I’ve been hunting for years now, and one thing that always comes in handy to a modern hunter is a good electronic predator call. Not only will you feel safer using one, but you will also reach difficult-to-track game easily. Naturally, not all of these predator calls can do the job right. That is the reason why I was initially skeptical of Primos Turbo Dogg. However, after a few uses, I was pleasantly surprised with how it performed.
Now I understand that some of you aren’t experienced hunters. Most newbies tend to get frustrated when it comes to buying proper gear. Predator calls are no different, and some can be downright complicated and confusing to use. But I can tell you with full confidence that Primos Turbo Dogg will work for you as it did for me. In fact, I will even address fellow professionals here – this electronic predator call will do wonders for you as well. It’s user-friendly for both newcomers and seasoned veterans (no pun intended).
Table of Contents
A Short History of Primos
Most of what I’m about to write comes from the company’s website over at www.primos.com, so I won’t waste a lot of your time, dear reader. Will Primos and his cousin Jimmy started the company in the mid-eighties, producing simple, yet effective calls. Soon enough, the company expanded, and the demand for high-quality game calls grew. Naturally, none of this would have been possible without Will’s passion for hunting. This passion bled into a very popular TRUTH series of videos, which you can actually watch on Primos Hunting’s YouTube channel.
For years now, Primos Hunting has been producing high-quality hunting gear, calls included. Nearly every hunter I’ve talked to has used one Primos product or another in the past. True, not all hunters were satisfied, but most were, including me. Moreover, the Turbo Dogg, as an example of Primos’ finest, is a testament to that.
Primos Turbo Dogg – Specifications
Size and Look
Primos Turbo Dogg is compact, but not really small. Its dimensions are 9.4 x 6.4 x 6.4 inches, and it weighs less than three pounds (2.85 to be precise). I enjoy having a predator call that’s both durable and lightweight enough for me to carry around without problems. The weight doesn’t significantly increase with batteries, either.
As far as the color goes, it’s a nice, unimposing camo-pattern. More specifically, it’s the Realtree Max-1 variety camo. Save for the black speaker and logo, it fits perfectly into the environment while I wait for my prey to arrive.
Contents
When you buy your Primos Turbo Dogg, you see that it’s largely made up of three parts. There’s the call itself, with a built-in speaker. Next, there’s the remote. And finally, a USB cable for PC connectivity. As you might guess, I don’t carry the last one with me while hunting, but we will talk more about it later.
The Call
This is the part that does all of the “speaking” for you. It holds the single large horned speaker capable of emitting sound up to 150 yards away. The speaker is connected to the single 25 Watt amplifier. A perfect combination of volume and good sound quality. Underneath the call is the space for eight AA batteries. I must admit that that’s a bit much, especially since the remote also requires three AAs. However, with the kind of power and capacity Primos Turbo Dogg has, it’s not surprising that it needs this much power.
The back of the unit features two ports or two jacks. One of those is the extra Audio jack. If I had an extra speaker, this is where I would plug it in. Of course, I don’t use one, but if you’re so inclined, this port will come in handy. The other port is the Decoy jack. Again, if you’d like to utilize a decoy, this is the port to plug it in and use it.
I’ve mentioned the USB cable a few paragraphs above. The port for this cable is under the battery section. I found no difficulty removing the battery part and plugging it in. Naturally, I should mention that Turbo Dogg can function on any operating system.
The Remote
Turbo Dogg’s remote easily fits on the back of the unit. I should note that both the remote and the call itself can be switched on by pressing the “On” button located on their backsides. With the call, it’s between the Audio and the Decoy port. On the other hand, the remote’s “On” button is near the top of its back.
I appreciate the design and look of this little remote. It’s slick and smooth enough to fit perfectly in my hand. However, you’d probably want to hear about what it can do. I would highlight two features I found infinitely useful. The first feature is that the remote has a 100-yard reach. This means I can control the call from a considerable distance while hunting. The second feature is the full color 1.75 inch LCD screen and the software. I had no trouble reading out the contents at night because the screen was well lit. The remote, of course, also contains a USB port. Using it is rather easy – I just pick a sound and let it play. In fact, it even has a special section where I stored a few of my “favorite” sounds.
What Can The Turbo Dogg Do?
Now that you have an idea what this little wonder looks like, let’s move on to the specifics.
It Has Featured Calls
Whatever the animal is you’re hunting – coyote, fox, pheasant, etc. – Primos Turbo Dogg has it. The minute I bought it, I made use of the 36 different animal calls. Thirty-six! That’s a massive number. I used to take at least three different electronic calls just for one hunt because they didn’t have all the animals I was interested in shooting. Not Turbo Dogg, though. All of the 36 calls are neatly sitting in the playlist on the remote, ready to be used at the push of a button.
But that’s not all. With the USB port, you can download and store up to 500 different calls from the company website. Imagine that! A single call unit holding almost five hundred animal sounds! It’s a lifesaver.
Four Expert Hunt Sets
The 500-sound capacity is amazing enough, but the “Expert Hunts” feature is what really sold me on Turbo Dogg. The Primos team pre-programmed these and added them in alongside the 36 preset sounds. What this means is that you can hear Randy Anderson himself calling for you when using this call. And not just Anderson, but other Primos team members as well.
Every single expert hunt has call sequences ranging from 10 to 20 minutes in length. These sequences helped me a lot in attracting coyotes and other predators with ease. Of course, you can use the USB port and input other call sequences as well, similar to how you add sounds.
The Range of the Call
Officially, the range of the remote for the Primos Turbo Dogg is, as I’ve stated, 100 yards. But I’ve gotten the same results as far as 150. This range is about the same as the one which Turbo Dogg can reach with its speaker. Faraway predators will be coming in thick and fast with this bad boy.
The one detail I absolutely loved about Turbo Dogg, in terms of sound reach, is that the speaker rotates and makes no distortion. In fact, the sound is so clear it literally feels like the real beast is roaring from the device. There are no interruptions, and the sound doesn’t distort, even in thick foliage.
The Hot Trigger
Personally, I found this feature to be very efficient. The hot trigger, or hot button, allows you to change up the mechanism quickly and adjust to the situation. If I want to pick a playlist of sounds in an instant, I press this bad boy. More than that, it’s useful for controlling the duck decoys, raising or lowering the volume as I see fit. In fact, these are all of the options the hot trigger includes: decoy operation, sound and volume level change, sound recall, and playlist selection.
Benefits of The Primos Turbo Dogg
As you can see, the Turbo Dogg call has quite the list of options. But how does it fare during an actual hunt?
Compactness and Durability
Well, judging from experience, I have to say ‘pretty good.’ Not many calls are as small and as durable as this one. It’s roughly the size of my face, which doesn’t really make it TOO small, but it’s not bulky. And being just under three pounds, I can carry it without problems. Veteran hunters understand that lighter tools help a lot because you can move more freely and, in turn, hunt better.
But weight isn’t its only benefit. The material used to make Primos Turbo Dogg is sturdy enough to handle harsh weather and rough terrain. And of course, the camo color helps it blend in. Right there I get another layer of safety because the game cannot spot it easily.
The Sound Library
Veteran hunters like myself know what it’s like to drag several electronic calls to a hunt. It exhausts you and setting them up every time you hunt different game is time-consuming. With over 500 sounds and four Expert Hunt sets, Turbo Dogg is the only call I need to take hunting with me. Economy goes hand in hand with compactness, after all.
Each sound in Turbo Dogg goes into designated lists. When I open them up, I list them under animal titles, like deer, fox, coyote, elk, bobcat, and others. If I want a specific list, I can just make one and upload it to Turbo Dogg ready to be used. It’s that good.
Negative Sides of Primos Turbo Dogg
Personally, I didn’t have any negative experiences with this electronic call. However, other hunters I know have, and most of them tend to be similar.
For instance, the Turbo Dogg shines a bright red LED light when used. This can be a big problem if you’re hunting at night. Most Turbo Dogg users would suggest covering it up somehow so that you don’t attract predators and endanger your life.
Another grievance Turbo Dogg hunters usually have is the speaker. And not because of how it sounds, but because of how it looks. The speaker has a reflective surface which can bounce off sunlight. Again, this makes you a target, so you ought to avoid using the unit in direct sunlight. I actually went through this myself, and the glare can be quite big and bright. So take it from me – keep your Primos Turbo Dogg out of the sun.
The third drawback would probably be the price. On the official website, you can get the Turbo Dogg for a little over $260. However, I got mine at a reduced price on Amazon. Of course, other retailers have this product as well, so I’d suggest doing a little digging before you buy.
Primos Turbo Dogg – Some Words at the End
As you’ve read above, there are hunters with legitimate grievances about Primos Turbo Dogg. However, from my experience, this is a must-have tool for catching game. Hundreds of sounds, no distortion, easy to use, light, and durable – you get all of that with this one simple product. Don’t wait. Get one today and enjoy the hunt as much as I have.