Purchasing new calls for next year... suggestions?

CGeminski

CGeminski

Well-known member
I am going to purchase new calls for next season and now is the time to start my research. Both calls should be acrylic, I am not a fan of wood calls....

I want a good short reed goose call that I can learn to use fairly easily. If anyone went to Tuckerton this past year, there was a call company in the large tent off to the left of the fairgrounds. They were at the back left corner of the tent... anyone know what company that was? Their calls seemed really nice. I am also open to suggestions.

Duck calls I have no idea what I should look for. I hunt mallards & black ducks a lot. I like a call that has a little raspiness too it, that can be blown loud for ducks at long rang, but that I can also tone down for finishing birds.

All of your suggestions would be appreciated.
 
I'm also in the duck call market. I dropped part of my Haydel DR 85 in the marsh on the last day of the season when, for the first time ever, it froze on me.

I'm not much of a caller, so will probably just pick up another Haydel inexpensive call, but am open to suggestions.
 
Just becuase I like it doesn't mean you will, but you asked :-)

I really like my Bay Country Shore Thing goose call

For ducks I am even worse caller than geese but I like my Echo Meat Hanger and trying to learn how to run a JJ Lares Hybrid (its more call than I will even want)


Good luck
 
Can't help you on the goose call. I have killed quite a few the past couple seasons with my $6 haydel honker!

Duck calls I really love the RNTs. I have a old style that really works wonders on black ducks and late season. It is more of a timber call, meaning softer, but works fine for me in the marsh. I also have a RNT original that is a little harsher and loud that I like too.

When it comes to late season and call shy birds I always turn to my duck commander mallard drake.
 
I picked up a used (but pristine) Zink Paralyzer acrylic this season, and I've been really pleased with it. I'm not a championship caller by any means but I've had some good luck with it, it's really easy to break over and I seem to have a pretty easy time doing moans, clucks, spits, and honks. It's on the pricey side new but worth it IMO. As far as duck calls go I really like my Buck Gardner calls, especially the Baby Buck, they are pretty user friendly and sound nice and ducky. Can't beat the trusty old DR-85 either. I also agree on the drake call, I've had good luck on late-season birds with a cheap Buck Gardner 6-in-1 whistle.
 
I am not a fan of wood calls.....
Click to expand...

What's wrong with wood???

IMG_20110201_200230.jpg


Just got this bad boy in the mail today...Dave Shady custom Hedge duck call...8" long!
 
Chris

I've got a custom made wood call. I got off a guy in Minn who makes them. One I paid $30 for the other $40. They sound great and are cool looking since no 2 are alike. PM me or e mail me if you want the guys info

Sab
 
For duck calls, my go-to call is the Prime Meat by Hobo calls. Kent Cullum makes a NASTY call. This thing gets ridiculously quiet for finishing birds but also has great volume. I back that up with a Southern game calls Nasty Boy...that call is really whiney and snotty but doesn't have the top end volume like the Prime Meat.

For geese I use a winglock delrin and a Harrod wood call. They both sound great and give me good range, but I really don't hunt geese that much. Maybe 4-5 times a year.
 
I've owned a lot of duck calls over the years and this year while hunting up in Arkansas the barrel of my best call fell out into the rice field and I couldn't find it. I was going to drive up to Stuttgart to Rich N Tone and pick one of those up but I passed by a sporting goods store just south of Pine Bluff and they had a nice selection of calls. I blew all the calls they had and really liked the tone of one of the Killer Kallz and got one of those. Southern Breeze series; I got the double reed version. It took a while for it to stick and when it did I squirted some Rain-X on it, hasn't stuck since. Probably the best call I've ever owned.

Ed.
 
ed you know stopping in and blowing all the community demo calls in a little store in sourthern arkansas is a good way to contract something that will make your lips fall off
 
Yeah I know Kris, I actually thought about that and wished I had an alcohol prep with me! Anyway I was in that little store 30 minutes blowing all their duck calls. Little store, nice folks, and lots of duck calls that's Arkansas for ya.

Ed.
 
If you'r willing to try a wood call you might pick up an old Earl Dennison. They have a real raspy tone. You could always buy and lathe and mill and make your own:)) This of how much money you'll save! That was my excuse.
 
If you do not want to go overboard on purchasing a new call I would recommend a Knight and Hale Double Cluck Plus...I have blown "the" same call for over 20 years...Now I do have some others that hang around my neck that cost 4x that call...But the one thing about the Double Cluck Plus is that you can make so many more sounds than what you hear out of a standard exhale blown short reed...It allows you to inhale and exhale...It is one of the original designs of a modified short reed of the big name callers of the 80s...

It is my go to call when hunting...There will be a learning curve in learning the calls but as you learn to blow it you can actually sound like a flock of geese instead of one or two geese...When hunting with people you can be the "filler" caller by adding tones and notes that other callers will not be able to produce through their calls...

I highly recommend the call...It will take time to learn it and you will probably want to throw it away at first but once you learn it, you'll wonder why you had not had the call before hand...The reed can be adjusted to your sound preference...I actually moved my reed about .020" forward a bit giving me a higher tone...But can still get the deep gut clucks of a goose...And it is loud when you need it...

Regards,

Kristan
 
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