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Ditto to the quality of WT. A friend I hunt with has two of them, an older mid sized model he bought used and more recently one of the new small ones.

This hasn't been addressed but if you want to call cougars, WT is way ahead of the others, mainly with their sound selection. My friend is a fairly new caller who bought the WT's specifically for cougars since they are his main interest. In three seasons of calling cougars, with little instruction from anybody, he has called a half dozen or so, seen three of them and killed one.

I like to call cougars and have brought at least 14 to the call, but I bought a Minaska M1 for two reasons:
1. I can put my own sounds on it here at home easily which I can't do with WT
2. I like nearly every feature on it better than the comparable FoxPro, which also allows you to load your own sounds.

I did a ton of research, on sound quality, remote range, ease of changing sounds while on stand, etc. Also, I greatly prefer the Minaska Sidewinder decoy unit for a specific use I've developed for cats.

Minaska recently became partners with Flambeau Outdoors, a big company, and I don't know how that will effect the product. Their success has caused them problems in keeping up with orders and service recently, with some complaints about time lag on shipping. Flambeau is big enough to fix the ordering delays, we're told.

Since I bought my M1, FoxPro has put out a clone to it called the Scorpion, an example of how competition benefits consumers. FP tends to have rabid fans, as mentioned in an earlier post, and I will admit that their conduct has soured me a little on that company, but not enough to shun their product if I liked it. Ditto for WT. I have talked with Bill Martz and found him passionate about his product to the point of overstating his case once in awhile, but I can handle that and found him knowledgeable and helpful. I don't have to like the CEO of GM to drive a Chevy.

Truly independent evaluators of sound quality consistently rate WT as best, Minaska usually as a close second, and FP poorest. I have not seen the Gametraks unit evaluated in the same side by side sound test. My understanding is that they put each caller in a burlap bag, unseen by the hearers, which has sometimes been a large group of attendees at calling seminars.

Having said that, I've found sound quality to be the least important factor in calling any animal, and I've called more than 30 kinds of critters from chipmunks to moose, from the Mexico border though states and provinces to the Yukon.

You'll have fun whichever one you buy. Personal opinion: with all but the WT, all of us users are doing beta testing with new models of Minaska and FP, as indicated by the return/repair rate.

It all depends on who you talk too really. Like the saying goes, "everyone has a bias." I have a buddy that guides hunters for predators, mainly coyote and bobcat. He is not affliated in any way with any call manufacturers and spends more days per year calling than most people do in 10 years. After trying them all, he uses the Foxpro. Is he biased? You bet because according to him, the FP has proven to be the most reliable and compact, with unmatched customer service.

Absolutely the most heated debates on the predator hunting boards is any discussion of "which e-caller is best?" and usually manages to bring out the worst in some posters. I take into account the unit, sounds, business practices of the company, customer service, ect. to make my decision of which caller I use. Others will do as they please...

So what makes the WT better sounding? Is it better recordings, better speakers, etc. ?

They use a TOA speaker and I have one of them that plugs in to my old Minaska and now my FP so it wust be the way they record the sounds and transmit them.

Distress sounds may not rely too much on sound quality but coyote vocals evidently do. As I said I will own a WT if no other reason than the vocals.

But I will place my new Fury way above the Minaska Bandit I had for sound quality. Maybe it's the new 24 bit sounds but it's working.

How many sounds does a guy thinks he needs? I have 35 sounds on my WT and thats more than enough for coyotes. Coyote vocals is one of the keys to success with the WT, learn how to use them properly and you will kill more coyotes..
You guys that hunt in the southern or south western states with all the heavey cover would be surprised on how many coyotes that don't come in to youre other callers, i'll tell you its alot. LOL

Tim this is TOM from the Oklahoma board, read the rest of my post that says I'll own one simply for the vocals. As for the number of sounds, I have sounds that I have faith in that go on every caller I have owned and some of Bills sounds that I heard didn't impress me.

Now how many stands straight did you blank with your WT? If I went that long without calling anything, I'd take up golf. So don't tell everyone our "other" callers don't work. I've killed plenty with hand calls,JS, FP and even a few with Minaska.

Tom: On my first trip west i called coyotes in 1 to every 3 stands. I started calling to doubles and then brought in a third and took the easy one first.. I missed quite a few the first two days and i made a change in equipement and was back in the game again.. Second trip i was after targeted coyotes. Coyotes that where called in before and coyotes that have been shot at..On second trip i had to deal with the ranchers getting into my area first to break ice for the cattle and scareing the coyotes off..The coyotes ran off into areas i could'nt get into so it made it harder to find any with-in hearing distance..
If the average guy is just calling to any ol coyote then any caller will work its the more conditioned ones is where the WT shines.. Anyone can use what ever caller they want but the WT is still the best caller out there period..
On most of my stands i used most of the rabbit distress sounds i have to see which work in my area and the ones that don't, i had call-ins with all of them so no problem there with the rabbit distress sounds. The coyote vocals where also tested and also did very well with them..
If anyone that is unhappy with a WT must not be useing it right..

Tim the only complaint Mike had was carrying the dang thing, he got the big speaker. We kidded him about needing a wheelbarrow to haul it around in. I'm gonna look at the small one.

As to conditioned coyotes, I have to deal with those as well. Seems everyone has a caller but few know how to use it these days. And most of my areas need a traffic light so the ranchers and oilfield workers don't collide. And of course everyone has to take a shot at em so trucks are "danger". We deal with what we have to, tis what it is. I'm just saying I do all right for now.

I want the WT for vocals mainly but then I think I'll need that big speaker and a wheelbarrow for the volume...

One thing i have to agree with you on is for the hunters that live in an area with high numbers for coyotes, they can get buy with any type of caller early in the season. But once the yoy are thinned out or called to once or twice i think the WT does a better job of convinceing them to come in.. I would love to help other callers out with how to properly use a WT but it would'nt be fare to my instructers or their students that either worked or paid for this info.. I used hand calls and a Dennis Kirk caller for years and yes i called coyotes but i also missed alot of them, due to not haveing the proper equipement and sounds and how to use them properly..I also have a Minaska big country and it has it place, but the WT is the one caller that has increased my called in and killed percentages...
I have another trip planned for later next month and willbe dealing with the hardheads, i will see how the WT works with them...good hunting...T.A.