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They are going to run different for different people. The only way to know what's best for you is to try them yourself

Goldfish is correct, as was the fellow on DHC who told you they're both easy (or at least relatively so) to run and will bring in ducks. Either should be OK, but none of us can say which you would find the better of the two.

As for "pros and cons," which is what may also depend on your physiology, methodology and preferences, as well as the individual call you try. No one call is apt to sound the same or run as well for any two callers, and no two calls of the same make and model are apt to sound and run exactly the same for any one caller.

The individual call's tuning accounts for much of its tone and ease of operation. And unless an individual call's tuning happens to be spot on or at least close for the fellow running it, there is no way of knowing how well it might "fit" that operator without adjusting the tuning. Which brings us to the major other-than-cosmetic difference between the two calls: while both offer the forgiveness of two reeds, the manner in which those reeds are held in place, and therefore tuned, differs significantly.

The Haydel is a "Louisiana style" or "floating wedge" setup, where the reeds are simply pinched between a wedge and toneboard then wedged into the insert. So tuning is just a matter of experimenting with how much of the reeds is exposed beyond the wedge and, therefore, allowed to vibrate.

The Buck Gardner is an "Arkansas style" or "J-frame" call, where both the reed and a cork used to hold it in place and keep pressure on it butt up against the back of a notch cut in a one piece toneboard and insert. So the actual length of the reeds determines how much of them will be exposed beyond the cork and allowed to work, so tuning is accomplished by cutting, rather than adjusting, reeds to their desired length.

Once a call is properly tuned, the Arkansas style/Buck Gardner has the advantage of maintaining its tuning through proper dis- and reassembly, while the Louisiana style requires retuning any time the "guts" (toneboard, reeds and wedge) are removed from the insert. But the Louisiana style/Haydel's wedge system will never lose it ability to keep proper pressure on the reeds and need replaced, like corks eventually do.

Clear as mud, huh?

Jarren wrote:The Buck Gardner will probably smell better though lol.

Wouldn't be hard. Rod Haydel told me the puke smell came from the UV inhibitor they used - but also that they were experimenting with cover scents like vanilla. Haven't sniffed one in years, but haven't heard anyone say they smell like cup cakes now, either.

+1 for the DR-85 in just a simple, ducky, call.

Can't really describe it as a whole lot more than that, would never tout it as the world's greatest but it's been known to trick a duck or two over it's history. It's my go-to for the little bit of mallard/hen/quacking calling I do and it does well in the weather

DR-85 was what I learned on. Personally I like it better than the Buck Gardner. I have several of Buck's calls and I'm not a fan of any of them but you may think differently.

I have a acrylic Mallard Hammer by Buck Gardner and love it. It has great low end raspy quacks, but can raise hell on a high ball its a great all around call from timber to the rice field. Easy to learn on cause its a double reed

Rick wrote:Goldfish is correct, as was the fellow on DHC who told you they're both easy (or at least relatively so) to run and will bring in ducks. Either should be OK, but none of us can say which you would find the better of the two.

As for "pros and cons," which is what may also depend on your physiology, methodology and preferences, as well as the individual call you try. No one call is apt to sound the same or run as well for any two callers, and no two calls of the same make and model are apt to sound and run exactly the same for any one caller.

The individual call's tuning accounts for much of its tone and ease of operation. And unless an individual call's tuning happens to be spot on or at least close for the fellow running it, there is no way of knowing how well it might "fit" that operator without adjusting the tuning. Which brings us to the major other-than-cosmetic difference between the two calls: while both offer the forgiveness of two reeds, the manner in which those reeds are held in place, and therefore tuned, differs significantly.

The Haydel is a "Louisiana style" or "floating wedge" setup, where the reeds are simply pinched between a wedge and toneboard then wedged into the insert. So tuning is just a matter of experimenting with how much of the reeds is exposed beyond the wedge and, therefore, allowed to vibrate.

The Buck Gardner is an "Arkansas style" or "J-frame" call, where both the reed and a cork used to hold it in place and keep pressure on it butt up against the back of a notch cut in a one piece toneboard and insert. So the actual length of the reeds determines how much of them will be exposed beyond the cork and allowed to work, so tuning is accomplished by cutting, rather than adjusting, reeds to their desired length.

Once a call is properly tuned, the Arkansas style/Buck Gardner has the advantage of maintaining its tuning through proper dis- and reassembly, while the Louisiana style requires retuning any time the "guts" (toneboard, reeds and wedge) are removed from the insert. But the Louisiana style/Haydel's wedge system will never lose it ability to keep proper pressure on the reeds and need replaced, like corks eventually do.

Clear as mud, huh?

You failed to mention what a nightmare tuning a floating wedge call is.
Buy a Rain Man White Lightning, take it apart, and see what happens. (that's the hardest to tune call I've ever owned)
Once dialed in you never touch it again. It might take you 100 tries to get it back together right. Very frustrating.
Hint: Mark the reeds before you take it apart or you might not ever get it right.
Cork calls require more maintenance so it could go either way...50/50.
Neither of them calls are high dollar so maybe the answer is to buy both and see what works best. <--- that's my final answer.

'Spose that, like tuning a goose call, most of which have floating wedge, reed and toneboard, depends on who's doing it. I've friends who can have disassembled DR-85 up and running in no time and others who are afraid to take them apart. Pretty sure Rod did a youtube on the process.

aunt betty wrote:

Rick wrote:Goldfish is correct, as was the fellow on DHC who told you they're both easy (or at least relatively so) to run and will bring in ducks. Either should be OK, but none of us can say which you would find the better of the two.

As for "pros and cons," which is what may also depend on your physiology, methodology and preferences, as well as the individual call you try. No one call is apt to sound the same or run as well for any two callers, and no two calls of the same make and model are apt to sound and run exactly the same for any one caller.

The individual call's tuning accounts for much of its tone and ease of operation. And unless an individual call's tuning happens to be spot on or at least close for the fellow running it, there is no way of knowing how well it might "fit" that operator without adjusting the tuning. Which brings us to the major other-than-cosmetic difference between the two calls: while both offer the forgiveness of two reeds, the manner in which those reeds are held in place, and therefore tuned, differs significantly.

The Haydel is a "Louisiana style" or "floating wedge" setup, where the reeds are simply pinched between a wedge and toneboard then wedged into the insert. So tuning is just a matter of experimenting with how much of the reeds is exposed beyond the wedge and, therefore, allowed to vibrate.

The Buck Gardner is an "Arkansas style" or "J-frame" call, where both the reed and a cork used to hold it in place and keep pressure on it butt up against the back of a notch cut in a one piece toneboard and insert. So the actual length of the reeds determines how much of them will be exposed beyond the cork and allowed to work, so tuning is accomplished by cutting, rather than adjusting, reeds to their desired length.

Once a call is properly tuned, the Arkansas style/Buck Gardner has the advantage of maintaining its tuning through proper dis- and reassembly, while the Louisiana style requires retuning any time the "guts" (toneboard, reeds and wedge) are removed from the insert. But the Louisiana style/Haydel's wedge system will never lose it ability to keep proper pressure on the reeds and need replaced, like corks eventually do.

Clear as mud, huh?

You failed to mention what a nightmare tuning a floating wedge call is.
Buy a Rain Man White Lightning, take it apart, and see what happens. (that's the hardest to tune call I've ever owned)
Once dialed in you never touch it again. It might take you 100 tries to get it back together right. Very frustrating.
Hint: Mark the reeds before you take it apart or you might not ever get it right.
Cork calls require more maintenance so it could go either way...50/50.
Neither of them calls are high dollar so maybe the answer is to buy both and see what works best. <--- that's my final answer.

You are correct sir I have a Rainman White Lightning and its a nightmare to tune but when its right its right, learned about marking reeds a day to late but have several attempts to get it right its back in tune. I hunt with Greg every year and have him re-tune the call for me also.

Those guys have a few tricks up their sleeves that make them look really good.
Next time look inside that closet by the front door at the clubhouse on Sitzer Road.

Have and like Haydels dr85 and also buck gardner double nasty also like it