Learn from the Pros at the Great American Outdoor Show

by
posted on February 14, 2015
gunclub2015_fs.jpg (4)

undefinedOne of the best parts about attending the Great American Outdoor Show, which runs through Sunday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, is the direct access to just about anything and everything outdoors.

Want to book the hunting or fishing adventure of your dreams? There are literally hundreds of hunting and fishing outfits from around the globe to choose from. Want to handle some of the latest firearms, optics and accessories to hit the market? The Shooting Sports Hall is packed with such heavyweights as BenelliBerettaCrimson TraceFederal Premium AmmunitionMossbergRemingtonWinchester and rows upon rows of other major manufacturers. Then there are the custom call makers, wildlife artists, archery dealers, taxidermists and many others that pack the halls.

But one of the perks that some may overlook is the opportunity to not only meet some of the outdoor industry’s top celebrities, but to also pick up a tip or two along the way. The show’s appearance and seminar schedule reads like a literal who’s who of outdoor television, which is only fitting considering that the Outdoor Channel serves as the show’s title sponsor.

On Saturday afternoon I had the pleasure of sitting in on a predator hunting seminar with Al Morris, host of FoxPro Furtakers on the Outdoor Channel. Now if you’ve ever watched Al on television or attended one of his seminars, you know that he is one of the funniest, charismatic and entertaining speakers you’ll hear anywhere. But as a three-time winner of the World Coyote Calling Championship, Al knows a thing or two about calling in and killing coyotes and foxes, and he has the video evidence to prove it.

So what did I learn? Here are five tips courtesy of Al Morris that can help make you a better predator hunter:

1. Don’t be a one-call hunter. “Ten or 15 years ago I’d play a rabbit-in-distress call and a coyote would come right in. I was a one-call man,” Al said. “But 70 percent of a coyote’s diet is small, ground-dwelling animals like mice, voles and rabbits. Experiment. You’d be surprised how well vole squeaks work on a hung-up coyote.”

2. If you’re using an electronic call, don’t limit yourself. Says Al, “Just because a sound on an electronic call is from an animal that’s not endemic to the area you’re hunting doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it. You never know what’s going to work. How many coyotes in California wine country have heard a snowshoe hare? I’ve seen them respond it."

3. Coyotes are very territorial, so use that tendency against them. “The No. 1 way I’m killing coyotes is with coyote vocalizations,” he said. “Coyotes don’t like it when there’s an intruder in their territory.”

4. If you can’t predator hunt with a semi-automatic rifle, consider a Ruger American. “The AR-15 is the most valid and valuable hunting tool I’ve ever used,” said Al. “First of all, you need to vote the people out of office in Pennsylvania that aren’t allowing you to hunt with it. But, for a bolt gun, at $400, you can’t buy a better or more accurate predator gun than the Ruger American Predator.”

5. Coyote hunting in the West isn’t the same as in the East. “Will an Eastern coyote come running across an open field like you see in the West? No! You have to set up where you can see a coyote pop out along an edge, such as along a field, thicket or stand of hardwoods. If you’ve got a good hardwood ridge, grab your shotgun, load it with Hornady’s Heavy Magnum Coyote BB load, use a full turkey choke, and hunt them in the trees.”

Latest

NRA ILA Lede
NRA ILA Lede

NRA Files Lawsuit Challenging Colorado’s Excise Tax on Firearm and Ammunition Sales

On March 31, the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), together with the Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, Colorado State Shooting Association, Magnum Shooting Center and an NRA member, filed a lawsuit challenging Colorado’s 6.5-percent excise tax on the retail sale of firearms, firearm precursor parts and ammunition.

The Magnum Research 10mm Magnum BFR Revolver

This 6-shot, single-action revolver may well be the first factory-made handgun chambered in this caliber in over three decades.

Hunting Heritage Trust Grant Applications Being Accepted

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearm industry, has opened the application period for the 2025 Hunting Heritage Trust Grants. They offer a total of $100,000 in financial support for programs that work to expand participation in hunting and the shooting sports.

Hardware Review: Marlin Model 1895 Dark

If you think lever-action rifles should only have walnut stocks and a blued-metal finish, then the new Marlin Dark series with its polymer buttstock and aluminum AR-esque handguard probably won’t be your thing. That’s a shame, because this recent offering in Marlin’s line of modernized, capable lever-action rifles has a lot going for it in terms of performance, functionality and fun.

ATN Shipping TICO LTV Thermal Clip-On

This thermal clip-on device is a huge night-time gear multiplier for hunters and observers, transforming any daytime scope into a thermal sight.

MidwayUSA Named Official Sponsor of the 2025 NRA Annual Meetings

Glock, Inc. is the Presenting Sponsor of the Freedom Experience on Saturday, April 26th

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.