Remembering the years by looking at the calls.

[LI-Jack]

I know this page started with duck boats, and morphed into a lot of other aspects of duck hunting. The carvers corner, what’s on the work bench and more. I recently dug into my pile of calls that stirred so many memories of growing up (and old). All the calls were used at one point in my life from the quail call, when quail use to be all over Long Island. Practicing on crows in the off season and using the deer grunt call when the archery gene took hold.

All great mementos but the best were using the duck and goose calls. I’d buy them up from time to time, when I had som extra cash. I even found a few modest call makers on this page, Dave Larsen and M.L Bob which flank that green duck commander call. I would spend hours off season calling in the garage. Getting them to sound good to me , maybe the ducks thought differently, but some did get fooled. Last week I got an invite to hunt a goose field out east and I grabbed the lanyard and threw my favorite Lares call in the bag. It was the first time in over a year that I went out for ducks and geese, so I was excited. The morning was slow but I got to call in a few birds (canada geese and mallards). My shooting could have been better, but just the few hours in the field got the waterfowl gene to kick into overdrive. I’m hoping it was enough to keep me gunning into the future seasons, fingers crossed .

Do we have any members turning calls these days?

 

[Clinton John]

The only duck and goose calls I have ever owned.

I turned 44 last month on the 19th.

Got the dr-85 when I was pre teen driving age, if I take the tape off it, it's a million spider cracks and wouldn't take much to make it fall apart. Grandfather bought it for me and taught me how to call and do the Cajun squeal.

Bought the single reed and 6n1 whistle around the 1995 time frame.

The black and green call is the best speakabelly goose call ever made. It's a P.S. OlT fox/coyote call that I retuned for calling specks. Got it around the same time frame as my single reed duck call and the 6n1 whistle.

The lanyard holding the duck calls is my original lanyard, I have changed the springs out a few times.

You might ask. Where are my bands? Well they are in a jar, on the top shelf of my work station in my barn. Never was one to show off lil pieces of shiny metal on my lanyards. Dang sure not trying to string over 200 hundred plastic goose neck bands around my neck either

 

[LI-Jack]

The only duck and goose calls I have ever owned.

I turned 44 last month on the 19th.

Got the dr-85 when I was pre teen driving age, if I take the tape off it, it's a million spider cracks and wouldn't take much to make it fall apart. Grandfather bought it for me and taught me how to call and do the Cajun squeal.

Bought the single reed and 6n1 whistle around the 1995 time frame.

The black and green call is the best speakabelly goose call ever made. It's a P.S. OlT fox/coyote call that I retuned for calling specks. Got it around the same time frame as my single reed duck call and the 6n1 whistle.

The lanyard holding the duck calls is my original lanyard, I have changed the springs out a few times.

You might ask. Where are my bands? Well they are in a jar, on the top shelf of my work station in my barn. Never was one to show off lil pieces of shiny metal on my lanyards. Dang sure not trying to string over 200 hundred plastic goose neck bands around my neck either

Happy birthday! You just reminded me of my DR-85, I had one and it’s probably in one of my field bags in the garage. Or the marsh monstera ate it up and I never noticed. We rarely get bands, and the ones we do get become memories to buy breakfast for those in the blind. We have a blind rule when a banded bird is shot, they have to buy breakfast or lunch for the group. It eliminated those guys who say “I got that” for every bird falling from the sky. It started when me and 2 friends were alternating shots at cupping mallards. They shot 4 before I dropped one because I was in the middle.The next bird that came in they tell me to shoot (they felt pity because I hadn‘t taken a shot) they never killed a banded duck and the one they let me shoot was banded. That steamed them because it was an easy shot that they could have taken. So instead of having two grumpy friends I made the rule that whoever kills the bird with the band buys breakfast for the blind! We all got to enjoy a good after hunt meal. I’m closing in on 58 years old now, been hunting ducks since I was 14 with the same group of friends. took about 10 years off from hunting, I got injured and it took the wind out of my sails. Every once in awhile if I’m up to it I’ll go out with them, they always invite me.

I am hoping next season I’ll get the sneakbox ready, and get back out. Buy a call once a year for your birthday

 

[FD Roe]

Yes, I make a few Reelfoot style metal reed calls every year. Used to moderate a Reelfoot forum on another internet site until it went over to Facebook. Loved teaching others to make the Reelfoot style calls! Our Tutorial section has one of my call making tutorials you can read.

Fred

 

[William Reinicke]

I know this page started with duck boats, and morphed into a lot of other aspects of duck hunting. The carvers corner, what’s on the work bench and more. I recently dug into my pile of calls that stirred so many memories of growing up (and old). All the calls were used at one point in my life from the quail call, when quail use to be all over Long Island. Practicing on crows in the off season and using the deer grunt call when the archery gene took hold.

All great mementos but the best were using the duck and goose calls. I’d buy them up from time to time, when I had som extra cash. I even found a few modest call makers on this page, Dave Larsen and M.L Bob which flank that green duck commander call. I would spend hours off season calling in the garage. Getting them to sound good to me , maybe the ducks thought differently, but some did get fooled. Last week I got an invite to hunt a goose field out east and I grabbed the lanyard and threw my favorite Lares call in the bag. It was the first time in over a year that I went out for ducks and geese, so I was excited. The morning was slow but I got to call in a few birds (canada geese and mallards). My shooting could have been better, but just the few hours in the field got the waterfowl gene to kick into overdrive. I’m hoping it was enough to keep me gunning into the future seasons, fingers crossed .

Do we have any members turning calls these days?



View attachment 63119

That lares and gumbo call are a thing of beauty. Beautiful collection sir. I never encourage anyone to sell of their collection but if you ever consider moving either, I would be very interested.

 

[LI-Jack]

Yes, I make a few Reelfoot style metal reed calls every year. Used to moderate a Reelfoot forum on another internet site until it went over to Facebook. Loved teaching others to make the Reelfoot style calls! Our Tutorial section has one of my call making tutorials you can read.

FredView attachment 63125

Very Nice work! I saw a post by Eric on the ”how to build a Reelfoot call“. I’m not that talented but always feel it’s important to know and understand the work that goes into making, and tuning these calls.

I’ll send you a pm in the future. As I got older I started looking for small batch call makers.

 

[LI-Jack]

That lares and gumbo call are a thing of beauty. Beautiful collection sir. I never encourage anyone to sell of their collection but if you ever consider moving either, I would be very interested.

Thank you. It’s funny but I hardly ever sell calls, mostly misplace them from time to time. I did sell decoys, and boats but never the calls. Probably because they took up the most space.

I noticed you were looking for a Mark Weedman call, I think those calls are so wild! You have to be careful with those Lares calls, as you are aware. I look for those 3 panel calls now a days because I feel they are less likely to be a fake. Sadly that has what it’s become, even with hunting equipment ( knives, calls, etc ) the counterfeiting is tough to identify.

 

[William Reinicke]

Thank you. It’s funny but I hardly ever sell calls, mostly misplace them from time to time. I did sell decoys, and boats but never the calls. Probably because they took up the most space.

I noticed you were looking for a Mark Weedman call, I think those calls are so wild! You have to be careful with those Lares calls, as you are aware. I look for those 3 panel calls now a days because I feel they are less likely to be a fake. Sadly that has what it’s become, even with hunting equipment ( knives, calls, etc ) the counterfeiting is tough to identify.

Ya I have a bad habit of never selling any of my calls either. I would move enough to get my hands on a couple of bad wants though. Also, I seem to give more away than sell off but has to be the right reason. I think the last call I gave away was a burnt hedge tim grounds super mag, a guy had one stolen from him when someone stole his decoy trailer. The hurt you could see in that guy hurt me, and although I couldnt replace the bands or the decoys or the memories, it was just something I could help replace to try my best to alleviate some of the pain. He was pretty appreciative of that.

You know, ive always had that philosophy of what goes around comes around, and like 3 months later I landed on a lanyard for sale for $80. What caught my attention was the super mag was all wood, even the band was wood. Pretty odd, and then it had a couple echo duck calls that I didnt have in my collection. I figured for $80 it was mine, just for the replacement of the super mag and being kind of a different looking version. When I got that call, it was hand signed by tim himself. Kind of a cool replacement, but that burnt hedge was a runner and had just the best sound on geese.

Mark weedmans are cool. Just the coolness around them and being one of the very first to turn acrylic, and then to put them all together in a way that micarta is made, he was kind of the pioneer of it all. So I like that history. I have had the opportunity to blow a couple and they would never make the lanyard lol.

As far as lares, I definitely off loaded 90% of mine because of the unfortunate fake distribution of them. I do think they have that all pretty well under control now, but its a shame. I love the tri-panel you have, and its one I have been after for awhile. Its not one I have to have, but its definitely one that I will end up with one day. I am a hunter of many things, and if patient enough, I alway seem to find one that I am looking for. I am also an investor of many things, so I think sometimes I enjoy hunting the right deals more than the product itself. My RNT OSDC collection is a prime example of that. Last time I was made an offer, it was around 5k to sell 3 calls. I just dont have a reason to sell, but I also dont have a plan for them either. My luck, I will die and someone will come in and sell them for a small fraction of their worth. Fine by me, ill be dead, but I truly hope I find a youngin who is as passionate about fowl as I am and I can offload them for what I feel is a fair trade and know they went to a good home.

Thanks for sharing, I love seeing a good duck call collection.