SANDHILL CRANE CALL

Anybody have any suggestions for the best sandhill crane call. I used one that I got from Haydels last year and I wasnt to impressed with it. I have heard that some people use a specklebelly goose call but dont have any experiance with those. What is everyone else using. THANKS

I have a buddy that uses his spec call... I'll ask him which one he uses.

I would say your decoys are more important than the call. Stuffers and total concealment= great hunts in West Texas. Sure is fun having 'em land 10 ft away. Let us know how the call works out.

sure shot crane call is pretty good, but most cranes on ground arent calling, the flying birds are the ones that call. +2 on the decoys doing the work for ya, not the calling. they are totally different from geese

thats interesting to know

Incorrect. Groups of cranes on the ground usually begin calling to birds in the air long before they appear to your eyes.

Not to resurrect seven year old threads, was doing a google search and came up with this

Dog whistle. Instant juvenile Crane call.

^^^^^^^agree I use a whistle because juvenile cranes are really high pitched but sometimes will also use my speck call which is made by Joe Briscoe. He owns JB custom calls

A goose call just have to tune it different

Yep, and any Canada goose call and roll your tounge into it. Works like a champ.

No calls required , just scout the wheat fields the day before you hunt.

Have only targeted sandhills a few times, the rest were taken while hunting geese in the peanut fields. Have gotten their attention with a Haydell's Spec call. Like others said roll your tounge

The scouting method works as well.

There was a call on the market that worked really good. It was 3 high pitched goose calls in one unit, you played it like a harmonica. They no longer make it, and if you find one most likely it will be expensive. It was made by Fox Pfortmiller. The best option today is to scout and find them, feeding areas with water in the area. As to the calls, Haydels and Sure Shot make them, but they are not as variable sounding as the Fox Pfortmiller call. The closest you will get is 2 or 3 goose calls that are tuned in 3 high pitches.

These some of the patent drawings of the Fox and Pfortmiller call.

DC, this is the call I was looking for in My google search when I drug up this old thread. I tried to find that company, only to find they are defunct. Heck, I even found some info where you had talked about trying to make one at one point, but didn't for lack of market.

I chase cranes pretty hard, use a greater canada calls on them. All one is doing with a crane call is get their attention to look at your decoys. I just wanted a more realistic sounding call.

As to some of the other responses, pass shooting them on their routes to and from the field is not my game.

I played with this design for several years, but even if I ever got one to sound like theirs, I would not make them for sale. 1ST they hold the patent rights, 2 I really do not know or believe they work as good as scouting and decoys. I have one of the originals, bought it years ago when the were first introduced. Used it on the field, with and without decoys. I could not tell a difference in the hunt. If anyone is looking for one of the Fox Pfortmiller, plan on spending about $300, or pray you find someone that has no clue as to it's worth.

You need a call for sandhill cranes? Yall must be in the wrong places. If I go to one of my buddies farms out here it is crazy how many cranes there are on it every day during fall and winter. There will be easily 10-20k on it at one time. It would be some tough hunting for sure