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Someone looking for stocking stuffers asked me if my thoughts had changed on inexpensive duck calls from what I wrote a couple years ago. I guess they have, since what used to be $20 calls are now $35 dollar calls. I still think you can get 95% of the sound of a $130 call for around $30.00 in many cases.

There are a lot more good "inexpensive" calls on the market now, seems to me, than there were a couple years ago, with more people going to poly versions of their cast acrylic calls. Buck Gardner has a slew of them.

These calls still strike me as really, really good calls for the money that kill the snot outta ducks and that most anyone can afford:

Echo Poly Timber (my personal favorite, swap out the rubber for a cork)
Echo Poly Open Water (do a cork swap here, too)
Zink Poly Power Hen
Carlson Equalizer ($30 call that won the worlds, very short reed)
Carlson Volochoke (only duck call with parts you can lose)
Haydels DR 85 (The King of the inexpensive duck killing calls)
Haydels Redleg (same motor as DR85, different chassis, costs more???)
Winglock Poly
RNT Quackhead (seems just like the old Buck Gardner RNTII calls to me)
DC Cut Down Reacher (DC has about 57 different calls now that all seem pretty much the same to me, so I stay with this one)

What other inexpensive calls are worth considering these days?

nice list, been a Haydels man for awhile, never spent over 30 bucks on a call, always losing them or just dont care to spend a bundle....guess im like that with my gun as well, anyway nice list..

Took me yeas to figure out the expensive calls are unnecessary.

With all the calls I got, for some reason I always turn to my ol cheap plastic Buck Gardner call. I dont even think they are 20 bucks.

Original DC is a pretty good souding el cheapo.

I like that Echo poly timber too

dr-88 cajun squealer by haydel

Im more of a wood guy...MallardTone, Foiles and Yentzen all have descent cheap wood models. I like an old Olt D-2 as well...wouldnt take $50 for my DR-85

I've had most of those calls - they are all good meat calls, but I must say that I've been really impressed w/ the Zink Power Hen - Single Reed. A real ducky call, but with soft, smooth highs (for the sweet talkin') and lotsa volume when you need it.

NO CALL around can beat a Haydels. DR-85, Redlegs, Dirty Rice, ALL EXCELLENT CALLS, won't stick on you either!! I only own a couple expensive calls and NONE of them have ever made their way to the duck blind, they stay in my collection!! WHICH consists of an unused DR-85, signed by Eli himself!

redm wrote:I've had most of those calls - they are all good meat calls, but I must say that I've been really impressed w/ the Zink Power Hen - Single Reed. A real ducky call, but with soft, smooth highs (for the sweet talkin') and lotsa volume when you need it.

I like the Power Hen, too. But is sure is funny looking! I think only having one layard "groove" throws me off.

Sandy Creek wrote:I like that Echo poly timber too

Yep its my favorite

Yep, the Zink is not as "traditional" looking as those others!

My favorite is the RNT quackhead.

After many years of trying calls and buying this and that, I've reduced my lanyard down to two calls, DR 85 and Duck Commander mallard drake. I've been through no telling how many DR 85's, carry an extra one everywhere I go. If it breaks, throw it away and buy a new one. If you lose one, no big deal. And will kill the snot out of ducks.