I see many people trying to make their own calling machines. There are MP3, Walkman cassettes, CD Walkmans, and your large battery powered boom box. Now all of these will work fine in good weather. Just say you should be OK up until Dec. However when the subzero temps roll in then the homemaders cease to run because of the batteries the run the homemaders.


Even some of the manufactured wildlife callers will seize to run in cold temps. I have a Dennis Kirk that will not work. The regular C batteries actually leak in the cold weather. However the Johnny Stewart Model 512 and or the Model 612 has two motorcycle batteries inside the unit. That, the JS cassette playeers will work at 20 below zero.

If your going to be serious about calling it's OK to have quite a few homemaders. However make sure you get a good quality wildlife caller that will take the rain, snow, sleet, ice, and play even when your mustache is frozen. Happens to me all the time too.

UB, my first electronic caller was homemade... A friend and I picked up one of those old battery powered, black cassette players at a GOOD WILL STORE for a couple of bucks, and a siren type speaker at a flea market for a couple more...hooked it to run off a couple of lantern batteries, wired in the "new" speaker with about 30 feet of wire, duct-taped the player and batteries together, hot-glued some camo burlap around it, bought a couple of cassette calling tapes and headed out.... Actually, it worked pretty good... But we used it quite a bit, and it only lasted 2 or 3 weeks......... I think we went thru 5 or 6 GOOD WILL STORE cassette players that first winter....... The next winter I bought a J.S. 512.

Might be OK to rig something up the first year. However if your going to be a predator caller it's best to have some kind of caller. Mongojo example of what happens when you do rig things is true. Yes it works but then this don't work and then that don't work and you have to replace this. The wildlife callers are made to take the elements.......


Over the years I have acquired many electronic callers. My favorite that has called in many a predator is the Johnny Stewart Model 512. That be the one that can take a beating and call when it's 20 below zero. if I was starting off I would make sure I had three tapes: The Grey Fox Pup, The Field Mouse, and the Baby Cottontail Rabbit. All made by Johnny Stewart of course and you would be set for years.

I use a construction Radio that is weather proof and uses a 18 volt Dewalt battery. I just hook my MP3 player in the AUX jack. Easy cheap and work better then any one that you can buy.

Gun Runner, I just wanted to step in and say, "Welcome to the forum." ... Glad to have you join us.