If you live near a forest, odds are, you will run into predators. From there, it is very possible for said predators to endanger you, your family, and your pets. I have neighbors that lost their dogs due to coyote attacks. So, naturally, I really want to prevent those attacks.
And this is what this article is all about – helping beginners protect their homes from predators. That is where the Primos Dogg Catcher steps in. This entry-level game call will help you lure the predators out in the open, where you can take them out safely. You don’t really have a lot of different ways to do it. Unfortunately, passive defenses simply don’t work.
Just do a quick Internet search, and you will see how ineffective fences are. A coyote can easily leap over a 7-foot wall. In fact, they can even do so while carrying their prey. And, if you don’t want your cat to be that prey they take over the fence, you will have to be proactive.
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If you are experiencing troubles with one, you will have to go out and put the coyote down. Of course, depending on where you live, you might have issues with other predators. However, in my area, the coyotes are the only ones really making a ruckus. That is the reason I will mostly be focusing on them. But, the same principles apply to other animals you might be hunting.
Now, actually walking into the forest can be very dangerous. Not due to coyotes; they are not very likely to attack a hunter. In fact, I have been hunting for a while, and I never felt I was in danger. I would just never recommend someone with no experience to walk in the forest trying to find predators. There is always a chance a predator might see you, especially if you don’t know what you are doing.
Primos Dogg Catcher Electronic Predator Call
Primos is one of the leading companies that manufacture e-calls. In fact, you can go out and ask pretty much any hunter you know about it, and I honestly believe they will all praise Primos products. And, for a reason. Primos has been providing hunters with top-notch gear for over 40 years now. Namely, Will Primos, the founder of the company, started making calls way back in 1963.
I could probably go on for a while about how good Primos’ products are. I don’t think I have ever heard a hunter speak negatively about Primos as a company. And they are definitely keeping up with the times. Their electronic calls are every bit as good as their traditional ones.
However, their products are usually not cheap. For example, my favorite electronic call right now is the Primos Alpha Dogg. It is a very affordable unit, but it still costs over $250. But, there are other companies, which are offering models for less than $100. Of course, Primos had to compete. So, thankfully, you can now buy a Primos Hunting Dogg Catcher for a bit over 60 bucks on Amazon. So, if you are a beginner, you should really consider purchasing this e-call to improve your hunting results.
The use of this predator call will significantly increase your chances of actually catching the pests. The ability to control them with a remote also means that they won’t be able to see you while focusing on the sound.
Overview
As always, I would like to start by going over the most basic information you get. The external dimensions of this call are 9.5 x 5.1 x 7 inches, and it weighs in at around two and a half pounds. That makes it very portable and easy to carry.
Other than that, I have to be honest; I didn’t expect a lot from an under $70 e-call. But, after doing some testing, I can safely say one thing – I was wrong. It is actually a powerful little device that works like a charm.
In fact, if I didn’t already have the Alpha Dogg, I would probably bring this call every time I go hunting.
Key Features
When you are buying a game call, there are many things you actually have to consider. Of course, the first thing is the price. Whatever you want to buy has to be within your price range. However, you should pay a lot more attention to the features the device offers. You want to know if it is loud enough for your needs, if the sound it makes is clear, if the calls are good enough, how tough the call is, and many other factors before you make your decision on buying a device such as this one.
Now, I know that these devices don’t do a lot of things, by design. They are there to make the sound. However, as always, the devil’s in the details. So, let’s take some time to take a closer look at this device.
The Speaker
First and foremost, these calls are sound-producing devices. And, as with every other sound-generating device, the main feature they all have is the speaker. It has to be powerful enough for the animals to hear it from great distances, and it should not distort the sound.
If your speaker doesn’t meet the requirements, your hunt is not very likely to be successful. And, Primos Dogg Catcher doesn’t fall behind the competition. It is definitely a worthy addition to the portfolio of Primos Hunting. During the field test, I was sitting around a hundred yards away from the speaker, and I heard it clearly. I didn’t feel the need to push it to the maximum setting though. So, I honestly can’t tell what the maximum range is when it comes to sound. However, going by my experience, I believe most predators should be able to hear it from over a mile away. I would say it is stronger than an average caller but is not quite as loud as the Alpha Dogg can be.
The speaker of the Dogg Catcher gets the power from four AA batteries, and they can keep it running for a while. In fact, I couldn’t believe how long the batteries can last. You see, after buying the predator call, I had to test it. I did the initial testing in my garage, naturally, by lowering the volume to the minimum. However, I forgot to turn it off when I went out for the weekend to stay with a friend. Two days later, it was still quietly howling in my garage.
The Design
Believe it or not, the design and the size of the electronic call are all very important when it comes to hunting. The reason for that is simple. You never want the animal you are hunting to see the trap you set. So, even if the aesthetic look of the product is irrelevant, it has to check some boxes. Namely, it has to be hard to spot, and it has to be durable.
Essentially, if you are looking for an e-call (or any other hunting gear), you want the color scheme to blend with the environment. And all Primos products do that exceptionally well. Not only is the Dogg Catcher call hard to spot due to its color, but it is also very small. So, if you put it in any type of tall grass, the predators simply won’t see it in time.
Just remember, you shouldn’t wait for the animal to get that close to the call anyway. You should position yourself about 50 yards away from it, and be ready to shoot. Once the animal gets relatively close to the e-call, you can turn the volume down, or even shut it down.
Other than stealthiness of it, it also comes with a stand so you can prop it up for better results.
The Sounds
When it comes to creating game calls, everybody knows who the biggest name is – Randy Anderson. He has decades of experience hunting predators, and he understands the language of coyotes perfectly. Randy Anderson has been working with Primos for years to provide the customers with excellent calls. And the Primos Dogg Catcher has 12 of these calls in it. And, just from reading the list of calls, you can see that it revolves around hunting North American predatory animals. There are two types of calls that come with this device. The first type is coyote calls, and the second type is prey distress calls.
Pre-Loaded Sounds
Pack serenade, female invitation howl, interrogation howls, pup distress, and adult distress.
Pray Distress Calls:
Baby cottontail, adult cottontail, baby jackrabbit, adult jackrabbit, baby fawn, woodpecker, and rodent distress.
As you can see, this device comes packing every call you might require to hunt predators in North America. However, some of these calls are fairly universal. So, even if that wasn’t the intention, this e-call performs well in Australia as well. Now, I didn’t travel “down under” to hunt myself, but I know of people who did. It turns out that predators anywhere will be more than happy to react to prey distress calls.
Unfortunately, you are unable to manage the sounds yourself. You can’t add new calls, delete some of the original ones, or edit them in any way. However, that is not that big of an issue, especially if you are new at hunting.
Dual Calls
One thing that not many inexpensive e-calls offer is the option to play multiple sounds at the same time. With the Primos Hunting Dogg Catcher, you can play up to two sounds at one point. Just direct the unit towards the target area and choose the calls you wish to use. Playing two sounds at the same time can actually greatly increase the success rate.
It will take some experience to do it properly, but, in time, you will notice that combining two calls attracts more animals. I have had success with several of the possible combinations you could try out too. The interrogation howl combines really well with rabbit distress calls, as well as with the female invitation – at least in my experience.
Check out the video below to see exactly how these calls will sound when you are in the field.
Why Buy The Primos Dogg Catcher?
Well, there is one field this device excels at above the others – value. I couldn’t find another product that comes close to the Dogg Catcher. You can get it for as little as $60, and it performs far above the expectations that come with the price tag. Even if the call library is somewhat smaller, they are still Randy Anderson calls. That means that they work. Plain and simple.
Pros
* Incredible price to quality ratio
* It can play two calls at the same time
* Light, compact and unnoticeable
Cons
* The remote tends to fail at low temperatures
* No possibility to add calls
Final Thoughts
In the end, I really do like this product. It is an excellent choice for anyone who is not willing to spend a lot of money on hunting predators. Some of the more experienced hunters won’t be entirely happy with the call library, that is for sure. However, if you are not a pro, but just want to keep your animals safe, this is a sound choice. Of course, you are the one that is making the decision. All I can offer is an honest recommendation.