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I've had luck using a mouth call in the past, but I'm looking into buying an electronic call.
Any recommendations or experience?
I called in a pair of coyotes the other day with my Fox Pro but it's not very loud. I always regretted paying the $200 for it. I noticed Orschelns sells some Jimmy Stewart electronic calls for $40 that have 6 different calls on them. You can even download calls on your smart phone and plug a speaker into it. One of my favorites is an old call that came with an expandable rubber accordion hose on one end that you squeeze to make the call work. Not sure what brand it is but I'm guessing it's 35 plus years old
I’ve got an old portable record player system... watched my dad call in a bobcat and shoot it with his .357 when I was a boy:-) probably an antique.
It’s only got one call though, obviously.
Depends how much you want to spend,the ones with remote control are great if not then the regular fox pro
People who buy cheaper ones usually end up selling them and getting a Foxpro. That includes myself. I made one first, with a little RadioShack battery powered amp and a horn speaker that plugged into my smartphone as suggested above. Your phone doesn't have enough power to send to a horn speaker so a little amp is required. It was loud but the sounds were distorted and it wasn't to my liking. Then I bought a Western Rivers one that looks just like a Foxpro but at half the price. It wasn't as loud as a Foxpro and again, the sound distorted, probably from the use of a cheap amp, like the one I used on my homemade version. I sold it and finally bought a Foxpro and haven't looked back. You can find factory refurbished ones for a considerable discount if you look around. I think they're just as good as new and they carry the same warranty. All that said, guys who use mouth calls usually kill a lot more dogs than those who use electronic calls.
I do a lot of coyote calling.Hand and electronic.Foxpro upper end calls are impossible to beat for sound quality and reliability IMO.(doubt there's any made I haven't used or heard) Have used many models but have had a Shockwave for years.It gets BEAT and used hard and has NEVER failed or faltered and the remote is far and away the best in the business. Assorted Lucky Duck models(Revolt,Revolution,Riot etc)have great sounds-a great entire sound library but 'not so much' on ruggedness,reliability.I have one and like it but don't use it much. The old Wildlife Tech calls were great but the remote sucked and wasn't very 'remote'.Sounds second to none though.Again,I have one but haven't touched it in 2 years.
Foxpro is where it’s at! Tried and true!!
Mouth/Hand call is the way to go. This is a pic of my Haydel GHC (Gov’t Hunter Cottontail) rabbit squealer on one end to get’em up and moving. Then flip it to the other end to the mouse squeaker to bring’em in close. Has a great hyperventilating sound to it and sounds great for weakening dieing off sounds.
Way more range than any electronic call w/ speaker. Had a buddy come in a few weeks ago with the fox pro, speakers, bells and whistles, etc. and we could barely here it when the KS wind kicked up. Plus he had to lug all that delicate electronic gear around all day.
Crestedbutte.......Do you ever have any issues with that call freezing up in really cold weather? Most all of my internal reed calls seem to eventually want to freeze up and stick when it is super cold out vs the external reed calls that I use.
It actually hasn’t ever frozen up on me and I have hunted in some really cold, wet, snowy, icy conditions in KS, OK & CO.
Nothing delicate about the Shockwave and louder than any mouthcall. I luv mouthcalls but when alone,electronics much more effective if used right cause the coyotes aren't looking at you plus the use of many more sounds is a huge advantage.Blow your Haydel around my area this time of year and watch the coyotes run the other way.
To me, blowing on a mouth call makes me feel more part of and thus engaged in the hunt whether a success or utter failure....but that is just me! If others use electronic calls and feel satisfaction with that then that is great and will never knock someone for doing it that way. It all comes down to enjoying our time in nature and the animals we hunt.
For me, when that coyote hangs up at 80-100yds out and I flip the call around to the mouse squeaker and go at until it feels like I might pass out and they respond by coming in on a rope it just gives me a better personal feeling of satisfaction of which I know I personally couldn’t get if pushing a button on a remote control caller...again that is just me!
All those calls that come with those electronic calls are impressive no doubt and can indeed see the benefit of hunting alone but they didn’t do any good a few weeks ago when my buddy used his. I will hunt with him more in the future and maybe more hunts with electronic calls will change my opinion but I know one thing for sure.... I will never leave my Haydel mouth call at the house ever again. Never know when it might be needed to bail out an unproductive electronic hunt?
Crested I hear ya loud and clear and really understand your satisfaction.When going electronic,I always have an old Circe in my pocket and a D Thompson howler in my jacket.On most predator rifles I also have a 'squeaker' taped to the side of my scope.Either to stop them,get them closer or,particularly on fox,get them to raise their heads if sleeping. Good hunting to you!
Dick, I like that squeaker idea on side of scope, gun or bow. Might try that to give me another alternative for squeaker. Yes, I wish you and everyone well on the varmint hunting.
Here’s a pic of one of my rifles. I’m a ‘leftie’ and a right handed shooter would want it on the other side i’m sure.Easy to finger squeeze and still get back on the trigger. Works well.
Here's an old scotch call like I use. You get the same exact calling as you do with a mouth call but you can do it ats arm reach and keep your breath.
Hey Ray, I've got a "nib" Cabelas/Foxpro SL, and I already have one I use. This one has the "receiver" for their decoy attachments. Send me a PM if you're interested, don't really need to get rid of it but for you I might make a deal.
I agree that the electronic is the way to go if hunting solo, and if bowhunting solo it's the ONLY way to go. That said, I do think the guys that are good with mouth calls kill more yotes.
Thanks guys. I have had success with a mouth call, but I was thinking it would be better to have my total focus on my boy and an electronic call would allow me to be more hands free.
Thanks for all the suggestions. PM headed your way Kyle
Look at Lucky Duck electronic calls.
I have a Fox Pro Hellfire. Its a good call no doubt. However, anymore It seems I want to use the mouth calls more than the electronic. Less weight to carry, Don't have to expose yourself setting it out in front of you. Yes, you could always sit it closer or beside you. Depending on which remote you have, some don't work so well in the cold due to plastic over the buttons. A few times, I have had the batteries die in the middle of a stand. I believe mine hasthe tx9 remote. I am sure the ones with the buttons which stick out are better.
The other thing to consider- depending where you hunt, if there are other predator hunters in the area, coyotes may have became "educated" on specific sounds and not come in. Mouth calls, not so much as you can easily change the tone, pitch and length of sound. I have split usage between them 50/50 or so this year. I called in many more using mouth calls.
Go to predatorcalls.com They have everything I just bought a fox pro CS24C Have not had a chance to use it yet but sure like the remote
Another vote for Lucky Duck Ecalls. The Revolt is a killin machine. I killed 95 this winter over my Revolt. I used to use mouth calls, back in the day when there were no ecalls, and killed my share of coyotes. But the benefits of the ecalls out weigh the benefits of hand calls all day long. At one time I didn't think I had any interest in ecalls. Thought it would take away some of the adrenaline that a guy gets when using had calls. Not for me. My heart still jumps BPM when I see em coming to the call, just like it did when I was using hand calls. And I've learned that an ecall just out performs hand calls, with the sounds that are available these days, such as fight sounds that are very effective. Just can't imitate that on a hand call. The Verminator fight sounds that are on the Lucky Duck calls are killer.
Tim...how big of a speaker do you use. Typical KS wind of 10-15mph effected hearing range of e-calls we recently used. If wind gusted to 20mph or above we could barley hear the e-call.