HalloweenBuck Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Just curious what everyone is using for duck calls these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SledNeck Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 RNT original and the always reliable DR-85 mix in a few customs and Drake calls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishuhalik Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 I'm gonna get burned at the stake for this, but I absolutely love my Foiles Raisin Cane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighbor_guy Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Is there a none category??? I will use a whistle from time to time to turn a flock around, but for the most part I sit quiet and let the decoys do the work. I often find that you can always tell the new hunters in the marsh because they are calling like mad. I have learned that being quiet usually works better than calling. BoxMN, MJ1657, HalloweenBuck and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffman Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 I've always just used a diver duck call, a couple *purrs* here and there to get a little attention. My mallard calling would make most other hunters cringe. BoxMN, monstermoose78 and HalloweenBuck 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalloweenBuck Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 I haven't duck hunted in many years and took my 12 year old son out for his first time last year. I just called and let him shoot. It's fun to watch them actually respond to your calling. I'll be taking him again this year to see if he can bag a nice woodie. I now have on my lanyard a Carlson (dealer version), retired my Big Guy's Best with a Zink's ATM, put together a poly end Southern Game with a no name wooden barrel and somehow the Hunters Specialties still is hanging there. Retired now are: Ken Martin (Olive Branch), Big Guys Best, Paul Englund along with some other cheaper ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxMN Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 My best call is the one i leave in the truck Actually, in NoDak when just mallards or mainly brown ducks, I do call and can say it even works sometimes But I don't call much or long. We did get some Buck Gardner calls engraved for our WMA chapter, and I use them. One of our guys started the MN Duck and Goose Callers (assoc. now gone after many years) and he says they are pretty decent calls for reasonable price. Acrylic, but not sure of model. One mallard and one honker call. I'm kinda partial to my old Big River Long Honker call. Easy to blow for anybody. Neighbor_guy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kettle Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Rarely do I call. If they are making a bunch of noise I will. I'm still a fan of my old Olt calls that were passed down to me, really raspy Kettle Neighbor_guy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SledNeck Posted September 15, 2016 Share Posted September 15, 2016 23 hours ago, Neighbor_guy said: Is there a none category??? I will use a whistle from time to time to turn a flock around, but for the most part I sit quiet and let the decoys do the work. I often find that you can always tell the new hunters in the marsh because they are calling like mad. I have learned that being quiet usually works better than calling. There is a time to call and time to not call. What makes a good duck hunter is realizing this. 95% of all the ducks Ive killed in my life have come in with calling (not counting jump shooting) I couldnt even tell u how many flocks flying far and away that we've turned with calling. The thing Ive noticed with this part of Minnesota vs hunting down south is that most people here are very poor callers and do more harm than good. Most of it is common sense. If youre blowing it in their face when they are breaking into the decoys then you are very likely to flare them. If you have the call angled up toward reasonably close ducks as opposed to having it angled down (to have the sound coming up off the water) then that is a also a huge mistake. For me the best/most fun part of duck hunting is working ducks with a call. HalloweenBuck and fishuhalik 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishuhalik Posted September 15, 2016 Share Posted September 15, 2016 ^what sled said. My dad never uses a call. Kills lotsa ducks and always said calling is a waste of time and money. Until I showed him how effective a good caller can be. He bought a Foiles about a week later. If you think you're good on your call but think calls are over rated and can't consistently turn birds, I got bad news for you. You aren't a good caller Wanderer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Posted September 16, 2016 Share Posted September 16, 2016 Tonight I took a drive over to a marsh I've been keeping an eye on. I practiced my short reed goose call all the way over. I stood at the edge of the marsh for the sunset and called a couple times to see if I could get a goose response between the quacks of mallards and "toweets" of the woodies. Well, when the geese showed up, I felt like a fool. My calling sounded hideous compared to the real thing. Plus I knew I needed to learn more notes but I didn't know I needed to learn that much! I practiced the new stuff all the way home but I feel more confused about what to do now than I did 90 minutes beforehand. fishuhalik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Posted September 16, 2016 Share Posted September 16, 2016 Procastionation kept me from getting this beauty ordered... and the image from the site is blurry. Trying something new. Acrylic infused wood call. Should be a good combo and trust me on it's looks. Like to keep a combination of doubles for the early season and singles for late. Doubles a little more forgiving for being out of practice and a bit softer talking. Singles for really reaching out and grabbing their attention. Committed Custom, GK Call Girl, some sweet little green acrylic that I won on another site that is slowly wearing out. Gotta figure out the builder somehow. Couple more stuffed in my bag that I'm sure includes one RNT single that just bellars but is very touchy to squealing. Goose call is old school Englund Pit Boss. Not the greatest sounding but I'm comfortable with it. Got a nice looking, nice sounding GK that I just haven't taken the time to blow long series on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 So, for Y'all that are blowing RNT and Zink calls, how do you decide what to get? I'm in the mood to pick one really good goose call and one really good mallard call. I looked at the $100 plus calls in the boxes at the C store but am leary of just pulling something off the hook based on a model name. Any suggestions for someone who mainly hunts in MN only for waterfowl? A good woodie call should be considered too. I'm still using some old Haydell calls, and Canada Hammer, Quack Head, etc.. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishuhalik Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 Honestly, they're all pretty good and will get the job done as long as you do your part. Except for the Duck Dynasty calls. So overrated monstermoose78 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SledNeck Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 I have an old DC drake call that is deadly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Was tough to choose but think it turned out pretty sharp. MJ1657, HalloweenBuck, Wanderer and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 Showed up today and sounds as good as it looks. Cloth storage bag, 2 extra cork wedges, 2 extra O-rings, 6 assorted reeds to play with the tuning. Good experience with my first custom call. fishuhalik and Wanderer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 I looked up those calls on line. I like the way they categorize them, describe the intended use and provide audio of each call. I'll probably order a couple in the near future. Thanks for posting, Bryce. Enjoy your call! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SledNeck Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 At the Mack's Prairie Wings store in Stuttgart they have probably the biggest display of duck calls in the world (RNT is next door) and you can try all of them out. Its pretty cool, but it can be REALLY annoying in there. fishuhalik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Just found out that I get to work it on nodak birds Thursday -Monday. Rest of the season will be spent on the shelf waiting my return from the hospital. Not a very good 2016 outlook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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