# Duck calls



## KennyC (Apr 28, 2010)

I have been hunting waterfowl for going on 3 years now and I am still struggling with my calls. I am working on getting better before the season hits but wanted to know about some of the different calls and if it helps or even makes a difference. There are single and double reed calls out there and I even found a triple reed. Of course the triple reed is almost $200. What is the difference between the different reed numbers and is one easier than the other? I have also noticed that the price varies from $10 to $200+ what is the difference there? Other than the obvious. I just can't seem to get the different calls down and everyone has a different idea on what each one should sound like. For me it is like speaking a different language. I can order a beer all over the world but don't know how to speak the language. Any help would be appriciated.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

I think the double reeds are easyer to work then the single ones. The double are a deeper call.They are good to use on calm days and to finish birds. The single are louder and they are good for those windy days. For the price it just what the call is made out of and who makes them. Toxic calls make good calls and the price is not bad at all.Keep blowing the call before the season.


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

I got a Buck Gardner Spitfire. What sets this call apart from others it that it won't stick from being too wet and it actually has a reed and a half. I would reccommend for a starter to try one of Buck's calls. It'll come with a CD as well as an electronic "coach" for like $20. To me the differenct between most $20 and $200 calls are the names and price. I have found that ducks come in to my decoys if I'm blowing my $8 HS call from wal-mart or my $60 Spitfire.


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## Bret (Sep 7, 2007)

It can be frustrating for sure. When I first started trying to learn 23 or something years ago I ran into some of the same problems. There was no internet. I knew no one that could blow a call properly. And had only ever seen birds worked with a call into the decoys once from a distance. My dad had taught me that duck calls did nothing but scare ducks. That one experience had me determined to learn. I bought loman calls knight and hale, duck comander, single,double and tripple reeded calls that all sounded terrible. I bought cassettes( for you younger guys that is how we listened to music back then.lol) the calls I bought didn't sound anything like those cassettes. Finally out of desperation I bought a more expensive call that came with a cassette. I think it cost me $29 funny that was a lot to me. That is when it occurred to me that I was the problem not the calls. Still determined I worked my tail off just trying to get a quack right. I practiced every day. It was the next season with only quacks, clucks, and a soft Timid greeting I called in my first duck. I missed it by the way, and many more after it. I was to excited. Fast forward 23 years, hours of practice, and years of hunting experience I can do almost anything I want to on a cacapable call. I am confident working birds. My point is don't give up I earned every note I achieved on a call and I was no where close to being naturally gifted.

I could go into the differences between doubles singles and even triples or quadruples if you want me to, but get this out of this post if nothing else. 
I like single reeds buy the way.
*1. Buy a good call.*
You don't need to spend a lot of money. Some of the $30 calls are very good. I would buy an Echo poly timber if I were starting over.
*2. Start simple and build on it slowly.* Master the quack first then move from there.
3. *When you take it to the blind for the first time do what you do well. Watch the birds for reactions, that is where the real learning will begin.*

Feel free to call me for help. I am always willing to help.
801-663-3877


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Bret would know! That feller can seriously blow a duck call and speak duck language. As far as your point about ordering beer from around the world...stick with German beers...I wonder how you say "more please" in German?
R


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Eine More Bitta!


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## SR-1 (Jan 9, 2011)

Check out Fowl Obsession calls you can get an all acrylic call for $80 or or a poly acrylic call for $55 or either of them in wood and they both sound awesome. If you have anymore questions you can send me a PM.


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## hatuquack (Nov 15, 2011)

eine bier bitte


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## Dave B (Oct 1, 2007)

Honestly, pic you up an Echo poly timber in a single reed. Doubles are somewhat easier, but if you master a single you will absolutely be a better call operator in the end. This call IMO is the best poly call available and is capable of anything you will need. Then go to Bret's class if he does it, and practice practice practice. You can kill just as many ducks with one of these as you can with a $200 call.


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## KennyC (Apr 28, 2010)

Geez guys, all this information is awsome. I thank each of you greatly. I am going to look and see which call I have right now and check to see if it is single or double. The call its self I have been told is decent and that I need practice and to learn when, what, and of course how to blow the call. I won't even go into my butchering of the goose call. LOL My 5 yr old and I are on the same level with that one. Stay tuned as I am sure to have more questions. I have been told to use YouTube but what I hear evidently isn't the same as what I hear.  I will be in touch. Thanks again.


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## BigMac (Feb 12, 2012)

Some good advise posted up! I have many calls some very expensive & others dirt cheep. Can I tell the difference? Not so sure. I think that calls are kinda like decoys they are made to impress the hunter instead of the birds! You see all the new fancy decoys out there with flocking & real feather images. They sure do attract the hunter, but in my opinion no better on birds then the old stuff. I have killed a lot of ducks with a spread foam blocks painted black. What I am getting at is use what you feel works for you. It may be a high priced new line of product but if it's not & it works great. Keep on practicing with the call. But also remember if the birds are coming let them come! No use in telling them something they don't want to hear if they are already on their way!


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## NovaNation (Oct 17, 2007)

KennyC,
I applaud your interest in getting better with the call. That very thing is what I have been chasing for my entire waterfowl hunting life. Here is something to keep in mind on your travels and it has been proven to me time and time again. Keep perusing realism. Weather it be in calling, decoys and on and on. It's easy, let your eyes and ears be the judge. You know what a real duck looks like and you know what a real duck sounds like. For me if I find new products that accomplish this then I will give them a try. I use some old school gear and lots of new and IMPROVED gear. The one common denominator between them all is they look, sound and help me hide from ducks.
For me it has always been about improving and finding ways to trick em. Learn the proper way to get REAL duck sounds out of your call and more importantly learn when to use those sounds while hunting. 
It's not terribly difficult to accomplish these things, just takes some of your time to master. Sorry for droning on and on. Best of luck to you and let us know how things progress.
NN


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Nova--- :O||: 
R


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I will say this much: I have not found a duck call yet, expensive or cheap that doesn't echo. Have you ever heard a real duck echo when it calls? Find me a call that has no echo to it and I would be all over that. Same thing with goose calls, they all echo, especially inside WMA impoundments.


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## Dave B (Oct 1, 2007)

Fowlmouth said:


> . Have you ever heard a real duck echo when it calls?


Yeah plenty of times.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I believe mythbusters did a segment on this and proved that ducks do echo, but it is undistinguishable, because the duck call and the echo mix together to mostly hide the echo. I'm just saying when guys are blowing calls you can hear the sound bounce off of everything several times and it does not sound real. Goose calls are much worse for this too. To answer Kenny's question, I prefer the single reed duck calls with a short barrel.


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## duckhunter1096 (Sep 25, 2007)

All I am going to add to this discussion is what someone else ahead of me already put... The fancier calls attract more hunters, than they do ducks. I have my trusty Faulk's call that I've used for years... Got my first one when I was 16, and have replaced it 3 times with the same kind a couple of times. It works great. My most recent one was purchased 7 years ago for a whopping EIGHT dollars. And it works just as good as the $80 that my buddy bought me for bein' his best man. Granted, the $80 is effing gorgeous, and the $8 one is just plain jane... But sound wise, they are pretty close. 

I guess find what works for you, and be happy!


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## travis madden (Sep 29, 2007)

duckhunter1096 said:


> All I am going to add to this discussion is what someone else ahead of me already put... The fancier calls attract more hunters, than they do ducks. I have my trusty Faulk's call that I've used for years... Got my first one when I was 16, and have replaced it 3 times with the same kind a couple of times. It works great. My most recent one was purchased 7 years ago for a whopping EIGHT dollars. And it works just as good as the $80 that my buddy bought me for bein' his best man. Granted, the $80 is effing gorgeous, and the $8 one is just plain jane... But sound wise, they are pretty close.
> 
> I guess find what works for you, and be happy!


I have a hard time with this statement. If you learn how to properly run a call your $8 call is not going to give you what you can get out of the more expensive call. Learning how to operate a call is when you will start to be more willing to spend the money and upgrade. There is a reason they cost more. But I also agree with your last statement. Find what works for you and be happy!


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## kev (Feb 7, 2008)

The biggest difference that I have found between an inexpensive call and one that cost's more is simply the fact that I am less likely to blame poor perfomance (IE:sound) on a more expensive call. Not that price necessarily determines quality, but in my opinion your odds go up considerably. Also as prices go up, quantity produced goes down, which in most cases means a little bit more hands on assembly and tuning by the maker, whomever that may be.

Does any of this mean you'll call in more ducks? Nope. But for me in my early years, confidence came in the form of me being able to determine whether the awful noises coming from my blind where the fault of the call, or the caller. With better calls the guilty party was easier to pick out. That meant I could focus better on the problem (the problem was me by the way), rather than always thinking my calls had reed issues, or something like that.

For what it's worth.


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## Bret (Sep 7, 2007)

Great post Kev.


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## nickpan (May 6, 2008)

Doesn't matter how expensive it is or how good it looks if you dont know how to use it you its useless. Find a call that truly sounds like a duck. It dont matter if its won a calling championship, those are judged by people not ducks! Take it in the field and see how birds respond to it. The three best calls IMO that i have found work well for me are the faulks $8 call, the old time Olt Calls (aren't made anymore i dont think) and a Glynn Scobey call (also not made anymore). All under $50. Very ducky sound and they have worked well and i have no reason to change.

Alot of guys do it for the "cool" factor or try to make it a fashion statement to go and buy a pricey name brand call, and there are a small few who can actually run them!

I think the more important thing to focus on is be where they want to be and leave the call in your pocket!!


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## Bret (Sep 7, 2007)

Sometimes the evaluation of a duck call is comparable to the skill level of the person evaluating it. I am not a big blow the latest, newest, hippest, trendy call guy at all. That being said to me a call should have a lot of ducks in it. That is not to say you can't be effective with a monotone call. However if you sit out and really listen to ducks you will hear many voices. Why not be able to imitate as many of those voices as possible? Why not be able to do things that ducks don't nessisarily do, but that sound like ducks from a distance? Why limit yourself? I read a post from Novanation several years ago where he mentioned a calling tool box of sorts.Having as many tools at your disposal as possible. In order to use all those tools (tricks) if you will. You must first have a call that can do it and second be able to make the call do it price aside. 
I have met Glynn Scobey I liked him alot. I wish I could get the sounds out of his metal reed calls that he can.


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## nickpan (May 6, 2008)

Bret said:


> I have met Glynn Scobey I liked him alot. I wish I could get the sounds out of his metal reed calls that he can.


Never met him in person but spoke to him on several accounts and he was a great guy. I went to call him up to order a few more calls and learned he passed away just a few days prior, not sure what i'll do when my calls wear out!


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## Bret (Sep 7, 2007)

I did not know he had passed. Talking to him was like a journey back in time. Talking to him was a great honor for me. I wanted one of those metal reed calls for mya collection pretty bad, but had spent all my money getting there.lol I am sure used scobey calls will be around for a while. I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing.


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## nickpan (May 6, 2008)

He passed just over a year ago, last April I believe. I ordered a call from him last January and the finish started to peel off, i called him and he let me use it for the rest of the season until he could get me a new one sent out, but we chatted for awhile and he seemed like a really neat guy. My dad has one of his goose calls from back in the '70s and still sounds great today


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Nickpan, check this out

http://psolt.com/helpful-resources.html


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