Duck/game calls

[Russell Neyman]

I have an order for a dozen duck calls, but have never made one before. I'm thinking about using some of my inventory of plum or cherry burl.

Any thoughts on wood species -- which ones work best -- or brands of hardware kits? Single reed or double reed?

The buyer said simply make them and he'll pay whatever I say. Looks like high-end calls range from $50 to $300.

[Steve Nix]

Any solid dense hard wood will work for duck calls. I get my reed assembly from Ehco Call in Beebe Arkansas if you just plan to turn the barrels and use an acrylic insert.. if you plan to turn the complete call I would look at Hut Products. 366834366835

[Robert Willing]

Game call sites which I use are

https://thogamecallsforums.com/
http://www.brooksidegamecalls.com/
https://echocalls.com/product-category/call-parts/
hutproduct.com

I make duck, goose, turkey, deer grunts and predator calls.

[Russell Neyman]

Thanks. It's a start. The YouTube videos I found are remarkably sketchy, providing very little in the way of hole dimensions or what makes them quack.

Perhaps, after I'm done, I'll be the expert.

[Robert Willing]

Echo sell inserts in timber and open water as well, open water are louder calls and double reed they say are easier to blow.

[Steve Nix]

Hut products makes a simple kit that fits a pen mandrel.

[Marvin Hasenak]

I have been a callmaker since 1964, here are some of my opinions on this endeavor. First if you don't know how to "play" a duck call, I would recommend making an effort to learn. If you cannot play one, you will have a hard time figuring out the length of the barrel to optimize the capabilities of the insert.

Since you have no idea of how to make a duck call, I am pretty sure you have no clue as how to make an insert. The insert is the toneboard, the noise making part, or the "guts" of the duck call. I will suggest you use the Echo inserts, you can buy them direct from the manufacturer, Echo duck call company. Since these are what i call plug and play duck calls, you can expect anywhere from $25 to whatever the buyer is willing to pay, It is NOT a custom duck call, it is a duck call made with an Echo insert stuck in it. The $300 figure that was quoted was for a duck call that was made entirely by the callmaker. Personally, a plug and play call using an Echo or any other set of manufactured guts with a pinned band is worth about $25, it has no collector value, not anything special, that was made by an unknown wannabe callmaker.

This is the very basics of making a duck call. You will need to drill a 5/8" hole through the blank and turned to an appropriate shape, which will include lanyard groove and a pinned band to keep the wood from splitting. The length of the blank is up to the maker, but remember the length effects the sound and the amount of air needed to blow the call. The bands are available from various places, both Hut and Woodcraft used to sell them or you can make your own buying brass or aluminum tubing from one of the online metal stores.

[Robert Willing]

Here are some $$$$$$$ Duck calls http://rhjensengamecalls.com/duck-calls/.