last nights hunt synopsis.

[bigben]

     I wanted to get out hunting sometime during this week since this weekend I have a few other things I am doing that are going to cut down on time to hunt.  So two days ago I pm'd a fellow pa caller that had been looking to kill a grey fox.  Where he lives at there is reds and greys but the greys are far and few between.  Well we setup a meeting time and that set the date and time at last night.
     We started out in some local state game lands.  I do not like calling in SGL's that early in the night and this close to deer season because of the spotters that roam the roads at that hour.  As we got out of the vehicle and walked the distance to our first stand of the night I had thought I heard a fox bark across the road.  If anyone has ever hunted fox for a period of time has heard em bark.  Normally they bark a lot in breeding season or when you have been busted.  Anyhow I wasn't sure if that was what I heard at first so we proceeded with the original game plan of calling a thick stream bottom.  A road cut through it and lead up to some fresh cut corn and hay fields.  I started out with a squeaker and after a few short series there it was again another one barking.  I would venture to say that these were reds barking at us at this point.  A grey fox has a more deeper gravely bark at least that has been my observation.  I noticed this barking was coming from across the road and I figured we have a vocal one lets try to get him to atleast look at us.  So we walked across the road and up the fenceline till we found a break in it to cross into the field were this yappy red was.  After calling for a period of time nothing ever became of it but more yaps from the mouthy red.  We walked back to the orginal location we started at and started calling.  Again another yappy fox.  This is odd I think to myself.  The wind is blowing from it to us.  I know it didn't bust us because of noise.  We were using some different sounds then your normal rabbit.  I have found that bird distress works well on public ground around here.  The popularity of predator calling has hit this area pretty much full force in the last two years.  After making two stands nothing showed.  As we were walking back to the vehicle there it was again this time he had us.  It was that I see you and busted you bark.  At that point and time I have found out that it is wasted time to get that fox.  In as thick of area as we were in he could be within 50 yds and we couldn't see him unless he stepped out on the road. 
     The next few stands were allmost a mirror of the first few.  We would get out in a field start calling and on a neighboring property we would here em bark at us.  Like I have stated before this is odd.  Normally the only time you hear this much vocalization is in breeding season.  Even with being busted three or so barks normally does it and they leave.  This was solid barking for 10-15 minutes. 
     With the confidence level dropping with every stand I pull into my honey hole.  I have called greys here every year I have hunted the property.  The area is an old pasture field that is basically a wetlands.  if you stand in the bottom you will eventually find yourself sunk into your knee caps.  Plenty of food and cover also.  Before we even turn on the call there it is again another yappy fox.  I said in barely a whisper to my buddy were gonna see if he responds back to a fox bark.  I picked up my closed reed calls and gave out a few barks.  Immediately I can tell it is interested.  He would bark and then I would reply back to him.  I am standing there shaking my head because this is normally what you do in January not middle of November.  I started mixing in some distress sounds along with the barking.  He was still out there barking at us but I noticed that he had stopped and seemed to be running up and down a barrier.  A fairly deep creek was between us and him I figured.  I finally turned on the grey fox pup after a full 5 minute series had played nothing had shown.  I switched to another call makers grey fox pup that has produced in the past and nothing I finally went to the last grey fox pup sound and within a minute my partner sees eyes.  A few lip squeaks to get him to stop and bang goes the shotgun.  It turns out he missed him.  I am beginning to think someone is putting Kevlar vests on the greys in this area because everyone that we have shot at has never died.  some of em unexplainable.  After looking for a bit we did two more stands in which a coon came in for a look.  After climbing the tree he turned right around to run back down and that was the last we seen of him.  The last stand produced nothing but a house cat. 

     Now if your still with me I have a question for you other fox hunters out there.  Why do you think that these foxes are this vocal as if it is breeding season.  I found it extremely peculiar that they were this vocal.  What really surprised me it was at multiple farms some of em miles from the other.  It just seems real odd to be barking back to one to get him to come in at this point in the year. 

Thanks for reading fellas. 

[alscalls]

I have had em bark at me a lot even in the summer months as our night season on coyotes runs till July 31st.
I dont really see anything out of the ordinary accept maybe you over called or did not wait a while before calling to the fox.
Or like you said you might have just been getting busted.
I believe I would have waited till the fox quit barking on his own....then do some calling.....

[HuntnCarve]

Ben,

I've heard them (reds predominantly) barking quite a bit at odd times.  I'm convinced that they're cruising their territories, or along the borders.  They're barking to see if anyone is there laying claim to the territory...I've had great luck with coaxer sounds, and young fox barks.  If they don't feel threatened, they'll come a running!  Now if they are giving a warning bark cause they've smelled you.  Then the game is over.
Alot of times they'll shut up, and try and circle around you down wind.  If they're in range of the red light, their eyes will betray them.  I like to use a .22 magnum with a scope, and stop them with a bark if they appear to be trying to circle and I have a shot.  The majority of times they are somewhat out of shotgun range, so the rifle offers alittle advantage IMO.  I personally think that folks call too loud alot of times.  The fox will hang up and just look way out of range.  The quiet, high pitched coaxer voice is the ticket! -Then some quiet lip squeaks.

Dave