If you’ve called coyotes or bobcats, you probably already have one of these calls. Cottontail, Snowshoe, and Jack rabbit distress calls also work well for calling in wolves. Even though a rabbit might not be much of a meal for 120 lb wolf, the distressed cries of the small mammals have proven to be very effective for calling wolves in.

Rabbit distress calls generally come in two varieties, each with benefits and downsides:

Closed Reed Advantages:

Easy to Use
Very Durable

Disadvantages

Limited variation in tone and pitch
Need multiple calls to simulate different animals

Open ReedAdvantages

Created a wide variety of sounds
Create cottontail, jack rabbit, and canine distress cries with one call

Disadvantages

More difficult to use
More fragile. Reed can be bent or fill up with debris.

How to Use a Rabbit Distress Call to Call in a Wolf

To simulate the dying cries of a rabbit:

Place the mouth piece of the call in your mouth with your weak hand
Keep your week hand wrapped around the call as you place it in your mouth
Curl your strong hand around the end of the call to form a chamber
Strongly Blow into the call while saying “WAH”
Now break up the call with a string of “ WAH” cries like “WAH WAAAAAAH WAH WAAH etc…”
While blowing, curl your strong hand on and off the end of the call to create a more dynamic, muffled, and amplified cries

The biggest mistake new callers make with a rabbit call is blowing consistent even toned sequences of cries over and over like- “Wah, Wah, Wah, Wah”.

The key to calling in wolves with rabbit distress calls is to be unpredictable. Vary the intervals you call for and how long you call. Try to create a combination of loud screams, quite whimpers, squeals, and long drown out cries. You must convince wolves that there really is a tasty, dying, critter waiting for them.

Tip: If magpies, ravens, or hawks start flying overhead and landing nearby, you are doing a good job

When to Use a Rabbit Distress Call to Call in a Wolf

Rabbit distress calls work well for calling in wolves when used alone or in combination with other calls. If you are in an area that has few deer or elk, a rabbit call is a good choice for calling in wolves.

If you are using a rabbit distress call by itself, a sequence as follows can be effective.

Begin the calling sequence with loud screams
Continue calling for 30 seconds to a minute with varying terrified cries, whimpers, and muffled calls.
End the calling sequence abruptly as if the rabbit has been killed.
Wait 1 minute to 5 minutes
Begin calling again, but softer with whimpers, cries, and moans to simulate a wounded, scared rabbit for 1-3 minutes.
Pause again for 1- 5minutes
Erupt into another short frantic calling sequence for 30seconds to a minute
Pause for another 1-5 minutes
Keep repeating steps 1-7 until you spot a wolf coming into your stand

Stop calling as soon as you spot a wolf coming into your stand.

Any movement should be avoided if possible.

If the wolf is coming in quickly and confidently, you may not need to call anymore.
If the wolf is still moving quickly but is close to a position where you can get a shot off, blow a quick 5-10 second sequence of 1 or two cries to stop the wolf in its tracks.
If the wolf is coming in warily, you may need to continue calling to entice him into range. Use short bursts, but take care to limit hand motion.
As soon as you have a shot, stop calling and take it.

Recommended Rabbit Distress Calls for Calling Wolves

The following are 4 of our favorite distress calls for calling in wolves. They are easy to learn to use and create more realistic sounds than any other calls we have used.

Wolf Howler Wolf Call $299

The Alpha Howler Wolf Call $249

Basic Wolf Hunting Package $449

Calling Wolves with Rabbit Distress Calls

Related Articles