Les Johnson Calls

[RandyRoede]

Gentlemen, having met Les for the first time at the VHA Jamboree and getting a chance to visit with him in person at the gala event in my garage!!! I must admit he is a real down to earth guy who if you ever have a chance to you should meet. He gave me one each of his calls and said try em, no big long speal about whatever just go try them and see if you like them.

My first impression was well they look kind of neat wonder how they sound? I must admit it took me about two or three days before i got them out one afternoon. Very easy to blow and they have a very wide range of sounds can be produced in a short period of time. Although I was wanting to get them all three on a triple lanyard, which I didn't have and was going to make, I wanted to give them a run in the field.

I took the black one, Ruffidawg Coaxer, put it in my coat pocket. One drawback was the call is so compact I thought I had lost it a couple times, couldn't feel it in my pocket.

I had a sheep complaint about 50 miles out on the 30th of July and as you can see they work. Easy to get some puppy whine howls out of it, and makes great pup distress for my summertime work. They make great distress sounds don't get me wrong it's just not what I used on these now. Took four coyotes with the Coaxer this day.

Next day had me headed to another complaint about 60 miles out, again located two groups around the complaint and waited for light and took a pair off the first bunch and a dog coyote off the second. Puppy whines, puppy howls, and pup distress, I don't think this may be what Les has in mind for sounds coming out this Coaxer, but it sure make em!!!

Long story short, they are some fine calls and would a fine addition to anyones collection. Loud enough to pull coyotes more than a half mile with a 10mph breeze. Compact, fit your hand nice, and east to blow!!!

[Daryl]

Hey Randy I have the RUFFIDAWG (clear) and your right they do provide a wide range of howls and whines and the distress sounds are good to you can get real raspy with it. Haven't been in the field with it yet but hope to soon. Great work and pics on the dogs

[Coyotehunter]

I was going to sell them on the site until he quoted me the price...a little on the spendy side. I don't seem to get a lot of interest for $30 dollar calls but I am sure they work. You can't beat free though. He won all those tournaments with a $10 CritR-call and now uses his name to sell a $30 open reed call. All the power to him, you got to make the money while you can. Randy Anderson did the same thing, gets famous with a $12 call then gets his own line of calls and sells them for $20 something a piece. The whole time going on like he invented howling. Don't get me wrong, I guess if I could slap my name on a piece of plastic and sell it for 300% profit I probably would.

[RandyRoede]

Well, ya pay $4 bucks for a gallon of gas, $2-$3 bucks for a beer in a bar, it don't take long and ya could have had a $30 call that will last a long time. If it gets ya one extra coyote it's worth it. I get alot of calls and not alot of them blow as easy or sound as good as these.

[Coyotehunter]

You really think you are going to be able to call in more coyotes now that you got that in your pocket.

[Jerry Hunsley]

I'll have to agree with Randy. Les is a great down to earth guy . I got to meet him for the first time at Randy's that night also. I blew the clear call and it sounds good. It is funny how different people make the same call sound different. We blew all kinds of calls that night and I told Randy, his neighbors are going to kill him. He said they were used to that. It was 12:oo and we were outside blowing calls. All of us using different distress and howlers. Tim Anderson and Randy Shaw were there. I wish we could get them up to the Classic this year. Back to Les's calls. I talked to him awhile on them and he told me about trying to get them into the Cablela"s store. I had to chuckle at what he told me because I met with the very same guy he met with and had the same results. The guy I guess knew little about les because he asked him what were his credentials. He host a program on Tv, Has won many many contest, and is well known in the predator calling world. Evedently the guy wasn't really impressed, but I'm betting he will change his mind sometime in the future. Les has things going for him with his calls, his DVD's and his filming. I love his style of filming as it is top notch. No bullshit stuff, just good filming and he knows and explains what he is doing. Ole Varmint hunter Jeff is on one of the clips I saw. I might ad, he had to clean up for Les on a shot. If you ever get a chance to meet him, you will see what I mean. He is a Midwest good ole boy. I will recommend his calls and DVd's and you will be hearing a lot more about Les Johnson. His accomplishments so far are phenomenal

[RandyRoede]

Yea, I would say, especially if you are a novice and follow the instrctions on the DVD you will kill more coyotes. There is something very simple in his approach to hunting coyotes that most guys overlook. The calls around my neck whether given or bought have to earn there way there, if I think any call can give me an advantage I'll use it.

[LeviM]

I would love to meet les johnson he is one of my predator hunting idols. I agree with jamie, all of les accomplishments were with the $10 critter call. now he trippled the price and put his name on it. I have no experience with it so I have no idea how they work. les would be a fun guy to drink a beer with

[Coyotehunter]

WOW, HE MUST BE SOME GUY.

Know worries, I just have left to many $10 calls on stand and not about to start leaving $30 calls on stand.

[Daryl]

Well I would like to meet Les also but my brother in law is also named Les Johnson so I will just drink beer with him or Coyotehunter

[lyonch]

Holy shit it sounds like jesus came back Im sure les is a great guy but just because he sells a call with his name on it and it worked doesn't mean to me it is the best call on the market. As jamie and brad have mentioned several times is location, location, location. If you are where the coyotes are you should be able to call them in with a $0.99 special or a hand me down. To me it sounds like some are thinking that les has come up with the secret sound to kill coyotes. I guess when i look at a call which brand has killed more coyotes than any other on the market hands down and with out a doubt i would have to go with the critr call. I have been playing around with Jerry Hunsleys calls lately in the truck when i drive back and forth to work and must say i do like the howler. Im not totally sold on the raspy rabbit yet but i haven't played around with it enough yet. If it works for you use it. If you have high confidence in the call than use it cause confidence is a part of it.

[Jerry Hunsley]

Ah, we have a little friendly discussion going on here and that is great. So far it has been clean and I hope it stays that way. I had just typed a long reply on here and some how my frickin computer deleted it so I will start over. First to Chris, It does sound like we have put Les on a high pedestal but not really tended that way. I met Les at Randy's little get together and he seems like a great guy with a normal head. He has his credentials to back him up as far as winning calling contest and many other accomplishments. That is his passion and his goals in life and he is living his dream and I must say he is successful in that Quest. It seems only fitting that he should market some new calls to go along with TV shows , and dvd's. As far as being any better then Me, Randy, Chris, Brad, and the list goes on, I don't think so. There are many people out there given the oportunity to pursue that type of career , no doubt in my mind could do so. So I just wanted to make that clear, I'm not putting him on a pedestal. I just found him to be an awful nice down to earth guy . As everybody knows that has called for awhile ,it doesn't take a rocket scientist to call coyotes , but it is the other little things that a person does to become effecient and consistant. What separates good callers with a lot of success from your nomal callers is a variety of things. Things like spending time in the field day after day such as ADC people, spending time out there in less then perfect conditions, walking that extra half mile to get to a better calling setup, spending time in the off season lining up calling ground in the off season, spending time out locating before you actually are hunting. I think you get the picture. So to say my calls or anybody elses calls are better, I think it is just a matter of choice and what a person gets used to. Of course I like to sell my calls just like everybody else, but I don't claim them to be better. My calls were orignally used by me for me and that's how I got started. I cut my teeth on open reeds calls and that is what I use strictly. I think electronics have come a long ways since they first come out and I'm sure they will even get better. There's just something about calling in a coyote with your hand calls that makes it special, especially if you have made one yourself. I am 63 yrs. old now and I have seen many changes and people come and go. Bill Austin was a master at coyote volcalizations, Willis Kent was a super voice howler, and there was a guy out in Oregon who made cowhorn howlers years ago. A lot of people are getting into howling which is an art of it's own and I would advice anybody starting out to go with the distress sounds. Knowing what works at certain times and situations is a must with howlers.
There are a lot of real good low cost calls out there plus a lot of expensive calls from many callmakers and they have some real beauties. Some almost look too nice to be out in the field with. Predator calling is becoming a very popular growing sport and my only concern is that people will take advantage of it and start charging just like all the rest of the game. I have seen it happening already. I have had quite a few people ask me and call me about taking them coyote calling and I try to shy away from that. I believe it would take all the fun out of it just like guiding fisherman. As far as taking someone out for the first time , no problem. I would much rather take somebody that is interested in learning. I think I have said enough and I don't think I have stepped on anybodies toes too hard. I like this site and try to keep on the positive ,optimistic side.

[RandyRoede]

Jesus??? Pretty tough act to follow.

Best Call? It works , compact, easy to blow, great sounding.
Like Jerry's calls!

If $30 is to much for ya, OK!!

[Tbush]

Jery I agree, keep it positive and be optimistic... If someone builds a call and it looks like someone else's call so what!! Now I know duck calls better then pred. calls it may look and feel the same but its all about how it blows,the smooth or ruffnus of the inside of the barrel the size, length, what its made of all contibute to the sound I have a $250 dollar duckcall and one my children got at a event, I blowem both and they sound the same but the wooden 250 one blows easier... less wind, better back pressure, I can pull it apart and howl with it or make it sound like its dying, I guess my whole point is there is always room for improvement... We all blow and we all blow different I gotta go to bed

[Tbush]

sorry about missss pelling your name Jerry and all the other missed ones my clock says 1:15am