FOXPRO vs everyone else

Wind River

Wind River

Member
I’m still wanting an e-caller but gosh it is confusing. I wish there was a place that rented these things out so I could try them all. And, I know this is a subject that is beat to death and is largely a matter personal preferences.
Specifically, I’m considering either a FOXPRO x24, FOXPRO hellcat pro, Lucky Duck Roughneck, or the Icotec Nightstalker. I’m leaning toward FOXPRO in that it is US made and I would think that getting service on their unit would be better and faster. The others, Lucky Duck and Icotec are likely made in China and I usually avoid buying Chinese products if I can.

From the reviews I’ve seen.
The Roughneck per some reviews has the best speaker with super clear sound but has some reliability and service issues.
The Hellcat Pro is a good dollar value but may lack volume and clarity on the wide open, windy areas of Wyoming
I’ve not seen much on the Nightstalker, is it clear and loud? Who’s using one. I’ve used ann inexpensive Icotec and was not happy with it. Awful sound quality.
The X24 seems to be regarded as the gold standard but expensive. However refurbished ones are available for $439

I’m not a techy-geek so stuff like Bluetooth, downloading lots of different calls, etc would not likely be useful.

Your $.02, especially those of you that have been through different callers.
 
There are many good options out there now. I have a Foxpro shockwave and a Primos caller that both work well. I've hunted with guys with several other callers and they work well too. I haven't done research on e callers for a few years so couldn't give you advice on that. I would tell you the latest and greatest today will be replaced by something bigger and better in the future. I do think the most economical way to do an e caller is to download the sounds to your phone and buy a quality bluetooth speaker. To do that, would take some technical work to make it work well and may lack some of the features that a Foxpro or Lucky Duck or others might offer.
Instead of renting a caller, see if you can make friends with people in your area that you can test their callers.
 
Dont know if it helps, but lucky duck warranty/customer service is amazing. Quick replies and replacement parts sent same day
 
Any Fox Pro will be good; maybe their upper-end ones are a smidgen better than their lower-end calls.
Their service, if needed, is top-notch. I have an OLD FX3 upgraded to 5 that's 20 years plus old, and it's calling them in like a new call...
 
My advise might hurt. Buy the best call from any manufacturer and you will be on the right track. Buy once cry once. I’ve had very poor experience with cheap callers from foxpro. Junk. I have and use fp cs24 LD super revolt and ico newest night stalker. All these callers are good but all have things I don’t like. Fp good: light weight bad: remote range. LD good: sound quality and pivots bad: heavy. Ico good: remote range unmatched love it bad: heavy

It’s a tool. Good tools last and make the job go good. Cheap tools use it breaks throw it away. No good.

The 1 thing I will advise you buy the lithium batteries for what ever you buy. This will payoff in cost and headaches in the future.

The real issue is most sounds can’t work on other callers unless you modify them. We need more sound makers out there. If you have 500 sounds all will work but about 50 will work better then the rest and about 10 will be your go to sounds. I have over 1500 sounds between 3 brand callers but 50 calls are my go to sounds.

Nothing is easy but hopefully this might help a little.
 
I have a Foxpro inferno (low/mid range model). I've called in quite a few coyotes with it, but the sound gets garbled at louder volumes and I'm hoping to upgrade.

My buddy has a foxpro shockwave and Icotec Nightstalker. I've not heard his shockwave. We usually use his nightstalker when we hunt together. It is much louder and crisper sounding than my foxpro inferno. The coyote vocals sound crisp and clear.

I'm leaning towards getting the nightstalker myself. Though I also like foxpro and I'm considering just getting a X24 or similar foxpro.
 
icotec nightstalker+ for going on 2yrs now. excellent sound clarity with MUCH better remote range than my previous 3 FPs, though 2 of them were adequate but the Fusion was terrible even after being sent back twice. Not that big a deal but adding sounds and rearranging them is MUCH easier on the Ico than the FPs that I have used. I have hunted with friends with the x2 or x2s and can't tell the difference in sound quality. It is bulkier but only weighs 3oz. more than my Fury2 and Fusion.
 
Foxpro is a good company, I don't care for their remote but it works. For me it has way to many gimmicky things. I have a CS-24 early model with the 500 remote that works for me. One of my favorites right now is a FP Patriot a lot like the newer Prowler, lightweight, compact, more sounds than I can use and loud enough for what I do most of the time.

patriot in use, even kills coyotes with no ears
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Johny Stewart, note decoy on a stick.
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CS-24
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Wildlife Tech
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I don't care for an attached decoy, it really limits how you can deploy a decoy. I like a decoy on a stick, easy to deploy in multiple ways, doesn't eat caller batteries and has the option of different decoys.

Rechargeable battery pack, is another something I don't care for, I do extended camping trips and recharging the caller was/is a problem, buying a 100 pack of disposables keeps me calling for a long time. I have some rechargeable AA bats but they always seem to be dead and I just swap in disposables and go hunt. I did find a charger that plugs into my solar system on my van but again it is one more thing to deal with.

They all call preds
 
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Years ago there was a guy that had his own little website that talked about making his own call out of stuff from Radio Shack( showing my age here). Can't remember his name but he gave away free sounds and everything. I used his blueprint and made the call he had even downloaded his sounds, it worked somewhat I got a few foxes but never got a coyote or bobcat to come in to it. I bought my FoxPro not long after that only because at the time, they were pretty much the only one making calls. If you ask 10 people about calls your gonna get 12 answers. I like my FoxPro because it works, I'm sure others make great calls to. Us old heads just tend to stick with what brought us to the dance. I'll stick with FoxPro because they honored customer service 14 years after I bought a caller and sent me a free part. That's how you keep a customer.
 
BrianID said:
There are many good options out there now. I have a Foxpro shockwave and a Primos caller that both work well. I've hunted with guys with several other callers and they work well too. I haven't done research on e callers for a few years so couldn't give you advice on that. I would tell you the latest and greatest today will be replaced by something bigger and better in the future. I do think the most economical way to do an e caller is to download the sounds to your phone and buy a quality bluetooth speaker. To do that, would take some technical work to make it work well and may lack some of the features that a Foxpro or Lucky Duck or others might offer.
Instead of renting a caller, see if you can make friends with people in your area that you can test their callers.
Click to expand...
I've also got a Shockwave and I love it.
 
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