Hand call Opinions

The only call on any of my lanyards that isn't a custom or built by one of the guys on here is a Haydels Govt Hunter. I boxed up all the store boughts after I got my second call from the guys on here. There is no comparison.
 
I'm known for making bear calls here in Washington state. They are Rasp. Back in late 80's I used Haydels Govt Cottontail. got my first bobcats and coyote. That raspy sound is what I tune my calls like to this day. Do very well on critters. Great calls being mentioned. Rick
 
Lohman MvP-3 will do it all....so will a Weems Wild call Duo tone if you can find one. I have three bags of calls... I don't care what they look like, I like what they sound like. Mine are beat to heck.

Open reeds are harder to blow...never forget this, and almost impossible for smokers to master for any length of time. Harder to blow means more movement on the stand putting blood on the screams.

In the 70's, the sign of a total novice was a lanyard full of calls. Questions?

 
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Originally Posted By: bearmanric I'm known for making bear calls here in Washington state. They are Rasp. Back in late 80's I used Haydels Govt Cottontail. got my first bobcats and coyote. That raspy sound is what I tune my calls like to this day. Do very well on critters. Great calls being mentioned. Rick

this guy has a hint, you can thank him later. I don't give a dam about looks, can be carved out of an old boat paddle as long as it is coarse sounding.
 
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I would say look for calls that are made by predator callers for predator callers. Duck and goose call makers try to cash in on the trend and make a predator call but they don't really understand it.

Production stuff like Critter Call, Sceery, Primos and Verminator are really good because they have custom roots. Thier stuff is designed by predator callers. Lots of good production stuff around.

Whether you are a predator caller, waterfowler, turkey hunter or whatever, you will have to try lots of calls to find what works best for you...doesn't matter if it's production or a one off custom.
Jmo
Mark
 
I have three lanyards full of Carver Calls and each lanyard also has a Sceery AP-6 on it. A Joe Bradshaw coaxer is on one lanyard. I have a drawer full of custom and production calls that don't make it to the lanyards. The lanyards are the first string calls that go hunting. Draw from that what you will...
 
Lol..I wish people would stop saying open reeds are "to difficult to blow" or "take to much air" like it is some sort of absolute thing......complete BS....you just have to find one that suits you. There are many different types and configurations of open reed calls. Some are extremely easy to blow and there are some that are more difficult. It all depends on the tone board design and build.

I was born with severe Asthma and I have no problems with open reeds...or any other call for that matter...but again, some calls are just easier to use than others, they all blow different.

Rabbit distress is your bread and butter sound. Get a couple of enclosed reed calls, one tuned high pitched and one tuned lower and raspy.
That will cover your rabbit distress, which is the basic sound you will use forever. You will call in a lot of coyotes cats and fox with it...if they are there.
Buy an open reed call and learn to use it, you will be able to make rabbit distress, bird sounds, mouse squeaks etc. on it. A bit more advanced but not hard at all. You might like them better than enclosed reeds...maybe not.

There are also other types of calls like diapragms etc. Lots of choices..but that's part of the fun of predator calling.

Mark

 
Carver open reeds are extremely easy to blow and use no more air than any enclosed reed call I've ever used. Love the old Burnham Bros mini blaster for a commercial (mass produced) call.
 
I've got a couple of Rick's calls, really like the gravely/raspy tones they put out. They work really well on the dogs around here. Also have had good results with Carver's, they are a little higher pitched. Nice to change it up with.
 
Originally Posted By: sandy hicksWhat calls are essential? Rabbit,howler,mouse? You can produce all those sounds on one good open reed call.If I had to pick one as essential it would be a mouth diaphragm with no more than two reeds.I've taken coyotes using the same turkey diaphragm I used on birds.
 
For what it is, or isn't worth, here is my opinion.

As far as calls you can buy either in stores, or via someplace such as AllPredatorCalls.com ----------based on my own experiences with them, over the last 20 years...these are the ones I recommend...............


...Any "production" call from RR Calls.
...Any "production" call from Carver Calls.
...The Crit'R Call PeeWee, Standard, Magnum, or Song Dog howler. (I cut my teeth on the Standard, and the Song Dog)
...The Primos CatNip calls {both of them}, the Lil Dog, the 3rd Degree, and the Female Whimper.
...Tony Tebbe's orange TT Extreme, the yellow TT Mini, the red TT Overdose, the TT LSB, the TT Green Nasty....and if he is still making them, any of his molded 1pc howlers.
...The Verminator Tweety, Thumper, Syco Tweety, Twisted Syco, and the Alienator. These are the ones of Rick's that I have used & know produce.
I do own the Long Range Tweety, the Nimrod, and the Viper, but have not yet taken them hunting. I do not yet have the Stryker.



I haven't ever used a Tally Ho, but I know they have been bragged about for a LONG time, so I don't doubt them.

I have used & liked the complete set of Dan Thompson calls (back when Dan was still alive), but I do not know if they are still being produced.

For "oddballs" that I know from experience, produce on coyotes when something is needed beyond bunnies & birds....I like (and so do some coyotes) the JavelinaHunter.com J13 Limited Javelina call from APC.

Although made from aluminum, I have always liked, and had success with the Zepps Cat Rattler, and the Prickly Pig javelin calls.



If you can find a collector willing to part with them.....the TT Cyanide Mini, Cyanide Max & Cyanide Sheila, as well as the TT Feline Frenzy.
I GUARANTEE that these are great calls that produce.
(And, yes, I have had all 4 calls since they were very 1st introduced. And, NOPE, I won't part with any of them!!! Hahahahaha)



That being said, almost all (myself EXCLUDED) of the call makers here on PM make excellent customs...for either what you would pay for a production call...or @ the worst, only slightly more.
 
This fella here ^^^^^^^ makes a really nice horn howler that is easy to use. I personally like them best with a YDD3 tone board. I use a pup frenzy call that he makes alot also.
 
I have an old Weems wood barrel call, that I bought, and have been using, since the '60's, along with 8-9 other calls, including a few customs. What I like about customs is they are generally tuned properly out of the box and they stay in tune longer.

Some areas I hunt in Colorado allow me to see for well over a mile. Once a coyote is coming in my direction, I stop calling. I'll only call again if they hang up. I have started coyote coming in with a Cottontail call, switched to a Jackrabbit call when they hung up, and even used a Fawn Deer in Distress (K'Meer Deer) if they hung up again.

My point is, once they commit to coming in, any prey in distress will keep them coming in.

I have started dozens of stands with 'call A' with no takers. Then, at the end of the stand, I'll switch to 'call B or C' and have a coyote appear so quick I'm sure they were laying there and heard all my sounds, but preferred 'B or C' at that moment.

Sometimes they want to hear from a plastic tube, other times they want wood, or acrylic. Kind of like duck hunting, I let the animals tell me what they want to hear.
 
I have a tweety and thumper that I always carry. Switched to electronic most of the time, but still like to use the hand calls some.
 
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