Duck and Goose call advice

[svttom01]

What are some good medium price ($50-80) duck and goose calls to start out on? I am in my 2nd year of duck hunting and want to move up to something a little nicer than my current two pack specials I picked up from Cabelas and my Yo' Sista. Does anyone have any suggestions on decent calls in this price range or am I better off spending more and getting acrylic calls? Thanks for any idea or suggestions.

[mngoosehunter]

Personally, I like the Big River Long Honker goose call it works great and sounds really good and its only $25.

[Fish&Fowl]

For geese: Tim Grounds Super Mag

For ducks: I love Echo's poly calls, which are about $30.

[dan z]

F&F good call on the SM ($60) I have the black and blue poly and use it more than my fat boy ($150).

for duck cant go wrong with zinks ph-1 it is a little pricy tho $130.

[Seabass77]

I would go with a Tim Grounds Sweet Meet for the duck call and a RNT goozilla for a goose call. Another nice goose call is the grounds poly super mag. Great call. Not just a grounds guy but grounds seems to do a nice job in the intermediate area.

[chub]

There's a million different calls and call manufacturers out there. I would suggest finding a buddy that has a bunch, or one of the retail stores that carries multiple brands and try a bunch out. I think about everyone has a line of mid-priced calls these days. The Echo's sound good for the price(poly), Winglock makes some real nice sounding calls in that price range as well as a ton of others.

Then, hope you don't get the call bug......LOL (it can get expensive)

[hanson]

for duck cant go wrong with zinks ph-1 it is a little pricy tho $130.

Zink now makes a poly carb version of the Power Hen & Power Hen-2 for $25. I just picked up a poly PH-2 and its a pretty good sounding little call for $25. I would recommend it for the budget minded.

Grounds Sweet Meat would be another good duck call for the price.

Also have a cheap Duck Commander that I really like as well.

[thedanimalkmk]

For ducks I run a Foiles Staight Suzy acrylic but they also make a poly carb in the 30 dollar range. Best sounding call I have owned hands down. Like alot of the other guys have said, the best way to find the one that will work the best for you is going to a store/friends and trying them out. I learned how to blow a short reed goose call using a Tim Grounds half-breed. Easy to blow, sounds good. I have since bought a C&S short reed and am really pleased with the results.

Dan

[Sartell Angler]

calling is severely overrated...a lot of times a very eager caller is a group's greatest conservation tool

[Seabass77]

I would agree that you don’ t need to call to shoot waterfowl, but I have had many occasion where a well timed honk, cluck, or quack has put the birds right into the decoys.

I will never be in the field without mine

[BigWadeS]

I agree you don't always need to call, but there are times it brings them in and helps, I use Primo's calls, they are in the low to mid-priced tier and I am now looking to get a couple higher quality ones, after 10 years of using these...

[hanson]

I'm still of the opinion that location, location, location will pretty much trump anything else. If you are where the birds want to be, the rest is a piece of cake.

Don't screw up the wind, decoy spread, concealment, or the calling and you are good to go.

[Rainman]

Some people aren't lucky enough to hunt on the X. So they have to hunt traffic. That is where the call and the flag come into play.

[dan z]

sometimes you dont even need one ie: this morning no calling needed only ended up shooting two but left the calls hanging round my neck.

[eyepatrol]

Hunting public waters, it's better to have a call readily available than not have one. More times than not, calling is needed. However I've had a good number of times where keeping silent works great too. Gotta read the birds and that takes time and experience.

Back to the subject at hand.....I have the Grounds half-breed goose call and really like it. Versatile call and easy to blow, but one of these years I want to "up-grade" if there is an upgrade from the Grounds half-breed. I paid about $60 for this call some 8 years ago or so.

As for the duck call, I'm "el cheapo" on that. I've got a $10 Sure Shot double reed that I just love. Works nice for calling mallards and for calling divers. Would be hard for me to switch to something else.

[Scott Stein]

i must be the odd one out but i use a buck gardner canada hammer II for geese sounds awesome,easy to blow and around $25

[SledNeck]

Thinking about a original RNT............