Amateur Duck Calling

[fish_on_llc]

I am asking for advice from anyone with experience calling ducks. I've recently got interested in duck hunting again. It has been 10 years since I was out last(16 yrs old)and last fall I bought a couple of calls and started getting back into the sport.

I have a Buck Gardner single reed duck call, and a Big River Long honker goose flute. I like both calls and seem to be able to operate them fairly well mimicing the audio tapes the I got with them. The trouble I am having is when to call, for how long and when to shut up and let the decoys work.

I have heard that some ducks are just uncallable. my brief education has taught me that start off with 5 - 7 - 9 quack sequence as they fly past and then down to 4 or 5 quack sequences if they come back throwing in someing feeding calls. I am afraid I being over zealous and calling too much and spooking ducks that may have landed in our three dozen mallard dekes. the dekes are a mix of feeding butts, magnums, and mostly regular mallards. They look really good to me but the ducks just aren't coming close enough. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

P.S. I am hunting in NW WI around Grantsburg, Luck, Balsam Lake

Good Luck!
Hail the Flashlight King!

[Flash]

Fish_on_llc,
Buck Gardner has some duck hunting videos called "Take Em". He states in there that when calling, use the rule Angles and Away. I think that is what he said, but anyhow, only call ducks when they are at angles to you or going away. He said to never call when the ducks are coming straight at you or over head. He said the ducks can tell the calling is coming from the weeds and not the ducks. It makes sense if you think about it. My brother never brings a call with him and he shoots a lot of ducks. I don't know but I think a call is good to get the ducks attention if they do not notice you decoys. I really think a lot of hunters over call. My two cents.
Flash

[fish_on_llc]

Flash,

Thanks, my buddy has the take 'em video; I guess I need to watch it again.

What about calling in the blind when you don't see any ducks? Would a few sporatic 4 or 5 quack sequences hurt or is it pointless? Some of the places I hunt are fairly narrow flyways and the ducks show up qucikly at times.

[Flash]

That is a good time to call. They could be a ways off and hear the call and come looking for it. Ducks can pinpoint a call from a long distance. The only thing is if you are hunting with someone else that is say down the shoreline from you, you may drive them crazy with all the calling. Normally, when I hunt, we don't call unless we see ducks. That way your partners can know to get ready and get down.
Flash

[fish_on_llc]

Thanks Flash,

I watched Take 'Em Vol. III last night. I feel alot better after watching them as their shot to kill ratio was about two shells per bird!

Buck Gardner may have toned it down a little when the ducks turned but they didn't stop by any means. When calling geese, they used alot of "growling?", is that a feeding call for geese?

Another question, is it unethical to let the birds land before jumping to shoot? Keep the advice coming.

Good Luck,

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Jeff Phelan
Fish On LLC
[email protected]

[Lowe]

fish-on-llc,

The question of ethics involved in shooting a duck on the water is, like everything in hunting, up to that individual hunter. Having said that, I (and most other hunters, I think) try to shoot while the bird is in the air. Not only is this more sporting, but a duck on the water is "closed up", so to speak. Its wings are covering its chest, and with steel shot there is little penetration into the vital areas (excluding the head and neck) except at close range. A duck in the air, if you can hit it, is much more vulnerable and likely to be killed clean.

If a duck comes into the decoys and sets down before you have a chance to shoot, all you have to do is stand up from your blind, maybe say a few words of encouragement, and take 'em when they take off.

Concerning your question of calling when there are no ducks visible, I think that this is probably most effective in calling in singles or doubles that may have been separated from the rest of the flock.

Good luck - Lowe

[Guest]

Here are some good teaching aids for calling:

Buck Gardners Straight Talk
Rick Dunns Duck Calling 101
Refugemans tape
The Take em Series
RNT tape.

I have met all the guys that make these tapes. If you can get any tips from anyone I would have to say Barnie Calef is the best at teaching duck calling, he is the 3 time worlds duck calling champ. I have met him many times and have had several lessons on Competition Calling from him that he gave me for free. Many call makers will also take a few minutes to help you out. Mike Keller of Big Guys Best is a really nice guy and will do anything to help you out. Let me know if you have any questions on calling or teaching materials. I would be more than happy to help you out.

I am a very experienced duck and goose caller so maybe I can help you out. Let me know if you need any help!

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"Get Whacked" Widgnwhackers Custom Lanyards Pro Staff

Strictly Wings Inc.

[This message has been edited by BemidjiDUX (edited 10-27-2002).]

[duckbuster]

I'll take a lesson over the internet. We had an Indian guide at Nett Lake teach us how to use a feeder call by using your lips only. But I STINK using a regular call. I'm all ears if you can give me a pointers that might help. THANKS!!!!!!
GOOD LUCK and GOOD HUNTING

[Guest]

I can give a lesson over the internet using MSN Messanger or Yahoo! Messanger.

My handle on MSN is [email protected]
My handle on Yahoo! is dunlap147

I'd be happy to help anyone out!
Just give me a shout.

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"Get Whacked" Widgnwhackers Custom Lanyards Pro Staff

Strictly Wings Inc.

[metrojoe]

I just bought my first duck call along with the TakeEm 3(maybe 4)video a few months ago. It came with a CD that has some very good instruction by Bill Gardner. Now I have three different styles of duck calls and a goose call. The goose call has been a little bit more challenging, but I don't have a real good teaching tool yet, still looking.(any recommendations?)
I'm at the point where I can mimic what I hear. Now I have to memorize it.
One call that every tape/video seems to be pretty vague on is the rolling feeder call. I'm still having trouble with this call. I'm beginning to think that this is just one of those things that not everyone can do. Even with hours of practice.

BemidjiDUX got any tips for rolling that feeder call over?

[This message has been edited by metrojoe (edited 11-01-2002).]

[Guest]

If your just starting, Stay away from compatition calling tapes. Not the same!

Do you have a local park that holds birds?
Here in red wing you can go to bay point at night and in between the boat houses there are usally piles of mallards. Go listen to them, how often do they talk, how loud.

When the birds are far out blow loud to get attention when they are close quite down, use the feeder call and a whack or two, but you dont blow them out of the area. I learned from listening to them that if they are scard they quack fast one after another wack wack wack Bad dont do that they will flare right away from you.

Goose calling the same thing, I always go down to rushin park in rochester. There are wild geese and ducks everywhere they eat corn right out of your hand. No better place to hear the feeding calls and hear what birds say when there sitting down.

But comp calling is not like calling birds its more like playing a flute. They can hit notes and make sounds youve never heard before. Sure sounds good but I have never heard a duck or a goose call for that period of time or make that many sounds.

Just dont blow them out of the sky, I have hunted with a few people where you want to take that call and shove it right up there @#$...
Good Luck
And
Grind-um

[This message has been edited by B Sander (edited 11-01-2002).]

[metrojoe]

B Sander,

I really like the idea of going to a local park to listen to real ducks and geese but when I first picked up a duck call I just blew into it like I was blowing out a candle and I thought, that doesn't sound much like a duck.
I think a beginner really needs to start with some sort of instruction. I always got the impression from the duck/goose hunting videos that their not trying to sound like one bird but many birds.

[Guest]

That is exactly the idea, to sound like more than one duck on the water or more than one goose in the field.

As you get more advanced you can add different tones of quacks and strings. The call I use to commit ducks is a combination of a Feed chuckle with quacks and strings mixed in. I do it all in one breath and it sounds like a lot of ducks feeding on the water. You can do the same thing with goose calling. To get the Giants to put the gear down I do the same thing. Do feeding murmurs mixed in with soft clucks and moans. If done right it will make them committ suicide.

My best advice to an unexperienced caller is.....Let the decoys do the talking.

Catch me on the internet if anyone wants a lesson.

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"Get Whacked" Widgnwhackers Custom Lanyards Pro Staff

Strictly Wings Inc.

[Guest]

I myself can sound like more then one goose. But to sound like more than one duck, where can i reach you on the internet?

Joe your 100% right you have to learn the basics before you can go listen to nature.
But you should learn how to sound like one duck\goose before you try to sound like many. Just a Tip
I have been hunting birds since I was old enough too and have always tried to be the best I can, And have never\NEVER heard someone sound like more than one duck. Goose calling is a differnt story!
Maybe I have a leason to be taught!
But the dominate hen is who I always try to sound like when I am hunting ducks.

Geese... Get a Giliganz and you will sound like the whole flock after you learn how to blow it...

[This message has been edited by B Sander (edited 11-02-2002).]

[This message has been edited by B Sander (edited 11-02-2002).]

[This message has been edited by B Sander (edited 11-03-2002).]

[Guest]

B Sander,
Scroll up and you can find my handles on MSN and on Yahoo!

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"Get Whacked" Widgnwhackers Custom Lanyards Pro Staff

Strictly Wings Inc.

[Surface Tension]

Its easy to sound like 2 ducks.
Just use your other hole.

[Guest]

That don't smell like no duck.

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"Get Whacked" Widgnwhackers Custom Lanyards Pro Staff

Strictly Wings Inc.

[Guest]

It hard to blow the call when your holding your breath LOL

[Guest]

opps

[This message has been edited by B Sander (edited 11-04-2002).]