There are eight calls every serious duck hunter should have in his or her repertoire. Learn these, and you will be able to bring ducks closer in nearly every hunting situation. Click the icons to hear champion caller Greg Brinkley, maker of Drake Brake Duck Calls in Marion, AR, demonstrate each call sound.

Basic Quack As easy as it sounds, some callers never master a basic quack, and then wonder why the ducks don't come into their spread. Todd Heidelbauer also stresses the importance of learning to end the quack. "One of the first things my grandfather [Frank Heidelbauer] taught me was to end my quacks. People use 'qua qua qua' when there needs to be a clean, crisp, 'quaCK' instead. Stick to the basics and end your quacks, and everything else is second." The Heidelbauers should know; Frank Heidelbauer designed and began making their popular calls in 1952.

Greeting Call "I use the greeting call when I first see ducks at a distance. It's a series of 5 to 7 notes in descending order at a steady even rhythm, Kanc, Kanc, Kanc, Kanc, Kanc," says Rod Haydel. Rod Haydel should know; he's part of Louisiana duck calling royalty-the Haydel family of Haydel's Game Calls.

Feed Call For a basic feeding call, say "tikkitukkatikka," into the call raising and lowering the volume slightly. "I don't feed call a lot," says three-time World Champion caller and call maker Mike McLemore. "Callers should learn to use it to add variety, but it sounds better to the caller than it does to the ducks." Haydel adds, "Most mallards I hear feed calling in the typical 'kitty, kitty, kitty' fashion are flying, while ducks feeding are more broken up and erratic sounding, like 'da-dit da-dit dit dit, da-dit dit.'"

Hail Call The hail or highball call is an overused call in the minds of the pros. "Don't use a highball within 100 yards of the ducks," says Jim Olt of P.S. Olt Company. "But when you do use it, blow high, hard, and loud. However, nobody should use it unless they know how and when. Hails are the loudest of the lot." Rod Haydel agrees. "I'm not much on 30 note hail calls," he says. "I have yet to hear a real hen call in this manner. I try to sound as natural as I can." If you decide to try your hail call, start with a long, strong, Aaaaaaink...Aaaaaink.., aaaaink, aaainkaink and taper off as it progresses. But remember to use the hail call sparingly, and as Haydel says, "If the ducks are coming in, forget calling."

Comeback Call "The comeback call is used when ducks don't respond to your greeting or you want an immediate response, such as in timber. It's more urgent sounding and faster, like Kanckanc, Kanc, Kanc, Kanc," says Haydel. "Also, I have found live hens only call to others after they have flown over the pond or passed their location. Usually she'll give them only one comeback call." Olt adds, "Just remember that a comeback call is fast and hard, with about 5 to 7 notes. Don't overcomplicate it."

Lonesome Hen The lonesome hen is an often overlooked call that can be very effective, especially when ducks are call-shy. The call is nothing more than widely spaced, irregular, nasal, drawn-out Quaaaaink quacks. Some callers have used it to pull birds sitting on the water for long distances. "You can derive your lonesome hen call from your basic quack. Learn to quack correctly and the rest will come from that," says Jim Olt. "Your lonesome call should be spaced out, and quick, with several seconds between. If the quacks are too close together it scares the ducks. And keep in mind that the lonesome hen is somewhat low and throaty."

Pleading Call "The pleading or begging hail call is used to get the attention of ducks flying 75 to 200 yards above you," says champion caller Greg Brinkley. "This call is a series of 5 t o 6 quacks that are really dragged out to sound like you are begging the ducks to land. A pleading call is a Kaaanc, Kanc, Kanc, Kanc sound, and its first note is usually held a little longer. The pleading call is a drawn-out, slightly faster variation of the comeback. Many callers save the pleading call for stubborn ducks that refuse to come in. It's the caller's way of literally pleading with the ducks to come into or return to the spread.

Whistling (Mallard, Pintail and Wigeon)
Whistling works! Rod Haydel swears by a whistle. "Most of our most successful hunts last year were late in the season using whistles in conjunction with our mallard calls. We try to identify the ducks before we call to them so that we can speak their language," he says. "Whistles are also a great way to get youngsters involved in hunting, because there's no way they can mess it up."

Mallard Whistle	Pintail Whistle	Wigeon Whistle

Tune Up
"When choosing a hand made duck call, take the time to visit the call maker and allow them to tune the call specifically for you," advises Greg Brinkley.

Shut Your Bill
"The fact is that we all like to call and feel like we are the ones responsible for bringing those birds in," says Rod Haydel of Haydel's Game Calls. "Kind of builds one's confidence. But sometimes the best call is not to call at all. Keep your calls sounding natural sounding by sticking with the basics. Fancy calling is best left on the stage." Todd Heidelbauer of Heidelbauer Wildfowl Calls agrees. "People try to do too much. If you can only do one call, make it a series of six or seven quacks, and just change their length and volume."

Read the Ducks
Greg Hood of Southern Game Calls believes that learning to read a duck's behavior is the number one priority. "People focus on blowing so much that they ignore the big picture. Don't worry about blowing until you know what the ducks want to hear. Do they need a slow greeting? An excited greeting? It's more important to control the birds with calling than to stick with a rigid calling routine that doesn't work." Hood also wants new callers and hunters to realize there's a great deal of satisfaction to be had from controlling the birds, not just in the number harvested. "It's not just about numbers, it's about skill and satisfaction in calling well," he says.

Rod Haydel's 10 Tips for Better Calling:

1. As long as the ducks are coming in, forget calling.

2. When the ducks start an erratic wing beat, hit them with a comeback call immediately to bring them back on line.

3. If they look as if they may drift off-line, use single quacks and feed calls to bring them back online.

4. Try calling at birds as they circle when they quarter into the wind. This will make it easier for them to set up for a landing zone into the wind. (Anticipate their swing).

5. Remember your whistle and mix these sounds in with your mallard call. Youngsters can blow these with ease and feel partly responsible for bringing the ducks in! The mallard drake sound should not be discounted either, especially on windless days!

	Additional Information:  Read more articles:  - Call Ducks  - If it Quacks...  Get the Gear:  - Duck Calls  - Call Laynards  - Waterfowl Books  - Waterfowl DVDs &  - Videos

6. Always start high and come down the scale smoothly with no "start-up note."

7. If possible use a call that applies to the species you're trying to call. Speak their language (eg. blue-wing teal, use a blue-wing call).

8. When team calling, one person should be the leader while the others just fill in. Don't compete against yourselves.

9. Realize that not all ducks are callable and that even real ducks do not call in all the ducks all the time.

10. Be different! If what you are doing isn't working - CHANGE. Don't get stuck in a rut!

Don't wait for next season, put these pointers into practice today and be ready for next season.