During my long hunting career, I have used many different game calls and, I can tell you already, it’s certainly not easy to choose the right one. Some of these “babies” were very expensive, and all I got was an utter disappointment. There were times when I thought that I would be better off without using any game call whatsoever. You can only imagine how bad it feels when you conduct your own research and when you invest some real money… only to end up with a faulty product as the end result.
Getting the right game call can be a truly demanding task. It’s much more difficult than you think. Not only do you need to be familiar with the topic, but you also need to prioritize your own needs as well. And, of course, your budget is equally important too.
Having that in mind, you can look up the most expensive offers on the internet, but there’s no guarantee that you will find your dreamlike game call there. A common logic implies that the more you pay, the better product you will get. That’s not how it works in practice. In fact, that’s how you will most likely end up with the same experience that I had when I was buying some game calls for myself.
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You need to look for an optimal mix of price and value. You should aim for a game call that is able to deliver when it comes to both price and quality as well. In this case, you should look for a reachable price, on the one hand, and superb quality on the other. It may sound unrealistic at first, but such game calls do exist, trust me.
If you want an affordable game call with plenty of features and great functionality, you’ve come to a good place. The ICOtec GC350 is an ideal solution for both the more experienced hunters and the newcomers alike. It’s a game call that will easily revolutionize the way you think about hunting in general! At the same time, it’s also a game call that I am extremely proud of.
We could go on all day and night about why ICOtec GC350 is so amazing, but I will make sure to provide an in-depth explanation down below. Let’s get this show started!
Overview
ICOtec is a very recognizable brand in this market. When you see their name on the label, you know that you can expect only the best. They mastered the ability to create true user-friendly solutions that are easily accessible by any hunter. No matter if we talk about remote controls, decoys or (in our case) game calls, the conclusion is the same nonetheless. All of their products can be used by both beginners and the more experienced hunters as well. That is a trademark of their success and, I must add, also a legacy to their quality as well.
So far, I had a chance to test 3 of their game calls – GC300, GC350, and GC500. While there are some differences between these three products, the basic concepts are still the same. However, if I would have to choose my favorite, I would easily go for GC350. Why? Well, it combines the best aspects of GC300 and GC500. And, it also ensures that the catching of your prey is both effective and rewarding at the same time. You will feel like a master hunter with this game call in no time!
Before giving out more details on the key features, let’s see what this game call contains. The package includes the remote control (along with the 12-volt battery) and the unit itself. You will also need 4 AA batteries to make this game call operational but, sadly, they are not included with the product. You will have to get them on your own.
Now that we noted that, let’s examine the key features a little closer.
Key Features
The key features are the most important elements of each and every game call. That is where each product (in general) gets the chance to shine as well. When the features are limited and/or when there’s not a whole lot of them, you already have a good enough reason to be cautious.
I have tested ICOtec GC350 pretty extensively, and this is what I can comment on the key features.
The Design
First and foremost, let’s talk about the design itself. It’s one of the most important features that you should always look at before buying a particular product. And, I can assure you, ICOtec GC350 really nails it here. For the most part, I really like how ICOtec designs their products as a whole.
The design is very simple and straightforward. You can easily get the grasp of it very quickly, and you can also access any feature you like in a matter of seconds. That is exactly what we want. I had many game calls that were rather complex in their nature, and when you realize that you have to spend (maybe even) several hours just to figure out how to use them, the whole thing becomes pointless fairly quickly. Luckily for us, that is not the case here. ICOtec GC350 is very user-friendly, and you will learn how to cope with it pretty much instantly.
Along with that, you can easily carry this game call around as it is extremely lightweight. ICOtec GC350 weighs only 1.6 pounds and, as such, it’s a perfect addition to your hunting equipment. I can also say that the size is equally optimal as well. With the basic dimensions of 8x6x4 inches, you can rest assured that you will never encounter any issues while storing this guy inside your hunting backpack.
As I mentioned above, in order to make this unit operational, you will need 4 AA batteries. The sad thing, however, is that they are not included with the product. So, on top of paying for the actual product, you will need to get these batteries on your own as well. The good thing, however, is that the 12-volt battery that you need in order to use the remote is included with this game call. So, we do have a compensation there.
The Remote
The remote is one of the most crucial features here and, I can tell you already, it’s truly outstanding. If there was one thing that I disliked about some of my previously owned game calls, it was the remote. Not only were they vastly unresponsive, but they also had plenty of issues with both range and sight as well. This particular remote is nothing like that.
The operation range of this remote is 300 yards. From my own experience, that is more than enough. Not only does it give you the needed flexibility, but it also gives you just enough time to position yourself properly in order to effectively attract your prey. Electronic game calls, in general, also have an issue with the signal. This one, however, truly works like a charm from that aspect as well.
I also mentioned that the line of sight could also be a problem with some game calls. It is a very typical scenario for a hunter to struggle with. Many game calls require a certain line of sight before you get the chance to use them properly. Based on my experience, this particular remote doesn’t require any line of sight whatsoever. So, you can rest assured that your ICOtec GC350 will function perfectly regardless of the actual line of sight.
The Programmable Calls
This single feature is the highlight of ICOtec GC350. The first thing that you will notice when you look up the description is the label that says “24 programmable calls”. There is a good reason for that.
You can attract all kinds of different animals with these 24 high-quality calls. This game call can be used to attract animals like a crow, bobcat, woodpecker, owl, snow geese and even a wild turkey. And, if you’re really ambitious, you can also tackle the more dangerous beasts like bears, wolves and coyotes (among many others). Regardless of how big your prey is, you will have the right sound to attract it, that’s for sure.
One thing that I particularly like here is the ability to add and remove the calls based on your own preferences (and aspirations as well). You can easily delete the calls that you don’t need, and you can then get the proper ones by looking through the call library and choosing your favorite ones. Of course, you don’t have to pay anything for a service like that!
The Speakers
This is yet another feature that is often a “deal breaker” when we talk about all game calls in general. I am particularly picky here, and I always want my game call to have clean, high-quality sounds. I can proudly confess that ICOtec GC350 fulfilled all of my expectations here.
Not only can these speakers produce loud and powerful sounds, but they are also very realistic as well. That is very important here as inappropriate sounds may have a completely opposite outcome of what you’d normally expect. The speakers have a 15-watt capacity and they support.wav, mp3 and custom audio formats.
Another thing that I have to point out is that the speakers can even be “extended” as well. You can use the integrated auxiliary jack to make your speakers even more powerful. I tried that out personally, and I was blown away instantly! I can certainly recommend this addition as well.
The SD Card
We live in a world of computation, and we want all of our data to be safe and well protected. The best way to do that is to use the SD card. ICOtec GC350 comes with its own SD card support. You can use that SD card to store your files and to transfer them to your PC/laptop at any point. You can always get more SD cards if you want additional capacity as well.
From my own experience, you can store 20-25 animal calls from Wildlife Technologies on one typical SD card.
Pros
- A great mix of price and value.
- The design is simple and straightforward.
- This game call has a pretty long range, and you don’t need to bother with any line of sight in order to use it properly.
- It comes with 24 built-in high-quality animal calls. But, you can also add and/or remove any calls that you want as well.
- The speakers are more than amazing. You can also extend their power by using the integrated auxiliary jack as well.
Cons
- Even though they are great, the “default” speakers may not be responsive in certain occasions.
- You need to get the unit batteries on your own.
Why Buy the ICOtec GC350?
The answer to this question is very simple. The ICOtec GC350 is an outstanding game call that is very affordable but also able to provide a truly outstanding quality as well. No matter if you’re a beginner or a seasoned veteran, this guy will suit you perfectly. For this price, you can hardly find a better offer. I tried many different electronic game calls and, I can honestly say, ICOtec GC350 is the one that tops them all easily.
Final Thoughts
Even though you can easily find cheaper game calls, I hope that you now understand just how important it is to get a cost-effective model. ICOtec GC350 isn’t the cheapest game call out there, but it’s still affordable enough. Even more importantly, it’s able to deliver a terrific quality for that price, and that’s exactly what you should look for.
As one of those more experienced hunters, I can certainly recommend ICOtec GC350 from the bottom of my heart. Not only will you get an amazing and flexible game call, but you will also get a very durable game call that you’ll be able to use for many, many years.
