Predator Call recommendations

[Brad W]

Paging @brockel and the other predator hunters on here. l I am looking for some advice on electronic predator calls. My son (12) wants to learn how to trap and call predators. We nuisance trap beavers together and I understand the basics of predator trapping, but I don't know much about predator hunting. We live in NH and will mainly be hunting logging cuts and around our limited agricultural areas. I am considering buying an electronic caller with the little decoy on top, but it seems like most of them get terrible reviews until you get up around $500. Is something like the Foxpro Hellcat going to be fine or do you all have recommendations for something better in that $200-300 price range. Realistically we are only going to be doing this 2-5 times a winter right now amidst all our other activities. It is my perception that it will be much harder here than out west because of the cover and terrain which is why I am considering the electronic caller. I see more coyotes in a few days hunting in MT than I see in a decade in NH even though there are plenty around. I have called in bobcats while turkey hunting and even though I can hear them creeping within 20-40 yds it can be very difficult to see them until they get down wind and clear out. Being able to set up the caller 50+ yards away up wind should be very helpful. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[ccc23454]

I have a couple electronic and a foxpro is my primary. With a kid, a couple mouth calls can be fun and great to learn on (cheap). Electronics are nice to program but can be complex, I have used mine for everything from coons to lion hunts but that is overkill you must pay for. Try raccoons after you get basics figured out. Decoy: i for years used a feather tied to a old carbon arrow, just some movement in breeze.

 

[Sask hunter]

I have a fox pro hellcat I use a bit. I mainly use it for howling. I primarily use hand calls 90% of the time

 

[Nick87]

I have a fox pro hellcat I use a bit. I mainly use it for howling. I primarily use hand calls 90% of the time

Bought a fox pro years ago and thought it was gonna be the ticket...gone back to mouth calls as well. I do still like to run the fox pro with the decoy on motion to take a little attention off of me.

 

[Sask hunter]

Bought a fox pro years ago and thought it was gonna be the ticket...gone back to mouth calls as well. I do still like to run the fox pro with the decoy on motion to take a little attention off of me.

Last time I was out I got busted a couple times and was thinking of trying a decoy

 

[Hunting Wife]

Take my advice with a grain a salt, because my success rate calling is pretty low. I want the fur, and by the time I get around to calling they are pretty well educated here…

If you are only going to do it a couple times per year, just go with mouth calls. More interactive for your son anyway. I swear coyotes out here get called at so much they recognize an electronic call anymore too- like I’ve seen them running the other way as soon as someone hits the caller. Been thinking about going to mouth calls.

Like someone else said, a turkey feather tied to an old arrow shaft or stake gives great movement in very little breeze. I have killed several with that as my “decoy”. IME it does help for them to have something to look at, but it does not need to be expensive.

Plenty of time to save for expensive gadgets when you guys get hooked

 

[Nick87]

. I swear coyotes out here get called at so much they recognize an electronic call anymore too-

When they first came out it was awesome, then everybody and their brother bought one and put it all full blast for 2 hours behind their house expecting to kill coyotes. Sort of like spinning wing duck decoys.

 

[Rie Bread]

Wood pecker reed call.
https://danthompsongamecalls.com/
Crow reed call- faulks I believe
https://www.faulkcalls.com/predator-calls
I just broke the crow call and they still have it. I picked up a chucker call as well.

Huh I’m not seeing the call I have at Dan Thomason’s which is labeled BD1

Yeah no need for expensive stuff to shoot yotes.

 

[Brad W]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Let me know what your recommendations are for mouth calls. I have a coyote howler already. If I lived out west that is what I would have gone with immediately but I thought the advantage of having an electronic call up or cross wind would be really helpful for the terrain in which we hunt. Its much trickier here to find areas where you can set up and see animals sneaking around down wind. We are mainly looking for prime pelts too and the yotes get pretty big around here. We've made beaver trapping hats from some of the good late season beavers we have trapped and my son loves his. I love the recommendation for the feathers tied to an arrow. I have plenty of broken arrow shafts lying around and plenty of feathers so that will be easy.