How to Use a Mallard Call

Have you ever wanted to get those stubborn ducks to fly right into your decoy spread. In the old days, it was much easier to call ducks. The ducks were not accustomed to hearing duck calls all along their migration from Canada to the South. These days it is the exact opposite. Ducks hear fake calls all the time and you must truly know how and when to use a mallard call.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Duck call
• Decoys

1. The first thing a hunter must do is decide if he wants to use a plastic or a wooden call and a single or double reed. Wooden calls are more traditional, but in my opinion, plastic double reed calls produce a truer sound.

2. After selecting a call, you will need to learn the common calls. Purchasing a duck calling tape or CD is invaluable at this point so you can learn the proper cadence and sounds.

3. The proper way to blow a duck call is not puffing your cheeks and blowing with your mouth, but pushing air from your diaphragm. Blowing from your diaphragm is done the same way as fogging up a mirror with your breath. Your cheeks should not inflate.

4. The common calls are the lonesome hen quack, the feed call, hail call and the comeback call. Others may use different names for the calls but this is what I call them.

5. The lonesome hen quack can be done intermittently when ducks are circling or approaching. The feed call, which takes much practice, is a fast tuk a tuk a tuk a tuk repeatedly. This can also be used when ducks are circling-it builds their confidence. The high ball call is used when ducks are just flying and you think they may not see you. It can be anywhere from 5-10 sharp notes to get their attention. The comeback call is used when the ducks were looking, but now appear to be leaving. It is the same as the high ball but much quicker.

Tips & Warnings

• Mastering duck calling takes much practice and should often begin by ones self-it will annoy the family
• Hunting with hunters that know what they are doing is a huge help-Many do not know what they are doing so be careful
• Decoys are actually probably more important than calling
• Overcalling can be worse than not calling at all
• Even after complete mastery, more often than not, ducks will not come to your call-don't be discouraged