Predator hunting in the scorching heat of summer can be challenging, but the predator population is at its peak, and your stands will never be more productive.
Ditch the winter gear and tactics.
Winter calls lose their efficiency. Leaves and tall grass obscure your vision. The roadkill diet is out of fashion. The den is the center of life.
Start by changing your location.
In the Summer, coyotes and foxes will be near their dens. Find a fox den or a coyote’s den, and you’ll be near where the most significant number of predators are and significantly improve your odds of success.
That Pup Distress call you played with all winter? Played near a den in the summer, it will act as an irresistible magnet for female coyotes and foxes.
Use that same distress call a few hours after dawn, when the female coyotes are normally out of their dens and grabbing something to eat, to spark an incredible, instinctive response no coyote can ignore.
Prey in distress.
The summer diet for predators is fresh, young meat. Your best calls to use will sound like what’s on the local menu.
For coyotes, the Fawn in Distress sound means a quick, guaranteed meal. Coyotes kill an incredible number of fawns, and research indicates they know how doe act when fawns are nearby.
For fox, baby cottontail is your go-to call of the season. Rodents and birds may be on the menu, but they are targets of opportunity and tiny meals compared to even a little rabbit.
A fox will spend all the time needed to catch a rabbit, as seen in this video:
Use the high ground and a decoy.
Foliage is your biggest problem. All those tree leaves and tall thick grasses will obstruct your vision.
Get on the side of a hill with a tree or some bushes behind you, and set your caller and decoy below you. You’ll improve your field of view and reduce your chances of being seen.
Add a realistic, fawn decoy to this mix, and you’ll have the perfect summertime coyote stand.
For fox, the best moving decoy I have ever found is the MOJO. With over 1500 reviews and a 4.4 out of 5 rating, I’m not alone in saying this decoy works.
Stick to the cool hours of the morning.
In the heat of summer, predators and prey minimize their movement and stick to the shade. This makes the cooler hours of the morning prime feeding time for everyone.
Your best stands will begin with a silent, stealthy stalk just before dawn and have you set up and ready to go near an active den.
Think predator managment, not pelt quality.
Summer predator hunters are a huge benefit to farmers and deer hunters. It only takes a single fox to kill off hundreds of dollars worth of chickens, and a small coyote can quickly kill a newborn calf. It is estimated coyotes kill some 65% of fawns during their first 90 days.
The pelts are worthless, but nothing protects the valuable livestock and deer populations more than predator hunters in terms of wildlife management.
Now, go put more fur in the back of the truck.