The Flextone ECHO eR1 is a new e-caller for the 2010-2011 predator hunting season, but with little more than a month of service in the hunting field, our customers are telling us this compact remote controlled call sounds great, is easy to use, and above all is calling coyotes to their stands.  The Flextone ECHO HD comes preloaded with 100 calling sounds.  More than 90 of the sounds are from Wildlife Technologies and sound very clear—just what you’d expect from a WT sound.  Most of our customers are buying it for predator hunting, but several have been sent to guys intending to use the generous number of deer sounds for calling big bucks.  CLICK HERE to view the sound list.

You can CLICK HERE to view the caller in our Wildlife Callers’ store.

Flextone Echo HD eR1 Predator call and Game Caller

Game Warden Note: Make sure using an electronic call is legal in your area for both predators and big game animals!  It likely is for predators, but might not be for deer—double check your local regulations.

I’ve taken the Flextone ECHO HD out for some field testing with the remote control.  The remote contol has an LCD readout that’s back-lit for night hunting and shows the caller’s volume level on the readout.  The manufacturer states the remote will work up to 300 yards.  If you’re a predator hunter who’s used a remote controlled caller, then you’re likely aware that the advertised effective yardage of the remote control is almost always less in real-world calling setups.  I set the caller up in various positions in rocks, heavy brush, and tall grass, at 20, 50, 75, and 100 yards and from a seated position was able to effectively change sounds, change the volume, and mute the caller without any hesitation from the machine.  The remote has a spot on one of the lower corners to attach a lanyard, reducing the chances of dropping or losing it.

Flextone Echo HD eR1 Top View and Remote Control View

The ECHO eR1 comes with a black carry strap and sports bi-directional twin speakers for maximum volume from the 8AA battery power pack that runs the unit.  You can use the speakers individually or both at the same time.  The remote control is stored in a docking & charging station on the side of the caller.  The caller comes with a 110v charging cord that plugs right into the side of the caller and charges the power pack and the remote at the same time.  The remote control for the eR1 uses a flat Li-Ion rechargeable battery pack that took a while for us to find, but we eventually did.  CLICK HERE to see the battery for the remote control.

Battery Note: The AA batteries that came with the unit charged up just fine, but didn’t last as long as we expected they should.  We bought a set of Energizer AA rechargeable batteries, put them in the caller, charged it overnight, and then let it play for more than 12 hours at volume 2.  The battery life of the unit is great—so long as you use a quality set of batteries.

Overall, the Flextone ECHO HD eR1 is a well thought out, great sounding predator call and game calling machine in the caller class that it’s designed to compete in—actually it costs less and hunters tell us it sounds as good or better than the callers it was designed to compete with.  With a functional & useful remote control and good hunting reports coming in from satisfied customers, this new caller will continue making quick inroads into the e-caller market space.   The next thing to test is the longevity of the machines in field service.  That’s happening all over the US and Canada right now.  Only time will answer that question.

If you have any questions or if you’d like an ECHO HD eR1 sound demo just give us a call.

Good hunting to all,

Back in the day… 

Mark Healy and an Arizona Coyote & Gray Fox that Fell for Cottontail Distress - circa 1986-87

a tape recorder with a Johnny Stewart rabbit distress tape, or my Circe twist-top 3-sound mouth call would give a guy plenty of opportunities to call and shoot predators.  When I started predator calling in 1986, the sport was only somewhat popular and unless you called the same spots over and over, the chances of calling at critters that already heard that same ol’ song before was slim.  This was the same time in Arizona hunting history when guys got a December  “Any Antlered Deer” tag and would NOT even consider hunting for a Coues Whitetail!  My, my, how times have changed as thousands of hunters apply for what’s become just a handful of December Coues tags.  

These days it seems that just about everyone who likes hunting has added or wants to add an electronic predator call to his or her hunter’s gear bag.  Several years ago the predator hunting videos took off in popularity and people got excited about calling coyotes, bobcats, and other critters, to the business end of their rifle — especially in states where their chances of getting a deer and/or elk tag was fading every year.  With this sport’s new-found explosive popularity over the past decade, the chances of calling into country that hasn’t been called is slim.  

I just finished talking to a guy who called for a full 2-years with a mouth call before he ever called his first coyote.  Now, I will say that I appreciate this young man’s tenacity!  However, if he’d had some better techniques, better understanding of his quarry, and better calling equipment, I firmly believe he could have cut that figure down by 1 year and 11 months.   

But how? 

Let’s make the assumption that if a domestic dog can be conditioned, then a coyote can too.  I don’t believe that coyotes can “get smart”, but I’m certain that being called and shot at will have a lasting and negative effect on a coyote’s willingness to come running back to that sound.  In prior posts I’ve related it to behavior-conditioned dogs running for the sound of the kitchen can opener.  The only difference being, the hail of bullets outcome is very negative and repelling whereas the food reward from the Kitchen Aid very positive — conditioning nonetheless.  

Therefore, it stands to reason that a coyote that hears rabbit distress cries over and over that have nothing to do with a rabbit, dinner, or anything good, that coyote will become leary of that noise.  How then can it be changed? 

The electronic callers available today have many different sounds not only from the animal your hunting, but animal sounds like crows, hawks, and eagles that can be used to build a realistic “sound scene” that breaks from the traditional “waaa -waaa – waaa – waaa” rabbit cadence and provides the illusion of predator/prey/scavenger interaction that’s real and happening right now.  

So, what is a “sound scene”? 

Generally speaking, it is using a dozen or more sounds on a stand in an attempt to replicate a very busy and chaotic living scene surrounding a prey animal that has been brought down by a predator.  I always try to bring in the sounds of the prey distress and then mix in the sounds of coyotes fighting over food, foxes barking out warnings, or female cougars being aggressive and territorial.  Then to that I add the sounds of scavengers like crows, ravens, and even hawk screams.  In short, I make my scene come alive with animal activity and competition for calories. 

There are a few things that support this calling style. 

First – It’s successful.  I have called lots and lots of predators using this technique.   I have all of these sounds (and then some) on my Mighty Atom 21.  I may as well make use of them. 

Second – My time in nature has shown me firsthand this pattern of predator/prey/scavenger behavior.  For instance, on one of my hunts: 

After watching a cow stuck neck-deep in a soupy mud hole, yelling and raising heck for a half an hour (without stopping) I wandered over to see if there was something humane I could do. Just about 18 inches, or so, of her back was sticking up. She’d been struggling and getting deeper in the mud with her every attempt to get out.

Another Cow - Victim of Drought and Ravaged by Predators & Scavengers - Post Mortem

When I got down to the muddy pond, I noticed that coyotes had eaten a hole in the hide on the upper left hind area of the cow. They had eaten away at the muscles along the spine, the back flanks and had pulled guts up and out of the cows gut-sack leaving chewed-up intestines laying on the ground still connected to the screaming cow. To make matters worse, the crows had come in and pecked both eyes out and eaten the front two inches of it’s tongue.

This was a ghastly scene, and I learned a lot from it. While I wasn’t there, that scene was filled noises of scavenging & predatory critters competing for those calories and trying to survive. It was absolutely apparent they did not have the capacity to feel anything for the cow. Screaming dinner… Quiet dinner… They didn’t care, so long as it was dinner. 

Additionally, even though it couldn’t see me, the cow screamed the whole time I was next to her – never pausing.

Not wanting to be accused of a crime (the world we live in) I ended up finding a Game & Fish rep and sending them down to dispatch the cow.

Third – If you watch nature shows like the Nature special  Yellowstone: Battle for Life, you’ll see that the process of predators hunting and consuming prey is sometimes fairly quiet and fast (like a red fox finding a vole and quickly chewing it up) and sometimes it’s a very noisy process (like a wolf pack killing an elk, consuming it while surrounded by crows, hawks, eagles, and magpies, and then killing and consuming a coyote that ventured too close).

What happens in nature supports both calling more quietly and calling aggressively with several sounds.  So I have adopted an approach of starting out a bit more quiet with fewer sound changes, and then getting progressively more aggressive and loud as the “sound picture” I’m creating turns into predator/prey/scavenger scene that deserves investigation by the predators in the area.

This process is covered in more detail, with sound choices, in this blog: Gray Fox & Bobcat Calling – What Sounds? When? How Long? How Loud?

Truthfully, there aren’t a lot of guys that will outlast 24 months of blank stands and still head out for month number 25.  Most would have called it quits in 90-days!  What a shame that would be – this is a very rewarding pursuit.  Actually, once you get the hang of it, it’s completely addictive (in a positive and good way).  So use your e-caller and all of the natural sounds that it can bring to bear on every stand and set-up you make. 

If you enjoyed this blog, subscriptions to it are FREE!!If you have any questions on how we do this or the electronic predator calling equipment we use just click here or give us a call toll-free at 877-734-1010.  We’re happy to help.

Please put any article comments at the bottom of the page.

Thank you again for reading – have a great fall season!

Mark Healy

Wolf - Courtesy of the US Fish & Wildlife Service/Tracy Brooks

With Idaho elk herds in a steady decline and no reasonable recovery in sight, the game commissioners found it a reasonable step to include electronic calls as a wolf hunting method to help reach 2010 wolf harvest objectives.  Remember that any action favoring wolf hunting or wolf hunters will face immediate opposition and legal challenges from well funded anti-hunting organizations.  We are, however, optimistic that Idaho’s wildlife managers will prevail in moving forward this need based, well documented, biologically sound, action plan for better wolf control in their state. 

For more details and commentary, see the article in the Idaho Statesman:  Electronic Calls Fair Game in Idaho Wolf Hunts 

After taking dozens of phone calls last season from hunters very interested in calling an Idaho wolf (that’s you California hunters!) we’re looking forward to actually being able to deliver them a Wildlife Technologies Mighty Atom caller.  Last season we had to turn ‘em down — not so this wolf season!

It’s no secret that Wildlife Technologies has the most revered wolf calling sounds and equipment in the world, and we’re excited to be on the forefront of what could be a state-by-state wave of wolf hunters taking to the field with a WT caller.

Remember that we have two Wildlife Tech caller options available:  The Mighty Atom 15 and The Mighty Atom 21. Both callers deliver exceptional sound quality and excellent volume — the Mighty Atom 21 has more high end volume.  To review the sound list for wolf calling, click here:  Wildlife Technologies Wolf Sounds. And we have a full line of distress sounds ranging from elk, deer, and moose, to ambient noises like crows, hawks, and eagles, to create a wolf calling sound scene like no other. 

Wildlife Technologies Mighty Atom 21

For a demo, call us toll-free at 1-877-734-1010 and we’ll play any or all of the wolf sounds for you.

Thank you again for reading.  We’ll keep you up to date on the latest Idaho wolf hunting & calling changes.  If there is anything we can do to help you get ready for an upcoming hunt, just give us a call. 

Subscriptions to the blog are always FREE and your comments (at the bottom of this page) are always appreciated. 

All the best this season,

Mark Healy

http://www.wildlifecallers.com

The new Flextone callers (handheld eH1 and remote controlled eR1) are loaded with other hunting sounds too.  Where it’s legal, you can use them for calling deer, calling crows, calling hogs & javelina, calling squirrels, and more. 

You can see both Flextone callers and their sound lists by CLICKING HERE or on the picture below.

The Flextone Mimic eH1 and the Echo eR1

Every hunter’s budget is different, especially in these uncertain times.  So, to bridge the gap between not having but wanting an electronic predator caller and eventually owning a high-end remote controlled do-all Mighty Atom predator calling workhorse, Wildlife Callers’ Store now offers the Flextone Mimic eH1 for just under $40 bucks.  The Mimic is one half of Flextone’s new e-caller line up.  Flextone is also coming out with a remote controlled unit called the Echo eR1. 

These callers are a direct result of the demand for selections from the Wildlife Technologies Sound Library on quality machines that more guys can afford – your ideas in action. 

Field Note:

On our first stand with the Mimic eH1, Marc Reindell of Wildlife Callers called 2 coyotes.  The coyotes came out of a drainage near a large prairie just outside of Flagstaff, AZ.  One arrived at about 30 seconds into the stand and number 2 arrived at about 3 minutes.  Does the Flextone Mimic eH1 work?  Yes. 

If you still have a question about this caller, please send it in – info@wildlifecallers.com or give us a call toll-free at 1-877-734-1010

Subscriptions to the blog are always free and comments are always appreciated. 

Thank you again for reading and good hunting!

Mark Healy

mark@wildlifecallers.com

If a regular dog comes a runnin’ when it hears a can opener in the kitchen (a conditioned response), then it stands to reason that a coyote can also be conditioned by fooling it with a prey distress call, and then allowing it to barely escape with it’s life amid a hail of bullets. 

That lucky coyote might still come to investigate a screamin’ rabbit sound, but the chances of it running in full-blast time and again are diminished with every negative encounter or impression – simple conditioning.  Because of Mother Nature’s mixed message – sometimes the screamin’ sound is natural and associated with food – sometimes the screamin’ comes with smelly lumps of camouflage shaped like humans and loud bangs from predator rifles – coyotes naturally become conditioned to be cautious. 

Justin Blauwet and His January Iowa Coyote

Using their new Wildlife Technologies Mighty Atom 15 electronic predator call, the Blauwet’s have called several of the “uncallable” coyotes. If you own Other Brands of Predator Callers you most likely have a series of sounds that will allow you to recreate this sequence.

Here’s how they do it:

Jim Blauwet called and told me the vast majority of callers in his area use the same ol’, same ol’ rabbit distress over and over and sometimes get lucky, but most of the time they don’t see a thing.  So, on his first stand with his new Mighty Atom 15, he started with just 3 or 4 Adult Female Communicative Howls.  He got a response right away from a one or two coyotes.  Jim & his son Justin sat quiet for about 5 full minutes. 

After five minutes had passed, Jim hit the Adult Male Communicative for 3 or 4 howls.  Two coyotes answered right away.  One of the coyotes was very close and the other seemed further away.  Most guys, me included, would have hammered out another howl right away.  Jim, knowing that these coyotes had been called before, chose to sit tight and quiet for another five full minutes. 

Jim and Justin had been scanning hard for approaching coyotes and hadn’t seen a thing up to this point.  Jim then used the Adult Male Territorial Howl and got another immediate response from a single coyote.  Jim told me the coyote was very close at this point, and the only thing separating them was a small ridge.  Jim was tempted to hit another howl, but thought better of himself and sat for another five full minutes.  Jim told me the day was getting old and the bright orange sunset over the snowy, white-capped landscape was absolutely stunning. 

Nothing had come into view yet, and Jim let out a Beta Male Challenge Howl.  Again he got a quick response from a coyote that had snuck in very close.  Jim figured it was just a matter of time before the coyote trotted in, so he sat still for another five minutes. 

At the end of five minutes, Jim decided to try and close the deal with the Adult Coyote Distress sound.  As soon as he hit the Coyote Distress, he saw the coyote emerge on the top of the ridge and start downhill toward the Mighty Atom.  Jim said the coyote stalled out and at about 175 yards from the caller, began to hesitate.  Jim leveled his rifle and took careful aim.  Bang!  His shot looked good through the scope – so he thought.  Jim thinks he either hit a tree branch or just had a good ol’ fashioned miss, because the coyote just trotted off and quickly went out of sight.   

Knowing that coyotes can and do still come after hearing a rifle shot, Jim immediately turned the call over to Coyotes Fighting Over Food.  He no sooner looked up from the remote and saw a big male coyote charging hard down a snow-covered hill toward the speaker.  Jim said the coyote was going to be at the speaker in just a few seconds, so he got ready with his rifle.  As the coyote was closing the distance and picking up speed coming down the hill, he (the coyote) hit a patch of ice and lost his footing.  The coyote was now sliding on his chest with all four legs trying to get traction.  The coyote couldn’t get back to his feet, and eventually slid into a big snow covered tree! 

Jim, trying not bust-up laughing, watched the tree for a few seconds, and the coyote eventually walked out covered in snow, seemingly dazed from his ordeal.  The coyote seemed a little less interested than he had just a few seconds earlier and the big dog started walking into a low ditch that would eventually take him back toward the area he’d come from. 

Jim told me he thought about shooting at the coyote, but knew that his son Justin was seated above the ditch and the coyote was going to walk right below him.  Jim said he waited for what seemed like a long time, but probably wasn’t but a few seconds – BANG!  and then… nothing but quiet.  Jim slowly got up and walked toward the area Justin was sitting.  Justin signaled that he’d shot the coyote and Jim headed down the hill to meet him.  Jim grabbed his camera and got a few shots of Justin holding up the nice winter coyote. 

Since this original phone call, Jim has called us a few times to let us know that the technique is still paying off.  He was more than happy to share with all of the readers here at Wildlife Callers, and we thank him for that.  Success with coyotes that get a lot of pressure isn’t easy – Jim & Justin make a simple sound switch and completely turn the tables on their coyotes. 

NOTE:  I asked Jim what volume he was playing.  Jim kept the volume in the middle range the whole time – mostly number three.  Jim figured since he was getting such good responses why switch and get loud without needing to.  We can’t argue with that logic – it certainly works. 

As Jim & Justin collect more photos and send ‘em our way, we’ll put them in our photo album for everyone to enjoy!!

If you like these articles, subscriptions to the blog are FREE!!  Just put your email address in the upper right hand of this page and you’ll get new articles sent to your email automatically.  We absolutely WILL NOT sell your email to anyone and we won’t spam your inbox with sales garbage.  Just news and blog updates. 

If you have any questions or comments, please put them below.  We sincerely appreciate everyone stopping by and reading.  We’re always trying to put out useful/meaningful/informational blog posts that help predator callers create more success in the field.  We’d like to hear from all of you – especially if something you read here worked for you too!

Have a great calling season,

Mark Healy

mark@wildlifecallers.com

1-877-734-1010