I can't tell you how many times I have been in the duck blind and heard another hunter blare away with the hail call at passing ducks only to watch them turn away and fly as far from that hunter as possible. To me, it really comes down to one simple reason: The didn't know how to duck call the right way! Quite simply they didnt sound like the right duck.

The truth is that most of the hunters buy their shiny acrylic duck call, listen to a couple competition tapes on the internet, and call loudly and indiscriminately at every passing bird. This rarely leads to anything fruitful, and these hunters would be much better served mastering two simple steps.

Know What Duck You Are Calling

To a certain degree, the mallard duck call will work on most ducks, but if you can match your calling to the duck you will have far improved results. If you see a flock of teal, a series of peeps out of a duck whistle will yield better results than a 10 note highball hen mallard. If it is a bunch of bluebills you will be better served going with a "burr burr" type of a call than the standard mallard quack. Put Down Your Duck Call

Understand how to duck call the proper way

The number one problem with most hunters is that they call too much and use too intricate of calling patterns. Simply put, a really good quack which can be varied and spaced apart differently is much more effective than any poorly mastered version of what is heard at calling competitions across the country. Take time to master the simple hen quack and try to make it sound like an actual duck. Don't be afraid to just quack once and see how the birds react. If they start barreling in, just put your duck call down and sit there quietly. You are more likely to push the birds away than keep them coming by calling.

Let me give you an example of how I used the above two principles to put ducks in the boat. On my favorite marsh a few years back I heard the standard highball call from a hunter across the bay. I noticed that he was calling a flock of ducks, but unfortunately for him they were teal. They actually elevated and were ready to leave when I hit them with a simple 5 note "peep" call from my whistle. They turned and came right in. I didn't call any more and we took 4 out of the flock as they piled right into the decoys.

Success in the blind requires a hunter to become proficient in calling birds into your decoys. Thankfully, simple is better so just practice making your duck calls sound like the basic sounds a duck makes. If you do this I guarantee you will be more successful.