like the title says. i am new to the game and i just got a foxpro wildfire. i read so many things saying that e callers are no good? i am affraid that i have wasted 200 dollars of my hard earned cash. do you guys have success useing stait e callers or do you use a mixture of both or just strait hand calls??? i am not trying to kill record numbers of coyotes, i would be happy to kill just one, but what are you guyses opinions on the e callers, especially fox pro?
i see alot of e callers vs hand calls?
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Varminterror
New member
Out of the E-callers out there, FoxPro are where it's at. Great products, great sounds, and fantastic customer service should you ever need it. I have had a few different FoxPro's, currently sitting on a Spitfire, a Wildfire, and a Fury. Would like to step up to a CS24B, but just can't justify it. Had an FX3 for a while.
My Spitfire is usually the caller that gets the nod, which is being replaced now by the Wildfire.
There's a lot of "thinking" that goes on when it comes to E-callers vs. hand calls:
1) E-callers are expensive, hand calls are cheap
2) Hand calling is more traditional
3) Handcalling takes more skill, e-calling is almost "cheating"
4) Dead batteries suck
5) E-callers help distract targets from the shooter
6) Hand calls are more versatile with better control
7) Guys can get reliant/complacent with E-callers
8) You end up laying more scent on the field when setting an E-caller
9) E-callers can make it easier to call/shoot by yourself
10) Adding sounds to your E-caller can be a hassle (getting easier every year now)
And the list goes on and on...
I think it's safe to say that MOST guys here have both, and use both. Even if I am using an E-caller, I have a lanyard of mouth calls around my neck just in case I need them.
Personally, if a guy spends enough to buy an E-caller, then picking up a few good mouth calls to back it up won't be much added expense. Getting into a new E-caller can be cost prohibitive, especially when guys are likely buying a new rifle/scope rig at the same time.
Hopefully Tony weighs in, I agree with his stance on E-callers being the "easy way in", and that new callers that go straight to an E-caller are missing the opportunity to learn how to call effectively, which means a lot more than just knowing how to play calls well (gotta have good sets, get to manipulate your sounds to affect the targets' behavior, etc).
My Spitfire is usually the caller that gets the nod, which is being replaced now by the Wildfire.
There's a lot of "thinking" that goes on when it comes to E-callers vs. hand calls:
1) E-callers are expensive, hand calls are cheap
2) Hand calling is more traditional
3) Handcalling takes more skill, e-calling is almost "cheating"
4) Dead batteries suck
5) E-callers help distract targets from the shooter
6) Hand calls are more versatile with better control
7) Guys can get reliant/complacent with E-callers
8) You end up laying more scent on the field when setting an E-caller
9) E-callers can make it easier to call/shoot by yourself
10) Adding sounds to your E-caller can be a hassle (getting easier every year now)
And the list goes on and on...
I think it's safe to say that MOST guys here have both, and use both. Even if I am using an E-caller, I have a lanyard of mouth calls around my neck just in case I need them.
Personally, if a guy spends enough to buy an E-caller, then picking up a few good mouth calls to back it up won't be much added expense. Getting into a new E-caller can be cost prohibitive, especially when guys are likely buying a new rifle/scope rig at the same time.
Hopefully Tony weighs in, I agree with his stance on E-callers being the "easy way in", and that new callers that go straight to an E-caller are missing the opportunity to learn how to call effectively, which means a lot more than just knowing how to play calls well (gotta have good sets, get to manipulate your sounds to affect the targets' behavior, etc).
singlecoil
New member
I'll probably get flamed for this but I only use handcalls because I think using handcalls makes the game harder but is much more rewarding. Using a machine to call in a coyote leaves me feeling like I really haven't acomplished anything. I agree that you still have to get your setup correct but if you can do that much why not go all the way and call them in by hand. I think it's more fair this way too, I only do this for fun and I love knowing that I fooled one of the smartest predators in the world with just my witts and a piece of cowhorn! Coyotes are a real deal challenge and doing it with a bare bones setup all by myself feels really good! I think if you are honest with yourself and you kill a coyote with a handcall and one with an ecaller, you will feel better about the one you killed with a handcall. JMHO so flame away
the impactzone
New member
I use both, e-caller produce more just because of the set up and i will switch to hand calls on a stand sometimes when I see one coming in, I have more control and can coax them in a littel better
guess
New member
You didn't waste your money. However if you are not a good hunter an E-caller wont make you one. Not saying you are or are not. Just stating a lot of first time callers run out a spend a bunch of money and expect miracles.
Now as far as E-caller vs hand calls; well it the same ol' crap you get when you ask. What truck Ford or Chevy? what caliber .223 or .17? when to call day or night? the thing is, there is no right or wrong answer. They are tools. Say you're going to build a house and you have a key hole saw. Okay you will probably us it for something , say sheet rock, but you need a hand saw as well. You use the hand saw, but a circular saw sure would make it easier and faster. But guess what you got all the wood cut now what? You need another tool. What's it going to be a hammer or a nail gun? Now there are guys that swear a hammer makes the nails hold better than the nail gun and Vice versa. it's the same old argument Traditional calls vs E-caller, long bow vs compound, Bow vs gun the list goes on forever. You got to remember they are all tools and have a purpose in different situations. None of them are going to make you something you are not. Good luck callin' hone your skills and pick your tools to fit you situation. There is some good info to be found here on PM the problem is there's a bunch of crap to sift through to get to the good stuff. There is no right or wrong answer to your question, except that you didn't waste you money.
Now as far as E-caller vs hand calls; well it the same ol' crap you get when you ask. What truck Ford or Chevy? what caliber .223 or .17? when to call day or night? the thing is, there is no right or wrong answer. They are tools. Say you're going to build a house and you have a key hole saw. Okay you will probably us it for something , say sheet rock, but you need a hand saw as well. You use the hand saw, but a circular saw sure would make it easier and faster. But guess what you got all the wood cut now what? You need another tool. What's it going to be a hammer or a nail gun? Now there are guys that swear a hammer makes the nails hold better than the nail gun and Vice versa. it's the same old argument Traditional calls vs E-caller, long bow vs compound, Bow vs gun the list goes on forever. You got to remember they are all tools and have a purpose in different situations. None of them are going to make you something you are not. Good luck callin' hone your skills and pick your tools to fit you situation. There is some good info to be found here on PM the problem is there's a bunch of crap to sift through to get to the good stuff. There is no right or wrong answer to your question, except that you didn't waste you money.
Possum Cop 325
New member
Did you say "guyses"?
Ok my hunting buddy and I keep a running talley of coyotes called with what, he runs the hand calls, I run hand calls and the fx3...... Right now hand calls are up by 2 but the fx3 has been better on windy days and in heavily hunted areas.
So it seems they bother have there place with us.
So it seems they bother have there place with us.
Sure why not....and while a Rabbit In Distress sound is running on the E-Caller You could throw in a few barks or yelps for realism with a Mouth Call.We use mostly hand calls and every once in a while a Primos Alpha Dogg but it's limited on what sounds it has....honestly it would be nice to have a FoxPro Call to do mice,rodents and bird calls for a mixture of different sounds to change things up!
Another thing that's good about an E-Caller is it can be set out away from the Shooter to draw Predators to it and not where a Person would be if using Mouth Calls...several times we've had Coyotes run up on us and scare away without us getting a chance for a shot or they got in range and smelled us!
If You can use a combination of a E-caller and mouth calls it can be to Your advantage and You could up Your chances at getting that Predator!
Another thing that's good about an E-Caller is it can be set out away from the Shooter to draw Predators to it and not where a Person would be if using Mouth Calls...several times we've had Coyotes run up on us and scare away without us getting a chance for a shot or they got in range and smelled us!
If You can use a combination of a E-caller and mouth calls it can be to Your advantage and You could up Your chances at getting that Predator!
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I have been hunting coyotes for almost 20 years now (I feel so old posting that) I would actually consider my self somewhat good at it, though like everyone I'm still learning.
If I could offer you some advice, it would start with buy a hand call and go hunting as often as you possibly can.
This is my 4th season using a foxpro, and while I do like it, I can honestly say I call in, and kill nearly the same numbers with a hand call.
There are a few advantages, in some situations to using an Ecall, but I honestly don't think they are big enough to justify the cost, especially if you are new to the game.
Firstly people will tell you that it's great to get the sound away from you. Well this is true, it's not as great as it sounds. First you will find it very hard not to move and attract attention to you anyways, nullifying your advantage. And you'll find it hard on some stands to have camo to match the terrain, and to be able to hide in the terrain you are hunting, so the coyote will see you. Heck most of my stands the way I "hide" is to lay perfectly still on a snow bank. The trick is to "hide in plain sight" or to be so still you do nothing to scare the coyote even though he plainly see's you.
Now with that being said, I'm not sure that I want the sound away from me all the time. It's dreadfully easy to place the caller in a spot where the coyote can see the caller, but you can't see the coyote. I have made about 400 stands with an Ecaller, and I'm still messing that up. And I hunt wide open prairies!
Ecallers have the ability to play a sond perfectly every time. That does however limit them to only being able to simply repeat the same sound again and again. I say this with a lot more experience then many people, but I feel like I can make sounds with a hand call that are every bit as good as any ecaller, yet change them to suit the situation. To put it short, Ecall's make better sounds, until you get good with a hand call then it's reversed.
Ecallers are louder... This is the one undeniable advantage they have. And it's great for the type of terrain I hunt, the wide open prairies. There are so many stands were I know there are coyotes out there, but was always doubtful if I could make a hand call loud enough to buck the wind and actually get the coyotes to hear the call.
I've tried to explain briefly why I think Ecalls are not the miracles some people think they are. If I were to recommend things for new people to do to become better at calling, the first and the biggest thing would be to go out more. Read the forums, ask questions, and watch videos to see what other successful people are doing. Make sure your gun is accurate, and practice with that so you can hit a the coyotes you call in.
Spend more time on a stand looking for better places to hide, and coupled with experience learn to stay still. Talk to land owners to get more land to hunt on.
That's a short list, but I strongly feel that everything on that list will individually get you more coyotes then an ecaller will. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, and if the ~$500 it costs to buy one isn't a dent in your personal budget, then go right a head and do it. But it's not the first thing I would do to net more coyotes.
If I could offer you some advice, it would start with buy a hand call and go hunting as often as you possibly can.
This is my 4th season using a foxpro, and while I do like it, I can honestly say I call in, and kill nearly the same numbers with a hand call.
There are a few advantages, in some situations to using an Ecall, but I honestly don't think they are big enough to justify the cost, especially if you are new to the game.
Firstly people will tell you that it's great to get the sound away from you. Well this is true, it's not as great as it sounds. First you will find it very hard not to move and attract attention to you anyways, nullifying your advantage. And you'll find it hard on some stands to have camo to match the terrain, and to be able to hide in the terrain you are hunting, so the coyote will see you. Heck most of my stands the way I "hide" is to lay perfectly still on a snow bank. The trick is to "hide in plain sight" or to be so still you do nothing to scare the coyote even though he plainly see's you.
Now with that being said, I'm not sure that I want the sound away from me all the time. It's dreadfully easy to place the caller in a spot where the coyote can see the caller, but you can't see the coyote. I have made about 400 stands with an Ecaller, and I'm still messing that up. And I hunt wide open prairies!
Ecallers have the ability to play a sond perfectly every time. That does however limit them to only being able to simply repeat the same sound again and again. I say this with a lot more experience then many people, but I feel like I can make sounds with a hand call that are every bit as good as any ecaller, yet change them to suit the situation. To put it short, Ecall's make better sounds, until you get good with a hand call then it's reversed.
Ecallers are louder... This is the one undeniable advantage they have. And it's great for the type of terrain I hunt, the wide open prairies. There are so many stands were I know there are coyotes out there, but was always doubtful if I could make a hand call loud enough to buck the wind and actually get the coyotes to hear the call.
I've tried to explain briefly why I think Ecalls are not the miracles some people think they are. If I were to recommend things for new people to do to become better at calling, the first and the biggest thing would be to go out more. Read the forums, ask questions, and watch videos to see what other successful people are doing. Make sure your gun is accurate, and practice with that so you can hit a the coyotes you call in.
Spend more time on a stand looking for better places to hide, and coupled with experience learn to stay still. Talk to land owners to get more land to hunt on.
That's a short list, but I strongly feel that everything on that list will individually get you more coyotes then an ecaller will. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, and if the ~$500 it costs to buy one isn't a dent in your personal budget, then go right a head and do it. But it's not the first thing I would do to net more coyotes.
Carcass Collectors
New member
I called in 95% of my coyotes with hand calls. Not that I don’t like e-callers; not the case because I own a FoxPro Firestorm and I love it. I just get bored if I’m not doing anything. Plus I like the fact that the predator was after the sound coming from my mouth vice the recorded sounds on an e-call.
You didn’t waste any $$$. Get out there and start calling. Just make sure you’re downwind of your caller.
You didn’t waste any $$$. Get out there and start calling. Just make sure you’re downwind of your caller.
Jordan1186
New member
Only thing that matters is if you bag some 'yotes. I have a hand call and a foxpro wildfire as well. My plan is that when I get bored of shooting coyotes with an ecaller ill start using hand calls. They both have their place. Now stop worrying about it and go shoot some coyotes lol. Best of luck man, good purchase.
Originally Posted By: CraigI have been hunting coyotes for almost 20 years now (I feel so old posting that) I would actually consider my self somewhat good at it, though like everyone I'm still learning.
If I could offer you some advice, it would start with buy a hand call and go hunting as often as you possibly can.
This is my 4th season using a foxpro, and while I do like it, I can honestly say I call in, and kill nearly the same numbers with a hand call.
There are a few advantages, in some situations to using an Ecall, but I honestly don't think they are big enough to justify the cost, especially if you are new to the game.
Firstly people will tell you that it's great to get the sound away from you. Well this is true, it's not as great as it sounds. First you will find it very hard not to move and attract attention to you anyways, nullifying your advantage. And you'll find it hard on some stands to have camo to match the terrain, and to be able to hide in the terrain you are hunting, so the coyote will see you. Heck most of my stands the way I "hide" is to lay perfectly still on a snow bank. The trick is to "hide in plain sight" or to be so still you do nothing to scare the coyote even though he plainly see's you.
Now with that being said, I'm not sure that I want the sound away from me all the time. It's dreadfully easy to place the caller in a spot where the coyote can see the caller, but you can't see the coyote. I have made about 400 stands with an Ecaller, and I'm still messing that up. And I hunt wide open prairies!
Ecallers have the ability to play a sond perfectly every time. That does however limit them to only being able to simply repeat the same sound again and again. I say this with a lot more experience then many people, but I feel like I can make sounds with a hand call that are every bit as good as any ecaller, yet change them to suit the situation. To put it short, Ecall's make better sounds, until you get good with a hand call then it's reversed.
Ecallers are louder... This is the one undeniable advantage they have. And it's great for the type of terrain I hunt, the wide open prairies. There are so many stands were I know there are coyotes out there, but was always doubtful if I could make a hand call loud enough to buck the wind and actually get the coyotes to hear the call.
I've tried to explain briefly why I think Ecalls are not the miracles some people think they are. If I were to recommend things for new people to do to become better at calling, the first and the biggest thing would be to go out more. Read the forums, ask questions, and watch videos to see what other successful people are doing. Make sure your gun is accurate, and practice with that so you can hit a the coyotes you call in.
Spend more time on a stand looking for better places to hide, and coupled with experience learn to stay still. Talk to land owners to get more land to hunt on.
That's a short list, but I strongly feel that everything on that list will individually get you more coyotes then an ecaller will. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, and if the ~$500 it costs to buy one isn't a dent in your personal budget, then go right a head and do it. But it's not the first thing I would do to net more coyotes.
i have the camo, accuracy, stillness, all of that stuff in good check, GOOD check lol. i do alot of bow hunting, i know many of you probably bow hunt also and you know how still you need to be when a deer that has been shot at before or just a wise old buck is at 20 yards. i do my fair share of gun hunting to. i try to accomidate hunting into my weekend almost every chance i get, now predator hunting will make that all the more possible. Thanks for your replies guys they have reasured me i didnt just buy something that is going to be useless to me, but i will probably go out and get a few hand calls when i get the chance to. jordan1186 i totally agree with you, if you are enjoying yourself, keep doing what you are doing, when that gets boring, switch it up.
If I could offer you some advice, it would start with buy a hand call and go hunting as often as you possibly can.
This is my 4th season using a foxpro, and while I do like it, I can honestly say I call in, and kill nearly the same numbers with a hand call.
There are a few advantages, in some situations to using an Ecall, but I honestly don't think they are big enough to justify the cost, especially if you are new to the game.
Firstly people will tell you that it's great to get the sound away from you. Well this is true, it's not as great as it sounds. First you will find it very hard not to move and attract attention to you anyways, nullifying your advantage. And you'll find it hard on some stands to have camo to match the terrain, and to be able to hide in the terrain you are hunting, so the coyote will see you. Heck most of my stands the way I "hide" is to lay perfectly still on a snow bank. The trick is to "hide in plain sight" or to be so still you do nothing to scare the coyote even though he plainly see's you.
Now with that being said, I'm not sure that I want the sound away from me all the time. It's dreadfully easy to place the caller in a spot where the coyote can see the caller, but you can't see the coyote. I have made about 400 stands with an Ecaller, and I'm still messing that up. And I hunt wide open prairies!
Ecallers have the ability to play a sond perfectly every time. That does however limit them to only being able to simply repeat the same sound again and again. I say this with a lot more experience then many people, but I feel like I can make sounds with a hand call that are every bit as good as any ecaller, yet change them to suit the situation. To put it short, Ecall's make better sounds, until you get good with a hand call then it's reversed.
Ecallers are louder... This is the one undeniable advantage they have. And it's great for the type of terrain I hunt, the wide open prairies. There are so many stands were I know there are coyotes out there, but was always doubtful if I could make a hand call loud enough to buck the wind and actually get the coyotes to hear the call.
I've tried to explain briefly why I think Ecalls are not the miracles some people think they are. If I were to recommend things for new people to do to become better at calling, the first and the biggest thing would be to go out more. Read the forums, ask questions, and watch videos to see what other successful people are doing. Make sure your gun is accurate, and practice with that so you can hit a the coyotes you call in.
Spend more time on a stand looking for better places to hide, and coupled with experience learn to stay still. Talk to land owners to get more land to hunt on.
That's a short list, but I strongly feel that everything on that list will individually get you more coyotes then an ecaller will. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, and if the ~$500 it costs to buy one isn't a dent in your personal budget, then go right a head and do it. But it's not the first thing I would do to net more coyotes.
i have the camo, accuracy, stillness, all of that stuff in good check, GOOD check lol. i do alot of bow hunting, i know many of you probably bow hunt also and you know how still you need to be when a deer that has been shot at before or just a wise old buck is at 20 yards. i do my fair share of gun hunting to. i try to accomidate hunting into my weekend almost every chance i get, now predator hunting will make that all the more possible. Thanks for your replies guys they have reasured me i didnt just buy something that is going to be useless to me, but i will probably go out and get a few hand calls when i get the chance to. jordan1186 i totally agree with you, if you are enjoying yourself, keep doing what you are doing, when that gets boring, switch it up.
When I started in this game the only ecaller available was out of the constraints of my budget. On the other hand a mouth blown call was only $3 and I rapidly found out it was highly effective. I called in a coyote on the second stand I ever made. That was about 49 years ago. Over the next 11 years my hunting partners and I called in and killed a heck of a lot of bobcats, fox and coyotes thanks to Mr Weems.
In 1967 I was working on SE Asia and found a neat little reel to reel portable tape player and when I got home I bought a 9" paging speaker, a Johnny Stewart record of Jackrabbit Distress and constructed my first ecaller. Compared to the new gear it was cumbersome but it was highly effective.
ecallers make the hunting a little easier but they're no substitute or short cut to success because you still have to know where to use the call. Like guess said, it won't make you a better hunter.
I love my FX5 and use it every time I go out but I know that hand calls are equally and sometimes more effective.
In 1967 I was working on SE Asia and found a neat little reel to reel portable tape player and when I got home I bought a 9" paging speaker, a Johnny Stewart record of Jackrabbit Distress and constructed my first ecaller. Compared to the new gear it was cumbersome but it was highly effective.
ecallers make the hunting a little easier but they're no substitute or short cut to success because you still have to know where to use the call. Like guess said, it won't make you a better hunter.
I love my FX5 and use it every time I go out but I know that hand calls are equally and sometimes more effective.
Most newbies to calling using an e-caller overdo the calling, place the caller in the wrong place, start calling too loudly and tend to use "unbelievable" sequences of calling. Coyotes aren't stupid and if your calling sequence doesn't sound natural the coyote is outta there. There are some times when its better not to leave your stand to go out and set your caller. I have had tremendous luck with my FoxPro Fury in conjunction with a decoy. The Mojo Critter and FoxPro Jack are my favorite decoys. Place your e-caller 40 or 50 yards upwind along with a decoy. Early season DSG rabbit, dying jack and pup in distress work well. Mid season a few long howls followed by 5 minutes of silence or even more time and then a bird or fawn distress is effective. As we approach January and Feb leave the rabbit distress in the truck as it is not very effective and use coyote vocalizations in call sequences with perhaps an occasional bird distress to appeal to a coyote's sense of curiosity. There is a learning curve to calling coyotes. You have to think like a coyote and develop a sequence of calling that is "believable" to a coyote. Good luck and don't give up. Predator calling is a fun sport. I might add this: pre-hunt scouting is essential to calling success. Just because something looks like a "good spot" doesn't mean there are any coyotes in the area. You have to put the boots to the ground if you want continued success.
guess
New member
Originally Posted By: tawnoperOriginally Posted By: pk1
And identifying the good stuff from experienced callers rather than the keyboard killers.
What's a keyboard killer?
A guy that talks a big game but has likely never killed more than 2 coyotes, if that many. Don't believe everything you read, sort through it.
And identifying the good stuff from experienced callers rather than the keyboard killers.
What's a keyboard killer?
A guy that talks a big game but has likely never killed more than 2 coyotes, if that many. Don't believe everything you read, sort through it.
guess
New member
The main thing I'd like to point out is that there are generalities to follow. things that animals do often or should do. Some guys think their way is the only way period. IT aint so. All the rules are written by men. The animals haven't read them. The are guide lines that will make you a better hunter, but as soon as you think you have it all figured out, the game changes. You nor I will ever know all there is to know. It's an ever changing game and and ever learning experience. Good luck and get some pics on here.