Duck calls

[Homebrew454]

With my son, Ethan, turning 12 and an loving to eat ducks I'm looking to get back into duck hunting. My buddy who had the boat and all the equipment moved. Just looking to get a couple of calls. Looking for recommendations.

I was looking at Lifetime Decoys for my decoys. Pretty certain I'm getting those with a some Mojos.

Only hunting puddle ducks in this area with mallards being the largest population in the area.

Thanks

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[Nutterbuster]

So fair warning, I've never killed a mallard. But it's a goal of mine this year and I've spent a lot of time reading, buying, and blowing.

I have a haydel dr 85 and a duck commander triple threat. Both are pretty easy to blow and hard to screw up. The triple threat is IMPOSSIBLE to make squeal and it blows even if sopping wet. It is kinda loud and nasally though. The haydel is quite, not as raspy, but sounds ducky to me. I'd recommend either/both since they're both under 20 bucks.

Also, I suck at quaking. I got better after buying the art of commanding ducks and watching some of the early duckmen videos. I can't stand the later, reality TV stuff, but Phil and jase can call ducks. Their wood duck call makes the hair stand up on my neck. That was actually my first call, because we have billions of wood ducks down here.

You mentioned your son. For kids and folks like me who ain't the best at the quackin (we're quacker-lackin') a wood duck drake call or a 6 in 1 whistle is good. I have spent some time really paying attention to the ducks that live at the ramp by my house and that drake buzz is probably half of their chatter, the rest being little quacks and feeding sounds.

I'm carrying a triple threat, a gadwall call (that's 40% of our state harvest here, compared to less than a 2% average on mallards) a wood duck call, and a whistle this year. That lets me call pretty much everything I can expect to see. Mostly woodies and gadwal.

I have a mojo, but hardly use it. I really favor a jerk rig because you can go from barely making ripples to making waves. Fits in a coat pocket. I make mine a bit different from most folks. Happy to post it up if you're interested.

 

[Gator]

I can't blow a duck call to save my life. I still shoot plenty of ducks. I limited out on mallards every hunt last year, 2 mallard a day limit....sad. I just have to do more scouting homework and put myself where the ducks are wanting to be anyway. Said all of that to basically follow this thread, maybe there's a call for retards like myself

 

[Squirrels]

I've been chasing mallards since I was big enough to tie my shoes and wipe my butt. Waterfowl calls come down to a lot of personal prefrence and calling style. I'm a single reed snob. I can just do more on a single reed. I'm gonig to be blunt, if it comes of wrong I don't apologize. Anyone who says they prefer a double reed over a single simply have not learned how to call yet. I've got tons of calls and at one time I loved each of them till I found something I like better. Just pick a quality single reed and learn to blow it....go from there.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I've been chasing mallards since I was big enough to tie my shoes and wipe my butt. Waterfowl calls come down to a lot of personal prefrence and calling style. I'm a single reed snob. I can just do more on a single reed. I'm gonig to be blunt, if it comes of wrong I don't apologize. Anyone who says they prefer a double reed over a single simply have not learned how to call yet. I've got tons of calls and at one time I loved each of them till I found something I like better. Just pick a quality single reed and learn to blow it....go from there.

How ya feel about triple reeds?

I empathize with @Gator. I've been practicing and think I sound better, but I still don't have the confidence I think i'd need to actually blow at a duck. Luckily we have mostly gadwals and a gadwal cal is MUCH easier to work.

I can and have called woodies, but the best medicine is being where they want to be already and being hid good. I can kill ducks with no dekes and no calls, and honestly I sometimes think my success is higher when I just focus on finding birds.

 

[Gator]

I can and have called woodies, but the best medicine is being where they want to be already and being hid good. I can kill ducks with no dekes and no calls, and honestly I sometimes think my success is higher when I just focus on finding birds.

I do better when I hunt by myself as well. I believe its just from more focus on hunting versus chatting and moving around. Less heads moving looking for birds, less movement in general.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I do better when I hunt by myself as well. I believe its just from more focus on hunting versus chatting and moving around. Less heads moving looking for birds, less movement in general.

Dude, we have some absolute yahoos down here. I used to commute back and forth over the bay and you could see 4 or five guys standing around a cypress tree with 2 dozen mallards (again, that's maybe 2% of our reported harvest) and a couple of mojos.

If i can see you 200 yards away doing 80mph on the interstate, how the heck do you think a duck can miss you?

Although, I have thought about a different approach. A coral or seafood green fishing shirt and a big, white bay boat. Those things are duck magnets. I could probably put an Abu Garcia on my mossberg and fool the heck out of them.

 

[Deltahuntr]

I will agree with Nutterbuster on the Haydels DR85 mallard call. That’s the call I used to learned to call ducks. It’s not thunderous loud, requires less air with the double reeds and smaller barrel. The DR85 will produce a nice humble feeding call for coaxing those timid birds to the decoys. If you want a easy to blow mallard call that gets raspy, squealy and all sorts of ducky feeding noises look at the Haydels DRS 88. It’s easy to blow like the DR85 but is made to sound like a duck with a throat full of grain. The gadwall calls are easy to blow without all the different sounds call techniques, essentially just quack. I would also recommend the Haydels W81 wood duck squealer if you have wood ducks in the area. It’s simple, gives other birds a sense of security and says “Hey y’all there’s food over here” all at the same time. Don’t over complicate calling birds! Sometimes just a quack or short 3-4 note comeback call On the DR 85 after they pass you. Good luck, have fun and be safe.

 

[BTaylor]

Working ducks is a hole different ball game than blowin a duck call and making it sound pretty. Seen plenty of guys that sounded plenty good on a call but couldnt work a duck if you gave em a pick up full of shelled corn. Like Squirrel said, get a quality single reed and learn how to blow it but also do what Nutter said and listen to real ducks. Sometimes they want more callin, sometimes less and sometimes they want you to just STHU and turn the safety off. Give'em what they want and shoot em in the face.

 

[Nutterbuster]

he gadwall calls are easy to blow without all the different sounds call techniques, essentially just quack.

I kinda feel blessed that we have gadwalls. They suck at quacking, and don't mind that I do too.

My buddy hunts gadwalls by using what he calls "instant rafts" of coot. Just a large sheet of mesh material with 50 or so Gatorade bottles painted black with white caps on them. He'll put out his "raft" of coots and throw a dozen gadwall dekes along the edge. Gadwall down here like to hide with the coot. He just sits there and doesn't call and does ok.

 

[Squirrels]

Nutter is right in terms of finding where the birds want to be, it makes everything else second fiddle. And Nutter, as far as the triple reed goes.......I'm assuming you kick start that thing as well

 

[Nutterbuster]

Nutter is right in terms of finding where the birds want to be, it makes everything else second fiddle. And Nutter, as far as the triple reed goes.......I'm assuming you kick start that thing as well

It's just a decoy to take the warden's attention off of the Bluetooth speaker I stick in one of the dekes. I play the sounds on my phone. Works a charm.

 

[BTaylor]

It's just a decoy to take the warden's attention off of the Bluetooth speaker I stick in one of the dekes. I play the sounds on my phone. Works a charm.

When I was a young fellow, dad made a dozen decoys that were mounted mallards. Bet that bluetooth deal and some mounted dekes would work real well.

 

[Homebrew454]

Thanks guys for the replies. We'll probably do some jump shooting on rivers and larger creeks on state lands.

I'm holding off on buying a lot of stuff to see how he likes it though before I go hog wild on a spending spree.

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[Nutterbuster]

Thanks guys for the replies. We'll probably do some jump shooting on rivers and larger creeks on state lands.

I'm holding off on buying a lot of stuff to see how he likes it though before I go hog wild on a spending spree.

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Jump shooting woodies is my favorite way to spend a December day. I have thrown several hundred clays out of my one-step thrower this year, fast and low to the ground. I hit 25 out of 25 today on my lunch. I'm ready for those sneaky little boogers.

 

[Homebrew454]

Jump shooting woodies is my favorite way to spend a December day. I have thrown several hundred clays out of my one-step thrower this year, fast and low to the ground. I hit 25 out of 25 today on my lunch. I'm ready for those sneaky little boogers.

Yeah I was my son's age when I jumped a flock of teal. 3 shots fired and not a single teal down. Each time I slapped the trigger the teal I shot at shifted it's flight. Amazing how fast those things are. Got me hooked though.



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[BoHuntsKy]

With my son, Ethan, turning 12 and an loving to eat ducks I'm looking to get back into duck hunting. My buddy who had the boat and all the equipment moved. Just looking to get a couple of calls. Looking for recommendations.

I was looking at Lifetime Decoys for my decoys. Pretty certain I'm getting those with a some Mojos.

Only hunting puddle ducks in this area with mallards being the largest population in the area.

Thanks

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

A Haydell Dr-85 is bombproof and very popular. it is a great call that id highly recommend. Get a 6 n1 whistle so your son feels involved, its hard to mess up a simple drake whsitle. Say dweet real deep and kinda hum it.

 

[BoHuntsKy]

I've been chasing mallards since I was big enough to tie my shoes and wipe my butt. Waterfowl calls come down to a lot of personal prefrence and calling style. I'm a single reed snob. I can just do more on a single reed. I'm gonig to be blunt, if it comes of wrong I don't apologize. Anyone who says they prefer a double reed over a single simply have not learned how to call yet. I've got tons of calls and at one time I loved each of them till I found something I like better. Just pick a quality single reed and learn to blow it....go from there.

Got a mondo?

 

[BoHuntsKy]

How ya feel about triple reeds?

I empathize with @Gator. I've been practicing and think I sound better, but I still don't have the confidence I think i'd need to actually blow at a duck. Luckily we have mostly gadwals and a gadwal cal is MUCH easier to work.

I can and have called woodies, but the best medicine is being where they want to be already and being hid good. I can kill ducks with no dekes and no calls, and honestly I sometimes think my success is higher when I just focus on finding birds.

Facts!

 

[Homebrew454]

I actually found my old duck call going through boxes from our move. It is 30+ year old single reed. I don't remember the manufacturer but it works great. Called in a few to dekes for my son.

He shot about 3/4 box of shells to get 2 teal and a goose. Missed a lot but had fun. Now my daughter wants to go with so I must be doing something right!!!

I'm going to grab a Drake whistle for my son to use. Get him involved. Also trying to convince the wife I need a 16 for John boat.

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