bush growing on the eastern rim and a juniper shrub that provided some cover 25 feet to the west. No vegetation hampered the approach corridor up to the base of our location, although a hundred yards to the east dense red berry juniper offered excellent bobcat cover over a vast area of rangeland. Our view in two critical directions — to the east and south — was effectively covered, while our calling positions were such that back light from the setting sun worked well in our favor. These perfect conditions, including a south wind in our favor in case a coyote approached, were the deciding factor or a quick, 10-minute call on the last stand of the day.
Since I was lying almost flat and peering over the rim from my shaded position, any hand movements on my part were mostly hidden. So, I took on the calling chore using my mesquite wood, open-reed call that sent sweet, beckoning notes into the fading light of evening. Within five minutes my peripheral vision detected movement from Rick’s position as he slowly leveled his .22 K Hornet into the growing gloom below. At the same time, I looked south and about 300 yards away detected the distinctive form of a sitting bobcat glowing in the last rays of sunlight. We had two cats coming in!
Since Rick’s bobcat was slowly closing and the other predator was still motionless, our attention focused to the east. Within a minute, the bobcat stepped out into the light and the .22 K Hornet brought it down. Looking quickly to the south, the other cat had not moved, so I began a lip squeak that grabbed its attention. Within five minutes, my .221 Remington Fireball spoke, adding another cat to the bag. This spot was — and it continues to be — a great calling location due to the north and west approach corridors being a non-issue since we drive through them to reach our calling stand, ultimately causing alarm to any prospective predator in the vicinity.
Another of my favorite calling locations stands in stark contrast to the one I just described, and it produces favorably almost every time I make a stand there. Again, because I have to cross an easterly approach corridor, I am rarely concerned about predators closing from that direction, which is behind my vantage point once set up. I have a spectacular, elevated view some 50 feet above very broken and brushy terrain to the north, west and south, with a lovely rock shelf on which to sit, replete with a juniper tree to break my silhouette. Even if the stand does not produce, the view is worth the quarter-mile walk.
The trick to success at this location is to not allow an approaching cat or coyote to reach the broken and extremely brushy terrain directly below. Hence, it requires that all incoming predators be stopped before they descend into a very deep, wet-weather creek bottom approximately 160 yards away. Every time I have success there the predators come from the same direction, and every time it’s essential to stop them at a cow trail that will carry them out of sight and into the maze below. Thus far, I’ve been successful every time — thanks to the elevated view in three directions and prevailing winds in my favor, the stand is a consistent producer!
PUT THE ODDS IN YOUR FAVOR Looking at these examples, one can see the trend necessary for selecting stands that place the odds in a caller’s favor. Choosing a vantage point that offers unobstructed views in multiple directions, offers a prevailing wind that carries the caller’s scent along the path to the calling stand and, preferably, allows the sun create a backlit situation provides a great recipe for consistent success.
Every year some of my calling efforts are also directed to regions along the Texas border where few if any vantage points are available, making the often-difficult, eye-level view of an approaching coyote or cat the norm. With predator population densities here essentially double that of the Rolling Plains of my home area, it is not unusual to have multiple animals respond at one time to calling efforts. I can confirm that the excitement level escalates quite suddenly when 5-10 coyotes converge on a calling site within seconds of one another. Anyone who calls in that region can also attest to the density and diversity of vegetation that present yet another pitfall for observing incoming predators since they regularly use any and all cover to mask their movements.
Although optimal calling stands may take longer to find in his type of habitat, I have enjoyed much success after carefully choosing my calling site to avoid excessive ground cover that often gives an incoming animal an edge. Since almost all of my calling in this region is for photographic purposes that require very close contact with the predators, my choice of stand selection must be very specific because great photographic imagery is much more difficult to achieve than harvesting a predator with a rifle or shotgun. However, even in the densest vegetation, “glades” or openings where brush is less dense or not present can be found, although such sites are usually quite small. Even better are the areas where these glades have occasional prickly pear stands where ground cover is minimal, offering an unobstructed view of any predator that appears suddenly at close range.
Stand selection in certain areas of the region can sometimes be made even more difficult since different species of tall grass can be extremely troublesome, especially following a season of abundant rainfall. Unless calling in pastures where cattle grazing is at high levels, predators are often not seen until they have approached within a few feet of the caller (This is a perfect application for scatterguns). Thus, for my photographic endeavors, selection of calling sites in the Rio Grande Valley region is directly related to grazing levels in a given pasture.
Because of the wide diversity of avian species in South Texas, especially predatory birds, calling coyotes and bobcats will often result in a visit from these creatures from the sky. One species, the caracara or Mexican eagle, has proven to be one of the most dependable indicator species to warn callers of incoming predators, more so than even the many songbirds that are attracted to the call. I will venture to say that 90 percent of the time that a caracara flies over my calling stand, I can expect a visit from one to multiple coyotes within five minutes. I have noted this behavior for a number of years and it has proven true almost every time.
Three years ago I was calling on a 150,000-acre ranch in South Texas strictly for photographic purposes. Two companions and I had selected an excellent location, despite the brushy conditions of the pasture. After seating my friends at strategic points — both to my left and facing east and toward one of the few glades in that pasture — we all scooted back under the overhanging limbs of mesquite replete with a dense growth of prickly pear to discourage overzealous predators from overrunning our position from the west. A light southerly breeze stirred the leaves of the huisache as we settled in for a 10-minute calling effort. After perhaps five minutes of using my open-reed call, the party revved up several notches. First, a solo coyote came bouncing in for photos, and it was followed by a double.
Before we finally stood up to leave, 11 coyotes had responded to the call. We all got some nice photographs despite the close-quarters contact typical of South Texas.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Regardless of the region I engage in the art of predator calling, whether it is for the purpose of harvesting animals, or simply for photographic imagery, my recipe is the same. First and foremost is locating areas where predators are likely to take respite during the daylight hours since I do not indulge in the sport after nightfall. Optimum cover, ample food sources, scat and tracks will ensure that the area has potential for positive results.
Relief in the landscape is preferable. Rolling hills, arroyos or ridges that overlook ample vegetative cover are essential as predators seek secluded hideaways to pass away the daylight hours. Your approach to the stand should be discreet, causing minimal noise and keeping you below the skyline as you travel. Once on-site, sit quickly to minimize noise and commotion since the caller is now in place and prospective predators can be alerted and spot any unusual activity from afar. Because I have had physical contact with a predator in the past when it approached from behind me, I strongly emphasize sitting with an adequate backdrop to minimize silhouette issues and to prevent an overzealous predator from making contact with you.
Regarding optimum visuals and wind, when I call in regions with relief in the landscape I prefer to sit with the sun at my back whenever possible and be located in a downwind position from incoming animals. Due to the local geography, it is sometimes impossible to have all of the conditions perfect, so settling for a crosswind is often a second choice. In such cases, be vigilant of predators circling downwind. Although bobcats will often circle the call site, this is usually to stay hidden as they stalk as close as possible. Human scent does not seem to be a triggering factor with bobcats, but coyotes and sometimes foxes are notorious for circling to detect potential danger via human odor.
I have referred throughout this article to approach corridors when describing a calling site. Unless frightened, predators will usually take the path of least resistance, which means smooth ground and livestock trails. From your selected calling site try to determine where these approach corridors may be and be vigilant. Over my 57 years of coyote, fox and bobcat hunting, I have carefully noted the selected paths of incoming predators and have found there is a definite trend to these animals and their approach characteristics!
