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It seems the top choices for wood calls are hedge, maple, coco and bocote, with walnut getting a mention now and then. I like the tone of hedge, but it's known for splitting, so I'll have to go with coco. I've never tried bocate, although I can say maple is good to the ears.

I would love for somebody to take the same duck call made out of different wood and blow it behind a curtain and have people try to figure out what is what or if it’s a different wood. I bet you 99.9999% of people couldn’t tell you what wood it is or if there is even a difference.

I think most duck calls are for calling money out of peoples wallet.

I use to think maybe I was tone deaf but I’ve taken all the tests and my hearing is fine in that department.

PorkChop wrote:I would love for somebody to take the same duck call made out of different wood and blow it behind a curtain and have people try to figure out what is what or if it’s a different wood. I bet you 99.9999% of people couldn’t tell you what wood it is or if there is even a difference.

I think most duck calls are for calling money out of peoples wallet.

I use to think maybe I was tone deaf but I’ve taken all the tests and my hearing is fine in that department.

for goose calls, the difference between hedge and coco is clear, hedge is way softer, coco has more crack...maple also has a softer sound, I haven't tried bocote yet

This bit of research related to this topic was posted elsewhere recently: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264757150_Acoustical_Comparison_between_Decrescendo_Calls_of_Female_Mallards_and_Mimicry_by_Humans_Using_Artificial_Duck_Calls

Hedge is my pick of the litter, as I find it has a bit of bird-like resonance that pleases me. And the most real-deal-ducky call I've owned was an early hedge Short Barrel. That said, the only hedge calls I hunt with are for specklebelly and Canada geese.

Haven't ever had hedge split on me (except when stepped on by a grandchild), but I've believed the makers who say they can be prone to it and treat mine annually with Howard's Butcher Block Conditioner. So far (couple decades), so good.

PorkChop wrote:I would love for somebody to take the same duck call made out of different wood and blow it behind a curtain and have people try to figure out what is what or if it’s a different wood. I bet you 99.9999% of people couldn’t tell you what wood it is or if there is even a difference.

I think most duck calls are for calling money out of peoples wallet.

I use to think maybe I was tone deaf but I’ve taken all the tests and my hearing is fine in that department.

They're like most any tool, in that the more important they are to your purposes, the more apt you are to notice or care about differences between them.

Rick wrote:

PorkChop wrote:I would love for somebody to take the same duck call made out of different wood and blow it behind a curtain and have people try to figure out what is what or if it’s a different wood. I bet you 99.9999% of people couldn’t tell you what wood it is or if there is even a difference.

I think most duck calls are for calling money out of peoples wallet.

I use to think maybe I was tone deaf but I’ve taken all the tests and my hearing is fine in that department.

They're like most any tool, in that the more important they are to your purposes, the more apt you are to notice or care about differences between them.

Usually the one I pick out of my bag and put to my lips does the trick is supposed to do. I’m not want to overthink things. I keep it as simple as it needs to be. I can’t imagine saying them ducks didn’t come in because I was blowing my hedge call I should’ve been blowing the walnut one.

PorkChop wrote:I can’t imagine saying them ducks didn’t come in because I was blowing my hedge call I should’ve been blowing the walnut one.

Neither can I, but there's no shortage of good reasons to say one call will better serve than another.

PorkChop wrote:

Rick wrote:

PorkChop wrote:I would love for somebody to take the same duck call made out of different wood and blow it behind a curtain and have people try to figure out what is what or if it’s a different wood. I bet you 99.9999% of people couldn’t tell you what wood it is or if there is even a difference.

I think most duck calls are for calling money out of peoples wallet.

I use to think maybe I was tone deaf but I’ve taken all the tests and my hearing is fine in that department.

They're like most any tool, in that the more important they are to your purposes, the more apt you are to notice or care about differences between them.

Usually the one I pick out of my bag and put to my lips does the trick is supposed to do. I’m not want to overthink things. I keep it as simple as it needs to be. I can’t imagine saying them ducks didn’t come in because I was blowing my hedge call I should’ve been blowing the walnut one.

true enough, subtle differences, the birds may care or may not. It comes down to the users choice. I've had 2 custom hedges split on me, not going that route again...never had issues with coco though

plainsman wrote:I've had 2 custom hedges split on me, not going that route again...never had issues with coco though

Hedge is relatively hard but lacks the oils of denser woods like cocobolo or, more so, African blackwood. So while it's my understanding from makers that its cracking potential is largely a function being turned before the blank has completely finished drying, I hedge (pun poor but hard to avoid) my bets on it by periodic application of stuff (composed of mineral oil, beeswax and carnuba wax) made to protect wooden utensils, bowls and cutting boards subject to frequent washing. Maybe that's the ticket or maybe I've just been lucky. Don't plan on finding out.

Mentioning hedge and African blackwood in the same sentence brought PC's "I would love for somebody to take the same duck call made out of different wood and blow it behind a curtain and have people try to figure out what is what or if it’s a different wood. I bet you 99.9999% of people couldn’t tell you what wood it is or if there is even a difference." back to mind.

When we were still ate up with Richardson's/Hutchinson's ("depending on who your ornithology professor was related to") a fast and nimble hedge Gander Valley XXX quickly became my favorite Canada call. So I called Mark and asked about getting one in denser African blackwood for more crack. Wasn't a standard option, but he eventually made a small run of them, and when mine showed up I lowered the pitch on my self-tuned hedge XXX back down to match his shop-tuning pitch as best I could, ran them side by side and put the blackwood call back in its slick little black bag, where it's remained with Mark's original shop tuning ever since. While the blackwood was, indeed, crisper, which I think generally a very good thing for calling leverage, I still liked the hedge's tone better and never found Canadas hard to toll, so that's what stayed on the lanyard. Definitely one choice that was, in fact, more for the fisherman than the fish.

Rick wrote:

plainsman wrote:I've had 2 custom hedges split on me, not going that route again...never had issues with coco though

Hedge is relatively hard but lacks the oils of denser woods like cocobolo or, more so, African blackwood. So while it's my understanding from makers that its cracking potential is largely a function being turned before the blank has completely finished drying, I hedge (pun poor but hard to avoid) my bets on it by periodic application of stuff (composed of mineral oil, beeswax and carnuba wax) made to protect wooden utensils, bowls and cutting boards subject to frequent washing. Maybe that's the ticket or maybe I've just been lucky. Don't plan on finding out.

Mentioning hedge and African blackwood in the same sentence brought PC's "I would love for somebody to take the same duck call made out of different wood and blow it behind a curtain and have people try to figure out what is what or if it’s a different wood. I bet you 99.9999% of people couldn’t tell you what wood it is or if there is even a difference." back to mind.

When we were still ate up with Richardson's/Hutchinson's ("depending on who your ornithology professor was related to") a fast and nimble hedge Gander Valley XXX quickly became my favorite Canada call. So I called Mark and asked about getting one in denser African blackwood for more crack. Wasn't a standard option, but he eventually made a small run of them, and when mine showed up I lowered the pitch on my self-tuned hedge XXX back down to match his shop-tuning pitch as best I could, ran them side by side and put the blackwood call back in its slick little black bag, where it's remained with Mark's original shop tuning ever since. While the blackwood was, indeed, crisper, which I think generally a very good thing for calling leverage, I still liked the hedge's tone better and never found Canadas hard to toll, so that's what stayed on the lanyard. Definitely one choice that was, in fact, more for the fisherman than the fish.

You are basically echoing my previous statement, different materials will produce a different tone Callmakers will also agree to the same, for example, it was well known Tim preferred hedge to anything else for his goose calls. I use a hedge insert in my super thang and can't see switching to anything else, although my second triple crown will be a coco.

It's been about 4 years since I had mallard ducks actually work and decoy. You have to have ducks to call to call ducks?
This area hasn't been really good since the 80s or 90s and even then it was random and you had to hit a cold front, have the right kind or clouds, not too much...lol
It's gotten harder and harder until the mallards I kill are by using odd tactics that y'all would laff at but it's better than nothing.
What wood the call is made of aint going to make ducks appear out of thin air.
Drive to Kansas.
Call Bobby.
Ask him in the blind on camera
I use a hedge call that's 12 years old and not stabilized.
Hasn't cracked yet. That one.

Now see the little circle mark?
It's from the jig set screw.
CCC are hand cut if it's wood

Ricky Spanish wrote:It's been about 4 years since I had mallard ducks actually work and decoy. You have to have ducks to call to call ducks?
This area hasn't been really good since the 80s or 90s and even then it was random and you had to hit a cold front, have the right kind or clouds, not too much...lol
It's gotten harder and harder until the mallards I kill are by using odd tactics that y'all would laff at but it's better than nothing.
What wood the call is made of aint going to make ducks appear out of thin air.
Drive to Kansas.
Call Bobby.
Ask him in the blind on camera
I use a hedge call that's 12 years old and not stabilized.
Hasn't cracked yet. That one.

16800479708038705448204421796712.jpg

Now see the little circle mark?
It's from the jig set screw.

16800480837543303231401566691961.jpg

CCC are hand cut if it's wood

Ricky Spanish wrote:It's been about 4 years since I had mallard ducks actually work and decoy. You have to have ducks to call to call ducks?
This area hasn't been really good since the 80s or 90s and even then it was random and you had to hit a cold front, have the right kind or clouds, not too much...lol
It's gotten harder and harder until the mallards I kill are by using odd tactics that y'all would laff at but it's better than nothing.
What wood the call is made of aint going to make ducks appear out of thin air.
Drive to Kansas.
Call Bobby.
Ask him in the blind on camera
I use a hedge call that's 12 years old and not stabilized.
Hasn't cracked yet. That one.

16800479708038705448204421796712.jpg

Now see the little circle mark?
It's from the jig set screw.

16800480837543303231401566691961.jpg

CCC are hand cut if it's wood

got more pic's?

uncle Jed wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:It's been about 4 years since I had mallard ducks actually work and decoy. You have to have ducks to call to call ducks?
This area hasn't been really good since the 80s or 90s and even then it was random and you had to hit a cold front, have the right kind or clouds, not too much...lol
It's gotten harder and harder until the mallards I kill are by using odd tactics that y'all would laff at but it's better than nothing.
What wood the call is made of aint going to make ducks appear out of thin air.
Drive to Kansas.
Call Bobby.
Ask him in the blind on camera
I use a hedge call that's 12 years old and not stabilized.
Hasn't cracked yet. That one.

16800479708038705448204421796712.jpg

Now see the little circle mark?
It's from the jig set screw.

16800480837543303231401566691961.jpg

CCC are hand cut if it's wood

got more pic's?

Sure. Can make more. See how this one has no circle mark? It's because it was poured and then worked on by hand later.

Made video of that tone board it's all scratched up in appearance because Gary worked on it with sandpaper or a file.
I forget but if you insist I can ask him.

Ricky Spanish wrote:

uncle Jed wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:It's been about 4 years since I had mallard ducks actually work and decoy. You have to have ducks to call to call ducks?
This area hasn't been really good since the 80s or 90s and even then it was random and you had to hit a cold front, have the right kind or clouds, not too much...lol
It's gotten harder and harder until the mallards I kill are by using odd tactics that y'all would laff at but it's better than nothing.
What wood the call is made of aint going to make ducks appear out of thin air.
Drive to Kansas.
Call Bobby.
Ask him in the blind on camera
I use a hedge call that's 12 years old and not stabilized.
Hasn't cracked yet. That one.

16800479708038705448204421796712.jpg

Now see the little circle mark?
It's from the jig set screw.

16800480837543303231401566691961.jpg

CCC are hand cut if it's wood

got more pic's?

Sure. Can make more. See how this one has no circle mark? It's because it was poured and then worked on by hand later.

1680181782256131912192288196794.jpg

Made video of that tone board it's all scratched up in appearance because Gary worked on it with sandpaper or a file.
I forget but if you insist I can ask him.

Irrelevant to topic...got more pics of the "hedge"?

plainsman wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:

uncle Jed wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:It's been about 4 years since I had mallard ducks actually work and decoy. You have to have ducks to call to call ducks?
This area hasn't been really good since the 80s or 90s and even then it was random and you had to hit a cold front, have the right kind or clouds, not too much...lol
It's gotten harder and harder until the mallards I kill are by using odd tactics that y'all would laff at but it's better than nothing.
What wood the call is made of aint going to make ducks appear out of thin air.
Drive to Kansas.
Call Bobby.
Ask him in the blind on camera
I use a hedge call that's 12 years old and not stabilized.
Hasn't cracked yet. That one.

16800479708038705448204421796712.jpg

Now see the little circle mark?
It's from the jig set screw.

16800480837543303231401566691961.jpg

CCC are hand cut if it's wood

got more pic's?

Sure. Can make more. See how this one has no circle mark? It's because it was poured and then worked on by hand later.

1680181782256131912192288196794.jpg

Made video of that tone board it's all scratched up in appearance because Gary worked on it with sandpaper or a file.
I forget but if you insist I can ask him.

Irrelevant to topic...got more pics of the "hedge"?

Just get on refuge and pay stump to make you a call.
Go away.

Ricky Spanish wrote:Just get on refuge and pay stump to make you a call.
Go away.

So those were the only two pics of that call that you downloaded?

uncle Jed wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:Just get on refuge and pay stump to make you a call.
Go away.

So those were the only two pics of that call that you downloaded?

hell no. All you gotta do is search theu 20,000 pictures and find them.
What is with you and them CCC hedge calls?
This one is brand new.
To get a new one today???
Well you gotta have bees and chickens first.


Plus you're going to need to get on your hands and knees then pray for some Jesus to get inside you.

Rise Peter kill and eat

The tone board is scuffed up like the acrylic one.
It's hard to show but if you run your finger across it you feel the scratches..the guy that makes these really knows his calls. I suppose I could try and record him next time thru but it might not be until fall.
Listening to Gary play a duck call is ....well I can't get enough.

Let's see...the champion from Tennessee said that Gary could spend years teaching me and I'd still sound like shit. Gary says I've mastered the cutdown.
I'm not so sure.

These make me drool.
I had a dark one like that a while so that I could try and tune mine like it. Do you live in Mead, OK 73449?
If so you have it.


I think stump can do a green hedge call. That's cool as hell.

Mead, OK? The French fry guy?

Anotherone wrote:Mead, OK? The French fry guy?

Oklahoma has a call collector. His collection is enviable.
Mine is just a handful of meat calls.
Kentucky has a collector or two as well.
Some of you guys actually buy calls in numbers just to have. I bought an mvp and a short barrel.
Calls sort of just get given to me.
Thanks.
Check out the cut on this!
Holy hell that's been butchered!
Pure duck if you can blow it.

This shows how much cutting you can do.
One call has been cut off by an inch almost.


Custom

Face slap...
What you do is go to Beebe, Arkansas when their shop is open.
They'll sit you down and build you a call and tune it to you.
https://echocalls.com/product/timber-wooden-duck-calls/

You want a hedge call?
That's what you do. Get a timber.

125 frns

Just from casual observation, Echo seems to be able to come up with green hedge more often than most who don't have their own old hedge post fence row out back.

Rick wrote:Just from casual observation, Echo seems to be able to come up with green hedge more often than most who don't have their own old hedge post fence row out back.

Must be magical to taste the flavor of 10,000 decaying cow pies whenever you mouth the call.

Ricky Spanish wrote:Just get on refuge and pay stump to make you a call.
Go away.

Naw, stump don't make the grade

plainsman wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:Just get on refuge and pay stump to make you a call.
Go away.

Naw, stump don't make the grade

Then go to Beebe.

Ricky Spanish wrote:

plainsman wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:Just get on refuge and pay stump to make you a call.
Go away.

Naw, stump don't make the grade

Then go to Beebe.

Pass on that as well, I have a lanyard of Lares that work very well

plainsman wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:

plainsman wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:Just get on refuge and pay stump to make you a call.
Go away.

Naw, stump don't make the grade

Then go to Beebe.

Pass on that as well, I have a lanyard of Lares that work very well

Pick one and blow it

Ricky Spanish wrote:

plainsman wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:

plainsman wrote:

Ricky Spanish wrote:Just get on refuge and pay stump to make you a call.
Go away.

Naw, stump don't make the grade

Then go to Beebe.

Pass on that as well, I have a lanyard of Lares that work very well

Pick one and blow it

since you still haven't caught on the topic is about choice of materials, not brands. Try to read more accurately