DuckSouth.com

I have been on a couple of guided hunts for both duck and turkey and I have always been unsure about whether or not I should even bring a call. For me one of the most enjoyable things about duck hunting is getting to communicate with the ducks and see them react to something that I did. My question is how do you guys feel about your clients wanting to call along with you? And do you let your clients know ahead of time whether or not it is acceptable for them to call in your blind?
Just wondering. Thanks.

I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE WANTING TO DO THEIR OWN CALLING. IF THEY POSSES THE BASIC SKILLS TO DO SO. I HAVE HAD SOME WERE YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM IN A NICE WAY TO PUT THE CALL UP. IF THEY ARE BEGINNERS I USUALLY WON'T LET THEM

Its your money. Bottom line why should the guide care if you can't call to get the ducks in? You are paying for the opportunity to go someplace where there are birds. If the guide won't let you call and you are payin' for it well I wouldn't go there. Now you would need to make somethig clear that if you didn't kill ducks due to your inability to call you arent gonna hold the guide responsible. I don't hunt with a guide, and I have guided before. I hunt to say I did it myself, this isn't something that happnes with a guided hunt. If i were to go and I couldn't call it would be shooting and not hunting for me. When I guide if someone wants to call that's great, if the don't then no problem either.

If the guide is interested in the success of the hunt and the client is weak in calling, then he should suggest that he should do the calling for best results. If the client still wants to honk that cazoo and the ducks flare, then it's his stupid money spent.

It's the guide participating in the shooting that I disagree with (except helping with a cripple)...unless the client really wants to take home a duck or two and cant shoot and only managed to poke holes in the clouds. However, ducks don't taste good enough to be worth somebody else shooting them for you....it's a good thing they dont taste like quail or pheasant...more folks would want to duck hunt.

I'm speaking from the client's perspective and have been on a guided hunt once and the guide showed up with a gun and proceeded to shoot like he was just another paying customer. It should be like taking a kid on a youth hunt. Location, equipment, instruction.

I guided for 11 years on the Katy Paririe outside of Houston, Tx. (some of the most warriest birds int he world due to pressure) and I have had this come up several times. Jeff said what has to happen, get it clear up front. I have had some damn good callers that knew what to do and when,but I have also had the ones that literally still had the crinks in their lanyards from being new. If they want to call I work with them, if they can't call I let them know they are flaring birds and they usually tell me to go after it.

Ditto the last three. If you want to call, by all means, call.

Wingman

One other thing.A lot of times different people or groups are put together.By all means you should be allowed to call if you paid for the hunt,but not at the the expense of others in a group who also paid.

sportsman

Well said, Jeff.

I have asked a guide on Reelfoot to put HIS call up!!!! I have not been on many pay hunts, mostly only when I had a client who wanted to hunt in Ark., but I have never had a guide say anything about anyone who sounded halfway like a duck putting up there call. I have seen them ask someone to take their half trained hyper jumping bean halfazz trained dog and put him back in the box, to the cheers of everyone else.

I agree with you GulfCoast about the calling up at Realfoot. They do it a lot different up there than anywhere else I have ever been. Hard to get used to.

When I go duck hunting, I go to kill ducks. If I have guests come in to duck hunt, and if they can blow a call and also knowing when to shut up, they can have at it. But if I've got one that's been watching too many stuttgart videos highballing every second, I tell him to put it up or let me readjust the reed to make it sound better.

Its your money. Bottom line why should the guide care if you can't call to get the ducks in? You are paying for the opportunity to go someplace where there are birds. If the guide won't let you call and you are payin' for it well I wouldn't go there. Now you would need to make somethig clear that if you didn't kill ducks due to your inability to call you arent gonna hold the guide responsible. ...To quote Jeff.

I agree,
I have been with groups that have had someone who wants to call, but it doesn't usually last much past the first group of ducks. Most of the time one of there buddies asks to make a PITCH adjustment (if ya' know what I mean. Ha. Ha. ) and that takes care of that. Its there $$ and they need to get what they want out of it. If they want to sound like a scalded cat than so be it, but I am not liable.
On the shooting side, I shoot only when asked and the crips. This keeps them from knowing just how bad a shot I really am.