Wildlife Callers

Predator & Game Calls

Here’s my take on an ongoing debate in the predator hunting & calling community that has no shortage of opinions.

As many people are aware, I spend most of my time calling for and hunting mountain lions. Dave Martens and I have had some excellent success calling cougars, and as a result we are often asked what kind of electronic callers are we using, if we use hand calls (and if so what type), what digital sounds are the best, and is there a “sequence” of sounds that bring lions to the call. These are all related, but separate topics and I’ll eventually get to all of these questions. In this post I will concentrate on the kind of electronic game callers we use, and if we use hand calls.

Arizona Mountain Lion Called by Mark Healy

First, I’ll tell you that I have not blown on a call in at least two years—probably more. I have been hugely successful with my digital caller. It gives me setup flexibility that I can’t get from a hand call, and moreover it gives me a library of digitally recorded animal sounds at my fingertips that I just can’t reproduce with hand calls.  Am I saying that I wasn’t successful with my hand calls? No, certainly not. Over a period of 20 years (I started calling in 1986) I had become quite the master of my dying rabbit flutes and called a bunch of critters. However, once I got started with a high quality electric caller with a reliable remote control I dropped my hand calls like so many hot rocks.

I now use a Wildlife Technologies KAS-2030-ML exclusively when wildlife and predator calling. I tried a few other callers along the way and had some good success with a wired-speaker Johnny Stewart game caller that used cassette tapes. However, after I paid for some training with Steve Craig (The Lion King from Cottonwood Arizona) I found that a remote controlled unit was the way to go. After a lot of research and listening to various callers, I settled on the Wildlife Technologies caller that I have today. The endless number of ways that I can set up a stand with a remote controlled e-caller combined with the extensive library of perfectly clean and loud animal vocalizations has completely changed the way I hunt. I call far more animals now than I ever did before, and my consistency calling mountain lions is directly attributable to using an electronic call with cougar vocalizations on it.

No matter what electronic caller you choose, if you buy one that’s high quality and commit to learning how to use it, it will add a whole new dimension to your sport. If you’re a wildlife photographer or a hunter, the advantages are the same. You can call more animals, put their attention and keen eyes somewhere else, and capture more images or pelts. My last word of caution!! Buy the best electronic game caller your budget allows. I wasted a lot of money on cheap versions that collectively would have bought me my good one the first time.

Does an electronic game call give me an “unfair advantage”?  I certainly don’t think so.  I still have days where I don’t call a darn thing.  I also know plenty of hunters who have purchased electronic callers who haven’t improved their success rates at all.  You still have to understand the animals you’re calling, pre-scout and know your calling areas, and know how to use the e-caller effectively (sounds, volume control, unit placement, etc.).  Success is always determined by how many hours are spent in the field, learning and understanding. 

Good hunting and I’ll see you in the field,

Mark Healy
Email: info@wildlifecallers.com