Any Grey Fox hunters on here?

DogginYotes

DogginYotes

Member
I’ve called them in on very few coyote stand in the past but never killed one. This year I really want to try to get atleast one. Any one have an advice or tips for some starting out?
 
No expert here but from my limited experience in my area, they tend to like steeper hilly and or rocky terrain as well as wooded areas. Not hard to call if you and they are in the same area. But harder to get to stand still for the shot.
They love high pitch rabbit and bird sounds as well as fox fight/distress sounds but can respond to darn near anything.

I know, not much help.
 
crapshoot said:
No expert here but from my limited experience in my area, they tend to like steeper hilly and or rocky terrain as well as wooded areas. Not hard to call if you and they are in the same area. But harder to get to stand still for the shot.
They love high pitch rabbit and bird sounds as well as fox fight/distress sounds but can respond to darn near anything.

I know, not much help.
Click to expand...
I’m definitely going try other mountain range here. Loaded up with more pinion. We do lack some accessibility unless big hikes in the dark. I’m just not sure if we have the fox number say as Nevada does
 
Easiest of the canines to call in. They seem to throw caution to the wind oftentimes. They come to an array of distress sounds and fox fights, but it seems like they’re hardwired to charge in to grey fox pup distress.

I call in a lot of them, but choose not to kill them. Probably 50% or more of the time, I call in a pair of them throughout our season.

If you’re targeting them specifically, start with birds or bunnies, and finish with fox pup distress sounds and get ready. They’re pretty easy to get in to shotgun range, so that’s an option if you’re hunting heavier cover, or just prefer a shotgun.

Good luck!
 
hunt0168 said:
Easiest of the canines to call in. They seem to throw caution to the wind oftentimes. They come to an array of distress sounds and fox fights, but it seems like they’re hardwired to charge in to grey fox pup distress.

I call in a lot of them, but choose not to kill them. Probably 50% or more of the time, I call in a pair of them throughout our season.

If you’re targeting them specifically, start with birds or bunnies, and finish with fox pup distress sounds and get ready. They’re pretty easy to get in to shotgun range, so that’s an option if you’re hunting heavier cover, or just prefer a shotgun.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
Hey i greatly appreciate that! Now is it safe to assume this primarily night thing?
 
Daytime caller. Rocky and or brushy terrain, high pitched bird and rabbit sounds, but mainly use grey fox pup distress or any grey fox distress sounds in general. Easy to call in, super fun, I prefer to use shotgun on em. If anyone from California is reading this..you can’t use an Ecaller for grey fox.
 
They are one of the easiest predators to call. Find an area with a lot of fox scat and use some kind of grey fox distress. They will come in fast, usually within a few minutes if you choose your location well. A shotgun would be recommended because they usually don't stop moving and can be brought in close. You don't need to put your caller far out when targeting grey fox. They will often come right to it. Be careful you don't shoot your Ecaller. They are easier to call in the day than coyotes in my experience.
 
Pretty little things. I love seeing them come in with their tail plumed up aggressively. I don't shoot them nowadays. They have a tough enough living around here.



 
Just to reiterate since it's been mentioned; rougher terrain tends to hold greys. I hunt both day and night but primarily daytime since CO has changed some of their laws pertaining to spotlighting. I hunt canyon country that is very steep, rocky and covered in cedar. Greys tend to always show up first before the targeted coyotes and bobs. They are extremely curious and do respond the best to high pitched rabbit and bird sounds imo. We used to carry 223 or 22-250 to every stand along with a shotty but as close as the fox would come in, we'd do nothing but turn them inside out which is not what we wanted. I still carry the larger cals for coyote in open country but when we call the canyons or other areas known to hold fox I now carry a 17 hornet or an hmr. I prefer the hornet as it has a little more "punch" when the coyotes do show up.

Funny little story about calling grey fox... I took my wife and one of our sons out to the canyons a few years ago. Set up just below a canyon rim along a two track that snaked its way off the side and down to the bottom. Wife and son were on the downhill side of the road, son sitting to allow him to look back up the canyon, wife sitting to see down the canyon and below the road. I positioned myself uphill just across the road from them so I could see directly down the road with my back against a large sandstone boulder. The international sign at our stands is a lip squeak to alert me that something is on the way in if I don't see it so I can shut down the calling (critter starts wondering where the sound went, they normally stop, look around and give you a shot). Not far into my 3rd sequence of rabbit squeals I hear my son start kissing. I stop the call and shift my eyes to his location to see what direction he's looking. he is looking directly at me and giggling. We have always messed with each other, making the other think that there is something coming in that is in fact not. My favorite is waiting till the end of a stand when he gets up and I try to convince him there were three coyotes trotting in that he spooked as he stands up lol. I thought his lip squeaks and giggles were just this so I gave him a crooked smile and went back to calling. He kissed at me again and again his gaze was on me and still giggling. I am now thinking, "Son, you can't keep pulling the same joke". I ended up continuing to call and his kisses stopped. The stand was a bust, or so I thought until we all stood up and my son came trotting over to me saying "Did you see him?!" I laughed and said "No", going along with his joke. He says, "He was sniffing your hat dad!!" I then gave my boy a confused look and asked what the heck he was talking about. He proceeded to tell me that he happened to catch movement just above me in the cedar. He watched and out a came a pair of greys. One hemmed up where they appeared from watching its partner sneak down and walk out onto the boulder that I had my back against. Apparently, it spent a considerable amount of time only inches from the back of my head wondering why I was not the dying rabbit I was pretending to be! Eventually he turned and trotted back to his mate and they returned from where they came. Our son talks about that day every time we go calling. I'm glad he was able to witness it and I'm glad I had part in a memorable moment even though I didn't even realize it was happening!
 
Samsquanch said:
Just to reiterate since it's been mentioned; rougher terrain tends to hold greys. I hunt both day and night but primarily daytime since CO has changed some of their laws pertaining to spotlighting. I hunt canyon country that is very steep, rocky and covered in cedar. Greys tend to always show up first before the targeted coyotes and bobs. They are extremely curious and do respond the best to high pitched rabbit and bird sounds imo. We used to carry 223 or 22-250 to every stand along with a shotty but as close as the fox would come in, we'd do nothing but turn them inside out which is not what we wanted. I still carry the larger cals for coyote in open country but when we call the canyons or other areas known to hold fox I now carry a 17 hornet or an hmr. I prefer the hornet as it has a little more "punch" when the coyotes do show up.

Funny little story about calling grey fox... I took my wife and one of our sons out to the canyons a few years ago. Set up just below a canyon rim along a two track that snaked its way off the side and down to the bottom. Wife and son were on the downhill side of the road, son sitting to allow him to look back up the canyon, wife sitting to see down the canyon and below the road. I positioned myself uphill just across the road from them so I could see directly down the road with my back against a large sandstone boulder. The international sign at our stands is a lip squeak to alert me that something is on the way in if I don't see it so I can shut down the calling (critter starts wondering where the sound went, they normally stop, look around and give you a shot). Not far into my 3rd sequence of rabbit squeals I hear my son start kissing. I stop the call and shift my eyes to his location to see what direction he's looking. he is looking directly at me and giggling. We have always messed with each other, making the other think that there is something coming in that is in fact not. My favorite is waiting till the end of a stand when he gets up and I try to convince him there were three coyotes trotting in that he spooked as he stands up lol. I thought his lip squeaks and giggles were just this so I gave him a crooked smile and went back to calling. He kissed at me again and again his gaze was on me and still giggling. I am now thinking, "Son, you can't keep pulling the same joke". I ended up continuing to call and his kisses stopped. The stand was a bust, or so I thought until we all stood up and my son came trotting over to me saying "Did you see him?!" I laughed and said "No", going along with his joke. He says, "He was sniffing your hat dad!!" I then gave my boy a confused look and asked what the heck he was talking about. He proceeded to tell me that he happened to catch movement just above me in the cedar. He watched and out a came a pair of greys. One hemmed up where they appeared from watching its partner sneak down and walk out onto the boulder that I had my back against. Apparently, it spent a considerable amount of time only inches from the back of my head wondering why I was not the dying rabbit I was pretending to be! Eventually he turned and trotted back to his mate and they returned from where they came. Our son talks about that day every time we go calling. I'm glad he was able to witness it and I'm glad I had part in a memorable moment even though I didn't even realize it was happening!
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing! Such an awesome story! Reminds me of a similar story. Besides this fox came in aggressive jumping over my buddy to land in my lap. Knocking over guns and cameras. Then just kept running around in circles. One of the few foxes I’ve called in just happened to not be season.
 
Hey guys little update. Went on a big spree of stands last night. Started in the top of this mountain at about 9000ft in the snow and worked my way down. On my third stand just out of snow. Had one fox show up. Stayed about 150 yards out in the cliffs. Just like y’all said. Did not stop moving
 
I’ve shot a few grays. They can be sneaky and just plain stupid, but always fun.

IMG_2337.jpeg


Resized_20220226_231650.jpeg



123_1.jpeg
 
Grey Distress and cottontail works great. Most of the Grey's I've called just about run over me and the call. However, I've called in 4 bobcats to 1 Fox using the Grey distress...The Cats in the bottoms are just curious about that sound and most of the time come out to the open, sit and look straight at the call within 25-60 yards majority of the time.
 
Called several in, last 1 was on a coyote pup distress, 1 prior was a racoon fight... they tend to be nosey. Bird sounds are good for fox as well.
 

Attachments

  • 20241128_180630.jpg
    20241128_180630.jpg
    227.7 KB · Views: 7
Back
Top