soundshabitat

The Sounds:

Foxes are used to catching small critters and birds and eating them while they are alive. Let me tell you, when those foxes take that first bite of the bunny or bird, there is a lot of screaming going on. These are the sounds you will be using to lure the fox into range.

The best sounds, therefore, to draw the foxes in are those of the prey they eat. The most common is the cottontail rabbit and mouse. Fortunately for us, the calls are made to mimic these very sounds. But, from experience, I can tell you that pretty much anything that sounds like it is distressed will call a fox.

There's been a lot of discussion about matching the sound to the prey in the area. Well, I've found that it's not needed. For example, where I live there are few to no jack rabbits. One of my very best calls for years was a closed reed call that imitated a very large, low voiced jack rabbit. I also have another call that when blown a certain way sounds like no other distressed critter I've ever heard. I have no idea what a fox thinks it is but I can tell you that when they hear it, they come.

When I was starting out, I was always looking for the perfect sound. I was certain that if I could only get the sound right, I'd kill more foxes. So, I bought this call and that call and when I found one that seemed to work, I'd buy a spare and keep using that call until it broke down or I lost it. It was during those times I realized that it's not the idea of the certain call at all. Because, on those nights when I'd be busily calling in foxes and my favorite call would break, I'd pull out the next handy call and it would call in foxes too. What I learned from that is that any distress call will work and all calls will call in foxes.

So, get a call you like and get out there and call in some foxes!

Habitat:

Foxes are creatures of open fields and swamps. It's true that they hold in some big woods from time to time but if they have their way, they like open spaces where they can see danger approach.

Foxes have done quite well with the current farming practices over much of the eastern portion of the country. The mix of fields, fencelines and small woodlots are where foxes call home.

To effectively hunt them you have to hunt them where they are. I talk to too many guys who buy a call and go sit in their favorite tree stand and call for a half hour, never see a fox and then say this stuff doesn't work. Do your homework by scouting before the hunt. Look for tracks and scat. Find the tracks and you 'll find the foxes.