cass creek calls

[hawkeye]

Got me a cass creek crow call today. sound pretty good. anyone else use cass creek calls?

[coyotewhacker]

HB....how the yote calling going? I went out one afternoon last week and got a scare...hooked up the old reliable JS 512, popped in a cassette of "luring lips", turned on the power.....and nothing happened. I went to the backup plan of a pair of mouth blown calls, but no luck there. In the last year, I have modified my JS 512 somewhat, and I was scared I had really messed it up. I was looking it over last night and tried to fire it up again when the power light started blinking....sure sign of a weak battery. The original factory installed battery was DOA about a year ago, and I "installed" a newer JS 12 volt battery on the outside of the player using duct tape. It's not real pretty, but it works, and the price was right on the battery. I thought the battery was fully charged, but apparently I was wrong, and after a simple overnight recharge, the rig is back on line ready to call when I'm ready to git after 'em again. Since the tapes usually have at least some "hiss" that comes out of the speaker, I have started using a CD player with the car kit so I can play all digital sound with almost no line hiss to alert a wary coyote. Those old technology Johnny Stewart tape player game callers are like old Volkswagens....they just keep on running when they should have been on the junk heap years ago. Mine is one of the last of the "made in USA" models before they sold the company and started making their callers in an unnamed large country in the far east.

[hawkeye]

CW,
Havent went but one time since the dead calf deal. Havent had any luck yet. I may try it in the morning if it isnt too windy. Glad your battery charged back up. Id like to get one of the johnny stewart callers but they sure are proud of them. Good luck when you get to go.

[coyotewhacker]

You can get a digital Johnny Stewart Predator Master for a bit over a hundred bucks. The extra sound chips are about twenty bucks, retail. Compared to the original 512 and 612 units, that is a bargain. You can get them on Ebay for even less, if you get lucky. If you have a personal CD player, you already have the start of a calling system you can put together for about forty bucks. In addition to the CD player you would need a mini-amplifier ($12.95 at Radio Shack), an outdoor 15 watt speaker ($19.95 at Radio Shack), about 50 to 75 feet of speaker wire (guess where), one 1/8" mini plug for the amp end of your speaker wire, and a patch cord with 1/8" mini plugs on both ends to connect your CD player to the amp. To make this rig work, start by connecting one end of your speaker wires to the pigtail on the speaker. I wrapped and soldered mine, but you can use any of several methods to connect them. Then solder the mini plug to the other end. I also sprayed my speaker cone with some flat camo paint to hide the shiny plastic. Assemble the rig as follows: plug one end of the patch cord into the speaker jack of the CD player. Plug the other end into the "line" jack of the amp. Plug the speaker plug in the other jack of the amp (marked speaker, I think". Turn on the amp (requires a 9v battery for power) at low volume.
Put a CD in your player, turn it on, and program it for either continuous play on one track, or whatever sequence you want. You should start hearing calling sounds coming out of the speaker. If not, reverse the plug connections.
Because I don't function very well early in the morning, I also marked the amp jacks so I don't get them reversed starting out. I've got a library of almost 30 calling sounds that I ripped from various tapes I have had over the years. Using a neat little music production program, I can burn those distressed animal sounds onto a CD and make the track as long or as short as I want. If you put one of those CD calling systems together, I would be glad to burn a couple of CD's for you, or you can get them on Ebay. Beware of the "99 cent varmint specials".....those are not very good for the most part...I've learned that the hard way. There are some excellent varmint calling CD's available, but they cost a bit more. I should be getting a digitally remastered commercial type CD in the mail any day now. If it is free of tape hiss and the ever present crackles that are on cassettes, I will let you know what brand to look for. Good luck with your calling.......they are getting real territorial about now. Try some howling with a challenge howl..that might bring in the Alpha male of the pack.

[hawkeye]

CW,
Thanks if i get one put togeather one of these days ill have you burn me a cd. Ive been hearing them howling every night around the house. Guess iam gonna have to get after them before they start eating my chickens and ducks. Ill try the howling ill have to watch my randy anderson dvd to hear what a challange howl sound like. Take it easy

[coyotewhacker]

The challenge howl has several quick "yips" before the actual howl. Kinda like "yip...yip...yip...ahhoooooooo."
This time of year, it's almost always a territorial type howl as the young from this past summer are figuring out where they fit in the social structure.