Any duck hunters?

[Zenas]

I know Josh pops up every once and a while with a picture of a large dog (deer) he shot, but are there any duck hunters on the forum? I ask because I've just started up and am wondering if anyone on the forum has some good advice as far as good places online for information. I'm particularly trying to find some solid information on calling as well as a CD I could play in my car to practice to on the way into work. I've had some decent hunts with just me calling this season, but I know I'm not doing some stuff right. Any reliable resources?

 

[LawrenceU]

Andrew, I don't hunt much anymore because the waterfowling down here stinks. I grew up hunting the best stuff in the lower 48, Arkansas hardwood bottoms. I guided for several years as well. What in particular are you wanting to learn about calling? Frankly, I've not found much on line that is a good teacher. There is a great variety of skill needed if you are going to hunt more than one type of place. eg. flooded timber is different from open water is different from field, etc. There are some basics that mesh everywhere, but timing, tone, and talent vary from place to place.

What type of hunting are doing?
What type of ducks are you desiring?
What type of call are you using?
What calls do you know already? (Hail, Comeback, Sit down, Feed Chuckle, etc.)

 

[Tripel]

You mean there's more to it than pointing your gun at the ducks and shooting?

 

[JML]

I used to be really good at it when I was a kid. That dog always had it out for me though.


View attachment 1993

 

[Zenas]

John,

I was not expecting that. Hilarious.

Lawrence,

I have a spot that is essentially "mine." It's a rice field that belongs to my in-laws that I am always welcome on. The west quarter of the land has remained flooded and there's a tree line that runs beside the flooded portion. We have set up camp along that tree line. It's just over the river in Arkansas, literally just off I-40 about 20 minutes away from "The Bridge."

Thus far, we've taken mallards, very few teal (we see them frequently but they usually buzz us so quick that we don't get a shot off), two gadwall, and a fair amount of wood ducks. Wood duck and teal activity is heavy for about 10 minutes around sunrise and then we never see them again. I'm told that's typical.

My goal right now is to call in mallards. My golden opportunity was Saturday. It was about 45 degrees outside, raining hard in sheets, and we probably saw about 3,000 ducks over the course of 45 minutes and thrice as many geese of varying types. I got a good many working, but only a couple of very small (3 or 4 groups) committed hard enough to get shots off. We ended the day with 3 mallards, (two drakes and a hen).

I used a call that's made by a friend of a friend. He's actually a Reformed guy who was in Seminary at Covanent, but had to come home due to medical issues. He started up a call company and now produces this. I initially got a cheap double reed call to practice on and then my brother-in-law loaned me a better double reed to practice on. The call I linked to is a single reed basedo n the P.S. Olt D2. I've been practicing on it since I got it. I've gotten fairly adept but, like I said, I can get them working, but they lose interest after about 3 or 4 passes.

Right now, I am familiar with the hail call, the greeting call, the feed call, and the lonely hen. My hail call is good enough to get some interested from far off (I think) but in close, my greeting obviously needs work. My lonely hen, I think, is too fast. My feed chuckle is improving every time I pick the call up.

I'm also not entirely sure as to when to call, as I've read that's more important than sounding perfect.

 

[Herald]

wabbit season

 

[Zenas]

My brother and I have debated the topic frequently. We've concluded the opposite: Duck season.

 

[LawrenceU]

Duck season.

Andrew, that sounds like a great spot. I have a couple of places pretty near there that I can hunt when I'm home.

I'm glad you have a single reed to learn on. I'm convinced that learning on a raspy single reed call makes one a better caller. You have to learn breath control and pitching to use one effectively. I have a brass reed Reelfoot styled single reed made by Earl Dennison that I inherited from my grandfather. A call like that can ring out and then also be very subtle for close in work. Double reeds and triple reeds are very tough to pull that off with. My grandfather, a very good caller, always said that doubles and triples were made for calling contests. There is some reality to that. I've been in many contests, and won a few and it was almost impossible to place well with a single reed, unless it was a high dollar call. I do have some and do use them, but I almost always switch to an Arkansas styled single reed when they have noticed us and turned.

It is very easy to over call. That is especially important hunting in the MS flyway after the first week of season. Those ducks have been called and shot at for more than 1,000 miles; especially the mallards. Watch their heads. It is amazing how much detail you can see even when they are up there sucking on oxygen bottles. They will turn there heads at your hail before they show it in their flight. When they turn their heads, usually the first two or three birds, shut down for a bit. See if the break to you. Once they break don't hail them unless they begin to shift away. Then the hail changes. It becomes more drawn out, lower in pitch, the rising first quack is much shorter in length. The spacing is more pronounced. Sort of like this:

First hail:
Ka-a-a-a-k KAk KAk KAk Kak Kak ka ka ka kak

Second hail:

K -a-a-ak Kaak Kaak Kak Kak Kak kakakakak

And, yes, I use kak for hails. Using wick is just not as effective for me.



One of the best things to do is get out there during the season where there are ducks and listen to those old hens. It is tough to do that because you want to be hunting. When I was young I used to do that quite a bit. It is not the same as listening to the pre and post season. They act differently.

Have you heard the 'sit down' call?

PM me your phone number and we can chat a bit.

 

[SolaScriptura]

Lawrence - I've simply GOT to meet you. You're like Johnny Cash, you've been everywhere and done everything cool.

 

[LawrenceU]

Ben, come on down. ADD is a blessing sometimes