WaterfowlForum.Net

Got this trio ready for up coming season....what are your choices?

Usually have RNT Mondo and either cocobolo RNT short barrel or Echo XLT for the river. XLT and Daisycutter for field hunting. Have toyed with a singleton cut down but I can’t get it to sound right to my ear.

For specks, an early hedge James Meyers:


(Grandkids stepped on the barrel and cracked it, then, God bless 'em, were honest enough to tell me they did. Proud pawpaw moment that.)

and a louder micarta Riceland, from after James partnered with Bill and was good enough to turn the insert down from their new to his old design for me:


Guts in both are what James and Riceland used but shaped by me and also include a modification I liked in the Lares speck guts Ken White designed.

For Canadas and blues/snows I carry a Gander Valley XXX:


Though that particular blackwood one was put up new for the grandkids. Very "goosey" by popular standards, while still capable of being wicked quick. XXX I carry is beat up hedge and I've swapped the stock guts out for some with more crack, which is more useful to me than "goosey".

Duck Engr wrote:Have toyed with a singleton cut down but I can’t get it to sound right to my ear.

LA or original cut?

My buddies use echo calls.
I'm the oddball with single reeds.
We get along just fine.
This is the goose forum tho.
Snubnose from CCC.
Gary really knows his goose calls.
In 2014 he shaved my reed.

This is the same call.

Ricky Spanish wrote:My buddies use echo calls.
I'm the oddball with single reeds.

Surely the overwhelming majority of Echos, and especially in Arkansas, are single reeds. So if your buddies are using doubles, they would be the oddballs. 'Least in that case.

Rick wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:My buddies use echo calls.
I'm the oddball with single reeds.

Surely the overwhelming majority of Echos, and especially in Arkansas, are single reeds. So if your buddies are using doubles, they would be the oddballs. 'Least in that case.

It surprises me too.
I had to look and they're using them cheap $6 inserts with two reeds.
Face slap.
One guy pulled out a yentzen then told me I'm too loud.
I was like "knock yourself out man".

Rick wrote:

Duck Engr wrote:Have toyed with a singleton cut down but I can’t get it to sound right to my ear.

LA or original cut?

Whoops. This is the goose forum as AB pointed out, though I’ll answer the question Rick posed above. Original cut. Haven’t tried his new LA model.

Duck Engr wrote:

Rick wrote:

Duck Engr wrote:Have toyed with a singleton cut down but I can’t get it to sound right to my ear.

LA or original cut?

Whoops. This is the goose forum as AB pointed out, though I’ll answer the question Rick posed above. Original cut. Haven’t tried his new LA model.

Foolishly I tried to buy a mondo and went out of my way to do it but nobody had one.
On the way home Yankeegray got out his. It's special and signed and he keeps it under glass sort of. I tried blowing it.
Nope. No can do.
That's a man-size call.
It was lucky that I got to try one without paying.
We sort of laughed off the potential virus.
I've had it he's had it too.

Duck Engr wrote:Whoops. This is the goose forum as AB pointed out, though I’ll answer the question Rick posed above. Original cut. Haven’t tried his new LA model.

Was just curious. Used to audition a new call or two every season, but haven't done so since the Lares Magnum Hen was new and toyed with the idea of giving Singleton's LA cut a go. Says it's higher pitched than the Original up top, which I've found a goof thing.

Yes based on your description of where you hunt, I’d say the LA cut would better suit you, hence the name I suppose.

Ricky Spanish wrote:Foolishly I tried to buy a mondo and went out of my way to do it but nobody had one.
On the way home Yankeegray got out his. It's special and signed and he keeps it under glass sort of. I tried blowing it.
Nope. No can do.
That's a man-size call.
It was lucky that I got to try one without paying.
We sort of laughed off the potential virus.
I've had it he's had it too.

I'm guessing Gary tamed the Olt he tuned for you with a thinner reed than cutdowns normally have.

Duck Engr wrote:Yes based on your description of where you hunt, I’d say the LA cut would better suit you, hence the name I suppose.

Naw, both Arkansas and Louisiana cuts came from flooded timber hunting. LA cut's just at a 45-degree angle, while the fancy, smancy Arkies put a curve in theirs. Mostly, I think, just the way P-paw did it to much the same ends. Next maker's "LA style" may well be coarser on top.

Rick wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:Foolishly I tried to buy a mondo and went out of my way to do it but nobody had one.
On the way home Yankeegray got out his. It's special and signed and he keeps it under glass sort of. I tried blowing it.
Nope. No can do.
That's a man-size call.
It was lucky that I got to try one without paying.
We sort of laughed off the potential virus.
I've had it he's had it too.

I'm guessing Gary tamed the Olt he tuned for you with a thinner reed than cutdowns normally have.

It has light and heavy reeds. I like the heavy one.
Once I figured out kak kak works...
Read a set of olt instructions...lol
Proof that I'm not always right:
I'm running the light reed.
Ironically the guys I envied so much about their olts bought mondos. They sound good.

This is my main lanyard. I have used these two SMH calls since 2001. Still fooling birds 21 years later well 20 to be exact but this will be the 21st year.

A few backups in the blind bag

Still using the Big River Long Honker for the geese and just a cheap o duck call that I got from Waterfowler.com many years ago. Too cheap to spend big money on calls......

We've been laughing since January about what's on my lanyard.
Calls that are "too loud".
If you hunt with aunt betty bring ear plugs.

Ricky Spanish wrote:We've been laughing since January about what's on my lanyard.
Calls that are "too loud".
If you hunt with aunt betty bring ear plugs.