CS-24 Deployment Bag by Yoter's Den

possumal · December 07, 2010, 08:21:52 AM

I thought you guys and gals might enjoy seeing the custom made deployment bag for the CS-24 that April at Yoter's Den just completed for Possumal. April has really outdone herself on this one, especially after recovering from some health issues for her and family. As always, her attention to quality construction and details flat out amazes me in this day of cheap stuff put together in sweat shops in Bangladesh and other exotic places. She captured every detail perfectly as to the specifications I asked for, with no detailed drawings furnished by me or anyone else. Best of all, the way she has it set up, I have my camera tripod lashed to the bottom of the bag with quick connect straps she attached perfectly, and I only have to open one zipper less that half way and it is simple to turn the unit on and insert the antenna through a watertight grommet, and it hangs by the carry handle on the tripod arm, or you can hang the entire bag up by the shoulder carry strap and start calling as soon as you get to your perch and turn your remote on. I couldn't be happier with this bag. Any of you people who want to use a CS-24 with the extra TOA speaker or any other such ecaller/speaker combination, you need to get with April and let her build a truly great product for you. The dimensions are 16" long, 10" wide, and 8" tall for the main bag, and total weight including the CS-24, the extra TOA speaker, two 10aa battery packs, and remote is 8 lbs. 8 ounces. You have to add the weight of your choice of tripods, when it is strapped on. My tripod from WalMart weighs 2 lbs. 12 oz., with smaller, lighter tripods available. The balance being so good on this setup, with the wide carry strap with 3 point suspension makes it carry light, and I can easily setup in about a minute. Takedown is even quicker. Here are some pictures:

Todd Rahm · December 07, 2010, 08:27:33 AM

Looks like ya need a deployment lil red wagon to haul it in now?

Looks like she does nice work though.

slagmaker · December 07, 2010, 09:30:50 AM

nice looking set up.

Looks very well made.

KySongDog · December 07, 2010, 09:59:50 AM

Quote from: Todd Rahm on December 07, 2010, 08:27:33 AM
Looks like ya need a deployment lil red wagon to haul it in now?

Just whut I wuz thinkin'.

possumal · December 07, 2010, 11:24:56 AM

Fellows, when I get to the point where I can't carry this rig, I won't be hunting any more. The balance is outstanding and the weight distributed in such a way that you feel no strain at all. I was carrying the same equipment all seperated out in different bags, etc., and it took too much time to set up or take down. All that is eliminated now and does it ever have great sound on those stereo sequences I make with Goldwave. With that sound going out in two different directions, and the coyote sounds coming out of one side, the fox sounds out the other, and then switching sides, it is so realistic you have to think there is a real ware going on out there. I'm 71 years old, just got over a bad health situation that lasted over 6 weeks, and I have no problem toting it. I realize this kind of setup is not for everybody, but for the ones who like fooling coyotes and critters with every trick they can think up, it sure helps do that.

KySongDog · December 07, 2010, 12:10:06 PM

I was just kidding, Al. And I'm sure Todd was too.

But it just amazes me how much "stuff" comes on the market to do what guys a few years ago did with a couple of hand calls and a gun.

Any way you look at it, it is all about marketing and money. Prying the dollar out of the hunter's pocket with a new gadget to offset the lack of hunting skills.

Of course, this is just my opinion and is obviously not shared by all.

pitw · December 07, 2010, 12:12:49 PM

I'm sure it's a wonderful bag and all, probably helps keep a fella in shape too

. I just couldn't in my wildest dreams imagine myself hauling it any further than I already have

.

Okanagan · December 07, 2010, 12:23:26 PM

They do great work. I stopped by their booth at a sportsman's show one time and both April and her husband seemed like nice folks.

I never took much with me till I started calling lions. Zowie I carry a ton of stuff now. Options to set up super hidden on different slopes and vegetations, in a way that I can be comfortable enough to sit still for an hour or two without moving, plus electronic call, decoy and a few secret ingredients...

I have bought two packs specifically to carry the stuff and still am not satisfied. I'd love to have April build a calling backpack to my specs but could not afford it!

In our rough ground and distances, it would have to be a backpack.

Thanks for showing your stuff! That looks like a custom fitted ideal bag. I'd have her put backpack shoulder straps on it!

Okanagan · December 07, 2010, 12:30:25 PM

One more caveat: I am cheerfully paranoid about gear failure and my mental lapses. So rather than have a handle sewed to the top lid, which is zippered to the body, I would have straps run down around the body and through the handle. That way if the zipper fails or I forget to zip it shut, the handle still carries the entire weight and body of the bag rather than having the bag dump out on the ground. This design with straps around the body holding the weight also removes weight strain on the zipper. In your case, the shoulder straps run around the body to carry the weight, and I would link the top lid handle to those straps.

For your next deployment bag...

possumal · December 07, 2010, 04:56:09 PM

Once you put the antenna through the water tight grommet, you don't want to lift it by the handle attached to the lid. The way it is constructed and designed, you can hang it up by the carry strap with no effect on the lid where the antenna is ticking through about an inch. If you want to hang it on the tripod handle as I do, you just pick the entire bag up by the sides or corners and hang the handle on the tripod arm and it doesn't attempt to pull the lid off the antenna. So you don't even have to carry a tripod if you want to hang it up in bushes or trees by the carry strap, but then you are relying on a bush, tree, or fencepost being handy to hang it on. I like the tripod always being available and quick to set up. I am sure April could configure it any way you want her to as she is into making custom items to satisfy customers' needs.

P.S. I knew you were just kidding the old Possumal, Todd and Semp.

Todd Rahm · December 07, 2010, 10:06:24 PM

I wasn't dogging ya Al, the bag looks cool. It all just looks big and cumbersome that's all (For my style anyway).

possumal · December 07, 2010, 10:25:43 PM

Its not for everybody and I think I may have said that. Some people don't even want to carry a CS-24 or similar caller when it only weighs about 3 1/2 lbs. I understand people who just want to use mouth calls as it is a rush to have one bust in on you in tight quarters. Been there, done that a lot in my first few years. But I like killing them on longer shots these days, and the combination of mouth calls and a good ecaller, placed correctly, and sometimes the proper decoy set out right are combinations hard on old Wiley's well being. I love setting up scenarios that fools them completely, and pull the trigger just as they get that "Oh oh look on their face". In my opinion, having equipment well organized like this set up makes life more enjoyable for an old marsupial.