Your Favorite Duck Call and Goose Call

bigshark · 09-06-2001, 06:10 PM

I have always wished my voice was high enough to get a good sound when mouth-calling geese....I sound terrible when I attempt it in the car on the way home after spending a morning in the field with guys that are really good at it...Its not that they sound exactly like a goose, its the fact that the geese seem to love it. I have wondered if it has more to do with volume as the call seems much more effective at long range than flutes etc..I use a homemade tube
with dentist daming material as a diaphram...
it works....For ducks I'm a true die-hard Kumduck fan...............Whats yours? [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Get Bit · 09-06-2001, 06:44 PM

BS,
Great topic ! My favorite duckcall is the Haydels DR85(cheap but effective).I also have a Duck Commander Max. Reacher that I'm quite fond of. My goose call of choice right now is the Primos Shaved Reed Canada. Have my eyes on a Foiles Straight Meat Migrator. Just dont have the nerve to throw out the $150.00 yet. Have blown one and they are one of the best. Also want to try one of the new Flextone calls from Wiley Duck. I played with one for few at the waterfowl festival and it sounded sweet. The call thing is just like fishing rods, one is not enough !!

Get Bit

Dogfish · 09-06-2001, 07:01 PM

That must be why I ahave enough calls to fill three lanyards.

Tilla · 09-06-2001, 10:40 PM

Many of my goose hunting buddies including me use the Tim Grounds Half Breed (about $60)for Sauvie island geese. It doesn't have the low honk. I did try his short magnum (about $125)and it was identical and sweet. I did get a Foiles last winter at the sportsmans show but have yet to use it. It sounds incredible, loud and distinct and easy to operate.
My favorite duck call is an old all ebony Iverson wrapped with elecrtical tape due to a barrel split I got 20+ years ago. Chipped the original reed last season last season and have been unhappy since. The changed reeds some time ago and the replacement just aren't the same. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Jellyhead · 09-07-2001, 12:46 PM

I'd second the tim grounds half breed for calling in tav's and cacks. When I blow that and my buddy chimes in on a Long River (I think that's it?) flute, it equals dead geese. That grounds call has awesome volume and doesn't take too much wind to blow.

I used to us a knight and hale double cluck. Good sounding, versitale, but just about blew a lung out trying to use that thing.

As for duck calls go......Let's just say I'm better off not calling than calling. Except for my pinnie whistle. Regular mallard calls don't seem to work for me. I do better just setting a good set of deeks where the birds want to be and lay off the calling.

Aaron

Lured In · 09-10-2001, 01:13 PM

I grew up calling with Olt wood calls and have never been able to bring myself to spend more than $30 on a call. My favorite duck call is the cut down version of the Haydel's DR85. It is has good volume, is easy to blow and can get very raspy when needed.

For geese, I don't have a clear favorite. I still blow the first Olt call my Dad gave me and have since bought the Lohman flute. The flute is just okay, and on cold days you have to keep it warm or it won't hit the low notes.

jet · 09-11-2001, 01:38 PM

It used to be the Hadel Doubble reed Mallard but now it is the Red Leg mallard all the way...

The call does it all, lots of sound when you need it and can blow soft when they are in close. The feed call with this call even makes me lookin for dinner

Jet~~~

RipDatLip · 09-11-2001, 04:42 PM

Big River Long Honker Goose Call in walnut. This goose call realy turns geese to look at our decoys. When my uncle and I start calling together it almost always calls them within range. Unless the decoys where set wrong. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

For pintail and widgeon I use the Wingsetter Eight-In-One Game Call. Doesn't do much for mallards. The widgeon do go crazy over this call. I would also have to say I have never use it for quail.

At this time I still don't have a quality mallard call. I have tried the Sure-Shot Yetzen Duck Call, Faulk's Delux WA33 Duck Call, and some others I can't remeber the names of. I guess I will be looking for suggestion from posts.

Matt

HarpMan · 09-18-2001, 08:59 PM

As a relatively new caller I have become fond of the Bill Saunders Delrin and Tim Grounds Magnum calls. Dave Smith from North Plains has an instructional CD out and soon another available from flocknocker.com that is very helpful. The Wiley Duck Flextone double reed was chosen by DU as a have to have call... Available at Bob's in Longview.

Baldpate Basher · 09-19-2001, 06:40 AM

Hey Bigshark,
I'm not much on callin' Geese but I can hold my own when it comes to ducks. I've been huntin' these past three years with Cap'in Dan and this year he got me back into fishin'.
Anyway, I'm from Baltimore Maryland and my brother is a six time Maryland and three time Pennsylvania champion duck caller. What does that mean about me? Not much, but I have learned how.
So getting back to the point, My fav duck call in the Haydel's adjustable Red leg . With one of those you can sound more like a flock and not like just another hunter. Thay are easy to use and they evan look cool! Great little call.
Now I just have to have someone teach me how to call Geese!

bigshark · 09-19-2001, 10:22 PM

Baldpate
The H-Redleg seems to have a following here in the N.W. Do you have much tuning range with the reed or do you need to leave it as it come in the package? Is it in need of drying after heavy use? My Kumduck needed a lot of tuning and had to go thru a full box of them at G.I. Joes to find only one that would tune to what I wanted. Reeds and corks
are not a problem to obtain but it goes thru them fairly often. Are replacement reeds available or are they not necessary for the Redleg?

Whats your take on this Jet? I will always use my Kumduck but I like to try others. I also like to have a couple in my pocket so other hunters on the LC Refuge think their are more of us than just me. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]