cat call

Frogman · November 09, 2012, 08:55:47 AM

Hey guys,

Went calling yesterday 11/8/12 with a hunting friend. While calling one stand he asked if I had a call that was higher pitched. So I started tooting on a small call that I got at LBL last year. At the end of the set he wanted to see tha call. He showed me how to make a cat distress sound on the call. It sounded really good. Since cat season had just started here in WV we decided to use the call to try to call in a bobcat.

On the next stand I was set up here and my buddy was a little ways down the haul road from me. I set up so the haul road we walked in on was to my right shoulder since I didnt expect anything to come down the road we had just walked in on.

After making the cat in distress sounds for few minutes I heard something in the leaves to my right front. At first I thought it was a squirrel. Then I saw that it was a rabbitt. It ran out of the woods to my right and ran right in front of me about 10 yards out.

The rabbit ran right down in front of the rifle barrel. I wondered what had spooked the rabbit and turned to look back up the haul road to my right rear. There was a bobcat standing in the haul road about 15 yards away looking at me. BUSTED!! I tried to shift the gun around for a shot but the cat was having none of it and took off back up the road and into the woods before I could get lined up??

Here is the call I was using. It's about two inches long. I think it was made by riverboss Dan, but I can't remember for sure. My buddy really liked the sound it produced and would like one just like it!

Hopefully you guys can help me identify the call maker so I can order another one. It sure works great for cats!

Sorry, no pictures of the cat?? It was beautiful though. Maybe we can get a second chance at him another day and I can show you guys a picture!

Jim

riverboss · November 09, 2012, 11:07:57 AM

Yea Jim thats one of mine.Im glad you like it i will try and get you one together and get it to you. To bad you didnt get that cat its #1 on my hit list.

Frogman · November 09, 2012, 11:27:32 AM

Dan,

Thanks for responding, I thought I remembered that was your call. I will be happy to pay for one just like it. Can you voice it the same and everything? I had just been using it as a squeeker until my buddy thought it sounded a lot like a distressed kitten. After a little experimentation we got some really good cat sounds out of it. Proved to be very effective!

Jim

Okanagan · November 09, 2012, 01:32:12 PM

Great story and I LOVE the pics of Eastern hardwood forest. What a gorgeous place to hunt.

IMO/E cats don't seem to get call shy like coyotes. Go back and call the same cat. It is worth a try. He will likely be near the same area, say within a quarter mile, though the males roam much more widely once the mating season starts in late Jan.

Anecdote: I am 90% sure that I called the same bobcat twice on the same day a couple of years ago. Saw him the first time on a call stand in midday. I could have shot him easily but had used my one bobcat tag for that area. My partner could not see him well enough for a shot. BIG light coloured cat with BIG tracks in snow.

My young partner wanted to go back and try to call him again so the last stand about sundown we set up a few hundred yards down the valley in the direction we'd seen the cat leave the earlier stand. We used a different prey sound as I recall and called in another BIG light coloured bobcat. My guess is that the cat would come to the same sound again however.

Sounds like a great call. Wish I could hear the sound you are making with it.

Good luck! Hope you get to post a pic of that same cat!

coyote101 · November 09, 2012, 02:38:47 PM

Sounds like a great day Jim.

Good luck getting that cat.

Quote from: Okanagan on November 09, 2012, 01:32:12 PM
Wish I could hear the sound you are making with it.

Me too.

Pat

riverboss · November 09, 2012, 02:55:48 PM

I will sure give it a try, i will make a couple and send them i still have some of the reeds that i used and i have a couple that look diff already made up im going to try myself to see how they sound. Ive never tried to make them sound like a cat.

Frogman · November 09, 2012, 03:43:05 PM

To get the cat sound I was closing my hand over the front of the call, then started to blow gently, while continuing to blow through the call I opened my hand for a few seconds, then closed my hand back down again, then stopped blowing. Repeat frequently. Sounds just like a cat meowing! This is not a loud call. Blow gently. Occasionally I would increase the intensity of the call and it sounded like the cat had his tail caught in a trap. My friend Jon is a very good caller and he said it was the best cat sound he has heard. On some other sets he was trying to duplicate the sound on some open reed calls with limited sucess. Each time we did the call we had lots of birds coming in also. They seemed to like the sound too??

Jim

FinsnFur · November 09, 2012, 05:39:38 PM

Quote from: Frogman on November 09, 2012, 03:43:05 PM
To get the cat sound I was closing my hand over the front of the call, then started to blow gently, while continuing to blow through the call I opened my hand for a few seconds, then closed my hand back down again, then stopped blowing. Repeat frequently. Sounds just like a cat meowing! This is not a loud call. Blow gently. Occasionally I would increase the intensity of the call and it sounded like the cat had his tail caught in a trap. My friend Jon is a very good caller and he said it was the best cat sound he has heard. On some other sets he was trying to duplicate the sound on some open reed calls with limited sucess. Each time we did the call we had lots of birds coming in also. They seemed to like the sound too??

Jim

I think they wanna hear how it sounded Jim. Not how hard you blew and where you held your hands and the intensity

By the way get back out there and git that sucker.

Hidehunter · November 09, 2012, 05:48:19 PM

Im in agreement...get back after that kitty. Thanks for taking us along.

Frogman · November 09, 2012, 06:34:40 PM

I'll have to try to figure out a way to post a file with sound??

Jim

HaMeR · November 09, 2012, 08:06:48 PM

That's really cool Jim!! I hope you get a nice cat this year. You hunt hard & deserve a nice trophy like that. I know you took me to some good looking spots & gave it your best effort. Thanks again for trying!!

Lonehowl · November 10, 2012, 09:52:23 AM

The little squeaker reeds can do that sound with the hand jive described above, I really like the JC LV-005 (which has a new designation now I think) for cat and bird sounds. It has a single .005 clear mylar reed. They come with the the plastic sleeve that holds the mylar reed on the frame, and you can move it forward, or stack another one on to double em up, to get a real high pitched sound that is great for kitty sounds. I will put a drop of superglue on the sleeve somewhere to lock it in place after its tuned where I want it.

I also see that primos has a Stray Cat decoy now. Kinda weird.
Mark

Frogman · November 11, 2012, 03:16:11 PM

OK guys,

Trying to upload a demo video of the cat sounds from riverboss' closed reed call discussed in my post above. I don't know how well the sound will come out?? Here we go . . .

Hope this comes out OK!

Well I just listened and that sound didn't come out so well?? It's actually a little louder than that??

Jim

FinsnFur · November 11, 2012, 07:10:59 PM

Thats about how I expected it to sound.

HaMeR · November 12, 2012, 05:00:50 AM

Sounds good Jim. I'm gonna try that on coyotes too. Distress is distress right?

Dave · November 12, 2012, 02:23:19 PM

Sounds great. My dogs just went crazy.

Frogman · November 13, 2012, 03:49:39 PM

Glen,

You know you are welcome down here any time. That cat was on the lease not far from where we hunted!

I hope to get back out there again tomorrow.

Jim

Okanagan · November 13, 2012, 06:12:39 PM

Frogman,

Thank you for posting the sound! Once I have the concept, which you demonstarted well, I feel confident to try it.

I think it ws Randy Shaw or maybe Kelly Jackson who mentioned that he sometimes ends a bobcat stand with a domestic cat meow, because bobcats will often reply vocally, letting him know one is coming in.

What am I doing in this office looking out at the pouring rain when I could be out there calling something??!!! It is a perfect day to hunt blacktail deer! I am seeking the responsible and honorable path between duty and desire, and duty has been taking a beating lately due to its demands on me!