I am an avid electronic call user but one of my friends told me today that he swears by mouth calls only. I on the other hand love the ease and effectiveness of electronic calls. I was just curious what the advantages/disadvantages of mouth calls are and just some general feedback. Thanks.
Why mouth calls?
- Thread starter pudman
- Start date
I also like the advantage that the e caller gives you, especially when hunting alone, but I have yet to call in a dog with it. I've called in bobcats & grey fox with it but not one dog. All my dogs were called with mouth calls. I'm going to record some of my calls onto a CD and see if that works. The difference may be that there is no feeling in the sounds I use on my CD's. When you get on a hand call you can really make it sound like something is eatin the crap out of some poor little bunny. Just think how you would sound if something was eatin you alive.
Krustyklimber
New member
Some guys like to take the chair lift to the top of the mountain, and ski groomed runs over and over.
Other guys like to climb up the mountain themselves, and ski down new terrain they've never seen.
Both could be great skiers, but neither does the same thing as the other.
The advantage I find with the hand call is, as stated above, inflection and variety...
with the e-caller you call fifteen to thirty seconds of the same sound for an hour. With the hand calls you call for an hour without ever making the exact same sound more than once.
Also no two mouths are the same, so the sounds from a hand call will sound different with different players playing. Not so with e-callers... if a guy was here recently with the same tape you have, the critters have "got your number" they've heard it before.
Even volume is not that huge of a consideration, I've got hand calls that are so loud (if played at full blast) that can make my ears ring if played in the house, so we can all be too loud.
Jeff
Other guys like to climb up the mountain themselves, and ski down new terrain they've never seen.
Both could be great skiers, but neither does the same thing as the other.
The advantage I find with the hand call is, as stated above, inflection and variety...
with the e-caller you call fifteen to thirty seconds of the same sound for an hour. With the hand calls you call for an hour without ever making the exact same sound more than once.
Also no two mouths are the same, so the sounds from a hand call will sound different with different players playing. Not so with e-callers... if a guy was here recently with the same tape you have, the critters have "got your number" they've heard it before.
Even volume is not that huge of a consideration, I've got hand calls that are so loud (if played at full blast) that can make my ears ring if played in the house, so we can all be too loud.
Jeff
Some guys are willing and happy to catch a trout by sticking a worm on a hook and plopping it in the water until a fish eats it.
Others prefer the satisfaction of catching them with a fly rod and flies. They like to toy with the fish and get it to bite.
Same thing with callers. Some are happy to simply push a button and wait for a coyote to show up. Others prefer to put more effort and art into it by using hand calls.
Which is more effective? That depends on the abilities of the person calling. Much like the fisherman with bait, the e-caller is easier to master. Once mastered, however, the hand caller has the option of either or both. Much like the fly fisherman, the hand caller will also likely have learned more in the process and will likely get more satisfaction from how he hunts.
Just my $.02 worth.
DWL
Others prefer the satisfaction of catching them with a fly rod and flies. They like to toy with the fish and get it to bite.
Same thing with callers. Some are happy to simply push a button and wait for a coyote to show up. Others prefer to put more effort and art into it by using hand calls.
Which is more effective? That depends on the abilities of the person calling. Much like the fisherman with bait, the e-caller is easier to master. Once mastered, however, the hand caller has the option of either or both. Much like the fly fisherman, the hand caller will also likely have learned more in the process and will likely get more satisfaction from how he hunts.
Just my $.02 worth.
DWL
Todd Woodall
New member
I also use mouth calls, and have every since I began calling. you are in control and you can make a more realistic sound. This past weekend my hunting partner and myself hunted in a contest with a guy who swore by E-calls. We were using the electronic caller and the tape ran out.
while he was noisily fixing the problem I began calling with my mouth call. A coyote came in at a full run. Electronic calls are proven to work, however to me it takes some of the sport out of calling. I get just as much satisfaction when I call in an animal and my partner shoots it as when I pull the trigger. I dont get that with an E-caller. I do slip to the dark side sometimes at night however I always prefer mouth calls. I also am going to record my calling on a tape or cd and see the results. then I may use a E-caller more.
while he was noisily fixing the problem I began calling with my mouth call. A coyote came in at a full run. Electronic calls are proven to work, however to me it takes some of the sport out of calling. I get just as much satisfaction when I call in an animal and my partner shoots it as when I pull the trigger. I dont get that with an E-caller. I do slip to the dark side sometimes at night however I always prefer mouth calls. I also am going to record my calling on a tape or cd and see the results. then I may use a E-caller more.
I like your analogy DWL.
....then like Fly-Fisherman, you have your purists and minimalists, a dry flyer sporting a cane rod and a hat with some flies on it, rather than a city-dweller with a $200 Orvis vest,...the purest callers buy the Cronk, Higgins, K-Calls for calling..and the minimalist uses a diaphragm call or his own voice...and the real purist in predator calling finds an area holding coyotes, dresses in a loin cloth, grabs a stick and chases after the little snits.....screaming and clubbing. Ok, I quit.
I agree with all the gentleman up yonder. Certain bit of accomplishment when calling with a hand call. Inflection, length of call, chainsaw massacre bunny deaths....all that stuff can be made to sound good with a hand call. To fool the prey into coming to your stand while utilizing your voice or breath, maybe your own handmade call....yeah baby.
I agree with all the gentleman up yonder. Certain bit of accomplishment when calling with a hand call. Inflection, length of call, chainsaw massacre bunny deaths....all that stuff can be made to sound good with a hand call. To fool the prey into coming to your stand while utilizing your voice or breath, maybe your own handmade call....yeah baby.
Krustyklimber
New member
Txpred,
Recording hand calls is a great way to make tapes unlike everyone elses, and with your computer as a studio I believe you can make as good (or better) tapes as you can buy.
One of my most favorite tapes, is a recording of Mr. Cronks lipsqueek that I remixed a little, coming out with a 43 second loop.
It is cleaner and sounds more like a dying rabbit than any other tape I own.
He's got a super special one I made just for him, if we're lucky maybe he will sell them to us (hint hint). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Jeff
P.S. I tried to leave the fishing analogy alone, it leads to such elitist attitudes... LOL
P.P.S. Hey EvilBob, Do you ever fish the Owens River Gorge? Man I love that place!
Recording hand calls is a great way to make tapes unlike everyone elses, and with your computer as a studio I believe you can make as good (or better) tapes as you can buy.
One of my most favorite tapes, is a recording of Mr. Cronks lipsqueek that I remixed a little, coming out with a 43 second loop.
It is cleaner and sounds more like a dying rabbit than any other tape I own.
He's got a super special one I made just for him, if we're lucky maybe he will sell them to us (hint hint). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Jeff
P.S. I tried to leave the fishing analogy alone, it leads to such elitist attitudes... LOL
P.P.S. Hey EvilBob, Do you ever fish the Owens River Gorge? Man I love that place!
muskrat30
New member
After some predator success I went out & got an electronic caller. After a few times out with it I sold it & went back to hand calls. I do like the variety of sounds & the ability to locate the caller away from you with electronics. That aside I still am quite content with the conveience of hand calls.
Rich Cronk
New member
Read Krusty's post again, think about it and then read it again. There is much wisdom in his words and I do not say this just because he mentions my lip squeak sounds. Those of us who have been calling for a lot of years, well we know that coyotes wise up to same old sounds all the time. Pretty soon they know the tune of Johnny Stewart "Super Jack" so well that they can hum it. Using your own recorded sounds can fool the call shy critters and give you a special feeling of pride at same time. There are a lot of area's where placing the speaker cross-wind of your hidey hole can make the difference between wising a coyote up to a new sound or whacking him dead. There is a special thing about calling with only mouth calls, but the real truth is that sometimes we can use another tool to help kill the smart ones. Electronic callers back in the thick stuff can be deadly on coyotes if used correctly.
I use both, but I am a firm believer in the KISS principal. (Keep It Simple Stupid). These days my e-caller consists of a $20 tape deck and an external speaker.
I carry enough junk around with me on an average day (cameras, ect) without looking for more. Hand calls are light, comparatively inexpensive, and effective. Like others, I enjoy calling a critter to me with my own lung power. Once I have one coming my way, I put the hand call away and use the lip squeak.
I carry enough junk around with me on an average day (cameras, ect) without looking for more. Hand calls are light, comparatively inexpensive, and effective. Like others, I enjoy calling a critter to me with my own lung power. Once I have one coming my way, I put the hand call away and use the lip squeak.
WolverineAtWork
New member
Man Bob, you guys get loin cloths? That's cheating! Man, we strip down, lie on the ground and wait for a coyote to walk by, then we try and grab em.... with our teeth! Boy, you city folk and your loincloths. Sheesh...
