Author Topic: The greatest predator caller of all time? (Read 1473 times)

onecoyote · « **on:** April 16, 2006, 02:03:34 PM »

In your opinion, who do you think the best of the best was. I'm not talking about killing animals, I'm talking about calling skills ( not howling ). We got a ton of names to pick from.

Also lets hear why you think they were the best of the best.

Years ago 50s and 60s they had a World calling contest where people from across the country would compete to find out who was the best. Nowadays they don't have that, so picking someone is just an opinion and we all have one, lets hear it. :wink:

kyote · « **Reply #1 on:** April 16, 2006, 04:43:06 PM »

I have no Idea.I was not in these parts back then.and the only calling I had done was swamp crabs.after hunting them for years as a kid,I learned how to get them to come out of there holes when they were in for the day.

dawgmaster · « **Reply #2 on:** April 16, 2006, 05:30:29 PM »

ME!!!

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #3 on:** April 16, 2006, 05:31:10 PM »

Quote

Years ago 50s and 60s they had a World calling contest where people from across the country would compete to find out who was the best. Nowadays they don't have that, so picking someone is just an opinion and we all have one, lets hear it.
_________________

This should be a great read :grin: Not much time to elaborate right now but I will get back. First person I thought of was myself :-D Course there was a gent I talked to on the phone who did a great job with no call at all, I believe he lives north of you by 179miles or so.
The MB gent also comes to mind. This should be a great read.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #4 on:** April 16, 2006, 05:33:54 PM »

Ouch
I thought I created the sizing error and was going to delete my post :eek:

oso45-70 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 18, 2006, 11:25:17 AM »

Quote from: glanceblamm

Ouch
I thought I created the sizing error and was going to delete my post :eek:

glanceblamm

You were not the problem, But it has been taken care of, The problem was a post with a large avatar.

......Joe........

onecoyote · « **Reply #6 on:** April 18, 2006, 12:21:41 PM »

Ok I'll start it off.

Since some of you guys are somewhat new to the sport, you may not have heard of some of the oldtimers of the sport. I realize we have some darn good callers nowadays, BUT they have no way to prove how good they are.

In my opinion the greatest hand caller of all time was four time winner of the Arizona State championships and four times he won the World championships, with several other championships along the way of his predator calling career.

He had to face the best in the World to win his contest, no other way to judge how good you are then to call against the best in the World and he did. His name was Bill Dudley.
His life was cut short when he shot himself in the leg and bleed to death in the 70s. Ok, I got it started. Now it's your turn :lol:

kyote · « **Reply #7 on:** April 18, 2006, 12:51:13 PM »

wish I could help.did Bill Dudley call in coyotes to win are just called in front of a group of folks and get judged the best and sounding real???

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #8 on:** April 18, 2006, 04:48:06 PM »

Kyote wrote:

Quote

wish I could help.did Bill Dudley call in coyotes to win are just called in front of a group of folks and get judged the best and sounding real???

Good points.
Also was he an above average shot on still & running at extended range?
Was he a pioneer of misting?
Was he way above average on where he wanted to go without being detected?
Lot's of variables as you can see. Some call much better than others but it might not nessarly be the most important aspect.
One thing, perhaps the most important was that he was a hard core who loved the sport.
P.S. Will get back to the topic & my answer soon.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #9 on:** April 19, 2006, 02:20:31 AM »

Johnny Stewart built a company based on his calling skills. Now I don't know much about the old timers, but Johnny made his name a house hold word with his game calls. That's quite an accomplishment in my mind.

kyote · « **Reply #10 on:** April 19, 2006, 03:05:48 AM »

excellent point VC...others have made that accomplishment also.But then I know of folks who taught these folks.was their proffesor in wild life bioligy.and even showed some how to make correct sounding calls.and all he did was hunt,had no interest in marketing are are making a name for himself.

onecoyote · « **Reply #11 on:** April 19, 2006, 05:22:16 AM »

Johnny Stewart pioneered electronic calling, not hand calling. Yes he was one of the great names in this sport and deserves recognition as does his son Gearld.
Kyote, Bill Dudley was judged by some of the call makers of the sport and by his peers.
Glanceblamm, what does misting have to do with the best hand caller? What does shooting coyotes a long range have to do with it?
I'm talking a hand calling and what everyones opinion is on who the best was. Lets hear you're opinion on who was the best. :wink:

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #12 on:** April 19, 2006, 04:56:20 PM »

onecoyote wrote:

Quote

Glanceblamm, what does misting have to do with the best hand caller? What does shooting coyotes a long range have to do with it?

How do ya determine the best caller?

Are you playing for someone else's ears like in that turkey call judging
Or are you coming up with hard proof (read hides)

I would choose the latter. Plenty of hides can be the result of a number of different senario's and the calling may not be at the top of the list.

onecoyote · « **Reply #13 on:** April 20, 2006, 03:58:33 AM »

(Read hides) If your talking about dead predators, that proves nothing of your hand calling abilty.
I've seen many of predator callers bring back 20-30 and even 40+ animals on a weekend competition hunt. That's all about location and besides most were using electronic calls.
That has nothing to do with your hand calling ability.
In hand calling, you can only be judged by your peers in this sport. If there is another way, please let us know. :wink:

oso45-70 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 20, 2006, 08:47:46 AM »

Quote from: onecoyote

(Read hides) If your talking about dead predators, that proves nothing of your had calling abilty.

Onecoyote I don't think I can be of much help to ya because I never hunted with many people or joined any of the Varmint hunters groups. The only witnesses i have are long since dead, Most of the calling was in conjunction with Trapping to sell the hides. The times that i took some one with me they seemed to like the way things would happen. I had said in one of my earlier posts about the USG. Trapper who i thought was one heck of a caller, Other than that i can't think of any one that might deserve the best caller award. .....Joe........

onecoyote · « **Reply #15 on:** April 20, 2006, 10:42:20 AM »

oso45-70 I understand buddy. I just brought up this subject so guys would have something to talk about.
Don't look like they know much about the subject though lol, my mistake. Awww, that's ok it's all in fun anyways.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 20, 2006, 01:46:53 PM »

Quote from: onecoyote

oso45-70 I understand buddy. I just brought up this subject so guys would have something to talk about.
Don't look like they know much about the subject though lol, my mistake. Awww, that's ok it's all in fun anyways.

Onecoyote

The feller that i hunt with now is a long time Predator Caller, and his father and uncles were great hunters, Making all of their own calls and using them to bring in Coyotes and Bobcats down in Texas amongst all the Mesquite and catcus patches. I would have to say they were the best i know of, Their Last name is Creighton. Now i will move over and let someone else have floor :drink4: ...........Joe..........

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #17 on:** April 20, 2006, 03:25:31 PM »

onecoyote wrote:

Quote

If your talking about dead predators, that proves nothing of your hand calling abilty.

Very Well Said.
This is a point that I was trying to make and was sufficeint enough to jump in in the first place. I just didn't know how you were judging the greatest caller of all time and the first inquiry was made by Kyote.
Kyote wrote:

Quote

wish I could help.did Bill Dudley call in coyotes to win are just called in front of a group of folks and get judged the best and sounding real???

onecoyote wrote:

Quote

In hand calling, you can only be judged by your peers in this sport.

I agree and say that we are on the same page now, took a while and was kinda like pulling teeth. :-D

How about this Bert Popowski fella...

onecoyote · « **Reply #18 on:** April 20, 2006, 04:58:58 PM »

If you're talking about Murrays brother that one is easy, Winston Burnham.....What was Murray and Winstons fathers name? :wink:

oso45-70 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 20, 2006, 09:35:19 PM »

Quote from: onecoyote

If you're talking about Murrays brother that one is easy, Winston Burnham.....What was Murray and Winstons fathers name? :wink:

Onecoyote I think the old man Burnhams name was Windston and the two boys was Murry&windston Burnham, This is to the best of my memory. If it aint right don't shoot me........Joe..........

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #20 on:** April 21, 2006, 02:06:51 AM »

onecoyote wrote:
If you're talking about Murrays brother that one is easy, Winston Burnham.....What was Murray and Winstons fathers name?
OUCH!
You always got to be raising the bar :-D :-D
I used to know that history...Going with what oso45-70 said & go with
Windson.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #21 on:** April 21, 2006, 02:12:00 AM »

Did You know Bert Popowski?
This was in the 40's

onecoyote · « **Reply #22 on:** April 21, 2006, 07:08:52 AM »

Murray and Winston were the sons of Morton Burnham who was the father of modern day predator calling. He and a friend called in 3 wolves in 1903 in Texas.
I believe I read a book by Bert Popowski, could be wrong. The use of hand calls started in 1944 in Orovada Nevada, a goverment hunter named J.R.Alcorn called in and killed coyotes with a hand call.

ol mike · « **Reply #23 on:** April 21, 2006, 04:38:38 PM »

Howdy guys,

I been lurking around these parts for years -thought i'd break-down and join in.So this is my first post here and my vote goes to Jim Daugherty!He was/is a california caller -day/night woods ,mountains ,desert he killed predators and won the world calling championship at least once.

Nothing against Bill or the Burnhams but i read Jim's book "Varmint hunters digest" about 1977 when i was 17yrs and it just seemed like he gotter done.
Anyway if anybody wants to know about old school callers check e-bay and get a copy -you won't regret it.

I bought my first varmint rifle as per -Judd Cooney's recommendation -a remington 6mm varmint special.
Judd wrote a short story in Jim's book on calling and stalking colorado winter coyotes.
Best of luck Mike

oso45-70 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 21, 2006, 07:27:55 PM »

Ol Mike

Good to have ya on board, Sounds like you might have some good stories to tell and we are all ears. Boy we could sure stand some new stories, We have rethreaded ours to the point of no return. Welcome and just jump in we need a break

........Joe..........

onecoyote · « **Reply #25 on:** April 22, 2006, 05:19:21 AM »

Howdy ol mike and welcome. Yep, Jim Dougherty was the FIRST Worlds Predator Calling Champion. As I'm sure you know that happened in Chandler Arizona back in 1957, it was the only time he won that contest.

I had the honor of calling against Mr. Dougherty in California back in the mid 80s. He came all the way from Oklahoma just to compete. I also belonged to the same club as he did that is mentioned many times in the Varmint Hunters Digest.

By the way, JD was a very good pick. He had won some 16 different came calling titles.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #26 on:** April 22, 2006, 04:51:25 PM »

Welcome To Graybeard Outdoors ol mike

Always glad for a new story or point of view as said already.

onecoyote · « **Reply #27 on:** April 23, 2006, 05:31:00 PM »

Hey you guys, don't let this one die. It's a very good subject and everyones opinion is respected.

:wink: