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looking for a new distress call

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:05 am
by bucksnbears
i'm in desperate need of a new distress call. went out yesterday and my brand new critter call is now laying in a snowbank along with a circe. the reed came out on the c-c and the circe froze up. had 2 yotes coming both stopped at 400-450 and i had no way of getting em closer. started waving a black hat i had under my white one. that brought 1 about 50 yrds closer . i missed. any calls that are bomb proof that will work in any weather, loud and sound good at full power (breath).open/closed reed???

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:28 am
by wizbang
I'd suggest open reed, since they're more versitile. I like Tal Lockwood's "Tally Ho" since you can do distress and also howl pretty well. You can make almost any sound on it if you practice. Replacement reeds are dirt cheap, though I've never had to buy them. I've never had them freeze up either. The reed is pretty broad, so its easy for beginners. Reed is also longer than most, so you get a wider range of possible tone. Tal Lockwood has used it since like the 40s-- its a proven design.

For a closed reed call, I like Dan Thompson's PC-2 (cottontail). Pretty good all-around call. Doesn't freeze up either.

There's something to be said for old timers using their lifetime of experience to design and hand-made a call. I think they're both in larger production now and not hand-made, but they're made by real sportsman-- not some research team at Primos or Knight & Hale. These calls worked for Randy Anderson too before he got to be a celebrity and signed up with Primos-- before all his calls turned to plastic. The Tally Ho and PC-2 are time-tested designs-- there's a reason they're still around after decades.

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:48 am
by lyonch
Go to the online store here and grab a call!!! All the calls that are sold on the this site work great.

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:25 am
by bucksnbears
i did'nt even think about the online store :oops: . just ordered a wily one rabbit. thanks for the advise. i think the shipping charges are outrageos though. 8.50 to ship a 2oz. item??

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:34 am
by Fallguy
bucksnbears wrote:i think the shipping charges are outrageos though. 8.50 to ship a 2oz. item??
Geez that seems pretty excessive I think!

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 2:42 pm
by Mountainman
I use the crit-r-calls, 4 of them -peewee, standard, song dog, and song dog jr. They are an open reed and almost undestructible.

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:26 pm
by MEHunter23
I just recently bought knight and hales bt prey blaster. it has a blasting chamber that really makes it easy to blow. i bought that and the heclk'n howler for 30$. The prey blaster can also be an open reed call because you can take out the blasting chamber to give the call a different pitch. the calls came with an instructional dvd with some hunts and different noises you can make with them.

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:59 pm
by Dcoy
Try the Zepp open reeds.Sold here.Fabulous!!!

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:12 pm
by Prairie Ghost
Song dog is about all i use for distress or the song dog JR

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:14 pm
by rhino
I use a ruffidawg. have had pretty good luck with it. the part I like about that call is it is easy to control.

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:30 pm
by Coyotehunter
bucksnbears wrote:i did'nt even think about the online store :oops: . just ordered a wily one rabbit. thanks for the advise. i think the shipping charges are outrageos though. 8.50 to ship a 2oz. item??
the shipping on these calls is $4.50

Re: looking for a new distress call

Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:39 am
by 1Shooter
[quote="wizbang"]For a closed reed call, I like Dan Thompson's PC-2 (cottontail). Pretty good all-around call. Doesn't freeze up either.quote]

This is what I've been using lately too. I think it sounds great and is very easy to use. Called in my first coyote on the PC-2.