Learning Duck And Goose Calling

1491 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by builderbob68, Sep 14, 2007

builderbob68

Discussion Starter · Sep 13, 2007

Hey there everyone. As I mentioned in a post where I asked alot of questions, I am new to Utah and Utah hunting. In Montana where I duck hunted, the need for calling in the birds was not necessary. Basically, we just set up the dekes and waited for them to come in, or we went jump shooting.

It sounds like now, I am really going to need to learn how to do duck and goose calling.

So my question is this. Is there some sort of a class I can take, are there some good tapes to listen to? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, what type of duck and goose calls should I get? The variety of ducks here are much more vast then in Montana.

This is a fabulous forum. Thanks everyone for your help!!

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Bret

· #2 · Sep 13, 2007

I will pm you my number. Call me I will teach you the basics of duck. I know nothing of goose talk though I just don't care to hunt geese. So maybe someone else will help you with goose.

Bret

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dkhntrdstn

· #3 · Sep 13, 2007

just get some cd and listen to them on geese and duck calling. there a couple dvd out there that will teach you how to call geese and ducks. Primo has a dvd that can help you. There a lot of people that can teach you in person from this from on both good luck and keep blowing them.

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Donttreadonme

· #4 · Sep 13, 2007

I have used Shawn Stahl's "Honker Talk" video and realy like it for goose calling. I like RNT's "The Right Stuff" trilogy of cd's for duck calling. Brett will be able to help you out but you may still want to get a cd or dvd to help after you have got the basics from Brett.

As far as a call goes I think Brett can also get you started in the right direction for a duck call.

I would suggest geting comfortable with duck calling before you move on to goose calling. There is quite a difference in calling technique between the two and IMO it is easiest learning one at a time.

Good luck and safe hunting!

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caddis8

· #5 · Sep 13, 2007

Knight and Hale has a good video about it. "Double Cluckin for Canada's" is the video. While I don't much care for the "Double Cluck Plus" call, the Magnum Clucker and the tube call are actually pretty useful in my arsenal of calls....

Buy a call, and learn to use it. Practice in your car while you're driving to work. Listen to the CD. But, you have to be careful because there are a lot of bubbas out there that sound just like a CD.

A tip on duck calling, for the most part, less is more. If you can learn soft quacks, content sounds, and some feeding/space calls, you'll be ok. Too often new callers try to talk too much and the ducks get wise to calls, or just ignore the noise coming 25 yards away from the funny looking ducks that aren't moving. Pay more attention to your decoys than your calling, it'll pay off. Get a wistle too....ducks like whistles.

Geese: Learn to cluck. Cluck Cluck Cluck clu-cluck. That is the best learner sound you can make, and pretty easy. Let a few of the more experienced callers you hunt with wail away and turn blue in the face....you can support their calling with clucking. It adds a lot to the dekes...but again, no movement and decoy placement is more important than calling, but I think calling geese plays a bigger role in hunting than ducks....just my opinion.

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Riverrat77

· #6 · Sep 13, 2007

Basic quacks and a whistle.... those were the two most important calls for me last year. On goose calls... well, to be honest, I saw more geese bail out on calling than I did see any come bombing in. I agree with Caddis, less is definitely more, especially in a big public marsh where everyone feels like they have to sound off on their kazoo. When I'm out in the marsh competing with a rest pond, I usually give a couple contented hen quacks or just a come see me call and then sit quiet..... thats worked wonders when I had the "contest callers" two points away trying to get every duck on the pond to notice them. I think they accomplished that, but in a really bad way. :lol:

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builderbob68

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 13, 2007

Thanks everyone! Great advice once again. I appreciate it.

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wingmanck

· #8 · Sep 14, 2007

caddis8 said:
A tip on duck calling, for the most part, less is more.Too often new callers try to talk too much and the ducks get wise to calls, or just ignore the noise coming 25 yards away from the funny looking ducks that aren't moving. Pay more attention to your decoys than your calling, it'll pay off.
Geese:...but again, no movement and decoy placement is more important than calling, but I think calling geese plays a bigger role in hunting than ducks....just my opinion.

Riverrat77 said:
I agree with Caddis, less is definitely more, especially in a big public marsh where everyone feels like they have to sound off on their kazoo.

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Bret

· #9 · Sep 14, 2007

I don't know I guess sometimes especially with with beginning callers, and in some crowded situations I can agree with calling very little. It is hard to settle birds down when someone 100 yards away is picking them up. Funny though at my school I was taught more was more and less well... was less.lol I think the biggest problem is most don't have the skill set to actually work birds. No matter what call you buy and I know this goes for geese as well you have to learn the skills to run the thing. And then it takes years of experiemce to learn to read birds... knowing what to give them and when timing is a lot. I learn something about that every year. I have had the good fortune to hunt with some of the best duck callers around. They don't have many birds flare off them. There is a time and place to get demanding and loud there are also times and places to get soft and "soothing" ... That old whistle can be a good tool like some of the guys mention, and is the easiest call to learn. I hear a lot of duck calls blown that sound like duck calls. have you ever had the pleasure of listening to a big group of ducks sitting on the water when they are comfortable, and they are really making a racket? High hens, low hens, feed, and quacks all mixed together in a symphony of pure duck... it is beautiful to my ears. Have you ever heard a group of callers sound like that? I bet they didn't scare many birds. I wish I had more time to write on this, but I don't this morning.

Bret

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caddis8

· #10 · Sep 14, 2007

Brett I agree with you. But, until a caller learns how and what to call, less is more. I'm ok with a duck call, I can get birds in, but I know people that are much more skilled than I am. I'm pretty good with a goose call, and usually, I make a pretty big racket with geese, but it took 10+ years of calling them to learn to speak at least a little goose.

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builderbob68

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 14, 2007

When I was In Montana hunting, I did pick up a duck call and tried it out. The problem I had was whether or not I was making the right sound.

From what I can gather, a little calling is not always bad. So perhaps, I will try just the small clucks and feeding type noises for a while, and perhaps I will be able to get some time and learn from someone exactly what to do and especially when to do it.

Me personally, I have scared away more ducks with my calling then brought them in..

But I know that can change over time.

Thanks again!!

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