Hand Calling VS E-Caller

M

muckwa

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So from you experienced varminators what works best good old hand calling or the new fancy foxpros? Or a mix of both if need be. My experience has been with a homemade e-caller which has produced 2 out of the 10 times I have taken out and only on the young song dogs. So I'm thinking shell out a crap load of cash for a decent foxpro or buy some hand calls for this purpose. I know moose hunting I can out call any tapes my friends have. Just looking for some advice before I start looking for a fancy foxpro. Hey Mr Hair what do you think? You are the yote assassin on here any input would be great.
Cheers
Geoff
 
I have been calling yotes for 20 years and all I use is mouth calls. There is a certain satisfaction you can only get from mouth calls, kinda like tying your own flies or rolling your own ammo.

But..... recently I have been considering trying a FoxPro myself. The ability to have your hands free when a double or triple comes in and having the E-caller automatically switch to another sound after the shot could really help put a few more dogs down.
 
My opinion is that I find they both work as a team. I have been in the calling indrustry for close to 30 years with hand calls. I have found that at times its just as easy to turn on a caller and sit back and listen to the music it makes, enjoy it and watch for movement. I do have a landyard around my neck with some blow calls and I have been in the situation that they had to be used or if I want as I do often I just take a sequence and blow a distress call or a howler to break it up. Walking into a set and I walk onto a yote a feild away that has not seen me but yet I can not find the time to get the electric caller out I can sit down and hand call the yote in and this has happened a number of times this winter to me.

Back 2 1/2 years ago I decided to take the jump and as much as I hated to take the $550 out of the bank for a Fox Pro Fury, I did. I feel now that I never waisted one dime and have well got my moneys worth. I've even thought of Up grading now but am unsure if I need to.

Hope that helps
 
Adrian J Hare said:
Back 2 1/2 years ago I decided to take the jump and as much as I hated to take the $550 out of the bank for a Fox Pro Fury, I did. I feel now that I never waisted one dime and have well got my moneys worth. I've even thought of Up grading now but am unsure if I need to.

Hope that helps
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Yes it certainly does help.
I've been thinking about getting the Fury for awhile now and needed some positive reviews before purchasing. They are expensive but if they perform well, I'll get one.
Thanks.....
 
I like hand callers for the simple fact that they always work. There are no batteries to die, are smaller and lighter and that you can change the sound/pitch in an instant. I only use open reed calls as they don't freeze up.

One of my calling buddies has a fancy fox pro and it's good for using different sounds and for getting alittle more volume on windy days. Also the coyote vocalizing sounds are easier with the fox pro.

When it's all said and done its about getting out hunting and enjoying the sport but I think the guys that use hand call and find success with them are going to be the better hunters in the end.
 
Sask_Hunter said:
I like hand callers for the simple fact that they always work. There are no batteries to die, are smaller and lighter and that you can change the sound/pitch in an instant. I only use open reed calls as they don't freeze up. One of my calling buddies has a fancy fox pro and it's good for using different sounds and for getting alittle more volume on windy days. Also the coyote vocalizing sounds are easier with the fox pro. When it's all said and done its about getting out hunting and enjoying the sport but I think the guys that use hand call and find success with them are going to be the better hunters in the end.
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Good post.
 
Sask_Hunter said:
I like hand callers for the simple fact that they always work. There are no batteries to die, are smaller and lighter and that you can change the sound/pitch in an instant. I only use open reed calls as they don't freeze up.

One of my calling buddies has a fancy fox pro and it's good for using different sounds and for getting alittle more volume on windy days. Also the coyote vocalizing sounds are easier with the fox pro.

When it's all said and done its about getting out hunting and enjoying the sport but I think the guys that use hand call and find success with them are going to be the better hunters in the end.
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and your so full of wind its not funny. Calling with or without hand calls has nothing to do with being a better hunter. I'll stand on any stage against any caller in Canada when it comes to hand calls. Come on grow up....
 
Adrian J Hare said:
and your so full of wind its not funny. Calling with or without hand calls has nothing to do with being a better hunter. I'll stand on any stage against any caller in Canada when it comes to hand calls. Come on grow up....
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Why does hostility have to be the first natural reaction of so many people on CGN? <sigh> But, anyway ...

I think you're misinterpreting what he is saying. (Or, at least, my interpretation of his post is not the same as yours). Its difficult to describe, but using hand calls and relying upon entirely your own skills, techniques, and choices of call is not only very rewarding, but it can absolutely make you a better hunter. Not necessarily in the sense of being "better" than someone else, if such a thing is even possible, but a better hunter as far as your own personal reward and satisfaction. You can use a custom crafted call, or even one you've made yourself.

The top two guys in our annual contest at Predator Hunt Canada - with 80+ and 60+ coyotes each this season - both use hand calls. Now they could probably switch to an e-caller and bag just as many coyotes, but they don't. For them, hand calls work just fine. So I won't disagree that e-callers have a lot of strong points, but they are not demonstrably superior.

And while I don't go for subjective judgments, if I were forced to choose between a hunter who can consistently call coyotes with his hand calls and one who uses an e-caller and brings in just as many, I think you know which one would impress me more. Doesn't mean they're better, just that I can respect that kind of skill.
 
Its a very good skill to learn, and frankly all the pro's seem to use mouth calls. Randy Anderson, Les Johnson... When I started I made a conscious decision to learn to do mouth calls very well before even considering an E Caller.
 
Thanks guys for all the great responses. I get what you mean by being a good hunter from calling by yourself, the satisfaction of knowing you fooled that very smart and cautious critter with the sounds you produced. Also I like the fact that with an e caller you get to be honed right in on your surroundings and have that fox bang technology to stop that second dog after the first shot. Well for now being the limited funds I have I will buy some good hand calls and while perfecting that I will work some ot when available and put away over the summer for the foxpro. I'm thinking like Adrian was saying its nice to be versatile in the sport. Thanks guys...
 
What bothers me with this board is the comments of discouragement towards others in replies that make hunters step back from the learning tool that they would like to ask questions and get some advice other then some lame reply to drive them away. I've never hunted coyotes on the rock have no idea of the population of the dogs there, but I have been out west and seen what they have for a population and will say they have a Hell of a lot more coyotes then Ontario and "No Disrespect what so ever to our Western Hunters here" I could very easy take this into another step above the hand calls and lets drop all calls exsept Mouth Diaphrams.

I dont need Open reed hand calls at all and can use a Mouth Diaphram well doing any Howling, Distress rabbit call but I don't boast that thats any better, Its just another different way to call. Its all self satisfaction in the hunt, not making anyone any better of a hunter.

This site is a learning tool to help others and there is one a very small few that trys and help others.

CV32 I respect your opinions and your replies. You are very well spoken and written You one time told me I didnt know a thing about hunting the Coyote over some advice that I forwarded in a thread. You live in NFL and I live in Southern Ontario, two very different places and I'm sure the coyote hunting and Population is very different as well, but I by no means think I'm any better then you or anyone here. I post the threads that I do because I Love to hunt, and I also walk the talk and try very much to add my own opinion to help others without trying to Degrade them...
 
Adrian J Hare said:
What bothers me with this board is the comments of discouragement towards others in replies that make hunters step back from the learning tool that they would like to ask questions and get some advice other then some lame reply to drive them away. I've never hunted coyotes on the rock have no idea of the population of the dogs there, but I have been out west and seen what they have for a population and will say they have a Hell of a lot more coyotes then Ontario and "No Disrespect what so ever to our Western Hunters here" I could very easy take this into another step above the hand calls and lets drop all calls exsept Mouth Diaphrams.

I dont need Open reed hand calls at all and can use a Mouth Diaphram well doing any Howling, Distress rabbit call but I don't boast that thats any better, Its just another different way to call. Its all self satisfaction in the hunt, not making anyone any better of a hunter.

This site is a learning tool to help others and there is one a very small few that trys and help others.

CV32 I respect your opinions and your replies. You are very well spoken and written You one time told me I didnt know a thing about hunting the Coyote over some advice that I forwarded in a thread. You live in NFL and I live in Southern Ontario, two very different places and I'm sure the coyote hunting and Population is very different as well, but I by no means think I'm any better then you or anyone here. I post the threads that I do because I Love to hunt, and I also walk the talk and try very much to add my own opinion to help others without trying to Degrade them...
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Well said
 
Adrian J Hare said:
CV32 I respect your opinions and your replies. You are very well spoken and written You one time told me I didnt know a thing about hunting the Coyote over some advice that I forwarded in a thread.
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I most certainly did not say that, and if you wish to stand behind that statement, I respectfully request that you identify exactly where I allegedly did so. :confused:

You live in NFL and I live in Southern Ontario, two very different places and I'm sure the coyote hunting and Population is very different as well, but I by no means think I'm any better then you or anyone here. I post the threads that I do because I Love to hunt, and I also walk the talk and try very much to add my own opinion to help others without trying to Degrade them...
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I would be the last one to suggest that you should stop commenting, offering advice, or sharing your opinion. Quite the opposite. That's why we are here. Seems to me that your methods work for you quite well, and folks can learn from that. So I am not sure why you would feel this way. At the same time, I will add that folks are going to have different experiences, viewpoints and opinions. Just because someone shares a different or even contrary viewpoint, it doesn't mean they are calling you out. I think perhaps you are WAY too sensitive about that, but I would gladly like to be wrong.
 
Well let me chime in on this....:)

I use a ecaller and like it... but I like my hand calls better...Now this is just the way I feel about it. I called in a lot of coyotes with ecallers, not as much as some but enough to make me want to get a few more…… My first e-caller was homemade with the help from varmint als website... I shot maybe 15 coyotes (over a few years) using it and felt really good about it (the pride in making something myself and it calling coyotes in just made me feel great)...then I upgraded to a spitfire, shot alot of coyotes with that too, then this year I upgraded to a wildfire with external speaker and this season have shot the least amount of coyotes in a long time.....Is it the new call, the location or the amount of time I am spending out there compared to previous years, maybe a little of all of them come into play, that doesn't matter...what does is my hunting memories and the ones I remember the most have to be the few coyotes I have called in using only my hand calls. For whatever reason those hunts just stand out more.... Both work……Now days depending on the setup, if I can, I usually start off with hand calls and change to ecaller 5 mins into the set just because its easier and gets the sound away from me.
A little more advice, with hand calls make sure you use an open reed type of call so it won’t freeze up on you and with your ecaller, always carry your open reed hand caller with you because one day the batteries will be dead. It’s not if but it’s going to be a when with electronics.... Good luck……nothing stopping you from bringing both. :)
 
The usual suspects running off at the mouth...

OP... both will work... I prefer hand calls and vocal howlers... but the biggest benefit of electric callers is to get the sound away from your position... by getting the sound away from the shooter there is a much better chance of getting off a shot, becasue the quarry is not focused on your exact location... and believe me, they can narrow down your loaction to inches... and will be searching it intently with nose and eyes... most often they will beat you... but there is something special about calling in yotes and fox and coons with hand held calls... for me, the battery operated electronics take something away from the experience... not judging those that use them, but that is just me... I feel the same way about finding signs of man's encroachment on wilderness trips, whether it is a thoughtlessly discarded candy bar wrapper or an old camp site... I often think that I was born a couple hundred years too late.
 
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