e-caller

[GrandSlam]

Can anyone recommend a reasonable priced e-caller? Looking to get into coyote “dispatching” and just starting out.

[waldedw]

FoxPro IMHO they are the best there is, numerous models to choose from at various price points, I have the hammer Jack with the fuzzy whopper and been using it for years, works great

[elkhunter11]

I bought the cheapest Foxpro I could find on sale 5-6 years ago, and I still use it. A little more volume would be nice on windy days, but otherwise, it works fine. I also use a spinning foxtail as well, to add motion.

[treeroot]

I bought a fox pro basic model quite a few years ago for about 180$. It crapped out last year so I wanted another one. I couldn't believe the prices now..

Don't think they don't make fox pro's for less than 100$ in china and tell you that you need to pay 500$ for it.

Just like your iphone made for 50$ over seas and its being sold to you for 900$.

I passed on a new fox pro.

[Salavee]

If you want volume and real animal sounds have a look at Wildlife Technologies offerings.

[GrandSlam]

Yes, the prices are crazy. Hard to get a Foxpro for under $500. Used might be an option just starting out.

[tikka250]

I'm primarily a handcall guy but recognize the advantages for ecalls and sometimes run them in tandem. Foxpro has been my primary E call for a while both cheap and expensive models. The other companies to look for are lucky duck which some say rivals foxpro in sound quality but is made in China, and icotec which I don't know much about but folks seem to like em.
The lower end used foxpros will still get the job done %90 of the time though. What you lose in the cheaper older offerings is volume, remote range, and sound quality at high volume. The cheaper foxpros also have a harder to use remote which often requires removing gloves to operate.

[Smokinyotes]

I had a fox pro wildfire and gave it to my nephew because I couldn’t read the font on it. I’ve had a fox pro fusion for a few years now and I like it.

[Big Lou]

I was going to give my two bits but, I just horribly botched what should have been a shotgun triple. I’ll stay quiet until I don’t suck again.

[Brodhead]

If I were you, I'd save the couple hundred bucks and put it towards ammo. then just get 2 mouth calls. A howl/coyote call and one rabbit distress call. They're are a lot more portable, cheaper and more versatile.

You don't have to be a professional caller to call predators, I've called coyote, wolves and bears in with just my voice

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by Brodhead

If I were you, I'd save the couple hundred bucks and put it towards ammo. then just get 2 mouth calls. A howl/coyote call and one rabbit distress call. They're are a lot more portable, cheaper and more versatile.

You don't have to be a professional caller to call predators, I've called coyote, wolves and bears in with just my voice

The nice thing about mouthcalls is that you can set them 40+ yds upwind of your Blind.. and let the wind do it's thing. A mangy Coyote will never know the difference.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Brodhead

If I were you, I'd save the couple hundred bucks and put it towards ammo. then just get 2 mouth calls. A howl/coyote call and one rabbit distress call. They're are a lot more portable, cheaper and more versatile.

You don't have to be a professional caller to call predators, I've called coyote, wolves and bears in with just my voice

I prefer electronic calls, so we set them well away from where we are hiding, so the coyotes key in on the caller, and my foxtail, not on us.

[GrandSlam]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

I prefer electronic calls, so we set them well away from where we are hiding, so the coyotes key in on the caller, and my foxtail, not on us.

I’ve read some have 100 or so yard range from remote.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam

I’ve read some have 100 or so yard range from remote.

I typically set up the caller around 50 yards from where we will sit, preferably in a location where the coyotes probably won't be looking directly at us as they approach the caller.

[Jamie Black R/T]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam

I’ve read some have 100 or so yard range from remote.

That's the biggest advantage to the more spendy foxpro models IMO. You get some cool features you likely will never use....but the remote range is way better.

I routinely leave my caller 100 or more yards away and it works fine. Keeps prying eyes off of the shooter/s

[Smokinyotes]

If I’m packing the shotgun I put the call about 35 yards away from me. If I just have the rifle then I put it about 75-100 yards.

[Big Lou]

I managed to overcome my own issues today and kill one. Feeling a bit less sucky.

I’m essentially going to echo what Brodhed stated. Starting out, I’d absolutely recommend getting a couple or three mouth calls and learn on them. You’ll be better for it long term in my opinion. Nothing in predator hunting, is more satisfying, than putting one right in your lap. Except for a mountain lion or bear of course. When and if you get an E-Caller down the road, you’ll be that much more effective in utilizing it. You may just want to stick with mouth calls too. Never know until you try. Our own Tikka250 makes some very nice calls. He could have you flanged up with three calls that would cover all your bases, for less than a third of the price an entry level caller will run you. You’ll want some decent mouth calls anyway. At some point, you’ll forget your remote or a better will pile up. You’ll be awfully glad you’ve got your calls on your neck in those instances. I’ve only recently started to learn this howling game with a mouth call. He’ll be getting a purchase from myself once I feel I can do his creation justice.

Food for thought. FWIW, I like FoxPro if you decide to go the E-Caller route.

[GrandSlam]

Really appreciate the suggestions and advice. Is there a best time of the year for coyotes or pretty much all year round? I guess it would be advantageous to try e-callers and mouth. Is there a recommended mouth brand or model?

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam

Really appreciate the suggestions and advice. Is there a best time of the year for coyotes or pretty much all year round? I guess it would be advantageous to try e-callers and mouth. Is there a recommended mouth brand or model?

They’ll come all times of year. Just have to adjust your tactics appropriately. I prefer to call throughout the winter months. I will say though, I got after them one October years ago; it was some of the finest and fun calling I’ve ever enjoyed. The pups are weaned and brazenly foolish. Adults were very responsive and still fervently protective of pups. Weather was choice. The walking easy. Fur prime. God. It was so good.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam

Really appreciate the suggestions and advice. Is there a best time of the year for coyotes or pretty much all year round? I guess it would be advantageous to try e-callers and mouth. Is there a recommended mouth brand or model?

I would suggest Dan Thompson Game Calls. I don't think there are any others that come close. Not available in Canada, but they mail them Quickly. Dan was a Master Coyote Caller in his day . Try Google

[tikka250]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam

Really appreciate the suggestions and advice. Is there a best time of the year for coyotes or pretty much all year round? I guess it would be advantageous to try e-callers and mouth. Is there a recommended mouth brand or model?

I make and sell all the calls I use and could set you up with some. There are many different ones out there that will work but the rule of thumb for pretty much all of them is. Open reed (exposed thin reed) calls are more versatile and can be manipulated to sound like a multitude of things but require some practice to get right sometimes. Closed reed (looks like just a hole in the call to blow through) are extremely simple to operate but lack the versatility of an open reed and are much more prone to freezing up.

[waldedw]

The reason I like the e-caller is that I can set it out at 60 yards or more and it keeps the coyotes focused on it, when I was using just hand calls I got busted to often, probably me screwing up.

I have shot coyotes year round when I'm gopher hunting in the pastures, don't go out specifically calling them but do stumble on the odd one here and there, I know in mid to late Sept and through Oct for the most part the yotes are dumb, the pups come on the dead run and mom usually isn't far behind them, but that's goose season so I usually don't start to hit the Yotes until freeze up when the birds are gone.

[GrandSlam]

Another question. Do you sight your rifle in for say 100 yds and use reticle for drop (BDC) or at 200 yds?

[prarie_boy1]

I have a scope with target turrets zero at 100 and have all my drops written down to 500 yards as a coyote is such a small Target I found it best. With a .22-250 or .243 or something fast and a simple scope its often handy to just get a MPBR zero of about 250-300 yards that way the bullet will be in the killzone out to about that distance which takes the guess work out and covers a guy for most situations.

[tikka250]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam

Another question. Do you sight your rifle in for say 100 yds and use reticle for drop (BDC) or at 200 yds?

However you are used to shooting a rifle do that. Most coyotes missed are missed over because everyone thinks the coyote is further away than it really is. Unless you are used to being zeroed at 200 keep it at 100.
What I would suggest is find out your rifle and ammunition's max point blank range so that you know at what range you need to adjust your scope or aim above to hit a coyote.
With a fast flat coyote rifle you will find that %90 of your shots don't require you to aim higher on a called in coyote.

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam

Another question. Do you sight your rifle in for say 100 yds and use reticle for drop (BDC) or at 200 yds?

There’s no substitute for ranging and dialling if you have time and the hide to perform said operations. The catch is, you’ll most often not have the time. Sometimes yes but for the bulk of it, they don’t stay still long enough for it to be a practical operation. As stated, I’m a huge proponent of having a MPBR sight in. I want no BS, hold on hair to 300 or more if the cartridge allows.

This morning, I killed a double with the rifle. A full out runner at 100 yards and a stander at 347 yards. I had zero time for ranging and dialling. But use whatever works for yourself. What I do, others might scoff at. No skin off my back.

[Smokinyotes]

My 22-250 and 257 wby are zeroed at 300. My 223 is zeroed at 200 but know that 2 moa puts me bang on at 300 and 4 moa at 400.

[GrandSlam]

That’s what I am thinking. Just pick a zero range and then have your drop plotted out. I usually zero my big game rifle at 100 and then know the hold over. Keep it simple!

[waldedw]

The only complaint I had with my FoxPro was that the 8 rechargeable FoxPro AA batteries would only give me about an hour of calling when it was cold, if I ran the external speaker that dropped to about 45 minutes, I always carried 2 sets so I could make 4 stands a day, it was a PITA and took all night to charge them all back up.

This fall after I saw my buddy Frank's snow goose caller set up, poof the light came on so I pulled the battery pack and rewired it c/w a 5 amp inline fuse to run off a 9 AH 12 volt battery $38 at battery world, it adds about 4 lbs to my pack but will run the caller with an external speaker for days, longest I have gone before charging has been 12 sets over a 3 day period ( 6+ hrs run time ) when I tested the battery it was still over 50% but I recharged it anyway, I am sure it would run for 14 hours straight on 1 charge.
Battery.jpg

[GrandSlam]

Is the battery pack specific to Foxpro or can you get compatible ones on Amazon?