Johnny Stewart and Other Electronic Predator Calls Reviews


What to Look For in a Predator Call

Before I begin a review of some of the popular predator calls, let’s establish an understanding of what a hunter should desire in a game call. Most of these traits are universal for any game call no matter what you are hunting. A few of them, however, do specifically apply to predator calls.

1.       In my opinion, realism is the most important trait in any call you buy no matter what kind of hunting you are going to use it for. If your call doesn’t sound natural, you are going to do nothing but scare away your game. The good thing about the Johnny Stewarts, Foxpros, Primos, and any other high dollar premium game calls is that you can bet they are going to have excellent realistic sounds.

2.       Simplicity is a big factor for me. How user friendly is it to operate when I’m out in the field? I am not a fan of gadgets that are difficult do understand and don’t always behave the way you want them to. Give me something that is easy to operate and dependable.

3.       How loud is it? I have used game calls in the past that you could barely hear past 100 yards. You want something that carries the sound several hundred yards away.  It is also nice to have the ability to adjust the level of sound. If you know a coyote is very close, you don’t want to blast its eardrums with a rabbit in distress. I don’t know of many calls that don’t have a volume adjustment, but then again I haven’t used every call on the market.

4.       The ability to use multiple sounds. Any experienced predator hunter knows that coyotes will eventually stop responding to your call if you don’t change it up. Many electronic predator calls give the option of using multiple sounds by switching the memory cards, probably the best feature when it comes to using electronic calls.

5.        Customer Service. Electronic calls are reaching upwards of $500 these days. The last thing you want is to drop that kind of money and not get help from the company when you are having issues. I won’t be able to comment much in this area, as I have not had technical issues with any of the electronic calls I have used. It might be worth your time to ask around with other users if they have needed customer support and if it was beneficial.

Notice I didn’t comment on the price of the call. I believe that if you can find the right call with all the features you want, it is worth whatever price they are asking. Most of the calls have competitive prices anyways, so you are better off paying the price and being happy with your product. It may be that the right call for you is one that is cheaper priced, if so, more power to you.

Johnny Stewart Electronic Predator Calls Review

This brand has been around for a while and in my opinion is one of the best quality items you will get. These calls have a very realistic sound with excellent clarity, you will be amazed. I have used the Preymaster digital, and not only is it great quality, it was also an excellent price. I think I paid around a hundred bucks for it. Ok, so let’s compare to my desirable traits I mentioned above.

As I already stated, it is very realistic and the clarity is excellent. Let me clarify something I failed to mention about realism and clarity. When I say does it sound real I mean is the sound something that a real animal would make, does a rabbit in distress really sound like a rabbit? I have heard calls that were very poor imitations of animal sounds. Clarity just means is the sound crisp and clear, or does it sound like a vinyl record from 1974. Johnny Stewarts are both real sounding and clear.

As far as simplicity goes, these calls are once again right up there with the best. There is an on off button, a button for each of the four sounds, and volume up and down buttons. That is pretty simple in my opinion, not a lot of confusion to be had there.

These particular calls also get the job done when it comes to volume intensity. In other words, they are plenty loud. I actually think the speaker is the only downfall to this call. The speaker for this model is actually quit big and awkward to carry in a backpack, which myself and a lot of other hunters carry in the field. I would prefer the speaker to be a little smaller, but then again, it might not be as loud. I guess you gotta sacrifice one for the other.

This call does in fact have the ability to use multiple sounds. When you want to change sounds, just slide out the memory card and slide the new one in. The memory cards hold four sounds each and run around 25 bucks. The nice thing about electronic calls is you only need one. You can buy enough memory cards with multiple sounds that you can use it for any kind of hunting.

One negative for this call is that it is not wireless. I am a big fan of wireless electronic calls. Then again, most of the wireless calls are 200 bucks or more and some are over $400. The $100 for this call makes not having wireless seem not so bad.

While I can’t comment on the customer service of Johnny Stewart, I can say that I have never had any technical issues with my call and I have had it for around four years now. It gets a lot of use and abuse and has not failed me yet.

Overall, I give my Johnny Stewart a 7 out of 10. It has great sounds, great clarity, and is very user friendly. If you are on a budget and not looking to drop 3 to 4 hundred bucks on a predator call, I highly recommend this one. The major drawbacks to this model have to be the cord and awkwardness of the shape and size, both are quite a nuisance. Other than that, it is a great product.

This post has become quite lengthy so I will save the other reviews for a later date.

Download Free Electronic Coyote Hunting Calls – A Good Alternative to Buying

If you’re like me, you look to save money anyway you can and avoid buying expensive products whenever possible. Predator hunting is not a high cost hobby; however it does require some money spent.  A great way to save a few dollars and keep your costs low is to make your own electronic coyote calls.

There are sources online where you can download free mp3 audio of predator call sounds, such as VarmintAls.  I have tried the sounds from Varmint Als myself using nothing but some home audio equipment I had stored away and all I can say is they work.

I will tell you what was included in my setup and some other alternatives, but before I do, please keep in mind that I used equipment I already owned and did not buy anything. If you have to go buy a piece of equipment in order to use this method, don’t spend more than about $25, otherwise you can just go buy a cheap electronic call.

Here is a list of things you will need in order to make your own call. Hopefully, you already own most of this stuff and will not need to buy anything, hence the whole point of this post. You will need a computer, CD burner or mp3 player, stereo that plays the media you choose whether it is a CD or MP3.

If you choose to go the MP3 route, you will need a set of loud portable speakers (the louder the better) or a stereo with an auxiliary port and a cord to connect it with. If you go with the CD setup, you simply need a stereo that plays CDs.

Once you have chosen what mp3 audio you want to hunt with, you need to get it on the device whether it is CD or MP3. If you need help with this, just look up instructions online. Before you take the time to do this, listen to it all the way through to make sure there aren’t any crazy sounds on there! You don’t want any surprises while you are working in a coyote.

At this point you should have your sounds on your media of choice and equipment ready to hunt. I will say this about the stereo or speakers you use, get the loudest ones you can. One problem I found with some of the small portable radios I have around the house was that they just were not loud enough to carry the sound the distance it needs to go.

To be honest, some of the handheld electronic coyote calls I have used just were not loud enough and needed the attachment loud speaker. Funny how they give you almost everything you need, but that one important piece always cost extra.

The unfortunate thing about using a home stereo for calling coyotes is that they don’t usually make them in camouflage. Make sure you keep it well hidden before you turn it on, otherwise they will run away as fast as they came in. I wouldn’t try to bury down in the weeds, as that will muffle the sound. In the past, I have set my speakers on a stump and kept it hidden with branches or whatever I could find.

If you do this, make sure you can quickly turn it off if you need to without being spotted. I made the mistake of setting too far away from where I was sitting and was unable to turn it off in time.

Tips and Tricks for Eastern Coyote Hunting Day or Night

Many people ask me what tips and tricks I have for hunting eastern coyotes and the best answer I can give is a varmint is a varmint, make them believe there is free food available and they will be on you like spiders on a web. That’s the big picture when hunting any varmint, and if you can keep your eye on the big picture, you should do just fine.

Of course there are a lot of things you can do to improve your chances, and I will talk about what kind of strategies I use in the next few paragraphs. Just keep in mind that all these things I talk about are always in the interest of deceiving a coyote into thinking there is a meal for the taking without letting him know you are there. If you can hone your skills and master that task, you will be successful at coyote hunting.

What Do I Need for Coyote Hunting?

Coyote hunting can be accomplished with very little gear and very little money spent. The most important thing you need to harvest a coyote is a place to hunt! A good hunting location is crucial if you want to be a successful hunter. You wouldn’t fish in a pond without fish, just like you wouldn’t hunt on land that has no coyotes. 

Luckily for us hunters, coyotes are more abundant than lawyers in a phone book. If you know someone who has a few acres of uninhabited land, it will probably be a good place to hunt. Farm land is also a great place to try your luck. Most farmers will have no problem with you getting rid of a few predators from their cattle fields or chicken farms.

Another obvious item you will need is a rifle to hunt with. The best coyote hunting rifles are usually small caliber center fire or large rim fire. This is really a matter of preference, as some believe you need at least a .223, while others feel a .22 is plenty of fire power to bring down a coyote. I personally prefer a .223, they are small enough that you won’t lose half the hide on impact, but you can be sure the coyote won’t walk away.

Camouflage is also very important if you want any chance at all at even seeing a coyote. These animals will spook very easily and will most definitely see you if you’re not well hidden. When I say camo, I mean everything but you feet should blend in. Legs, upper body, face and head should all be covered.

It also never hurts to try and use natural cover when you get into your spot. Use leaves, bushes, or whatever you can find in the woods to help keep yourself concealed. The hardest part of not being busted is sitting still. Any movement can spook a coyote and send him running for the woods. The better you can hide yourself, the better your chances will be.

Last but not least, you need an attractant, something to make them come to you. I highly recommend a coyote call, preferably an electronic one with a remote control. The reason I prefer the remote is because you can position it several feet away from you so that they coyote will not be looking in your direction as he approaches. This is just another trick to keep from being spotted by the enemy.

Rabbit in distress is probably the most popular of all coyote calls. I personally have had the most luck with this type. If you prefer not to dish out a few hundred dollars for an electronic model, there are sever affordable mouth calls that will get the job done.

Tips for Coyote Hunting at Night

Night coyote hunting requires equipment I did not mention above, a spotlight or night vision goggles. Obviously, if you are going to hunt at night you need to be able to see and either one of these pieces of equipment allows for exactly that.

If you can afford it, I highly recommend night vision. Good night vision equipment will allow you to see everything around you at all times, therefore significantly reducing the chances of a coyote sneaking up on you.
When using a spotlight, you basically have to turn it on when you think the coyotes are near. The strategy is to call for a few minutes and then check the area with the spotlight to see if your calling has been effective. The obvious downside to this is that you might spook the coyotes before they get close, or you might not turn the light on soon enough and miss your chance.

The important thing with coyote hunting, like any other hunting, is to get out there and try things out for yourself. You will never learn what works and what doesn’t if you don’t experiment and learn from doing. So, the best advice I can give is to get out there and hunt!

For more information on what equipment to use for when coyote hunting, see my post The 10 Essentials for Coyote Hunting.