I love duck calls of all forms. I am a self proclaimed duck call junkie. I have both cheap ones and expensive ones. They all work. To me the call is one of the things that is so addicting to duck hunting. Its also why I love turkey hunting. Being able to sound like a wild animal and witness thier natural reactions is amazing to me. A duck call is a tool, and the right tool needs to be used the right way at the right time. Thats where reading ducks comes into play. If all you use is a whistle you are missing opportunities at ducks you could have killed. If all you use is a mallard hen call you are missing opportunities. If you are sitting where they want to be it gets easier, and takes less to get them in. We cant always hunt excatly where they want to be. Sometimes you have to pull them in, make them think they want to be where you are, and that takes a more aggressive aproach. When I say aggressive Im not talking just high balling. There are ways to be aggessive that are still ducky and not the highball. Even the highball has its place though, nothing works all the time. But those highfliers and ducks way off the highball can and will pull them in , and its about the only way to get thier attention. Duck hunters that roll there eyes at duck hunters who like to use duck calls make me laugh a little. If ducks didn't react to them the way they did and they werent required I wouldnt find duck hunting near as addicting. Scout, sit, wait, hope...sounds to much like deer hunting. I like having some controll on the outcome of the hunt. Pull a group of 75 plus birds from way off, work them for two passes, and have them sit down on you from straight up all committed on the third pass, knowing it woulndt have happened without being able to reach out there to get them, you might change your mind on the necessity of a duck call. The one call I wouldnt leave home without would probably be a Daisy Cutter, but i always carry a DR 85 with me some where.

I'm new to duck hunting so whatever is what I have canes with, looking to get some better calls, also is tuning a duck call needed, and how do I know what a good sound sounds like, I guess cause I'm new that I can't tell a good sounding call from a bad.

I was looking at a daisy cutter also, I'm not a great caller so I don't call much till I see them way out there.

Well damn!! I started this thread to find out some calls I should look at since I want to get one or two more, had no Idea it was going to turn in to the Maury show. Anyways, I like the idea of keeping my money in Texas so from what I read Quach Shack is in Texas and what others are also here in our great state??

I love duck calls of all forms. I am a self proclaimed duck call junkie. I have both cheap ones and expensive ones. They all work. To me the call is one of the things that is so addicting to duck hunting. Its also why I love turkey hunting. Being able to sound like a wild animal and witness thier natural reactions is amazing to me. A duck call is a tool, and the right tool needs to be used the right way at the right time. Thats where reading ducks comes into play. If all you use is a whistle you are missing opportunities at ducks you could have killed. If all you use is a mallard hen call you are missing opportunities. If you are sitting where they want to be it gets easier, and takes less to get them in. We cant always hunt excatly where they want to be. Sometimes you have to pull them in, make them think they want to be where you are, and that takes a more aggressive aproach. When I say aggressive Im not talking just high balling. There are ways to be aggessive that are still ducky and not the highball. Even the highball has its place though, nothing works all the time. But those highfliers and ducks way off the highball can and will pull them in , and its about the only way to get thier attention. Duck hunters that roll there eyes at duck hunters who like to use duck calls make me laugh a little. If ducks didnt react to them the way they did and they werent required I wouldnt find duck hunting near as addicting. Scout, sit, wait, hope...sounds to much like deer hunting. I like having some controll on the outcome of the hunt. Pull a group of 75 plus birds from way off, work them for two passes, and have them sit down on you from straight up all committed on the third pass, knowing it woulndt have happened without being able to reach out there to get them, you might change your mind on the necessity of a duck call. The one call I wouldnt leave home without would probably be a Daisy Cutter, but i always carry a DR 85 with me some where.

Hayraker.....this guy got you beat. He sounds like an expert.

Of course I am...I forgot everyone else on this forum is an expert...I guess the 750 dead birds that I called in last year thought I was doing it wrong?

I thought he was spot on

Calling in dead birds.... that still makes me chuckle

I was waiting for your reply to that one

"Ever think the reason your ducks come in is because you leased private in a good area and don't over pressure it? We'll just tack that to one on the list of reasons, right behind those soft pops and quacks.

Glad you have a good spot and have found what works for you."

In some other areas around the duck hunting world, they have found what works for them as well.