electronic game call recommendations

**Palmetto Bug** · 07-06-2024, 03:53 PM

I had a Primos Alpha Dogg and liked it well enough but the cheap Chinese electronics quit in the remote and made it useless. The model has been discontinued so there is no help from the manufacturer. Primos is coming out with a similar unit this summer but my experience with them leaves me less than enthusiastic. It is expected to cost around $275.

Foxpro seems to be the reining standard but they seem inordinately expensive for what they are. Why should a boom box with a remote be so damn expensive? They run around $700.

I used my old one for crow hunting a few times with great success. I tried it a few times for coyotes but never had any luck. The most fun I ever had with it was setting it up near an informal get-together at a friend's country place and fooling the women into believing we were about to get eaten by coyotes.

Does anyone here use an electronic caller? If so, what brand and model do you like? Have you compared it to other brands/models? Are there any must-have features or things to avoid?

**Chuck the Duck Slayer** · 07-06-2024, 05:55 PM

Bluetooth speaker and calls on your phone

**StrutnBPS** · 07-06-2024, 06:14 PM

FoxPro x24 loaded with MFK sounds. It’s worth the money if you enjoy hunting. Buy directly from MFK. FoxPros new calls are supposed to be coming out so if you aren’t in a hurry you may get one cheaper when they hit the market.

From what I understand the remote is a big part of the expense.

Also, keep an eye out for used ones. A lot of people buy them then see how hard coyote hunting is so they sale the units.

IMG_7050.jpg

**Five Oh** · 07-06-2024, 06:53 PM

I'm using a Foxpro X1, which has good battery life and the remote range isn't bad as long as the batteries are fairly fresh. If I could do it all over then I would buy the loaded MFK X24 and be done. I've probably spent a few hundred dollars on more sounds that I could have just put towards the X24 in the first place. A couple of guys I hunt with run Lucky Ducks and X24s. The sound on both is better than the X1 if you're running the volume way up, but you can only run the MFK sounds on the foxpro. That said, when we hunt together we take turns running the callers and it doesn't seem to matter, especially if its new property. If you don't plan on hunting much then you can get away with a cheaper one with less sounds, but I've noticed that if you don't have unlimited properties to hunt then you're going to want new sounds to run. I've killed 13 from one property this year, setting up in basically the same 2 places but running new sequences each time. If I was hunting less frequently , or had unlimited ground, I could get away with only having 10 sounds or so on the caller. I've also noticed that crows are close to the same as coyotes. You can't play the same fight from the same place multiple times and expect the same response.

**StrutnBPS** · 07-06-2024, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Five Oh

I'm using a Foxpro X1, which has good battery life and the remote range isn't bad as long as the batteries are fairly fresh. If I could do it all over then I would buy the loaded MFK X24 and be done. I've probably spent a few hundred dollars on more sounds that I could have just put towards the X24 in the first place. A couple of guys I hunt with run Lucky Ducks and X24s. The sound on both is better than the X1 if you're running the volume way up, but you can only run the MFK sounds on the foxpro. That said, when we hunt together we take turns running the callers and it doesn't seem to matter, especially if its new property. If you don't plan on hunting much then you can get away with a cheaper one with less sounds, but I've noticed that if you don't have unlimited properties to hunt then you're going to want new sounds to run. I've killed 13 from one property this year, setting up in basically the same 2 places but running new sequences each time. If I was hunting less frequently , or had unlimited ground, I could get away with only having 10 sounds or so on the caller. I've also noticed that crows are close to the same as coyotes. You can't play the same fight from the same place multiple times and expect the same response.

Try some of the Hixon batteries off Amazon. I have been using them for a while and they have worked great. I have yet to run them dead and I hardly ever recharge them.

**Five Oh** · 07-06-2024, 08:10 PM

I'll do it. Not being able to pause the call during a set because the remote batteries got too low cost me one last Friday.

**youngun15** · 07-06-2024, 09:07 PM

Turtlebox...

**SilverFox** · 07-07-2024, 08:22 AM

I run a loaded X24 as well. I also have a foxpro fusion. If you can find a used fusion they are great calls and you can pick them up at a decent price since they don't make them anymore. I took the sounds off my X24 and loaded them on the fusion and use it as a back up so I know it'll hold a lot of extra sounds as well.

The X24 is louder but I've killed a bunch with the fusion.

The new X48 they are coming out with has been delayed several times. I've heard all kinds of different reasons. I'd probably give it a while to work the bugs out if I was going to go that route.

**WoodieSC** · 07-07-2024, 10:17 AM

I picked up an ICOtec 520(?) a few years ago and it seems to be well worth the price, but haven’t really used it enough to give a strong pro or con opinion.

**StrutnBPS** · 07-07-2024, 10:47 AM

The higher end icotec calls are nice. Super easy to load sounds onto. They are big though.

IMO the biggest con with the FoxPro is that it’s pretty annoying to load songs onto compared to the newer icotec calls. It’s like foxpro had such a comfortable position in the call market that they fell behind in technology so to speak. The new calls are supposed to address this, but as stated above they have been pushed back 2-3 times. They were supposed to be released last year.

**Palmetto Bug** · 07-07-2024, 03:50 PM

The Foxpro Shockwave was the model I was considering because it seems similar to the Alpha Dogg I had in terms of form factor. It has multiple speakers. It seems the X24 is more popular. Does anyone have an opinion on the Shockwave? They are comparably priced and use the same TX1000 remote. Is there a reason the X24 is better?

Are coyote decoys of any use?

My sudden revived interest is because my dog was running around on my property yesterday and encountered a coyote that attacked him and chased him around a big field until I called him to me. When my dog came to me, the coyote stopped about 50 yards away and just stared at me for a few minutes, then stepped into the woods and barked for a while. These kinds of thing only happen on the rare occasions that I am unarmed.

**StrutnBPS** · 07-07-2024, 04:08 PM

I have an Alpha Dogg that I’ve had for years. IMO it’s a great call. Just not as loud as the x24.

I would go with the x24 over the shock wave.

1. X24 is louder.
2. Easier to carry.
3. Easier to set to. You can clamp it to a tree. Sit on ground. Etc.
4. It’s just easier and less cumbersome.

I have both a motion decoy and a full size coyote decoy. From my experience the decoys work better in more open areas than tight areas. Say if a coyote pops out of the woods in a tight area and the decoy is right there, it usually scares the coyote.

cats love the motion decoys.

Even though I have both types of decoys, I go more without one than with. Especially at night.

**SilverFox** · 07-08-2024, 09:51 PM

I have a motion I've used with good results. Just bought a Montana decoy a month or so ago. Used it a couple times but haven't killed over it yet. I had a female come out at 450 yards one time and lock in on the motion decoy... came in on a rope wide open. It was pretty amazing to watch.

**Palmetto Bug** · 07-10-2024, 12:32 PM

I went ahead and ordered the Shockwave. I like that it can be used without the remote. Foxpro appears to have mandatory minimum pricing for most sellers but I surprisingly found it a bit cheaper on Amazon. It usually lists for $549.99. Amazon had it for $506 with next day free shipping.

Thanks for all the replies.