Reelfoot style (metal reed) calls have been around for over 100 years now. Before there were injection molded (Arkansas style) calls generally available there were metal reed calls that were commercially manufactured. One commercial call was manufactured under the name "Oscar Quam". Here is my version of the Quam style call:
A little Reelfoot Style call history
- Thread starter FD Roe
- Start date
Fred
Nice. By coincidence I picked up an Oscar Quam at auction. I'm currently waiting for it in the mail. How are you cutting the tapered shape? A dedicated jig?
Nice. By coincidence I picked up an Oscar Quam at auction. I'm currently waiting for it in the mail. How are you cutting the tapered shape? A dedicated jig?
Eric, I cut the taper on my benchtop milling machine. I bought a cheap dividing head off eBay and then milled the sides of the base so they were 90 degrees to the base. I just clamp the dividing head in my milling vise and set the taper angle depending on the length of the call barrel. The dividing head has a 5C collet, so I just install my call barrel mandrel to hold the call barrel and mill away the excess wood.
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RM Anderson
Well-known member
How difficult are these types of calls to use?
RM
A little more history! My Dad was at the local hardware store when I guy named Earl Dennison came in selling duck calls from the trunk of his car (mid 1950's). My Dad bought one and brought it home to me. I tried to blow the call and finally gave up and put the thing in a drawer where it stayed until I had sons of my own and carried them to Reelfoot for a guided duck hunt. On a hunch I carried the call along and showed it to our Guide. He could not blow it either, so he took it apart installed a new reed, tuned it and it blew just fine! The original reed was 0.010" thick and not tuned probably my fault.
Reelfoot calls that are properly tuned are easy to blow. They sound like a duck! You do not have to grunt into a Reelfoot call like you do an Arkansas style. Just a different style of calling. A full size Reelfoot call is loud, real loud and work well on big open water, but they can also be blown soft for close in decoying ducks. I usually hunt with both an Arkansas style and a Reelfoot on my lanyard. They sound enough different that the ducks love one on some days and the other on another day. Just a different bullet for the gun so to speak. I have found the Reelfoot style particular effective over in the Mississippi Delta where most hunters are blowing an Arkansas style call. Gadwalls in particular seem to like the Reelfoot call.
Reelfoot calls that are properly tuned are easy to blow. They sound like a duck! You do not have to grunt into a Reelfoot call like you do an Arkansas style. Just a different style of calling. A full size Reelfoot call is loud, real loud and work well on big open water, but they can also be blown soft for close in decoying ducks. I usually hunt with both an Arkansas style and a Reelfoot on my lanyard. They sound enough different that the ducks love one on some days and the other on another day. Just a different bullet for the gun so to speak. I have found the Reelfoot style particular effective over in the Mississippi Delta where most hunters are blowing an Arkansas style call. Gadwalls in particular seem to like the Reelfoot call.
I agree - not difficult at all if well-tuned, and I also sense they can make a difference when all the competition is using Ark-style calls.
Mark Belknap
Member
I use Reelfoot style calls here in coastal Virginia. Out by the Bay and Ocean they carry well. Most everyone in my area uses Ark-style calls. I have one full size Reelfoot that calls very softly for timbered ponds
RM Anderson
Well-known member
That is what I am looking for; a soft calling Reelfoot for sheltered water.
Does anyone know of a maker of such calls?
RM
Fred's are great, I'd start there. If he's still making them for sale, Bear (Benjamin) Lyle makes an excellent call - his site is/was bearkraft.com, I think. In general, I find that you can make most reelfoot calls work in both wide open water and tighter spaces by just changing how much air you put through it - though "softer" hardwoods (cedars and the like) will tend to go lower than hard/dense hardwoods (cocobolos, rosewoods/blackwoods, ebonies, bois d'arc, hard maple, etc.) or stabilized woods. Walnuts are a good, balanced, middle ground, in my opinion.
Mark Belknap
Member
The softer calling Reelfoot I have was made by Kelly Gadus. Made of reclaimed lighter weight chestnut. My osage, cocobolo, and maple from Kelly are much louder
