After recently visiting with John Stephen of Rich-N-Tone Calls and visiting Stuttgart, Arkansas (“the duck hunting capital of the world”), we have become very interested in perfecting our own duck calls. The following are the 5 duck calls every hunter should master this upcoming season.
1. The Basic Quack
Sounds easy enough, but many hunters never master the most basic of calls. It is a single note that crisply cuts off at the end. The ending is where many make their mistakes. Blow the basic quack by saying QUACK or WHACK in your call, with equal crisp sound throughout.
Listen to the basic quack here! (courtesy of ducks.org)
2. The Greeting Calling
The greeting call consists of usually 5 to 7 notes, we tend to use it when we first see ducks at a distance. Keeping your notes in a steady rhythm is the key to mastering this call.
Listen to the greeting call here! (courtesy of ducks.org)
3. The Comeback Call
This one sounds much more aggressive and the notes are closer together. This is best used when a pesky bird won’t respond to your greetings. A comeback call is fast and hard, with about 5 to 7 notes. Don’t overcomplicate it, or overuse this one.
Listen to the basic quack here! (courtesy of ducks.org)
4. The Lonesome Hen Call
This call is often overlooked but can be very effective. The call is nothing more than widely spaced, irregular, nasal, drawn-out Quaaaaink quacks (think duck with a cold). 4 to 6 squeaky and drawn out quacks will do the trick. It is best used to pull birds sitting on the water for long distances or to lure in birds that hang out on the edge circling time and time again.
Listen to the lonesome hen call here! (courtesy of ducks.org)
5. The Feeding Call
The feeding call is very short notes put together in a very quick sequence. It can be used to add variety but is definitely our least used call. Generally, we don’t use the feeding call unless we hear the birds in the air making it themselves.
Listen to the feeding call here! (courtesy of ducks.org)
