best type of hand call on the market?

S

skeetlee

New member
I am looking into buying a couple new calls and just wanted some opinions on what to get. What sounds do you fellas use the most, and what particular call do you like the most. I live in central Illinois if that matters much. 90% of all my hunting is spot and stalk, and i have had some great luck in doing so, but i feel like i would like to learn to call a little bit. I am not getting any younger, and need to switch up my game plan a little. I have called in a few with an old wounded rabbit casset tape i had. But i lost that tape out in the fields last year. I dont really want to carry electronics in the woods so a hand held seems to be the best for me. Thanks Lee
 
I'd go and check out the custom calling forum on this site. We have some very talented call builders and they sound much better than production calls. Plus the fees they pay to sell on this site help keep the site going.
 
if i had to choose one call and that was all i could carry it would bee the sceery ap-6 its a great bite call that can produce virtually any call from a cottontail,jack, and practice enough with it and you can get pup yips out of it
 
I've used both closed reed calls and open reed calls, both for rabbit sounds. In my opinion, they both work, but the open reed calls sound better. I also hear that the closed reed calls will freeze up on you during a cold spell.
 
If I had to choose just one it would be the Crit' R Call in the standard and the pee wee wouldn't be far behind. They will make all prey sounds plus coyote howls, yips, barks, ki-yi's, etc.
 
Try a Carver enclosed double reed or his rabid rabbit open reed. Both top notch /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Mark
 
Quote:
Try a Carver enclosed double reed or his rabid rabbit open reed. Both top notch /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Mark



Yup, What he said. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Closed reed is easiest to use but open reed will work in any weather and allows some user latitude in sounds it will make, so if weather is not a consideration go with a closed reed. As for which one is best that is going to be user preference. I personaly like a Dan Thompson PC-2 and a Countess call both closed reed. But I also love my Death Card Call Howler along with the open reed call that I got with it. I would look on the custom call site on this forum as there are some great call makers here.
 
The two calls I would reccomend would be the Dan Thompson PC2 and the standard Critter Call. The open reed calls take longer to master but they are more versatile as far as making more sounds.
 
Probably a thousand different types of predator calls on the market nowadays, picking the best one would be a little hard to do.
If you're just starting off calling with hand calls, most calls you can buy in a store well work just fine.
Anyone would probably tell you to start off with a closed reed call, that's good advice. They are easy to use and work as good as any other.
Open reed calls work great, but you need to learn how to use one and that takes time.
 
I suggest getting one from one of our talented custom call makers. They sounds better and are easier to blow. Plus, there is almost always at least one one call maker that is having a nice little sale or is thinning out some extras around the shop. They come alot cheaper that way, and you're getting alot more for your money than if you went with a production call. As previously mentioned you would also be helping to keep this site alive and running. The only production call I would recommend is the Primos Lil Dog.
 
If your throwing production calls into the mix i'd look at Burnham Brothers - Mini Blaster , Sceery Game Calls - "Secret Weapon" Predator Call AP-9 , Crit'R Call - Standard & peewee, Johnny Stewart #PC-3, Johnny Stewart #PC-1, And any of the Verminators calls and Haydel's calls.
 
I have lots of hand calls and spend alot of time working with them, in practice and in the field. All are production or semi-production. I just received 5 calls from Carver Predator calls and holy cow, they are amazing. Very attractive calls made of exotic hardwoods, easy to blow and the sound is awesome. And the price is around the same of a production call.

The calls were shipped to me super fast by express two day postage from Utah. Awesome Customer service. !!!.

I got the Ruthless Rabbit, the Rabid Rabitt, the Swift, the Howler and one of the Swift Cartride calls.

Time to Wacky the Dog !!!!!
 
Get you a call from Kerry Carver or Tony Tebbe. You won't find a better call at any price. Both Kerry and Tony will go way out of there way to answer any questions you might have. These two guy's and there calls are TOP NOTCH in every way. Get one of there calls, you will see what I am talking about.
 
Try this!

Combine your spot and stalk efforts with calling as well. Don't go loud, try a Sceery AP-6 and get out on the end of the reed and call while you are watching the predator from your hidy hole, go just loud enough to get his attention or motivate him in your direction. You'll learn alot this way as well. Been there done, done that. Expereiment, once he is coming, stop with the call and lipsqueak. It would be like, class in session. I would envy anyone in this position. We don't have alot of spot and stalk opportunities here in Virginia, to thick. I have seen them cross a road a half mile ahead of me during the day and I stopped the truck and got out and called em in with an AP-6.

Dan Thompson's PC series is also an excellent choice, they are modeled after the old Weems call, in fact he produces a Weems Replica as part of the series. Just call A.P Jones at www.allpredatorcalls.com and shoot the bull with him awhile, he'll hook you up.

I ain't taking anything away from our Custom Call makers here, in fact I have some of them as well, you just can't try em all at once.

Have fun and know your situation is envied.
 
I'll go against the grain here and say that good basic hunting practices are far more important than the brand of call you're blowing. Scout, scout and scout some more. Use camo that matches your terrain. When approaching a stand, slip in quietly and try to remain unseen. Watch the wind and if nothing responds, then try to exit quietly and unseen.

Every body calls differently, there is no one right way to call. I call very little because I hunt alone a lot. I feel that the coyotes come in slower and look more for the source of the sound. A buddy gets on the call and blows almost non-stop. I keep thinking he's going to blow a lung, but we both call coyotes. I have taken out guys that are new to the sport and laugh at their inept calling until a coyote shows up and I'm not ready. I have called coyotes with a piglet in distress tape where there isn't a hog farm with in a hundred miles. It's the sound of an animal in distress and that's what matters.

Any predator call will call predators on any given day. I feel it's more important to play them a tune they haven't heard before. I tell new guys to go to all your local sporting goods stores and see what is available in your area. Then get on the internet or check the catalogs and buy something that isn't available in your area. There are a lot of callers in my area and I think that with in 30 miles of town, any coyote over a year old can tell you the make, model and year of manufacture of just about any call you blow.

Sorry for the long winded response, but I hope this helps. Dale
 
Let me state that I do not wish to get in a heated debate on this subject but some of these statements do not make sense to me. So many times when I see guys reccommending calls there seems to be an overwelming amount of guys reccommending custom calls over production ones but the reasoning behind their choices simply are not justified.
Granted we have many talented custom builders on this sight and most do sound good but "sound better"? How? Most closed reeds all use the same voices. While materials do make a slight difference in sound I believe some of this is perception rather than reality. "They are easier to blow"...same here. Those are broad statements that seem to have to factual base.
Open reeds are essencially the same however there does seem to be a little more variation between call makers. Please express your thoughts further. While I do appreciate fine looking calls for the most part they are tools to me and I would rather have a tool that would get the job done and spend the rest on a box of shells.
As a call manufacture I sincerely would like to know why some are of this opinion.
THANKS
 
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