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Can someone recomend a good first duck call? I am partial to Primos calls but its not set in stone.

Also does anyone use a inflatable raft to retreive the dead ones?

Yes, Primos makes a very good inexpensive call. I can like the Wench.

Can like RNT or Echo on the high end. Driving the RNT Original this season.

For a cheaper call Primo's make a good call and I have several.
For a good ducky sounding call one of the best I have heard is the Duck Commander calls. and I have several of these as well.

I will get on my soap box for a minute:
Most people today try and blow a call like they do in competition, which sounds nothing like a real duck. Yes the long high balls and ringing sound cool but I have hunted for pushing 40 years and have never heard a duck do that. Yes I know it carries well to get there attention but I see more hunter using this call when ducks are in closer. The feeding chuckle is another thing that you will not hear a duck do for several minutes at a time either. In real life, they are usually short burst no more than a few seconds at a time.
Real ducks are very raspy as opposed to the way a lot of calls are made today which is to have a high ring to them.

I am off my soap box now, thank you for letting me vent....

I know some callers that make haydels sound real good.

Do you know if the Duck Comander calls come with a CD for rehersing? I have calls for sevearl other critters but I dont speak "Duck" and would need to pratice.

I know he has a DVD call Commanding ducks or something like that and it is a very good learning tool.
I will see if I can find the exact title for you.

That would be great, thanks!

here is the tape that he has.


http://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-DUC10094

I like these calls the best.

http://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-DUC200
http://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-DUC2005

and when duck get real call shy, this is my go to call. I have killed more ducks than you can count using this call.

http://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-DUC10025

I have I think 20-25 calls for different critters, is it just me or is it just impossiable to buy just one? If you could have just one of these which would it be? I am gonna guess the "Drake"?

calls are my weakness, I guess I have about 100 or more and last year started making some of my own (they are a pain to make and get right).

If I could have only one, it would be:
http://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-DUC200

followed buy the drake call as soon as possible.

here are some pictures of my attemp to make calls.

Wow, they look great, how do they sound?

they sound good even if I do say so myself.
I have killed a few ducks over them last year.
If I had known how hard they are to get perfect and how little it takes to change the way they sound, I would never have got into making them. There is a whole lot of trail and error (heavy on the error) in making the tone boards.

Well let me tell you from one wood worker to another, they look great.

thanks
I am old school and the new plastic calls do work great but lack the passion that the wood call have, for me anyway.

wanna sell one ?

plab

I like Haydel's too. the DR-85's are inexpensive, easy to blow and ducks like the way they sound.

DR-85 is the most typical beginner's call, although I've had a poly Echo I liked. Also liked Buck Gardner's Tall Timber II and Primos Wench always works.

I'm partial to RNT for higher end duck calls.

Best audio I heard is Keith Allen's The Fundamentals of Duck Call Operation. It really helped my calling.

BTW: nice calls Pullit!

I just made some for a few friends and to see if I could do it.
I will say that they are way more work than I ever want to do and try and make money at.

thanks for the nice comments

To answer the question about a good, beginners call, I always suggest the Echo Trash Talker. $15.00 at Cabelas. Great sounding call, easy to blow (meaning it runs on little air) and doesn't break the bank like the high end calls I'm addicited to. As others have suggested, get a CD or DVD and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, but don;t try to immitate the comp. routines or sounds and don;t get frustrated and give up.
Hope this helps.