ELECTRONIC COYOTE CALL SUGGESTIONS/CAN I BORROW YOURS?

As you may assume by the title, I'm thinking about getting into coyote hunting. Before I go and drop $200+ for a electronic call, it might be a good idea to make sure this is something I plan to do a decent amount of. I have the rifle ready to go, an area that seems promising, now I just need to get out there. If you have an electronic call that seems to work well, and that you would lend out to a fellow hunter, I'm sure we could work something out.


I'm thinking about getting a FoxPro Wildfire 2 for $200ish and maybe the FoxPro jack decoy. Anyone have experience with FoxPro?

I was considering the Primos Dog Catcher call, but it has terrible reviews...

thoughts?

I run the foxpro wildfire with the jack decoy. I really like it sometimes and other times I still use my hand calls. I will still use the decoy even if I'm using my hand calls (it give the yote something to focus on instead of me). I wasn't about to drop $600 on the prairie blaster but I wanted a good call. Some of the sounds sound really good and some don't. The volume carries really well and the ability to switch calls on the fly is very nice, especially if you have a dog hung up that needs just the right sound to change his mind. I really like the fox bang feature, it has helped stop or at least get a second dog to check up after you shoot the first one, although it doesn't work as reliable when I'm using my suppresor.

You can download a ton of sounds to it (which I haven't done yet) and the remote is easy to use.

built this one for under 200$
It is fully waterproof for hunting in snow. I caulk'd all the holes and sealed em. I'm into my 2nd season with it..You can use a porta charger, but in the pic, it was used for demo purposes only. The pic in the case shows the motorcycle battery I had to buy.

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I'm going to list my older fox pro for $100 firm... You can have first dibs if you want.. I bought a new caller today so this ones going for sale it's a model 416b it has 16 sounds . Doesn't have a remote, it's Camo and I have called in plenty of fox and coyotes with it.. I would keep it for a backup but found a gun I want. Let me know if you want it or not. Pm me your number I'll send you a picture or give me a bit and I'll post it on the forum

Do you have a smart phone? If yes, don't waste your money on a dedicated caller...

I started predator hunting when the callers had cassette tapes...it sucked and I broke/ruined several. When packaged callers with solid state electronics and better speakers came out, I was totally amped. Now I do not rely on electronic calls alone. I use coyote, rabbit, turkey, even goose mouth calls, but in the blind with a remote speaker, an electronic call is nice. I have used Johnny Stewarts, Primos, FoxPros over the years and I have spent some good money on them, but I do not own one now, nor will I ever again.

I have 3 different free apps on my smart phone for predator calling. I play those through bluetooth to a weatherproof 15 watt speaker ($50). It is every bit as good for my uses as a $300 to $500 caller, and I can use it in other applications. My typical set-up is to put out the blind and set the speaker in brush about 50 feet away. Then I go about 10 feet away from that and put up my furry spinner decoy. Sling the rifle and walk (based on wind) about 1/4 mile from the blind. I turkey or rabbit call a bit walking back to the blind and then when I get close, I mix a coyote call with a wounded rabbit/turkey/etc. and slip into the blind. Works pretty good. I called 3 coyotes in the other day sitting in the back of my truck with the speaker on the roof. The closest one came to 20 yards.

So while the dedicated callers had their place, bluetooth speakers and the quality of them and the calls on the apps is much simpler, and better than all the calls until maybe you pass $400 or so. The only caveat, you have to turn your cell phone to airplane mode, then turn on bluetooth or you risk a phone call screwing up a charging coyote...ask me how I know. :) For me, the range of the bluetooth and the volume have been fine. There are more powerful speakers and bluetooth boosters to increase volume and offset, but I have not needed them. I do also keep a USB battery ($30) to charge my smart phone in the blind, and I have needed it a few times. Never had to charge the speaker.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MarkCO

Do you have a smart phone? If yes, don't waste your money on a dedicated caller...

I started predator hunting when the callers had cassette tapes...it sucked and I broke/ruined several. When packaged callers with solid state electronics and better speakers came out, I was totally amped. Now I do not rely on electronic calls alone. I use coyote, rabbit, turkey, even goose mouth calls, but in the blind with a remote speaker, an electronic call is nice. I have used Johnny Stewarts, Primos, FoxPros over the years and I have spent some good money on them, but I do not own one now, nor will I ever again.

I have 3 different free apps on my smart phone for predator calling. I play those through bluetooth to a weatherproof 15 watt speaker ($50). It is every bit as good for my uses as a $300 to $500 caller, and I can use it in other applications. My typical set-up is to put out the blind and set the speaker in brush about 50 feet away. Then I go about 10 feet away from that and put up my furry spinner decoy. Sling the rifle and walk (based on wind) about 1/4 mile from the blind. I turkey or rabbit call a bit walking back to the blind and then when I get close, I mix a coyote call with a wounded rabbit/turkey/etc. and slip into the blind. Works pretty good. I called 3 coyotes in the other day sitting in the back of my truck with the speaker on the roof. The closest one came to 20 yards.

So while the dedicated callers had their place, bluetooth speakers and the quality of them and the calls on the apps is much simpler, and better than all the calls until maybe you pass $400 or so. The only caveat, you have to turn your cell phone to airplane mode, then turn on bluetooth or you risk a phone call screwing up a charging coyote...ask me how I know. :) For me, the range of the bluetooth and the volume have been fine. There are more powerful speakers and bluetooth boosters to increase volume and offset, but I have not needed them. I do also keep a USB battery ($30) to charge my smart phone in the blind, and I have needed it a few times. Never had to charge the speaker.

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That's such a great idea!

You probably can not see the screen of my phone well, but it is opened to the Predator call app with the mixed calls. There is always a STOP on the screen which repeats, so you can shut it off, and it will run calls over one another as well. I have been using a Mojo Critter which is on the left. You can see my speaker, a DIVOOM, on the right. My pack is pretty small. With a thermos, 100 rounds of ammo, the speaker, lunch, the caller, thermal seat, and other essentials, is it about 15 pounds. My Trigger stick tripod and blind lash together and I can get out where I want with no more than 30 pounds of total gear.

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What are the names of the free apps?

Predator Calls, Coyote Hunting Call. When hunting places turkeys might be (and never during turkey season) I use Turkey Calls too.

The smartphone app is a great idea, thanks.

google varmint al...he has a lot of good bits...

sorry was on phone when posted...
http://www.varmintal.com/

Well I had a Bass Pro gift card burning a hole in my pocket. I downloaded the predator call apps to my galaxy and just ordered the scosche boombottle mini bluetooth speaker and the fuse realtree back-up battery.

Might get a decoy before I head out too.

30#s of gear, to call coyotes. Not necessary. A few hand calls, shooting sticks, rifle, camo clothing, and a butt pad and you're good to go. Fox Pro's are good, but if a guy learns to call them with hand calls first and gets to the point that he wants to up is game, then you can drop the coin for ecall. Lots of good used ones all the time on the predator hunting sites. I called for 25 years with hand calls, but when I want to kill numbers these days, I use the ecall. Hand calls are still part of what I carry, but I rarely use them any more. Just no way to compete with the variety of sounds that are available to put on ecalls these days.
Keep it simple until you're sure it's something you really are wanting to do, and after about the first hard charger, you'll probably make up your mind.

Well here's my first coyote. Shot her at 365 meters. Couldn't get her to come in closer. My speaker isn't loud enough. Anyway I had about 20 minutes to get calm and comfortable then took the shot in the prone. Larue stealth upper, bushnell elite 3-14x44mm scope, 55 grain 5.56 with aac sdn6 can. Pretty Fun!
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Nice! Good shooting. My girlfriend and I called one in last weekend, I wanted to let her take the shot since she didn't get anything deer hunting but she missed at about a 60 yrd shot. :)

How long did it take you to call it in??

I wish I could say it was my BA calling skills, but I spotted it in a snow covered pasture at about 800 yards, then closed the gap to 450ish, it moved a little closer with some jackrabbit in distress call but it definitely wasn't coming in fast. 365 meters and I decided to take the shot. The last few weekends Ive been practicing on 9x9" steel plate at 500 meters, so I was fairly confident.

congrats on your first, now don't stop.
In case you are interested in selling them, they are worth more this year than they have been for many years, although the window for quality pelts is closing quickly. I just sold 16 yesterday, frozen in the round, and averaged just over $25./ea., with 5 bringing $40./ea. I had two skanks that only brought $15./ea. that really brought down the ave.