We recently moved to west Texas and have taken up predator hunting. Using some gift cards and making a few trades my son and I acquired a FoxPro Shockwave. We have watched hundreds of videos and made a few trips without much success. We need a bit of help as this trial and error is getting expensive. What type of light is best? What call (jackrabbit, coyote, rodent, etc)? Should we call and pause, call and pause or just let it run? How long do we call? and pause? How long at each stand? At what volume for each call? Do you shine the light the entire time? or turn it on and off? I have a thousand more questions .... Thanks for the help

Hey Nocked up, dont sell your gear if you get discouraged, I hunted for a good while before I shot my first cat but fox should be easy. Everyone has their own opinion but here is mine. Try to hunt with the sun at your back and with a crosswind so your scent doesn't go downwind were a coyote fox or cat is more likely to approach. I run rabbit sounds 98% of the time and a bird sound every now and then, if I do I usually start with that. I run sound continously but start with the sounds low and rise after a minute or two. I dont go more than say a 22 or 24 level unless high winds. During the day I make 35-45 min stands. at night no more than 20 min, 15 if hunting a contest. at night run your light all the time and relatively fast. YOu'd be suprised how fast a fox can cross an area and be at your heels. I also "Halo" the brush line, dont put the full brightness of the light were an animal would be, it might get in their eyes and move them off. I run a red or white light with a dimmer, I just run it bright enough to see eyes, then you can brighten it when you need to make a shot. at the end of my night stands I make a kissing sound with my lips just to see if a different sound makes something look at the light that i didn't see with before. You'd be suprised how many times i've seen animals this way. Dont give up, its hunting, it takes some learned skill yes, but alot of it is right place right time.

Thanks CaveMan!!!!

Very good advice, CaveMan

Update your location, there might be someone local that is willing to mentor you.

Your welcome, hope it helps! Keep us updated.

Caveman had a lot of great advice!

I do most of my calling during the day, you have the advantage during the day and they have it at night. Get on a higher spot where you can see a good area and sit in some brush with all the conditions as stated above. Your movement is what will kill a stand, get all your gear settled and all the fidgeting done before you ever turn on the call. I even just sit still and watch for a few minutes after I'm settled before I start calling, you'd be surprised what you see even before a sound is made.

Stick to your seasonal animals. During the winter woodpeckers are in your area so use your woodpecker distress. Rabbit calls are good as long as all your neighbors and previous callers didn't over use them. For this reason I stick to more bird sounds than rabbit. You might get something with your fawn distress, but for sure use your doe distress, mostly for coyotes in the cold.

If you're going after cats, never use a howl or dog sound at that set.

This time of year coyotes are starting to pair up, so howl. Especially female calls.
For Coyotes start with the fem howl. This time of year I like to let it howl a couple times then pause it for a bit then let it howl once or twice more. If nothing howls back then I answer myself with a hand howler, this takes practice, you can use the Male howl to answer. Then go back to your female howls. Go back and forth a little then change to a fem bark howl. Once I think something is on the hook, I'll group howl then go to a soft distress call.

With a light, I also use the halo. But when you do dump the light make sure you keep it steady. My opinion is it's not the brightness of the light that spooks them as much as all the shadows moving from a shaky light. Those shadows are moving towards them so you don't notice it as much as they do.

As far as time is concerned, it's all up to you. Usually, with coyotes I'm right there with caveman on the times he mentioned. With cats, I've called them in in under five minutes and I've also set a stand for just over 1.5 hours and killed them then. It depends on how patient you are and what might be in your area.

Good luck and stay at it!

One more bit of advice, just accept the fact that you've taken up an expensive hobby whether animals hit the ground or not

Why do you think they have the advantage at night. I've always felt the opposite but open to reevaluate my position.

During the day you are able, under our range conditions, to see the coyotes long before they see you. their night vision far outperforms ours, most of their feeding is done at night especially during the summer months. I've had coyotes show up at night to within fifty yards before eye shine was ever pick up and by then there is very little room for error before they bust you.

That's all about to change...thermal get delivered Monday!

Hope you enjoy the thermal. I didn't care for it. Red Coyote Light is way better to me. I've always felt at night I have a light blinding them so they can't see me. I do enjoy daytime calling much better though.

Thanks for the much needed and greatly appreciated advice and tips!!!