Church Decoy Company

Don't forget that the old timers always said to call to "tails and tips" which meant to only call ducks when you could see their tails and wingtips. If the birds are coming your way, don't call! If they flare away, try bringing them back with some hail calls and feed chuckles. Take'em when they're all cupped up.      dc

Sometimes geese will fly without calling or what is known as "flying silent." This is usually noticed during foggy mornings. To coax them in, try soft clucks and moans to imitate geese talking to each other on the ground. Take'em when they're all cupped up. dc

Having something that sounds a little different in the marsh is a good thing when the ducks are hearing the same thing everywhere they go. A combination whistle that works on teal, pintail, and widgeon is one of my favorite calls to use late in the season. Two quick "peeps" is for the pintail while single peeps are for teal. A three note peep with the middle note being higher in pitch resembles the widgeon. You can also growl a quack into it to make the low drake mallard sound. This sound is very effective when the birds are close in and not quite sure if they want to land. I also use the drake mallard call to coax in the birds that land outside the decoys.  dc

After you have successfully called and decoyed the birds into range, the next thing to do is to take aim and shoot. So what is the next thing you should do? Call some more! Numerous times after I have called a flock of birds in and shot birds out of the flock, I have been able to call the same birds back. This has even worked with the dog in the middle of the decoys retrieving birds! I think it depends on the location where you are hunting, but it appears to me that sometimes the birds hear the noise and the echo around the marsh, but if they never actually saw you, it is possible that they will be disoriented and come right back to the call, especially if they see some of their friends "land" (upside down) in the decoys. I usually start with a very quick hail call and then go into a content feeding chuckle. Remember to watch the body language of the birds and adjust your calling to what they are doing. "Take'em when they're all cupped up."

There are many different ideas on calling and I will just touch on the basics. I also will not tell you if wood, plastic, single reed, or double reed is the best. This is a personal decision and I know that I have collected hundreds of calls over the years that I gave away, threw away, or put on a shelf. Some of the worst calls I ever gave away sometimes became the recipients favorite call. To each his own. To be a successful caller requires years of practice. Never hesitate to listen to real birds as they talk to each other and watch to see what they are doing to be able to put the right calls to the right actions. Tip #1 - Use your diaphram (gut) not your cheeks to call. You should be grunting in the call, you are not blowing a trumpet. Huff from the gut and you will be able to cut the notes off quicker and easier. The notes should sound like "quaCK" and finished off quickly. If you blow through the call like it's a horn or party favor it will sound like "quaaaaa". Practice making one "quack". You can learn to put them all together later. Tip #2 -  Call only to tips and tails. If the birds are heading towards you, some low feed chuckles is really all you would need, if anything. If they are going away (tails) or flying by (tips of wings) then call. Make your calling more urgent if they are going away, more calm if they are close in. Tip #3 - A feed chuckle is easily done by saying "ticka-ticka-ticka" into the call. The "tick" sound comes from blowing with your tongue at the back of your top teeth and then dropping down. This is a great confidence call when the birds are in close or they are out of range on the water and you are trying to coaxe them in closer. My favorite call for a feed chuckle is a double reed. It is easy to blow and cuts off the notes well. Tip #4 - If birds circle out of range a few times and then fly away to land out of range. I will usually make really loud, horrible sounding blasts on my duck call just before they land. This will sometimes spook them from landing and I will immediately start normal calling to get them to come back my way. Tip #5 - If you see birds flare as soon as you call, somthing is definetly wrong. Either they are call shy, or you sound really bad. Watch the movement of the birds as you call to see what they like and what they don't. Tip #6 - Always, Always, Always call to singles. These birds are usually looking for company and are probably the easiest to bring in. Tip #7 - If a flock comes over your decoy spread and one or two drop in, but the others fly by. Keep calling while keeping an eye on the ones in the spread. Most times the flock will spin around and come in on the next pass. Worse case scenario is the ones that landed take off and you still get a shot or two. Tip #8 - If you have been calling alot on cold days, moisture will build up inside the call and begin to freeze. Whe you see ducks approaching, blow slow hot breaths down the wrong end of the call to thaw it out . Pat the call on your hand or glove to get the moisture out. This will prevent your first loud blast at the ducks from squealing and spooking the birds. Tip #9 - When calling ducks, one caller is usually enough. If two are calling, one should be making soft feed chuckles. Hope these are helpful, now go practice. Remember: "Take'em while they're all cupped up".

-dc