Other Calls & Accessories

The world of game calls is not limited to calls that mimic the sounds of the most popular hunting species like deer, coyotes, and ducks. Hunters can find game calls for practically every species allowed to be hunted in the United States.

Game calls can come in very handy when hunting doves, elk, geese, and small game. They are used to draw animals’ attention and make them come or fly closer.

Game calls can be electronic or non-electronic. Electronic calls are devices that allow playback of sounds of different species remotely. High- and mid-range e-calls are programmable, which enables hunters to broaden their call library.

Non-electronic calls (hand-held, friction, mouth calls) are portable tools that use different mechanisms to mimic animal sounds: the reed, diaphragm, or surface friction.

E-calls are universal and don’t require any special skills. Though ideal for novice hunters, experts also prefer them on their hunting trips due to their versatility and remote control.

But still, many people think that electronic calls should at least be paired with non-electronic. Hand and mouth calls are compact, don’t require battery power, and allow for instant change of sound. Predator hunters especially respect non-electronic calls as they can produce sounds that can’t be attributed to a particular species. It’s the best way to outsmart an intelligent animal that has “heard it all”.

So let’s talk a bit about other game calls for hunting.

Dove calls

To effectively hunt mourning doves, dove calls are used in conjunction with decoys placed on a tree. Doves are gregarious birds, so when they see other doves sitting, they are likely to come and join them.

Though calling doves may be unnecessary in the early season, it can help to draw their attention later when they become wary.

Hand-held dove calls are very easy to master. The dove call consists of one simple pattern: woo-hewoo, woo, woo, woo. All “woo” sounds are made with your finger slightly pressed against the port, and the “he” sound is made by removing the finger. Give it some practice and you’ll be indistinguishable from real doves.

Elk calls

Elk are very vocal animals. Calls they make vary in intensity and pitch, and when hearing them, one may think that they are impossible for humans to mimic. Fortunately, people successfully imitate elk calls with the help of various tools.

Cows and calves mainly make calls like mews and chirps that can be reproduced by open-reed and bite calls. To mimic more complex calls made by bull elk, like bugles and chuckles, you’ll need a more intricate calling system. Hunters are offered bugle tubes with a mouth diaphragm call.

Goose calls

Goose calls use three styles: resonant-cavity, flute, and short-reed. Resonant-cavity calls have a short learning curve, but they lack tone variation and deliver sound at shorter ranges.

Flute calls allow for a broader range of sounds and have a high volume, but they are hard to control during quick sequential calls.

Short-reed calls are very popular today as they are the most versatile in tone, pitch, and volume.

Gritr Outdoors carries a whole world of the best hunting game calls, from elk to small game. All calls are made by brands that manufacture products specifically for hunters.