There are countless duck calls on the market. This can be overwhelming for a beginner and in this post, we are going to break down the types of calls. After we look at the different types, we will look at the best options for an brand new duck hunter.
Lets assume you have no idea where to begin. Lets also assume you are wanting to buy a mallard call the replicates a mallard hen’s sounds. It can be very difficult on a person choosing the right call if he or she doesn’t understand some of the very basics.
The entire purpose of a duck call, is to replicate the sounds of a mallard hen. A mallard hen has a variety of sounds for specific situations. Of course the quack is probably the most common sound a female mallard makes. However it seems like every new caller wants to be able to blow the feed or chatter call. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we want to simply quack first and in order to do that we need a call.
The two most common designs
The single read call. The insert, as shown in the picture below, shows a single piece of white material which is called the read.
The double read call. The double read, as shown in the picture below, shows two pieces of white material on the insert.
Both designs work the same way. The white material (the read) vibrates when air is forced through the call.
As you notice in the very first picture there are two calls. One is white with a logo design and the other is a beautiful dark wood call. They both make sounds of a mallard hen. They both are very capable of calling ducks, however, there is one HUGE difference between the two. The wooden call is a custom crafted by a very respected and experienced call maker. The white one is made by plastic injection. The wooded call has been hand tuned to sound as close to natural as possible, while the white one was probably tuned in one minuet then sent to packaging to be shipped to a massive retailer.
I recommend the plastic one for a beginner. Unless you have plenty of money, the custom call is not necessary for a beginner.
I am by no means an expert, however I have been calling for many years. Just like you, I was a beginner years ago, and bought the shiniest coolest looking call on the shelf at Walmart. That was a mistake. After weeks of trying to blow the call, I got discouraged and was about to give up. It was a single read Walmart special and it was junk! I decided to talk to a local duck hunter who became a great friend and mentor for duck hunting. He was a local legend and probably forgot more about calling ducks and hunting ducks then I will ever know. I told showed him my call and told him this is just not working for me. He took one look at the insert and informed me that I bought one of the hardest calls to blow on the market.
Single read calls, in my opinion are the most natural sounding calls, however they are difficult to learn with. Double reads are user friendly and do not require as much air to blow or an incredible amount of skill to sound good.
Pick a double read if you are learning the basics. I strongly suggest you find a local guy with experience to coach you through this process. If you are one that wants to try this on your own the lets talk about your options on the market.
Try to find a call in the forty to sixty dollar range. Nothing higher then sixty dollars. There is absolutely no need in spending a fortune on your first call. You can do that after you have learn the basics and mastered some of the sounds. I would not recommend buying anything under forty dollars either. I have found that cheaper calls that are mass produced or injection molded tend to be difficult to blow for a beginner. The only brand I would personally consider under forty dollars would be a Haydel brand. They are great calls, especially for the price, but some can be difficult to blow.
Another tip, go to a store and blow the call. Sure, you can order one off Amazon, however listening to a call before purchase is very important. I strongly recommend going to a retailer in your area and blow the call. Listen to the sound, feel it in you hand, and compare the other brands.
I hope this has been helpful. My last tip for this post is, be patient. Just about any call you purchase will work, however, being patient and practicing as much as possible every day is the key to success. Select that first call and get to practicing. In the future I will have another post on basic duck calling techniques for beginners. So, come back or subscribe to this site if you would like to learn more.
Thank you and congrats on taking your first steps on becoming a seasoned duck hunter.