Wolf calls?

[VECtor Calls]

I have a couple friends that are wanting to do some predator calls for wolves. Anyone have any experience with these calls to say what I should be focussing on for them?

I know Lynn has talked about his calls calling in black bears and mountain lions. I am venturing to guess calling for a wolf would allow for a pretty good chance to call one in too.

What about experience howling them?  What time of year for what kind of howls?  Any opinions or comments on this?  Further, would a coyote howling in their territory cause them to want to find the coyote and kill it?

[Wane]

I have seen them come into a coyote set. Before we could hunt them, rabbit distress and coyote howls. had we been able to stay on set another 5-10 minutes. It was -25 degrees and we had set 30 minutes walked back to the truck backed out to go to the next set and one was on the road. When we up to him we could see the tracks of two others had gone right up into our set. Watch  tour back they are not really afraid of you at least not in northern MN.

[VECtor Calls]

Thanks for your thoughts Wane!  I really appreciate it!

[dogcatcher]

The distress calls are the same, since all they do is mimic animals in distress.  The howlers that I have seen and or read about used thicker reeds.  But I never played any of them or heard any of them played by someone that I would consider an expert.  Rich Cronk sold some before he passed on, I saw pictures of one, but never heard it or played it myself.  Another callmaker that I cannot think of his name but his last name starts with an H, has or had some, but no clue if any are available. 

There are a few of the commercial calls on the market, the one by E.L.K. I have seen, but I have no clue as to if it is any good or just sales item.  I really don't believe there has been enough hunting and experience with wolf calls for most hunters to have a clue if they have a good howler or not, I know I don't.

Marvin

[VECtor Calls]

Thank you Marvin.

I have only experienced real wolf howling for one week in my life while hunting bear, but I tried to take good note by video as to what they really sounded like in comparison to a coyote. It was a very enjoyable experience.

[BigB]

Only two folks I've heard of that have made wolf howlers are Rich Cronk and Brad Holzer. I don't have a BradH wolf howler, but I do have a Cronk wolf howler. It is several inches longer than his normal howlers made from a cow horn. I haven't played it enough to be proficient with it. The reed thickness is the same as his coyote howlers - .014". 

Brian

[VECtor Calls]

Good stuff Brian.  Thanks.

[Rick Howard]

I made a couple wolf howler for a friend from cow horn.  The wall thickness, length, and opening on the bell helped me get the deeper tone.  About 1/8" walls, about 12", about 3 1/2" opening.  I made the toneboard a little flatter than my coyote howlers also.  I Used .014 Mylar for the reed.  I only made the few but they sounded pretty good to me and him. 

I would setup just like coyote hunting.  I would also spend a lot of time gathering and scouting ground to hunt.  I've never hunted or called wolves.... Just my guess based on coyote and fox calling I have done. 

[VECtor Calls]

Thank you Rick!