I first got my hands on the ICOtec Outlaw game call a little over two months ago. I had heard good things about it from a few of my hunter friends and thought I’d pick one up to see how it holds up. It was just as I was planning to go on a hunting trip, so I had a great opportunity to try the Outlaw out.
And to be honest, the ICOtec Outlaw surprised me with just how effective it is. Not only did I catch more game with the Outlaw, but it also took away some of the needless trouble you have with some other calls.
I’ve always been a fan of ICOtec and their game calls, so I had high hopes for the Outlaw. And fortunately, the ICOtec Outlaw didn’t disappoint. Here’s my ICOtec Outlaw review, where I explain what the Outlaw has to offer, what I liked about it, what I didn’t like about it, and finally, whether I think it’s worth a buy.
ICOtec Outlaw Review – Features
The first thing I should go over in my ICOtec Outlaw review is the Outlaw’s features.
Unlike other units in the ICOtec family, the ICOtec Outlaw is outfitted with a decoy right out of the box. The decoy in question is the AD500 electronic decoy. This decoy has adjustable speed and is fitted with a feather and fur top. It also has an LED for nighttime hunting. It can be turned on and off and has a light-only function as well, for when you only need the LED to be on.
One of the things I noticed straight away with the ICOtec Outlaw was its size. It’s a bit bigger than most of the other calls I’ve seen in the ICOtec product line. However, the ICOtec Outlaw boasts a booming 10-watt speaker, which can get its sound across considerable distances. A special acoustic foam, which pads the inside of the unit, enhances the ICOtec Outlaw’s 10-watt speaker further.
But, its speaker wouldn’t be worth talking about if the Outlaw didn’t have plenty of high-quality call sounds to boot. And thankfully, ICOtec has included a very respectable 250 calls on the Outlaw, out of the box. These 250 calls include 50 call sounds from well-known hunter Tony Tebbe. With 250 calls, I have to say – I had everything I needed right from the get-go. But, if you want to add more, don’t worry. The ICOtec Outlaw has the capacity to store over 450 sound files.
One unique feature of the ICOtec Outlaw is that it can play two sounds at the same time. Honestly, I haven’t had an opportunity to use this feature yet, but if you can find a use for it, at least you have that feature.
A convenient thing about the ICOtec Outlaw is that it can play MP3 and WAV audio files. I don’t have to use any of those special, proprietary file formats I dread with most other calls. I have to say that I appreciate that very much.
ICOtec has added a unique feature that lets me play a “coax” on the Outlaw. The “coax” can be any sound I want it to be, paired with a regular call sound. Pressing the “Coax” button stops the call immediately and plays the sound I chose instead. That is very useful for stubborn game, and it’s one of my favorite things about the Outlaw.
And finally, I’m going to talk about the nitty-gritty a bit. The ICOtec Outlaw has a range of up to 300 yards, according to ICOtec. I haven’t had the chance to test it at 300 yards yet, but there’s no reason for me to believe it doesn’t work at that distance. I’ve so far tested it at 200+ yards, and it worked without a hitch.
Of course, I don’t have to have line-of-sight with the unit to be able to use the remote control. Thankfully, I haven’t had any problems with latency so far.
The ICOtec Outlaw is powered by 10 AA batteries, while the decoy and remote take four each. Sadly, the batteries aren’t included.
ICOtec Outlaw Review – Pros
Includes 250 high-quality call sounds
The most important part of any call is its sounds. Thankfully, ICOtec has included 250 high-quality calls with the Outlaw, out of the box. I’m very impressed with the ones I’ve had the opportunity to use so far. These are very realistic sounds, and the Outlaw has amazingly crisp audio. And honestly, with how many call sounds ICOtec has put on the Outlaw, I haven’t felt the need to add any of my own yet, except of course for the purposes of writing this review.
Capacity to store over 450 sound files
Let’s face it, that’s more than any of us will ever need, but it’s still a very nice touch on ICOtec’s part. At the very least, you won’t have to worry about running out of room for your sounds.
Powerful, 10-watt speaker
There isn’t much for me to say about the ICOtec Outlaw’s speaker, except that it’s loud. It’s very loud. And, I’m not sure how much the acoustic foam inside helps propagate the sound, but whatever it is, it’s fantastic. I have to say – I’ve had similar experiences with other calls made by ICOtec. It seems that ICOtec has a knack for designing calls with powerful, booming speaker systems.
Plays MP3 and WAV audio files
I’m sorry, but those proprietary file formats other calls use are a hassle to me. I appreciate ICOtec designing the Outlaw so that I can use MP3 and WAV audio files with it. That is one of those small, but meaningful features other call manufacturers seem to forget about.
Ergonomic remote control
I have to say that that the ICOtec Outlaw’s remote control has left me very satisfied. It’s very easy to grip, it has a big, crisp display and the buttons are easy for me to press without having to look at the remote. The layout of the buttons is also very straightforward, logical and easy to memorize.
Let’s face it, when it’s dark out, there’s no chance any of us will be able to read those labels. And while we’re on the subject, the screen also has a backlit function, so it’s very readable at night too.
Long battery life
I’ve noticed this with other units in the ICOtec family that I’ve used. ICOtec products generally have a very good battery life. And, the ICOtec Outlaw hasn’t disappointed me yet with its battery life. Of course, I always recommend to anyone that they use good-quality batteries to get the most out of the Outlaw.
Provided that you use good-quality batteries with it, the Outlaw won’t fail you. Personally, I’ve had the Outlaw with me from 7 in the morning until it was dark on a few trips and it hasn’t died on me yet.
ICOtec Outlaw Review – Cons
Build quality could stand to be a bit better
It’s not that the ICOtec Outlaw feels like it could fall apart at any moment, but its build quality could stand to be a bit better. It has kind of a cheap, plastic look and feel to it that turns me off. Thankfully, the Outlaw is plenty durable itself. If you’re not throwing it from a third-floor balcony, it should be able to withstand all of the expected wear and tear.
Looks-wise, the Outlaw won’t impress anyone anytime soon. That can be a turnoff for people. But, if you’re like me and you value functionality over looks, then it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Decoy is a little noisy
The AD500 electronic decoy that’s fitted on the Outlaw is a little noisy. It’s not an awful decoy or anything, but I’ve used better. Then again, there’s nothing stopping you from using a decoy of your choice alongside the Outlaw. But, since the AD500 decoy is part of what you’re buying, I feel it’s only fair to mention it.
Price could be a turnoff
One thing I should mention about the ICOtec Outlaw is that it isn’t the cheapest call in ICOtec’s product line. It’s definitely one of their best that I’ve used so far, if not the best. But, it’s not the cheapest. That may or may not be a turnoff for you.
If you’re thinking about buying a cheaper ICOtec call over the Outlaw, then I can’t exactly say you shouldn’t. In my experience, even ICOtec’s cheaper calls are perfectly usable. However, with the Outlaw, you get a greater variety and number of call sounds, right out of the box. Not to mention that you can store close to 500 sounds internally if you want to.
Is the ICOtec Outlaw worth a buy?
To be honest, I was impressed with the ICOtec Outlaw the very first day I got it. It’s one of those products that does exactly what it’s meant to do and exactly what it’s advertised to do.
I’ve always been an ICOtec fan, so as you can imagine, I had high hopes for the Outlaw. Thankfully, the ICOtec Outlaw didn’t disappoint. Aside from the decoy being a little noisy and the slightly cheap look and feel of it, the Outlaw is an incredibly effective call.
It’s not the cheapest call in ICOtec’s product line, and that may turn you off. But, in my opinion, the ICOtec Outlaw’s price is well-warranted. After all, you get 250 of ICOtec’s best-quality call sounds, right out of the box. With the Outlaw, you also have a powerful 10-watt speaker, a killer range of up to 300 yards and a great battery life to boot.
As I said, the ICOtec Outlaw more or less does what it’s meant to do. If you can get past a few minor drawbacks, like the less-than-stellar build quality and decoy bundled with it, the Outlaw is a very functional and good call.
Assuming you have a little more money to burn, it may be worth getting an Outlaw over a cheaper ICOtec or another game call, if just for its wide variety of call sounds, powerful speaker and wide range. It’s one of those products that won’t disappoint you and may even surprise you with how effective it is. I can definitely say that the ICOtec Outlaw has improved my hunting experience.
ICOtec Outlaw Review – Final thoughts
If you’re in the market for a great game call, with a wide variety of call sounds included, a powerful speaker, a killer range and otherwise all-around good remote, decoy and build quality, then the ICOtec Outlaw may be the one for you. I recommend it to any hunter who’s looking for a consistent, well-made, feature-full, but not too pricey call.
Hopefully, my ICOtec Outlaw review has helped you make up your mind if you were on the fence about buying this call. If you don’t think this call is for you I have put together reviews of all of the best coyote calls on the market.
