Zepp’s Predator Calls is often mentioned in the world of predator hunting, and their Kill Pole coyote howler is designed for one objective only. Coyote vocalizations. But if you’ve seen the price you might have some concerns.
It’s a pain to spend a lot of money on something that really isn’t worth it.
That’s exactly why I created the most in-depth, detailed hunting review you’ll ever find on the Zepp’s Calls Kill Pole. And to make things even easier for you, I’ve included the lowest prices I could find for this call below.
After extensive use in the field, side by side with other coyote howlers, here’s a few things that I noticed:
The Zepp’s Calls Kill Pole Takes Time To Learn
This call isn’t difficult to learn to use, but it isn’t necessarily a cake walk either. Learning how to imitate coyote vocalizations can take some practice, but this call was easier to master than a few other open-reed coyote calls I’ve used in the past.
Here’s a few thoughts for the beginner:
#1: The Coyote Vocalizations Take Some Time To Learn
If you’re new to coyote vocalizations, this call, although not the best, is a good one to start with.
It doesn’t suffer from any serious dead spots like the Primos Hot Dog, and howling is smooth. The attached bell makes it a little more difficult to learn than if it were just a mouthpiece, but after some playing around you begin to pick up where to apply pressure and how much you should be blowing out.
Barks are super simple to learn on this call (although quality barks take some time) and you can learn to do rabbit distress calls and fawn bleats quickly. Howls and ki-yi’s take a little longer to master, as you’ll be trying to find the coyote call’s smooth spot so the howls don’t come out raspy.
#2: It Doesn’t Come With Instructions
If you’re a beginner, this is a problem. The Zepp’s Calls Kill Pole doesn’t include any form of instructions except for some DVD’s that feature Mark Zepp’s hunts (which you’re supposed to “learn” from).
However, if you’ve been able to practice a little bit of howling on another call, or are willing to learn from someone who knows coyote vocalizations, you should be able to learn without any problems.
Little Details About The Zepp’s Calls Kill Pole
Like I always say, little things matter.They’re the difference between a dead coyote at your feet or a lost call. $50 lost or a priceless lucky call that stays with you the rest of your life.
Here’s a few small details I find worth mentioning.
#3: It Does Come With A Lanyard
I always appreciate it when a coyote call comes with a lanyard. It keeps the call close to my chest and attached to my neck at all times. The basic lanyard comes in a simple camouflage pattern with a spring-tightened loop that fits into a groove near the top of the bell.
If you’re looking for something a little more fancy, Zepp’s Predator Calls features custom-made lanyards designed specifically for coyote hunting.
#4: The Bell Does Not Detach
This coyote call is made specifically for coyote vocalizations, and the bell helps project those calls out as far as possible. However, the bell does not detach from the mouth piece, which lowers the quality of distress calls.
#5: It’s Small Enough For A Pocket
This is a detail that I appreciate and feel was well thought out. For guys who don’t want to carry the call around their neck on a lanyard, it is small enough to comfortably fit in a pocket. And although the call is smaller than other open-reed calls like the Primos Hot Dog and Dan Thompson Red Desert Howler, it doesn’t lack in durability or loudness.
The Zepp’s Calls Kill Pole’s Practical Side
I get it. You probably don’t want to know whether or not this call can fit in your pocket or has a “cool” lanyard.You want to know how it performs. How it sounds.
Here a few thoughts about the practical side of this call:
#6: The Coyote Vocalizations Are Loud And Sound Great
The Kill Pole is a call for the coyote vocalization purist. It was made for that purpose, and that’s what it excels at.
The howls are loud, like echo around the mountains loud, and plenty smooth. After a little bit of practice, I felt like this call was much smoother than the Red Desert Howler, possibly due to the permanently attached mouthpiece. The barks are also nice and crisp, but it takes a little playing around to get to that perfect sound.
#7: It Doesn’t Do Much Beyond Coyote Vocalizations
Howls, barks, ki-yi’s, and pup distress calls is what you get. And although you can vary in the pitch and tone of calls (meaning you can replicate male and female coyotes), you can’t remove the horn to simulate different coyotes howling.
Distress calls don’t really work with this call, even if the manufacturer says so. After a few attempts at a rabbit distress call, I quickly bagged the attempt and moved back to using my Weems Replica call.
#8: The Kill Pole Is Plenty Sturdy
Although the call’s made from plastic and is significantly shorter than its counterparts, it has a nice, heavy, sturdy feel to it. With the permanently attached bell and thick plastic, I don’t imagine anything will be breaking in the near future.
The only concern I have with this call, and most other open-reed calls, is the mouthpiece. The reed is constantly exposed, and can be easily bent while shoving it into a backpack or pocket.
Concluding Thoughts About The Zepp’s Calls Kill Pole
If you’re looking for a dedicated howler that’s reliable, incredibly loud, and sounds great, this is the one. I’d highly recommend this to anyone with some experience doing coyote vocalizations and who’s looking to take their coyote imitation game to the next level.
I’ll be sure to include this on any future coyote hunts as my dedicated howler, using it in combination with the Dan Thompson Weems Replica and Burnham Brothers Mini-Blaster distress calls.
If you have anything else to add, please let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget, I slipped those low prices in below.
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