Call materials

[NESoDak]

I will be moving from an electronic call towards hand calls this year in large part because of having had a terrific year calling waterfowl. My sucess stems from the purchase of very good quality calls and bushells of practice. All the rage in waterfowling calls at the moment is acrylic. While looking at a variety of predator calls I was a little surprised to find that the trend has not really taken hold in this style of calling. As there are some call makers here I would like to know if this is a matter of preference, customer demand, tone quality or simple expense?

It would seem to me that some of the desirable qualities of acrylic (volume, clarity, durability) would work well in predator calls. I know that wood and plastic have a greater richness of sound but I usually don't associate a predator call with mellow tones.

Finally, I am curious wether my waterfowling experience will serve me well when learning how to use a predator call. I had been thinking of beginning with closed reed calls in order to speed my learning curve as they are more similar to duck and goose calls.

Your insights are much appreciated.

[Bearmanric]

Check out Allpredatorcalls.com. They Have Raw Call's You might Be interested in them Rick

[Bobcat]

Here is one that AP carries at AllPredatorCalls.com that might catch your fancy. I think overall that price is a consideration. I will let some of our call makers chime in.

Bob



RAW Calls - Black Acrylic Predator #A1B
RAW Calls by Ryan Wieser - "Black Death" Acrylic Predator. These calls are made with the same quality acrylic as the top of the line waterfowl calls priced at $150 - blow one you'll agree that these calls are unsurpassed in volume and crispness. These are collector quality predator calls. Featuring superb craftmanship and acrylic construction, distinctive LAZER ENGRAVED "RAW Custom Calls" proof mark, handy storage container & customized draw-string logo inprinted felt storage bag, and lanyard. Each call is hand-tuned by the maker using JC Products reeds. Deadly on coyote, fox, bobcat, & other predators. These calls are "eye-catchers" built to provide a lifetime of service. $49.95

[Bobcat]

Rick,

I guess we both had the same thought and posted at the same time.........two great (or at least semi-great minds?).

Bob

[Bearmanric]

Bobcat i have the Smoke and Cocabola Very Nice Call's.Starting Too Collect Custom call's. Getting Some Great Sound's.

[Sabre2th]

I just want to ask, Is it awful that while I was reading the previous post by Bob that I pictured a game show, and Bob was talking and showing off the two calls. The bad part is that I pictured him in a bikini.

[NESoDak]

Thanks guys!

I too look forward to hearing from some of the resident call makers. And BTW $50 for an acrylic call (of good quality) is a pittance. My waterfowl lanyard holds upwards of $500 worth of calls and it is only a four dropper. I have no problem at all paying for good quality equipment that performs well in the field.

[Krustyklimber]

NESoDak,

I don't know how I missed this thread... it's like the board was not refreshing on me for days now?

As one of the resident call makers here, I'll chime in.

I am glad you have a realistic grasp of the value of a handcall, I have a big pile I'll sell ya at an extra special price!

You know, I have looked and looked, and I cannot figure out what is so cool about acrylic calls...

That's not to take away from Ryan's talents, I have a smoked acrylic RAW Custom Calls, with the reed I like best in it. I absolutely love it!
Ryan's skill and professionalism are top notch, in my opinion.

Back to acrylics...
I don't recognize the "mellow tones" you speak of, but I admittedly dont have a musical ear.
I believe the true benifit of acrylics, over wood, is stability. The ability to hold it's shape and tone, for countless years, maybe even generations. This makes it an investment, and it's longevity raises it's value.

OK, acrylics are more stable, therefore the call bodies can be turned down thinner than a wood spinner would feel safe turning wood (for fear of a "blowout" ).
I know from handcarving call bodies, that it is this thin wall... that, like the top of an accoustic guitar body, gives a call it's tone, and moreso it's resonance.
Some thick bodied wooden calls feel and sound " dead" to me.

I once got a bite type call made by a friend, it was nice to look at, but he was having difficulty getting a crisp loud sound from them.
I took my dremel tool and bored it out, so the wall was much thinner. The result is a call with increased volume, crisp sound, and a resonance to the wood that you could feel in your hand... still no PC-3 (with it's thin plastic wall).

I know that Ryan likes the wooden calls I made him very much, and said he'd use the flame maple one when he needed some real volume to fight the wind (sorry Bob, no closed reed call made is louder than a Krusty Kriers open reed).
Many of my calls are shockingly loud.

I think the biggest reason acrylics haven't taken over more in predator calls, is market load.
There are too many call makers, and not enough call buyers, this is a big part of why predator calls are so much cheaper than waterfowl calls.

Predator hunters are minimalists by nature, where waterfowling is one of the most gear intensive forms of shooting sports.
I believe his has some effect, in the opposite way, on the price of waterfowl calls... they charge what the market will bear, and they know you are actually proud of your $500 lanyard of calls.
A predator hunter is most proud of an animal called with no call at all, but lipsqueeked into it's death.

The answer to why more predator call makers don't follow the trend towards acrylics is connected to the above paragraphs... for the year 2003 (the first I was in business making calls) I made $16 profit, and that's without paying myself a dime for the labor it took to make the nearly 100 calls (though I have given away many).
I don't have the money, or the market, to be able to tool up to make acrylic calls. Most of the other predator call makers I know have had a hard time making a profit as well.
I am pretty sure Ryan had his CNC metal lathe, and the skills to operate it, before he needed one for making acrylic calls.
I shudder to think of how many $30 calls it would take to pay off a $10,000 machine and tooling... or how freakin' confused I'd be tring to get it to make a call while I watch! LOL I am lucky I can get my PC running and connected.

On to your learning curve... I believe you have most of the important parts of the skill already mastered.
Having the "wind" to play properly, is the hardest thing to get. I used to be too durn dizzy to walk to the next stand for a few minutes.
Next is inflection, and volume. As a waterfowler you understand how to make the same sound at max or minimum volume and have both sound appealing.

If I were you I wouldn't waste your time "starting out" with closed reed predator calls. I think it's like giving you a tricycle, when you can already ride a bike.

Go spend 12 bucks (or whatever it is) on a CritR Call, even though it didn't cost $100+ it has every bit as much right to a place among your waterfowl calls.
It is a true classic, one of the best producers ever made, reliable as a rock, and extremely versitile.

I think you have the skills for a ten-speed like a Critr Call, when you've got the calling bug bad, let me know I'll hook you up with a 24-speed mtn bike!

Krusty

Edit to fix crazy smilies