I am a realively new hunter and hunting a lease alone this year. What suggestion do you have for learning how to call? Its hard to know if I sound OK when its just my ears. I try not to call much. I only call once they have passed to try and get them turned. I can get them to turn normally but not good enough to bring them in. I have one of those cheating feeder calls and those drake hens call that you hum thru. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

let someone who can call listen and help you out. I always call as little as possible anyway.

get a tape/cd and practice in the car... that way you dont get your wife P.O.ed

I think you need to practice outside too. In the truck always sounds different to me than outside.

Always remember if someone else is with you and they can call better than you... put you call and your pride aside for the morning!

No pride here always willing to put it down. I am just on a lease this year hunting by myself

that is a very good time to learn blow it and if the birds react positivly then you are on to something. also good to remember that sometimes the best duck caller in the world cant get the ducks to react... and if they are comming in without the call then by all means put it down.

How do you tell someone they sound like chit and are flaring the birds coming on their own in a diplomatic way?

Oh that is easy and I quote myself "Dude your calling sounds like a half dead goat, stop calling or I am going to freaking drown you". Works every time.

I usually use "lets try stealth mode on these, just see what they do"

I like the direct drowning approach

And that's the #1 reason why I don't call much.

I usually say "hey man you know I love ya but that really sounds like Chit you need alot more practice"

I also dont like it when it sounds like chit and they ask "hey how does this sound" I usually say... Pretty dang bad dude!

Or you get a guy that sounds decent but cant stop blowing the dang hail call.....

or they have the nerve to ask what is flaring the birds??? I usually tell em "prolly your callin"

Buck gardner has a CD out that is pretty good. I think i remember it coming with a call.

Practice, Practice and more practice... and remember sometimes less is more.

Just practice man, record yourself, then practice some more. Aint gonna pick it up over night, trust me. Just need to put in the time on the calls and you will slowly get better and better. Dont go to fast or try and force yourself to learn something on a call, in the end it will only get you frustrated and you may develop bad habits on a call. Just keep at it, with time!

I made an "EPIC FAIL" move. I did not think I was duck hunting any more so I did not learn how to call over the summer. Now that I have been reintroduced to duck hunting cocaine my supplier is moving to Iraq this week . All I can do is peep my teal whistle. I may be hosed unless my hunting buddy just back from Iraq knows which end to blow on a duck call.

I think a lot of people call at the wrong times. I have noticed a lot of people only call when birds are directly over the top or when they're to far off. You have to wait til you have birds that are interested and call "on the corners". Call when they r comin say 200 yrds out to get they're attention and then wait til they swing around you're decoys. soft calling 3-5 notes in you're arm pit. Otherwise you'll educate every duck in a half mile.

Anybody killin any mallards yet?

I use to practice in my truck while driving to the job and home. You might get looks, but hey...More ducks in the freezer is worth it all.

Here is a good article for reference.

http://www.ducks.org/Hunting/DuckCalling/3907/7DeadlyDuckCallingMistakes.html?poe=duckcalling