How to Use Faulks Predator Call for Cougar Hunting

A cougar will come slowly and cautiously to a call.

Most predator calling that is done with a Faulks call is for coyotes, foxes and bobcats, which are the most common predators hunted. Cougars have been successfully called in with predator calls that mimic a rabbit or deer fawn. A cougar's range can cover miles, so the success of calling is less than that of the other more numerous predators. It is necessary to call from one spot for an hour before moving locations as cougars are slow and cautious stalkers and will come to the call slowly.

Things You'll Need

• Rifle
• Ammunition
• Faulks predator call
• Camouflage clothing

Instructions

1. Locate an area where cougars live. Tracks are the most common sign indicating cougars are present. Broken canyons of rock and trees or timber-lined meadows in remote mountainous areas that show cougar sign are good areas to begin calling. Find a place to sit with your back against a tree or rock wall, so the cougar cannot sneak up behind you.

2. Call by wrapping your thumb and forefinger around the end of the call and holding the remaining three fingers above the call. Blow hard into the call for 5 seconds while bringing the three fingers down over the end of the call for the last second to decrease the volume. Repeat this call three times, pause for 1 minute, and then repeat the sequence and continue repeating for 1 hour.

3. Move to a new location to call from if after 1 hour a cougar does not appear. Pick a location at least 1/2 mile away and begin the calling sequence again.

4. Search cougar country after a snowfall looking for tracks. When fresh tracks are found, settle into a place with a solid backdrop and begin calling for the cougar that made the tracks. Knowing a cougar is in the area gives you a better chance to call it in.

5. Study the terrain around you as you call, watching for a cougar to come toward you. Cougars will move under cover where possible and sit for long periods to listen to the call. Continue calling repeatedly as a lapse of longer than a couple of minutes will cause the cougar to lose interest and break away from the stalk.

Tips & Warnings

• Rifles in the 30.30 to 30.06 caliber range are good choices for cougar

• It can take days of calling to bring in a cougar; they are solitary animals and might never hear the call until they move through the area you are calling in.

• Remain completely motionless as cougars stalk slowly and study everything around them as they approach. If they think there is a danger or they catch your scent, they will be gone before you see them.

• Be alert, as a caller you become the hunted. A cougar could easily sneak up on you and attack what it thinks is the wounded animal it is stalking. Unlike coyotes and foxes, cougars are a dangerous predator with numerous accounts of attacks on humans.

References

• "Hunting North America's Big Game;" Bob Hagel; 1986