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A Brief History of Calling
Predator calling and custom made mouth calls have been around for quite some time. The early electronic predator calling units were battery powered record players either cobbled together at home by hunters or purchased through hunting supply stores. The days of the predator calling vinyl disk players have long since passed though and in this day and age we get to choose from cassette tapes, CDs or the latest MP3 technology.

Cassette Tape Game Callers
The most common type of electronic caller is the cassette player. This is usually a battery powered unit with a rechargeable, internal battery. This player may be remote controlled allowing the user to adjust volume or switch from side 1 or side 2 of the cassette tape. The cassette tapes are either the standard variety or the endless loop version. Some machines have an auto-reverse feature that automatically begins to play the backside of the tape and others are quite basic and require the predator hunter to manually flip over the tape when one side has finished.

Sound quality and performance varies greatly in these game callers and all are plagued by the niggling problems inherent with cassette tapes. After a bit of use, the tapes may loose clarity, develop squeaks or screeching noises and manifest other little problems. Extreme temperatures, moisture and other climactic extremes also affect these tape-drive predator callers. All in all though, these units will suffice in most general hunting situations. Their time has run out though and I would recommend passing on this outdated technology.

CD Game Callers
Following quickly on the heels of the cassette predator callers are the CD based, rechargeable battery powered predator callers. There are many advantages to the CD wildlife callers such as less moving parts, increased battery life, improved sound quality and a long-playing time with less batteries.

These game callers can also be purchased with a remote control unit that allows volume control adjustment and the ability to change tracks. The user also has the option of burning predator calling CDs from his own library or downloading predator calling and game calling sounds from the Internet. Although somewhat affected by climactic conditions, the operation of predator calling CD players seems to be a lot more reliable than the cassette tape varmint callers.

MP3 Memory Card Game Callers
The latest and greatest electronic predator calling units feature digital memory cards that store a vast number and variety of predator calling sounds in wav and MP3 formats. Since there are no moving parts, battery life is greatly extended and the digital sound quality is excellent. The units featuring remote control allow the user to control volume, switch tracks and in some cases, playing two sounds at once is possible. This is a nice feature that allows the user to blend in a rabbit cry and a snarling fox to produce the optimum predator call curiosity factor.

The better units also have a decoy output port to supply power to the predator decoy from the calling unit's power source and control the motion (On-Off) of a decoy by remote control. Activating a predator hunting motion decoy is an effective hunting tool because it keeps the predator's attention on the motion of the decoy instead of a possible move by the hunter. After all, the predators coming to the call expect to see, hear and smell something happening. The decoy takes care of the "see" part and we'll get to the smell part later.

Mouth Blown Predator Calls Vs. Electronic Predator Callers
Now you're probably thinking, "How can custom mouth blown calls possibly compare to the latest technology in electronic predator calling systems?" Well, there are many factors to consider as we compare the electronic predator callers to the mouth blown predator calls.

One major factor is cost. A state of the art CD or MP3 predator calling system can range anywhere from twenty-five dollars to over a thousand dollars. Prices vary greatly depending upon the features and the various amounts of predator calls you decide to purchase. An enthusiast can really get carried away purchasing lots of equipment that he really does not need to hunt or photograph predators and other wild animals. The average mouth blown predator call is more in the twenty-dollar range.

Another factor is education. I'm not talking about the humans here; I'm speaking of the predators. For instance, if a Coyote comes in to a specific recorded predator call and is fired upon and missed, chances are he won't make that mistake again. The hunter with poor marksmanship has just educated that Coyote. The Coyote has just associated that specific electronic predator call with danger. Oh, he may come to the predator call again but you can bet that caution will be his watchword. He will be the predator that hangs up about 150-yards out and then moves downwind to get a whiff of what all the screaming is about.

Mouth blown predator calls and other mouth blown game calls will not have a distinct "sound signature" due to the fact that an individual person is blowing their particular style of predator call. As the mouth blown predator call is used, it is a new set of sounds every time. The specific prey in distress sounds are not exactly repeated as with a CD or MP3 file player.

Then there is the High-tech vs. Low-tech argument.
It is a fact that batteries don't like very cold climates. When your predator hunting in the winter, this is a definite disadvantage. Add to this the fact that if a predator calling machine is complicated, it is more likely to fail. In addition, you may have the added complications of a remote control unit.

Also, consider the fact that you may want to take a long hike away from the road to do some predator calling in a secluded canyon. You'll be carrying your rifle, shooting sticks, drinking water, GPS, hunting seat, etc. By the time you're all loaded up with all the necessary gear, do you really think you'll be up for also carrying an electronic caller and a remote? I doubt it.

Remember, you'll be hiking up and down trails and through rocky areas with thick brush. Most hunters will opt for sticking several mouth calls in their pocket and keeping it simple.

As far as cost, reliability, simplicity of use, original sound, and curiosity factor is concerned; it is very hard to beat a mouth blown predator call or predator howler. Sometimes the KISS rule (Keep it simple stupid) is the best rule to follow. After all, the simple methods worked well for centuries and they still work well today.