I want to purchase a couple of hand calls for coyotes and other varmints.. What are some quality calls with out breaking the bank.. Had a number over the years, but they have gotten miss placed or lost.. I have a couple of Dan Thompsons wooden calls and like them but since he has passed, I would rather keep them and use some others... I need calls that are not open reed.. Never got the hang of those.. What are some good current models.. Looked at a couple near here $150 for two hand calls is abit much for my taste.. They were indeed pretty calls, but not for that price!!!
I have been using a Sceery Cottontail (AP-6?) and a Primos Jackrabbit call for 20+ years, along with my very first call from the late 60's by Weems.
They all work great, but I do have a hankering for a more custom-type call.
Take a look at Carver Predator Calls, RRcalls.com or just go to Predator Masters and look over the sponsors.
+1 on the Carver calls. Great quality/price and built by one of the best guys you’ll ever meet.
Carver calls for me to. You can actually buy a couple of his at sportsman's warehouse.
I'm a Carver call guy, both for closed reed and open reed. With that said, all my call strings have a Sceery AP-6 bite reed variable pitch on them. MFK for diaphragm calls.
A carver swift call is a must have
Toss in a critter call and youre golden.
Crit'R……….
Thank me later...;)
Crit'R-call Standard or PeeWee. Sorry, I just read where you don't use the open reed calls... So Crit'R is out.
Try these than.
Sceery AP-6 and Sceery Rodent Coaxer (AP-1, I think)
Sceery AP-1 rodent coaxer and AP-2 Cottontail distress.
there's a new guy in northern michigan making some real good looking and sounding calls. Uses some spectacular wood, great detail in the finish based on what I've seen and sound real good. Hand made one at a time, no "production" calls. His name is Tracy Overmeyer and he calls his Heavy Howler, True Custom Calls. I got one of his cards: phone number 231-590-1066. Maybe worth a look.
Sceery AP-1 rodent coaxer and AP-2 Cottontail distress.
That cottontail is my favorite.
Me too, but in cold weather they freeze up pretty bad.
ditto.... Surprised it wasn't mentioned before...
There is a Tallyho stuffed into a homemade howler in my shirt pocket all winter long. Always have it with me......
There is a Tallyho stuffed into a homemade howler in my shirt pocket all winter long. Always have it with me......
I’ve carried one most days for 25 years. Tal’s early calls were made of harder plastic and had a diff tone. .015 phenolic with the old call is as good as it gets.
Me too, but in cold weather they freeze up pretty bad.
Called in and killed 3 coyotes at once on a brutally cold day, for TX anyhow, about 35 years ago. It was 7 degrees and in the middle of an ice and snow storm. Worked well that day. 🤠
Me too, but in cold weather they freeze up pretty bad.
Called in and killed 3 coyotes at once on a brutally cold day, for TX anyhow, about 35 years ago. It was 7 degrees and in the middle of an ice and snow storm. Worked well that day. 🤠
You were the first of the Breed! Much respect
My favorite tube style call was probably the Haydels Govt hunter
I also did a lot with a Big River Cottontail, but the place I got it has been gone for 35 years or so, and I've never seen another like it.
Biggest favor a buddy ever did for me was to get me started on the critter call.
Weems...
Can't find an original, there are copies, and they work just as good.
Best hand call ever made.
Weems Wild Call was my first hand call. I was in 7th grade and clipped an advertisement out of Fur-Fish-Game magazine in the school library. Sent cash money in an envelope and watched the mailbox for a couple weeks until it showed up. Being a rabbit hunter I knew what a squealing rabbit sounded like when our beagles caught a wounded one. Took several tries but I called a grey fox on our family farm and was instantly hooked on the sport.
They say that a good predator call imitates the sounds of a baby crying. Lots of distress and high pitched screaming. The more angst the better!
When the kids were young I used to take them coyote hunting and we really slayed them. Some days we'd get four or five coyotes and be home by noon. Yeah, we had some great times back then. As the kids got older, the hunting really fell off. Some days we'd go all day w/o a single coyote.
Over time, I learned you really need to stick to taking very young children predator hunting and leave the teenagers at home. For one, they're lighter to carry in the field, which is nice. We all carry too much gear anyway so a 100 pound weight savings is huge. You can throw a few extra brewskys in the pack with a little planning.
Borrow your sisters little kids or swipe the neighbors little brat because when you twist the ears on the little ones they really wail. The sound carries for a mile and can penetrate 1" steel plate at 50 yards. As a general rule of thumb once a child learns to cuss their usefulness as a coyote hunting partner are about nil. It's just not effective. Time to search out other options.
I think too many guys are tempted to use their own kids into adolescence out of sheer laziness, not wanting to nab a youngster out of a grocery cart from the market or whatever. Seriously, how incredibly lazy do you have to be to handicap your own coyote hunting trip by not wanting to grab a kid somewhere before you go? Do you stop for beer? Well, look around, there's probably an unattended child somewhere between you and the checkout counter for crying out loud. It's called The Grab and Go Market for a reason. Coyote hunting is all about maximizing opportunites and it starts on the way there. Besides, let's face it, an unattended child is a neglected child. You'd be doing the poor kid a favor by helping him (or her, we're all equal here right?) get the attention they so desperately need. If you don't take them hunting, who will? The absent and utterly unavailable parent in the market? I think not. You. You and only you are that kids best hope. If not you, then who?
Take a (very young) child hunting today, what a rewarding and productive time for everyone involved. *Bonus Tip- It's probably best to tie the little tike up while on stand to avoid any unncessary movement, coyotes are very keen to that. Think zip ties. Light, easy, durable. A coyote callers friend.
Spending quality time with your kids is irreplaceable, until they're teenagers and you just want them to move out already, but remember, there are needy kids out there too that are just starved for some love and attention and would die to go hunting with an older, experienced mentor like you.
Don't sell yourself short, you have a lot to offer a young child.
My step daughter has a couple kids I would gladly give you Fireball...
My first predator call was the old green and black Olt. The whole concept of blowing on a call and it would make fox and bobcat and coyote come to you fascinated me. I tried and tried and tried with that Olt. I didn't limit myself to the Olt. I bought other calls as I saw them, and kept trying.
The first success came backhanded, almost by accident. It wasn't even hunting season, I was out of state at my parents' property in N.C. I threw on some drab clothes, went about 50 yds uphill behind the trailer. The foliage was so thick that it was out of sight...barely.
I started blowing on one of those orangey Burnham Bros. long range calls. I wasn't really expecting much, as per the past. Imagine my surprise when a nice fox came charging in! The quarters were close, heavy brush, so as soon as it showed up I quit blowing. It looked around for the free meal but couldn't find it. After a minute or two, it departed. I wasn't done quite yet. I also had a Burnham Bros. close range call. I started blowing that close range call and that fox came right back to me!
Since then I've call in coyotes, more foxes, deer, raccoons, hawks, etc. That's the best part of predator calling...you just never know what's going to come!
Now I use a FoxPro FX-3 and Sceery cottontail and coaxer calls. I also have some others, Primos, etc. that I monkey with . I love the Randy Anderson videos! I prefer closed reed calls but have several crit'r calls, a psycho tweety, and others.
I keep hearing about these Carver calls. I may have to give on a try.
I've been busy dealing the last month with my 95 year old father, but I may try to get off calling for a few days next month during small game season up in the national forest.
Me too, but in cold weather they freeze up pretty bad.
Same.
Great when it isn't cold though.
I've yet to have any non-open reed call not freeze up when it is 0 or colder out. That gets frustrating.
Back in high school I'd take my sister's cat out in a cage and let it meow for a while. I killed a fair number of fox doing that. That call won't freeze up unless its in that cage overnight...
I've yet to have any non-open reed call not freeze up when it is 0 or colder out. That gets frustrating.
Back in high school I'd take my sister's cat out in a cage and let it meow for a while. I killed a fair number of fox doing that. That call won't freeze up unless its in that cage overnight...
We haven't had much 0 weather in FL lately. Kinda wish we would, if nothing else for entertainment purposes.
Cody Voelker makes them also 1 at a time. Cody Voelker custom calls Facebook page! Highly recommended.
There is a Tallyho stuffed into a homemade howler in my shirt pocket all winter long. Always have it with me......
I’ve carried one most days for 25 years. Tal’s early calls were made of harder plastic and had a diff tone. .015 phenolic with the old call is as good as it gets.
We called these the "Wacker" they were so effective. Can you still get these?
CRiT- R-Call ‘Pee-Wee’ is the absolute top call. The 2nd choice in the Burnham Brothers ‘’Mini-Blaster’. Both are easy to use.
Another Carver Calls fan here. I love their open reed calls.