Electronic Predator Calls

[Turk]

I'm looking to purchase a electronic predator call. Any suggestions?

Also anyone ever used the Extreme Dimension Phantom Predator call? This system looks really nice due to the wt and not having tapes or disks.

Thanks,

Turk

[Elkslayer]

I have and use the Phantom Predator call. I found I needed to add a daypack of somekind to carry it in as the speaker is a bit large to hand carry as I hike into where ever it is I will be hunting and the speaker wire is a mess to deal with if you don't have some way of winding it up.

Sometimes I get the feeling I'm blowing my cover when I am setting the speaker out and playing out the speaker cord.

Some of the sounds available on the call are not "natural" to my Wyoming enviroment (we don't have too many squealing piglets here-about) and the crow call is a far cry from our ravens or magpies. So those sounds are a waste for me.

Other than that I like it. But nothing beats fooling them with a hand call! :D

[Art Eatman]

While I prefer a wounded rabbit mouth-blown call, I've used a baby boom-box with wounded rabbit tapes to good effect.

Our coyotes around here aren't hunted often, so just setting the box on the hood of the truck works fine. :) Haven't had one jump up on the truck, yet.

Although, some guys out calling one night had a mountain lion jump into the back of the truck and reach in through the rear window of the cab.

New upholstery.

Art

[Seeker]

I'd like to encourage pheasants on my property (10 acres backed by more open space/dairy farm) and am thinking of buying chicks in the spring to compliment the indigenous population, but would hate to be providing coyote fodder.

I reckon 'yotes are pert clever. If I used a wounded rabbit call and bagged a couple would the rest learn to not come to that call and still come lookin' fer pheasent chicks? If so, is there a call that sounds like pheasant chicks that I could use?

[Elkslayer]

It seems that if you call in a dog and drop him the others don't wise up, but from my experiences, if you miss one, then he goes and tells the whole coyote community for miles around what is going on!

Seriously, it does seem tougher to call in areas where the dogs have been called, shot at and missed. That is why I go to the trouble of driving long distances from population centers just to get away from the smart dogs.

[H&H,hunter]

I bought a phantom caller last year and have had it out about a dozen times. I find that I am about 80% more effective with a mouth call. I don't know what gives but I just haven't had real good luck witn the phantom.

[Art Eatman]

Whether or not one dislikes the hassle of tapes, they do give you options: Wounded rabbit (both jacks and mollytails), Yellowhammer Woodpecker, Dominant Male Coyote, etc.

Definitely agree that a miss seems to educate more than just the miss-ee. I'm sorta guessing, but an educated coyote, hearing the same call again, will shoulder another coyote away from going to the call. He'll do whatever is their "danger!" signal.

Art

[Peetmoss]

I have one question why not just build your own electronic caller. It is very easy to do, and depending on what you want for the actual call player can cost as little as 20 bucks. You can use a portable CD player, Portable tape player, or portable MP3 player. A speaker similar to what is used on the pro callers and a little tiny amp that runs on batteries from radio shack. You would also need a couple of cables from Radio shack. I helped a guy at work assemble one cause his Jhonney Stuwart call **** the bed.

[444]

I made a call like that. It is a little more complicated than a commercial call since you now have more "boxes". The audio source and the amp. both of which have seperate volume controls. It will however certainly work and is a lot cheaper than a commercial call.

Anybody have a source for game calls on MP3 ?

[Seeker]

Definitely agree that a miss seems to educate more than just the miss-ee. I'm sorta guessing, but an educated coyote, hearing the same call again, will shoulder another coyote away from going to the call. He'll do whatever is their "danger!" signal.



So, a 'yote called to little pheasant sounds, shot at and missed would do more to keep'em off MY pheasants that plugin'em?

I don't reckon there are little pheasant calls, are there?

Also in Oregon ya can't, legally, shoot 'yotes at night. Does this change the game any?

[Art Eatman]

Daytime hunting only? I've found daylight-sunup and late PM-sundown just fine for calling, when there's a lot of moon. My theory is that prey animals have a better chance when the moon is full, so Wiley has to start earlier and/or stay later.

You have to be more careful about your own movements and being seen as a coyote comes to a call, of course. 50 to 100 feet of speaker wire, to get him focussed away from your hidey-hole is a help.

One or two shooter-guys sitting very still, upslope from the guy with the call, is a good system, if you have some helpers available.

Always remember that no matter what direction he comes from, he'll circle downwind to make the final approach upwind to the sound or bait.

Art

[Bottom Gun]

I've also had better luck with a mouth call than I have with my Phantom Predator, which by the way, is broken now.
The keys on the right side of the keypad have stopped working. I'm going to have to send it back to them for repair.
I'll let you know how my experience with their customer service goes.

[Rmouleart]

The Phantom caller is one of he best electronic calls on the market, uses sound sampling not tapes, around $200.00 comes with water proof speaker and 60 feet of wire, uses jacks, you can bye extra speakers as well, the handheld has a battery shut off if it has been in a idle mode for a period of time.,uses 1 transister battery, you can control volume at your finger tips, when first turning on the handheld, volume is at its lowest, not to scar away your game, sounds are coyotes killing a rabbit/coyotes calling/sqweeling rabbit and mouse/wild pig sounds/crows etc...there is around 12 sound in all, the sounds are so realistic you won't believe your ears.Aim small hit small.

http://www.phantomcalls.com/gifs/pred.html