In The Shadow There’s A Different Cry Member Ed Gajewski
of North American predator hunters with his exotic hardwood calls. It’s been a long time getting the
word out about his calls. When a preda- tor hunter fi nds a call that gives him an edge on other callers, he usually will keep a tight lip. I asked Bob what makes Rare
A display of Robert Patrick's Rare Earth Predator Calls is going to draw attention at a gun show.
gan, home, Robert Patrick, owner and operator of Rare Earth Predator Calls, has built a tremendous reputation for himself throughout the close knit society
O
perating in relative obscurity from his Cedarville, Michi-
Earth calls different from, say, a produc- tion call. He started by telling me there are many predator calls from which to choose, and that almost all will make a scream that will attract a predator. A custom-made call will cost more than a generic one, but will be well worth the extra, because sound quality is at the top of the list. The harder the wood, the bet- ter the tone. They don’t make pianos out of balsa wood, right? Why? He added that a true custom-made call is one that is made one at a time without the aid of cloning tools. Construction of the inner sound
chamber and the thickness of the outer walls will vary, and it’s these variations in design and wood that produce the unique sounds. A one-of-a-kind call will produce one-of-a-kind sounds. Mass produced calls, while good,
generally will sound the same. By offer- ing distress calls in 26 exotic hardwoods and in two different sizes, magnum and
H.S.B. (hurt son of a bitch) the variations in the wood and sound chambers make the combination of sounds endless. The subtle changes in tone or fre-
quency can often make the difference between being run over by an incoming coyote, or having him stand out of range telling everyone around, “It’s a setup!” Make no mistake, the key to killing
coyotes is sounding like a coyote, or one hurt son of a bitch. What about long-range and close-
range calls? Robert said, “I don’t make a long
range or short range call. Sound travels at a given speed. The speed at which it travels does not change with high or low pitch, but only with volume. For close range calling use a lip squeak, or a glove over the call will tone things down.” What about freeze-up from mois-
ture build-up? “Moisture buildup is a problem
we all have to deal with, open or closed reed.
“To avoid buildup in a closed reed
call, reverse the air fl ow between calls, or a quick blow from the end of the call will remove any buildup. If you think about it, even a $2,000 trumpet has a valve for moisture release. “To avoid freeze-up in sub-zero
temps, carry three calls, keeping them on a lanyard inside your shirt. When you start calling, keep the call to your lips from start to end. If you treat your calls with the same respect as you give your predator rifl e, you won’t have any problems. “You expect your varmint rifl e to
be top of the line, your optics the best you can afford, so why spend 10 cents on the very thing to make a sound with to attract the smartest animal in the forest?” I left Bob’s shop with a fi st full
One of four calls signed by twelve world champions and auctioned off at the World Coyote Calling Contest in Cortez. The calls were made of African Ebony. All four calls totaled $1,775.00 and all money went to the Utah Youth Hunt.
Page 136 Winter 2012
of calls, and thinking to myself, “How some may never understand how a man can hunt something he claims to ad- mire.” But there is no doubt that Robert Patrick of Rare Earth Predator Calls falls into this category.
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