# What's better?open or closed reed for coyote calling?



## quackattack (Sep 27, 2003)

I have 2 calls but both are closed reed calls and they seem like they freeze up too often. You will be blowing and the calls will just stop making sound and then make kind of a high skealing sound. what do most of you use? open reed or closed?I have 2 closed reed and I just bought an open reed about 20 minutes ago. Horrible on the open reed. I bought a Sceery double barrel Low pitch predator call .That's what it's called. Where should your lips and tongue be postioned on the call to make for instance a rabbit in distress and when should it be to make a fawn in distess or a pup yelp?
any suggestions?


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

quackattack,

I have the same call you do. I noticed that the double barrell makes it sound like 2 critters. I wondered the same thing. I just sat in my house and practiced with the call. You can create different pitches and sounds with the open reed that you can't with the closed reed. Try downloading some sample sounds off the net, and then try to mimic them. That is what I do to practice. Good luck!


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## quackattack (Sep 27, 2003)

fallguy
have you ever had any luck with the double barrel call? I am thinking of going out tomorrow and trying my luck, wondering if i should use the double barrel or not. thanks


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

I got a fox to respond with the double barrel. That is the only type of call I have actually. I have the Sceery open reed calls. I believe the double barrel is to make the sound carry over a greater distance. Let me know how it goes. The animals should be pretty active I would guess considering how cold it has been lately.

P.S. I believe that I read a post by you saying your hunting clothes smelled like exhaust. Be sure to play the wind right.


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## quackattack (Sep 27, 2003)

I went out today about 2 miles northeast of my house along a large drainage ditch that was about 200 yards from trees that run along the red river, the trees go for about 1/2 mile until you finally reach the river so i know for sure that there are fox becasue i have seen them before there when i used to bowhunt there. Now it is owned by a new person who doesn't let me hunt there so i decided to hunt right across the road in some land that wasn't posted with a good ditch that ran along a grass road. There was a west wind so i sat on the east side with the wind in my face and called and then waited and finally after 40 minutes i decided to go home with no luck. I need someone to tell me what i did wrong, and before i left just to be safe i put on some fox urine to get some scent but still nothing. I NEED HELP! any info?

PS: DOES ANYONE KNOW A GOOD SITE WHERE YOU CAN LISTEN TO CALLS SO YOU CAN PRACTICE?
thanks


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## 1lessdog (Feb 4, 2004)

Quackattack
Ive been calling for about 30 yrs and what I can tell you is sound desperate.What I do is blow till Im tired( about 30 to 40 sec).Then start over again in about 2 mins.And keep going for about 15 to 20 mins.If you have a animal coming in switch to a sqeeker.to finish them off. :sniper:


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## quackattack (Sep 27, 2003)

thanks 1less dog. I met a guy before who was a sales rep for knight and hale and he told me he hunts coyotes a lot and so i brought my call to cabelas when he was there and he showed me what i shoudl sound like so that's what i always do when i am out there. and i still haven't called one in. I know that there are fox in the area but they just won't respond to the call. I am new to hunting fox and yotes so maybe i am doing something wrong but from what i have heard it sounds like everything is right. I am possibly going out this weekend with 2 friends around pisek,ND so i will have to see if we can call any in then. Does fox scent work good as a cover scent for when you are calling? I thought for sure with the cold weather i would atleast get a fox to come in but no luck
maybe i am doing something wrong? thanks


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## 1lessdog (Feb 4, 2004)

Quackattack
You may not be doing anything wrong.What you should always do is call into the wind.The cover scent doesnt work.If they smell that they are going to smell you.
When you get to a spot to call.Take your sqeeker out and use that for a min. or so.Alot of times when you blow a hard call if a Fox or Coyote is close you will spook them .If after a couple of mins nothing comes in go to a hard call.And blow it like I said.I like to call from the top of hills or fence lines,drainage ditchs.creeks. If you see tracks theres anaimals around.And just find a good spot to call and go at it.
I see you went to Cabelas to learn how to call.I was in Fargo on Tues.And over herd a salesman telling a young man how much he had killed this yr.He has killed more animals then I have seen.And he has been calling S.E. of Fargo.Them salesman sure can sell a good story.


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

How much more east of Fargo can you go?


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

The guys at Cabelas don't know a whole lot about predator calling. I think some of them are knowledgeable but not very expierenced. Don't listen to them you'll get more info on a site like this then they will ever give you.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

quackattack

I like open reed. I like it because I can control the tone by moving my mouth on the reed. When you move up the reed the pitch is higher, and when you move back it is lower. I think you can better mimic a frantic rabbit. Also, in cold weather the entire reed can be thawed in your mouth. I like the Critter Calls, and I use them as a base for calls I make myself. I use the Song Dog as a base for my handmade howlers. I sand the cow horn until I get the tone I like, them polish on a buffing wheel.


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

I've got to agree i like the open reed or the bite down calls the best for the difference in tone and versitility and the big factor of the cold weather and not freezing up. The critter calls are true and tested and there is many other custom or manufactured open reed calls to choose from. Plainsman were are you getting your horns for your calls.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Brad T.

I have picked up horns at a flea market in Phoenix, from Dixie Gun Works, and at the Frontier Village in Jamestown. I have not made enough howlers to start looking for less expensive horns.


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

What do you charge for one of those beauties? Is it pretty involved to make one? I've thought about tring it but just haven't had the time to sit down and really look at what it would take.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Brad T.

A completed horn howler with a little scrimshaw will take you about eight hours. More or less depending on how much you want to decorate it. A simple horn will only take you about four or five hours. Plan on about $12 for the call and $10 to $15 for the horn. I have not thought about how much I would charge for a howler, I have only had time to make them for my kids so far.


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## SDHandgunner (Jun 22, 2004)

I too am more partial to Open Reed Calls, for most of the reasons already stated. However when I first started calling I couldn't make an Open Reed sound anything close to how I could make a closed reed call sound. In my area the call I have had the most success with is the Sceery AP 3 Jackrabbit call. But like already stated, they freeze up really easy in cold weather. I have since switched to a Sceery AP 7 Open Reed Predator Call for cold weather, but use the Sceery AP 3 when the weather permits its use.

For howlers I use a Crit-r-Call Song Dog (I actually have 2 of them each with a different reed in it). In addition I also use a WoodsWise Open Reed Howler that I modified myself. The first thing I did was to add a transmission funnel to the call body for a megaphone. The kind I use is a 2 piece model in which the large end unscrews from the base. I did shorten it a little to get the sound I was after. I then order a bulk reed pack from Crit-r-Call (Rocky Mountain Wildlife Products), and proceded to make my own reed to produce the sound I was after. To get this right I took a Howling Cassette (don't remember which one it was) and recorded a couple howls onto a blank cassette. I then recorded my own howls on the same tape and compared the two. I just kept changing the reed size and shape until my howls sounded like the ones from the recording.

I am not a master caller by any means, but the one thing I do know is, if there are Coyotes (or Fox) in the area, and your calls pique their interest they will come9 provided they don't see or wind you.

SD Handgunner


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

They all work some of the time you just need to find what works more often for you. Thats the conclusion i've came to with everyone having their faviorat calls.


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## jerry hunsley (Jan 20, 2006)

quackattack said:


> I have 2 calls but both are closed reed calls and they seem like they freeze up too often. You will be blowing and the calls will just stop making sound and then make kind of a high skealing sound. what do most of you use? open reed or closed?I have 2 closed reed and I just bought an open reed about 20 minutes ago. Horrible on the open reed. I bought a Sceery double barrel Low pitch predator call .That's what it's called. Where should your lips and tongue be postioned on the call to make for instance a rabbit in distress and when should it be to make a fawn in distess or a pup yelp?
> any suggestions?





> In my opinion up here in the North without a question , I would take the open reed call over the closed reed. You hit the nail right on the head when you said they freeze up in the cold. Open reed calls take more practice to master, but when you do they are great. You can do soo much more with them. Down South and early in the winter they are great with lots of variety on the market. As far as trying howlers , I would recommend staying with the open reed calls, until you master them. Then add the howler to your arsenal and you will be set. Practice, Practice, Practice. Jerry Hunsley


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