Number of calls needed/and best

[MALLARDBUSTER]

PRIMOS WENCH OF ANY KIND ,BUT THE COCABOLA WENCHIS MY PREFERENCE. I ALSO HAVE A DUCK COMMANDER MALLARD DRAKE GRUNT.

[gwall]

2 calls and a whistle - echo timber double reed is the easiest best sounding call out there - go the refuge forums site and ask the same question - it is a national site with 1000's of members - you will get more testomonials about RNT and Echo - thats how i settled on the echo timber doulble reed

[twarren]

way too many calls to be fooling with. I have three calls on my lanyard. two mallard and a haydel multi purpose whisle. I blow primarly one mallard call and use the other one as a back up in case the main call gets wet or sticks. Greys will respond to the mallard call. Use the two calls your are most comfortable blowing. If want to challenge yourself, learn how to call with the P.S. Olt keyhole with a cut down reed.

[h2o_dog]

Everything I know about duck calls:

I only take one (1) call and one (1) whistle on my lanyard. I have a backup call in my bag in case the primary breaks beyond repair. I call with my mouth when they're in close. No one else in my blind calls, and the lone call approach has worked well this year (compared to blinds close by with multiple callers and calls).

I'm currently blowing a Shane Roten acrylic that was a gift. Its a sweet call with alot of "duck" finesse potential - a little on the LOUD side, but I like it. I usually prefer bois d'arc calls, since acrylics seem to stick more, and I'm a terrible slobberer. Before the Roten my lanyard bore a Roy Rhodes bois d'arc Huntin' Buddy (last year), before that (7 years ago)a Rich-n-Tone, and before that (15 years ago) a factory unmodified Olt-D2. I am confident that ducks will respond as well to the $6 Olt as they will a $125 Roten.

Its who's behind the call that counts, and just because someone can sound identical to a Buck Gardner tape does not mean that person can call WARY ducks to the gun.

There is a fine art to actually calling wary ducks that defies scientific explanation. Those whose posess such artistic skills may understand what those skills are, but they can't (even if they wanted to) tell someone else how to duplicate them. They may not even be aware that they have them.

On the right day at the right place a 4 year old with a party horn can call ducks and put them on the water in the dekes. But when the ducks get wary they will respond to one man's method over another's who (to you and me) sounds identical. The ducks can tell some slight difference, and they will respond to one man's music over another's - today, tomorrow and the next day. Thats what makes some folks meat callers. I don't claim to be one, but I know of one or two, and it is almost impossible to call ducks off them.

[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: h2o_dog ]

[magnum]

I wear 3 calls, but only use 1 of them 95% of the time. My main call (for now) is a Haydels Red Leg. My other two are a 6 in 1 whistle, and a 3 reed custom "homemade" call (made from parts of various other calls). I only use the 3 reed when soft calling is in order(early or when they are working close). I think someone posted earlier that they tape themselves calling, I would agree that this is a good idea. I have done it and you can really hear what it sounds like on the other end of the barrell. Good luck.

MAG

[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: magnum ]