Just starting out! - 24hourcampfire

OK I have the rifle and the cammo (snow cammo here) and I am willing to learn. What now? Should I invest in an electronic caller or should I use mouth calls? Easier it is, the better it is for a beginner I always say. Give me a few pointers will ya please. Thanks, Paul

That should've had my email at the botom. bear with me while i figure it out.Paul

Electronic,electronic,electronic....that is like choosing between the merits of blackpowder,or smokeless. Too many advantages........

Big Stick, This is the first, and I hope only, time I have to disagree with you. Starting off with cost. A good call, Sceery Etc., Max 20 bucks. You can't make it sound too badly to work. I have seen coyotes come to the most awful sounds you have ever heard. I have hunted coyotes professionally for several years. I do some other things now also, but I have taken several guys out to teach them what little I know, and had them make what I thought was some terrible noise, and seen it work. Second is portability, Whether I'm hunting deer, antelope, elk, whatever, you will not catch me without a predator call in my pocket or around my neck. If you have it you will use it, and you can have alot of fun, on what might have been an otherwise unproductive day. If you just have a call with you all the time to play with you will get good at using them. Get a open reed or variable pitch type call and you will be amazed at what all you can do with them. You can use them as a cow elk call, or use a fawn distress to get the deer up or whatever. You can't do all that with an electronic, because it will be somewhere in the garage gathering dust, which is exactly where my electronic is right now. But, I have a hand call in every glove box and coat pocket that I have. And when I need one, there it is.

CCW,you must weigh the merits of what works for you,I must do the same,regarding my experiences. I like the electronic,for a number of reasons. One,is the minimum of movement. Two,I can place it,in a location seperate from myself,that allows me some flexibility,regarding setup(trying to funnel something,into a certain location,for a shot). Three,you can keep the calling sequence going,while making the shot. With a hand call,that is most difficult. Four,after purchase of the call,tapes are cheap. This especially so,when you split the cost with a buddy and trade copies. Five,they make VERY good volume,that can be a great aide,in some instances. I agree very much,that the electronic call,isn't going to accompany me,on a Big Game Hunt. I can accept that,because that wasn't the intent,behind purchase. I too,tote calls in all the rigs,the boat,daypacks,etc. That is more of a lark,because when heading out,on a dedicated Varmint Hunt,the electric call is much preferred by me. I have a daypack,that I can poke my call,some tapes,and other necessities neatly inside. That is how I transport the gear,when striking out after varmints expressly. This works best,for me....

OK, So is the consensus Electronic? How hard is it to learn how to use read calls? Thanks, Paul------------------ walukie@military.com

Paul - Some of these people know I'm new to varmint hunting, but that perspective might be of value here. I started dedicated varmint hunting just a little over a month ago. Using hand calls, I brought four coyotes into my first set-up, and I've killed a few already. I did my homework ahead of time: listened to instructional tapes, read every book and magazine article I could get my hands on, visited every web site I could find that had advice from more experienced varmint hunters, like this one. Here's what I like about starting with mouth-blown calls: 1. I'm not investing big bucks into something I didn't know with any certainty I was going to stick with. We don't all like every single activity hunting and fishing have to offer. I have buddies, for example, dedicated waterfowlers, who simply have no interest in big game hunting. (Yes, I think they're goofier than a tent peg, too, but to each their own.) 2. There's something to be said for learning the craft in whatever pursuit you're involved in. I can call a duck in and make the thing sit in my lap. That adds immeasurably to my waterfowling experience. And I can tell you - calling those coyotes in on my first-ever set-up, through my own efforts and with my own technique, however poor, was a thrill I'll never forget. 3. It's just plain interesting and fun to blow a call. If the hunting's slow, you can keep yourself occupied for half an hour on a set-up with seeing what you can make your calls do. 4. You become an object of amazement and respect to your less industrious and adventurous friends when you can call wildlife in with nothing more than a piece of plastic. Some of my friends who can't blow a duck call worth skookum quiet down when I raise that Glynn Skoby to my lips for the first hail call of the day as though I'm about to deliver a soliloquy from King Richard III. I'll certainly get an electronic call at some point. I already know I'm hooked on this stuff. But first, I want to get solid with the craft, the fun of fooling a master predator with a sound I made, not some acoustics engineer in a mixing studio.So there you have it from a fellow newbie, Paul. No disrespect intended for the advice from those here obviously more experienced. Just one more way to look at it. Either way, get ready for a great addition to your life outdoors. Have fun. Greggun

Just to throw in two cents from a totally inexperienced varmint caller.I went out to call a coyote last August for the very first time. Used a Lohman (I think that's the brand) jackrabbit call. I blew three series over about 20 minutes and one came in to me. I had made a tactical error so it busted me, but the point is that I was able to make a mouth call work the very first time.I had listened to the audio tape that came with the call and practiced a little bit - drove the dog nuts and scared the cat. But the call itself was real easy to use, no special way to hold your mouth or tongue, just blow into it. Blow hard into it and you get a raspy sound, blow easy and it becomes more pitiful. You want to sound frantic and loud for 8 to 10 seconds and then ease off for another 10 seconds and then let it peter out. Basically pretend that you are a dying rabbit who is scared sh*tless and mad, then out of breath, then dead. Won't argue the merits of the electronic call as I am not experienced enough, but for a low cost way to get started the mouth calls are great.Pick your site - be able to watch the terrain so they can't sneak up on you too easily, wind direction - very important, keeping still, never call any more once you spot the critter, I think these are probably more important things to pay attention to than the particular brand or type of call.[This message has been edited by Jim in Idaho (edited February 02, 2001).]

I started out with an electronic (tape player) call. I just set my portable c***ette player on the ground out behind the chicken coop, stuck in a tape of a young jack rabbit in distress, hid in the bushes and shot both chicken killing coyotes that came running in. That was my first experience calling varmints. It was not long afterwards that I got real serious about calling for the fur money. I learned to use the mouth calls by listening to the tapes. I have always used tapes and mouth calls when varmint calling. I don't know about the rest of you, but I do get tired blowing a mouth call all night long. When you make five or ten setup's per night it's nice to use the tape every other set and give your lungs a break. I do remember being quite proud of myself the first time I called in a bobcat with the mouth call though. And yes, I always have a mouth call handy when ever I go hunting. I have killed a few coyotes while hunting prairie dogs by calling for a few minutes at sunrise before I set up to start shooting the prairie dogs. I always wanted one of those nice little electronic calling setups that I see in the catalogs but hate to lay out 100 bucks or more for one when my little c***ette player and Radio Shack external speaker work just fine.

Another twist to the above excellent advice and what we do at times is to combine the two. I don't have a big calling unit, just a cheap little boom box. Set the player off to the side a bit and start the tape and medium to soft volume. QUICKLY get back into position and get ready. If nothing shows after a bit, we cut loose with a series on the hand call as an attention getter. If you can get a coyote to hear your mouth call and start coming in, he will then next hear your tape player and should not be looking directly at your position. It doesn't always work, but is way cool when it does. Good luck, Bill

I have a hatfull of hand calls, a Johnny Stewart tape job with 75 feet of cord on the speaker, and a Dennis Kirk remote-controlled unit. (I use professional guiding to justify that I "need" all these things.) [Linked Image]

And many clients come hunting with me to learn how to get the varmints to come in, so I do all I can to teach them. If they do not have an electronic call, one thing I do is take a cheap Radio Shack tape recorder (the $19.95 variety), put a calling tape in it, start it at the lowest possible volume, and do like Bill just described. Critters come in with their attention fixed on the tape recorder, and you don't have to worry about "expertly" coaxing in the cautious ones. Voila!! Poor man's electronic caller! ------------------ Critr <A HREF="http://www.SaguaroSafaris.com" TARGET=_blank>www.SaguaroSafaris.com</A>

Thanks for the advice. I will get the Cheep-o tape player and some mouth calls and see what happens. Paul

All very good advice...I'm a hand call fan... though I do use a decoy(weasle ball attached to wood dowel via heavy spring wearing a fur coat) to get the varmints attention off me .. FWIW--Steve

If you are a beginner I would reccomend Ed Sceerys kit with video. I use the Ap-3 calls a bunch, they are so easy to use. I could teach anyone how to call with one of them. 15 minutes of practice and you will be able to call varmints in. The AP-6 Sceery call is also very popular.I have been playing with a Carltons open reed fighting cow elk call. I can howl with it, do distress cries, and most everything else you cam imagine.I have heard a lot of people talking about this new electronic caller. Here is the link, they have all of the sounds that come with the caller.<A HREF="http://www.phantomcalls.com/gifs/pred.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.phantomcalls.com/gifs/pred.html</A>Make sure you enjoy this type of hunting before you outlay a lot of cash for an electronic caller. Good luck.Chad

NM KID, Thanks for the web site! I'll check it out. I don't plan on spending allot of money until i know that i like preditor hunting. Thanks again, Paul