I was watching "The Dog Soldier" on Outdoor network the other day, they actually had Torrey Cook on to demonstrate his product. I know he's a pro, but those MFK calls look legit for sure. They called in several dogs with ease. I will definitely be getting a few. Plus they are only about $12 a pop.
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8SteelTown
Guest
Been practicing with my starter pack. The fawn distress I'm terrible at, the distress I'm ok at, the pup howler I'm pretty damn good at! Barks, howls, yips, groans, and yelps. My only issue is that the more I've been using it, the less I've been able to consistently produce the howls. I'll get pitch breaks in the howls if I try going too loud. All 3 have air bubbles between the stacked reeds but MFK says it shouldn't cause any issues. I have them soaking now to see if I can separate the stacks and get the air pockets out. Not sure if it's the reed stretching out or my technique is changing as I find new noises to incorporate. Either way, I'm going out Saturday morning for a stand before my personal Father's Day (I'm with the inlaw family on actual Father's Day). Rocking the MFK pup howler, twisted syco distress, primos coaxer, multiple decoys, and will have the FoxPro as backup. I'll be loaded with the Remi 870 and buck w/ coyote choke and a 308 on the side (won't be any slugs in my possession this time). Haven't been to this spot for quite a while. Getting in SUPER early to be sure we're set for the first few hours before the heat kicks in. Wish me luck fellas. Let me know if you have any personal feedback on your own MFK experiences.
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Josh Pearson
Guest
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8SteelTown
Guest
Got in to my spot nice and early. Set up in my favorite nook. About 10 minutes before fullvisibility, I gave the MFK pup howler a go with some nice barks and greeting howl. No response. Waited for a little more light and tried again. No response. Switched up to distress calls. It was first light and here they came... The moto riders, not the coyotes. Spot was busted. Decided to go unbury my coyote skull and the duck and rabbit skulls I buried a few months back. To my surprise, all the skulls were picked clean. The cartalidge on the duck bills was untouched but all the skulls were completely covered in baby beetle / rolliepollie husks. Pretty crazy looking. So, deciding to just call it a day and get home to breakfast, I pack up and am about to leave. I look over and this jack rabbit is sitting on a trail just looking at me. Saw an opportunity to take home a little somethin, so I grabbed the 870 and took to stalking. He took off and ran up a hill, down a hill, and up the next to get a good vantage point on me. Every time I crested a hill he'd repeat the process. I took multiple shots at 70 yards or so with buck shot and my coyote choke but this dude was not stopping. Finally, after about a mile and a half chasing this guy, I flanked over a ridge and came back across. He was standing looking at me. 1 more shot in my pocket. Good ol "reliable" slug. Took aim and fired. Might not be able to tell by the pic but I hit him in the throat from about 75 yards or so. If the shot was an inch or two more to the right it might have take the head clean off. Pretty quick kill. Happy to see that all the other shots I had taken didn't injur it as there were no other wounds besides the slug. Got him soaking in onion and buttermilk. Oh and a pic of the breakfast my wife had ready when I walked through the door. Stuffed brioche French toast with tatoes, bacon, sausage, beer and mimosas. Happy Father's Day indeed.
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Josh Pearson
Guest
I picked up a three pack of the MFK calls and can't get them to work for the life of me. The reeds are already completely discolored and loose/floppy. Not sure if I ruined them but all I've done is rinse them when new and tried practicing with them. I have better luck with my old circle caller and another open reed one. I wish I could get the diaphragm calls to work, they sound amazing in the videos.
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Josh Pearson
Guest
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8SteelTown
Guest
Boudroux said:
X2 with Josh... they recently added some more videos on How To. If they're floppy, you may have some bad ones. Mine are pretty rigid and I clean them every few times out. The distress calls are more difficult to SOUND WELL at than the howlers. I started by blowing air in different strengths, and different mouth setups till I eventually hit a tune that sounded right to me. Had lock jaw a couple times from practicing so much. They'll tell you that position in the front of the throat versus back of the throat will change the sound... also changes the reliability/consistency of the sound if you don't know how to manipulate your mouth to adjust. Keep practicing. My pup yips, cries, and howls are pretty spot on. Tried a bunch with the distress but just don't like how they sound.
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8SteelTown
Guest
...and if you follow them on Facebook, you can always upload a video or sound clip to one of their posts. These guys customer service is OFF THE HOOK!!! They WILL reply back to you and give you pointers and/or information about the calls.