How to Choose a Duck Call

Molded Plastic Duck Calls

These are typically the least expensive calls to produce and their sale price reflects this. These calls will definitely get you through a season but because they’re not carved out of a solid piece of plastic they’re less dense and are more likely to produce less-consistent tones. 

Wood Duck Calls

Wooden duck calls produce great natural tones that tend to change a bit over time. The tone typically changes because calls are used in wet environments and are frequently in a state of expanding and contracting (either due to weather or wet/dry cycles).

If you want a call that is going to last a lifetime, acrylic is probably a safer bet but wood duck calls are great in their ability to mimic natural duck sounds. That said, a properly maintained wooden duck call can also last a really long time if you don’t abuse it. 

Acrylic Duck Calls

Acrylic duck calls are the densest and most durable calls out of the three materials discussed. These calls are typically carved from a single piece of acrylic and if cared for properly (or not lost) will last a lifetime. Acrylic calls produce a consistent tone that can carry farther than any of the other call types. 

Because acrylic is a more dense and durable material, this is reflected in the price of the call. 

Environment and Call Selection

Industry standards would suggest that you’d want a quieter call for timbered environments and a louder call for open waters and fields. However, call selection should be made on a situational basis. 

For example, John Stephens, many times, will choose a quieter call in an open field to make it more difficult for a duck to key in on his location. Typically when hunting in an open field, you don’t have much cover and a really loud call will give away your location. 

Hunting pressure also has a big influence on duck behavior and therefore call selection. In areas with lots of hunting pressure, quieter calls will be advantageous as they’re less likely to spook ducks (in this situation ducks are more likely to be naturally quieter) so we’re trying to mimic this behavior. 

Selecting a quiet call vs a loud call also can be decided by what type of birds are you hunting. If you are calling at migrating ducks or ducks traveling between locations, or even competing with lots of hunters in a public area it would be good to have a loud call to reach, break, and compete with other ducks and hunters so you can get their attention. 

If you are hunting ducks that are already coming to your area then less calling is needed, and a lot of times less is more in coaxing a bird that is already coming to your area. A quiet call helps to sweet talk him or her to your exact location rather than risking running a bird off.

How Many Duck Calls Do You Need?

John Stephens recommends having at least two or three calls on your lanyard for a given hunting environment. When hunting mallards, he’ll typically run two or three calls specifically for mallards and a whistle for his dog and pintails, widgeon, and teals. 

Having two or three calls lets you respond to your hunting environment and bird behavior appropriately. Having a variety of call ranges (loud, quiet, raspy, smooth) allows you to react to how the birds are behaving in a given day. Only having one call would be limiting and you might not be able to maximize on your opportunities.

Mallard calls are pretty ubiquitous in that most ducks will halfway respond to a mallard call so keeping at least one on your lanyard at all times is never a bad idea when duck hunting. When snow goose or speck hunting the same recommendation may apply (i.e. having 2-3 calls for the specific species you’re hunting).

Duck Call Tuning

Sometimes a call may need to be tuned to a user depending on the type of sound a call is producing. If you find your call squeaking when blowing air into it, more often than not, it’s an issue with reed length or the cork-wedge is loose (not tightly seated). 

The longer a reed is, the deeper sounding it will be and the more air is needed to operate the call. If you’re finding it difficult to gather the appropriate amount of air to make the desired call, the reed can be trimmed down. 

If finer adjustment is needed to your call, your toneboard or exhaust bore may need work. Do not do this work yourself. Send it back to the manufacturer. With most companies, if this work is done out of house it will void the calls warranty”

How to Care for a Duck Call

The life of your duck calls can be greatly extended with the proper care and attention. Call material will also impact the maintenance schedule with wooden calls needing more attention than plastic and acrylic. 

With wooden duck calls, we’d recommend taking the barrel and stopper out after every hunt so that if it shrinks and swells, it’s not impacting the other components of the call. If you find your wooden duck call isn't performing as expected, you can pull the reed and cork out and use an air compressor to blow out the keg and voice trough. A compressor is ideal as you'll want to minimize the amount of moisture that contacts the internal compontents.

For acrylic and molded plastic calls, you can take the reed out of the call to remove moisture from the call between each hunt and if you find your call not performing as expected all of the internal components can be soaked in a mild soap and water mixture and then rinsed off in between hunts.

Whenever you take apart a duck call, it's best practice to mark the location of your reeds to know how all the various components fit back together. If a call has a reed and cork system, the reeds should be changed out at least once a year, sometimes as many as twice a year depending on how frequently you’re hunting. 

Ready to Check Out Some New Calls?

Pick a call that is appropriate for the environment that you’ll be hunting in, is easy to use for you, and that you like the sound of. Single reed calls are the most dynamic and versatile calls but if you have difficulty making them perform or don’t care that much about mastering a duck call, buy a double or triple reed call. 

The material of the call typically corresponds to price and durability. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for and more expensive calls will typically last longer and produce more consistent, lifelike tones. 

A duck hunter should have 2-3 calls for the species of waterfowl they’re hunting to produce a range of realistic sounds and to appropriately respond to the hunting environment. 

And finally, a well maintained call will last a long time, so take the time to learn how to keep your call clean for the best results. 

Duck Calls