Duck calls are a cornerstone of duck hunting, an age-old practice blending skill and tradition. Whether you’re an experienced hunter or a novice, understanding duck calls can significantly improve your chances of success in the field. Let’s explore the world of duck calling, covering techniques and tips to attract more waterfowl. Or, if you’re like some people, you may just want to annoy your family and friends.
Understanding Duck Calls
A duck call mimics the sounds ducks make, ranging from quacks and feeding calls to hail calls, each serving a specific purpose. The goal is to communicate with ducks, convincing them that your area is safe and meets their needs for food, safety, and companionship.
Choosing the Right Duck Call
With many duck calls on the market, selecting the right one can feel overwhelming. Here’s a breakdown to guide you:
- Single Reed Calls: Versatile calls that produce a wide range of sounds, but require more skill to use effectively.
- Double Reed Calls: Easier for beginners, these calls produce a raspier sound, closely mimicking a mallard’s quack.
- Material Matters: Duck calls are commonly made from wood, acrylic, or a combination. Wooden calls offer a softer, more natural tone, ideal for calm days and close-range calling, while acrylic calls are louder and better for windy days or open waters.
Essential Duck Sounds to Master
- The Basic Quack: Your go-to sound, a short, sharp call ducks use frequently. Consistency in tone and volume is key. Practice until you can produce a clear, crisp quack. Novice callers should learn the basic quack first, which allows other calls to come more naturally. Hold the call in your nonshooting hand, and place the small end of the call toward your mouth, holding it with your thumb and index finger. Create a seal against the edge of the call as if you were drinking from a soda bottle. Start with the tip of your tongue pressed up against the back of your bottom teeth and then push air through the call.
- The Hail Call: Used to attract distant ducks, this call is loud and carries over long distances. It starts with a high volume and gradually decreases, requiring a lot of air and control.
- The Feed Call: Mimics ducks feeding, creating a sense of security for incoming ducks. It’s a series of soft, fast quacks that can be tricky but highly effective.
Techniques for Successful Duck Calling
- Reading the Lake: Pay attention to how ducks respond to your calls. If they approach confidently, continue what you’re doing. If they seem hesitant or spooked, change your calls or lower the volume. Watch the birds’ reactions carefully when calling to the first flights of the morning. Determine whether you need to tease them in or demand that they come to the decoys, as some ducks are susceptible to calling, while others are going where they’re going regardless of how well you call.
- Mix It Up: Don’t stick to one call. Ducks aren’t robots; they use various calls depending on the situation. Varying your calls more accurately mimics real duck behavior.
- Practice Makes Perfect: Proficiency in duck calling comes with practice. Dedicate time to practicing your calls before the season begins. Record yourself to critique and improve your technique.
Field Tips for Duck Calling
- Early Bird Gets the Duck: Set up early in the morning when ducks are most active. Being ready to call at dawn can make a significant difference.
- Stay Concealed: Even with perfect calling, ducks will steer clear if they spot you. Use natural cover or a well-camouflaged blind.
- Pair Calls with Decoys: While calls grab attention, decoys convince ducks they’re heading to a safe, social spot. Combining visual and auditory stimuli can greatly increase your success.
Duck Calling Insights
- Calling Basics: If you want to be a great caller, you need to master the basics first.
- Air Control: Use your diaphragm and force air into the call as if you’re singing from the deepest part of your belly.
Vocalize: If it helps, you can say a word such as hut or quit*.
Distinct Ending: Give your quack a distinct ending with a pronounced k* at the end.
- Communicate: You have to know how to talk to different groups of ducks.
- Greeting Call: Use the greeting call, a series of five to seven steady, even notes that starts strong and high and gets lower and slightly softer at the end, when you first see ducks at a distance.
- Comeback Call: Use a comeback call, a short and fast call with rapid, pleading notes, when you’ve got a group of ducks that acts like they want to decoy but haven’t committed.
- Multiple Callers: Having two or three callers working together at the same time is often more effective than a single caller.
- Lock Leader: Look for the “lock leader,” the one bird in a passing flock that shows the most interest in your highballs and comeback calls. If you can convince that duck to lock her wings and circle back, her companions will likely follow.
- Imitate: If a working hen calls down to your spread, quickly imitate her call to encourage her to join the “ducks” on the water.
- Calling is Unnecessary: As long as the ducks are coming in, forget calling.
- Mix Sounds: Remember your whistle and mix these sounds in with your mallard call.
- Team Calling: When team calling, one person should be the leader while the others just fill in, and don’t compete against yourselves.
- Change: If what you are doing isn’t working – CHANGE!
How to Make a Simple Duck Call
Here are the steps to make a simple duck call:
- Gather the necessary materials, including a dowel and a piece of hardwood.
- Drill through the center of the dowel with a 1/4″ drill bit.
- Drill through the hardwood with a 5/8″ hole saw.
- Ensure the holes are centered and straight.
- Take a deep breath, put the pointed end of a straw in your mouth, and blow hard into the straw. If all goes well, you should hear a somewhat silly sound.
Conclusion
Mastering the art of the duck call requires time, patience, and practice. Pay attention to the ducks’ behavior, adapt your calls accordingly, and don’t be afraid to experiment. With the right techniques and a bit of persistence, you’ll be well on your way to attracting more waterfowl and enjoying successful hunts.