duck call help for a rookie..

[fasternu]

I have been hunting ducks for only a few years now, but I've always hunted with others who are decent callers. Now I want to get skilled on my own and learn to call, so I am self-sufficient. I can't justify spending the $75-150 on a good call right now, so I am looking for advice on not necessarily any specific calls, but when buying a call, what should I look for? Wood/Poly, single/double reed, etc. any other advice I don't know about?

Thanks in advance.

[BrdHunter01]

I don't look for anything... I blow it before I buy it. Sound tells me everything I need to know. Never spent over $15 on a call and I never will (Unless inflation skyrockets and the cheapest one is $100). I stick to 2 mallard calls and the drake whistle...

[IceHawk]

I use alot of Duck commander calls they don't break the bank and they sound real good.

[Traxxx]

Practice, practice, practice.....start out with a basic quack and work your way up to the greeting call. Those two, are all you need to bring ducks in, most of the time. Call on the corners. Picture a baseball diamond and you are the pitcher. One call that I picked up recently and the ducks seem to realy like is the Duck Commander "Willeys max-4". Its a double reed, which is the easiest to learn and blow. Runs about $30.

[luckycrank]

Haydel's dr-85 19.99 Echo cocabola double reed 45.00

just a tip before you shell out some money make sure if you blow the display that the one your going to purchase sounds the same as the one in the case I recently purchased a zink ph-2 acrylic and it sounds nothing like the display model and now im stuck with a $129.00 p.o.s. that will not even tune right.

it is getting sent to zink at the end of the season

[Seabass77]

Check out the tim grounds sweet meat

[squeeb27]

The third call on my lanyard is the Haydel double reed its like seven dollars. I get the more looks from this call then i do my sixty dollar primos. As far as I'm concerned the deeper the better. Good luck!

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

I have 4 call on my lanyard. 1 primos phat laddy call which I use for big water. It is really loud and easy to use not to mention it's like $16 or so. I have an Echo Diamondwood call as well that I love. I use this for hunting smaller area's and when the ducks get in closer on big water. It isn't as loud and is really raspy and easy to use, not to mention it looks cool. $45

Then I have the whistle for woodies, and you can use it for drake mallard whistling as well.

Then I have a Pit Boss goose call. I have tried other expensive goose calls but have found this one is the easiest for me to use. It was given to me so i don't really know how much they cost. I would think $20 to $40 somewhere.

Expensive calls are overboard if you ask me. The cheap ones get the job done just as well. I have a buddy who has (no lie) $1000's of dollars in goose calls but I believe more or less it is a hobby for him to collect them. He is an awesome caller but does just as good with the cheap ones as he does his most expensive $250+ dollar calls.

[fasternu]

So how does a guy blow one before you buy it? All of the stores I have around me the things come prepackaged. I don't think they'd like me to open up all the packages and try them out while standing in the aisle. Does Big-C store have some available to try? The closest one for me is about 3 hours away, but maybe I can get there over the winter...

When I am blowing them, what do I want to listen for? Is it the low tones, or volume?

Also, how does a person tune them. I have been reading how some might need to be toned when new. Sorry for the dumb questions, but I need to learn somewhere.

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

So how does a guy blow one before you buy it? All of the stores I have around me the things come prepackaged. I don't think they'd like me to open up all the packages and try them out while standing in the aisle. Does Big-C store have some available to try? The closest one for me is about 3 hours away, but maybe I can get there over the winter...

When I am blowing them, what do I want to listen for? Is it the low tones, or volume?

Also, how does a person tune them. I have been reading how some might need to be toned when new. Sorry for the dumb questions, but I need to learn somewhere.

Just open the package, I do! Most places don't care. BTW grab from the back of the rack, you don't want someone elses mouth germs lol.

it also depends on the call you want for sound. Are you buying for big water or do you want something more for close quarters? Big water, look at acrylics because they are louder, close quarters cocabola or diamondwood because they are more muffled more quiet.

I look for more ease of calling then I do sounds. Feeder calls easy or are they harder with the call. Easy good hard not so good.

[MN Greenheads]

Do you want to learn to call ducks or just blow a call and get lucky sometimes? What's your time, money and hunting time comitment?

[slabbin@thecabin]

buck gardner- double nasty. The best sounding call for the money that I have found.

[no bait nate]

i like RNT calls. the are kinda expensive but totally worth it. just think if you buy a call that is $100 and practice for 15 minutes a day for a whole year that is 5475 minutes. thats almost 92 hours of entertainment for only $100? that seems pretty cheap if ya ask me. and that is not even counting all the hunting you will do over the year and birds that it will help you persuade. and if you are like me you will keep that call in good shape and use it for many years to come. man what a deal that expensive call was! so buy the one that sounds good and get the one you want, because it's totally worth it.

[Fred_Bear]

Poly Foiles Strait Suzy double reed. Best one i've blown.

[fasternu]

Anybody use the Buck Gardner Spitfire Diamondwood? I liked the sound from it, but being a novice I don't know much about it. Looks cool too. Doing some research on it, sounds like a decent call for the money

[zackthehunter]

this is a great place i just found out about it last week. i am just learning to hunt ducks my mom gave me a call for my brithday i have been pracacing all season so far i killed a teal and a black duck the teal frlew in but the blak duck swan in to the call my brother thinks he shot it but i had black cloud so we know i did that stuff rocks

[Gordie]

welcome Zackthehunter to the HSO. this a great place to share and learn and these guys are awsome on here they have alot to share as well.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Poly Foiles Strait Suzy double reed. Best one i've blown.

X2. foiles and Buck Gardner duck calls seem to be the two that have the most consistant tuning call after call right out of the package. some brands you can open 4 calls and get 4 different sounding calls out of the same model. dont even get me started on arcylics or others that sit in display cases. you get 50 different guys and the "waterfowl experts" working in the store tinkering with the call. best advice i can give is before you start buying any calls, learn what it takes to tun a duck or goose call. then you can pretty much make any call sound the way you want it to within the design limits of that call.

[zackthehunter]

thanks elwood i am just a rooky next year i am going to game fair to learn more and i have allready lear alot from this HSOforum bunch of great guys hopefully next year the ducks will come down early now i am just going to fish and maybe see if i can find some geese on late season last year we found a flock and snucked up on them but i think they were to far away we hit one but we could not catched it it would just keep running and flying ahead man we were so tired after that but i would do it again anytime