Starter’s Guide to Choosing Duck Calls

The decoys are stored, the waders are patched, and opening day is still months away. For a passionate waterfowler, the quiet of the off-season can be deafening. But these summer months are the perfect opportunity to master one of the most rewarding (and often most intimidating) skills in duck hunting: calling.

If you’ve ever walked into a sporting goods store and felt overwhelmed by a wall of calls apparently in every shape, material, and color imaginable, you’re not alone. Single reed, double reed, polycarbonate, acrylic, wood; where do you even begin? The truth is, it’s simpler than you think.

This guide will help you cut through all the noise and overcome that analysis paralysis. We’ll distill the wisdom of seasoned callers and guides to give you a clear, practical roadmap, from choosing your very first call to understanding how to adapt your sound for any situation. Let’s get started.

The Most Important Rule of Calling Has Nothing to Do With a Call

Before we talk about reeds or materials, we need to point out that the best caller in the world cannot call a duck down wherever he may be.

Many new hunters believe a high-end call is a magic wand that can bend ducks to their will. It isn’t. Your primary job as a hunter is to do your homework. Scouting, understanding flight paths, setting up with (hopefully) the wind and sun in your favor, and creating a realistic decoy spread are the foundation of every successful hunt. A duck call is a tool to enhance a good setup, not a substitute for it. Spend your off-season learning duck habits, and you’ll be more successful than someone who only practices calling.

Your First Lanyard: The Only Two Calls a Beginner Truly Needs

Forget the wall of a hundred different options. To start, you need two inexpensive but highly effective calls on your lanyard. This simple setup simply works.

The Drake Whistle

A hen mallard quacks, but a drake makes a low, buzzing, raspy sound. A drake whistle, which is incredibly easy to use, replicates this sound perfectly. For early mornings, calm days, or when dealing with call-shy ducks, the soft, reassuring sound of a drake whistle can be the most effective tool you have. When combined with a great spread on the water, this simple call is a deadly effective way to bring birds in.

The Foundational Double-Reed

This is where you will learn the art of calling. While single-reed calls offer more versatility and volume, they are harder to master and therefore worse to start out with. A double-reed call is the ideal learning tool because it’s more forgiving, requires less precise air control to sound ducky, and produces a naturally raspy tone.

Don’t get caught up in fancy materials yet. Your first double-reed should be an inexpensive polycarbonate model. It’s durable, sounds great, and allows you to master the fundamentals of air pressure and presentation without a hefty price tag. Even many experienced hunters keep a reliable poly double-reed on their lanyard for its realistic sound in close-quarters situations.

Understanding Reeds & Materials

Once you’ve mastered the basics with your first two calls, you can begin to understand why different calls sound and perform differently. The variations all come down primarily to two components: the reeds and the material.

Single Reed vs. Double Reed: Which is Right for You?

Single Reed: This is the choice for versatility and volume. A single-reed call can produce a wider range of sounds, from loud, ringing hail calls to soft, subtle quacks. However, it requires more skill and precise air control to operate. It’s the go-to for experienced those callers who have mastered it and those hunting in wide-open spaces where more volume is a good thing to have.

Double Reed: This is the workhorse for realism and ease of use. The two reeds make it easier to produce a consistent, raspy quack, though it won’t have the volume or tonal range of a single reed. It’s perfect for beginners and for close-in calling scenarios.

Poly, Wood, or Acrylic? Matching the Material to Your Needs.

Polycarbonate: The best all-around starting point. It’s an injection-molded plastic that is durable, affordable, and produces a great mid-range, ducky sound.

Wood: Prized for its soft, mellow, and incredibly realistic tones. Wood calls are a top choice for close-quarters hunting, like in flooded timber. Their downside is maintenance; wood is porous and can swell when wet, which affects its sound. They must be taken apart and dried as needed.

Acrylic: The loudest and sharpest material. Acrylic is very dense and won’t be affected by moisture, making its sound extremely consistent. It’s the top choice for hunters in big, open-water environments who need maximum volume and “ringing” hail calls to get the attention of distant birds.

Matching Your Call to Your Hunt

As you progress, you’ll learn that the situation dictates the call. A call that works wonders in one environment can be completely wrong in another.

The Open Water Hail Call: When you’re hunting a large lake, river, or coastal marsh, you may need to get loud to get heard. This is the place for a sharp, high-pitched acrylic single-reed call. Your goal is to send a loud, ringing hail call across the water to grab the attention of flocks flying a long way off.

The Close-Quarters Timber Call: When you’re tucked into a flooded timber hole or a small pothole, loud, sharp calls are unneeded and may spook more close-up birds. Here, you need the soft, mellow, and raspy notes of a wood or polycarbonate double-reed call. The goal is audible but quieter quacks and feeding chuckles that help convince the ducks it’s safe to land.

Stop Shopping, Start Practicing!

The journey to becoming a proficient caller is simple: start with the right foundational tools and commit to practicing. Forget the idea that an expensive, custom call is a shortcut to success. Buy a drake whistle and an inexpensive polycarbonate double-reed call. Spend these quiet summer months learning to control your air and mimic the basic sounds of a duck.

Mastering a call is one of the most satisfying skills in waterfowling. Use this off-season wisely, and when opening day finally arrives, you’ll have one more powerful tool in your arsenal to increase your success.