noob goose caller needs advice

limit time

limit time

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i bought a cheep goose call from Canadian Tire, and been practicing for a month now. iv been watching guys on you tube and there calls SOUND alot better than mine.
what would be the next step in price range i should go to? and what are some of your favorites??


thanks limit.
 
I like my meatgrinder. My buddy just got a canada hammer for chrismas that sound pretty good also.

What kind of call did you get?
 
If you know how to blow a call, check out East Cost Calls, they are made in little ol PEI but are difficult to catch on to as they are a little harder to blow. They are the loudest and highest pitch call on the market. They don't actually sound as "goosey" as some calls but the pitch and volume definitely helps bring em in.
 
Hey, the youtube videos are ok, but if you can get a copy of Shawn Stahl's honker talk on DVD you'll be laying it down in no time. The knight and hale call from CT isn't very good to learn with. Once you learn the basics of blowing a short reed the more complicated notes come with practice and familiarity with your call. I owned close to a dozen short reeds before I found the ones I like. Right now I'm using a GK Canuck and a Buck Gardner SS-2.

Here's some quick tips though;

Hand position, place the call in your master hand between your thumb and ring and middle fingers. Your ring finger and pinky stay together and control the pitch of the notes. They control the pitch. Put your non master over your master hand, with your index finger on your non master hand touching the middle finger on your master hand. Thumbs side by side, and your fingers always stay together, keep them cupped.

Mouth position, put your tongue against the back of your bottom teeth, and raise it up to form a narrow air channel in your mouth. Place the mouthpiece of the call on your bottom lip, your tip lip should cut off the top third of your mouthpiece, like your drinking from a bottle.

Presenting air into the call, should start from down in the diaphragm. Don't blow from your cheeks, blow from your belly. Use reference words to make your basic notes. Adding a little inflection (humming/growling) will make your call sound a lot goosier.

Basic Notes;
Moan- long steady note, say "gooooooo" into the call

Cluck- quick note, one of a gooses basics, a quick "hut" into the call, nice and sharp to get the reed to break. The position of your ring a pinky on the master hand will control the pitch. Open your non master hand slightly will make the note sound better.

Honk- starts with a moan, ends with a cluck. Put the moan and cluck together, "gooooohut". Opening your non-master hand at the end of the note.

These are the basics. As you practice more you'll learn the sounds which can be used to make the more advanced notes and the youtube videos will make more sense. Contest calling is a lot different than field calling too, a lot of the stuff you hear on the stage isn't in a gooses vocabulary.

Sorry for the long winded post, I hope this helps.
 
I just got Honker talk and Bad Grammer in the mail, both have been highly recommended for the newbies. I was even able to source form a CDN source (PM me if you want details). Now to drive my wife nuts when I start learning on a short reed.
 
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gravyboat said:
Hey, the youtube videos are ok, but if you can get a copy of Shawn Stahl's honker talk on DVD you'll be laying it down in no time. The knight and hale call from CT isn't very good to learn with. Once you learn the basics of blowing a short reed the more complicated notes come with practice and familiarity with your call. I owned close to a dozen short reeds before I found the ones I like. Right now I'm using a GK Canuck and a Buck Gardner SS-2.

Here's some quick tips though;

Hand position, place the call in your master hand between your thumb and ring and middle fingers. Your ring finger and pinky stay together and control the pitch of the notes. They control the pitch. Put your non master over your master hand, with your index finger on your non master hand touching the middle finger on your master hand. Thumbs side by side, and your fingers always stay together, keep them cupped.

Mouth position, put your tongue against the back of your bottom teeth, and raise it up to form a narrow air channel in your mouth. Place the mouthpiece of the call on your bottom lip, your tip lip should cut off the top third of your mouthpiece, like your drinking from a bottle.

Presenting air into the call, should start from down in the diaphragm. Don't blow from your cheeks, blow from your belly. Use reference words to make your basic notes. Adding a little inflection (humming/growling) will make your call sound a lot goosier.

Basic Notes;
Moan- long steady note, say "gooooooo" into the call

Cluck- quick note, one of a gooses basics, a quick "hut" into the call, nice and sharp to get the reed to break. The position of your ring a pinky on the master hand will control the pitch. Open your non master hand slightly will make the note sound better.

Honk- starts with a moan, ends with a cluck. Put the moan and cluck together, "gooooohut". Opening your non-master hand at the end of the note.

These are the basics. As you practice more you'll learn the sounds which can be used to make the more advanced notes and the youtube videos will make more sense. Contest calling is a lot different than field calling too, a lot of the stuff you hear on the stage isn't in a gooses vocabulary.

Sorry for the long winded post, I hope this helps.
Click to expand...


this is what im looking for! thanks.
 
The Big Mike and I were hunting geese 2 years ago, and neither of us knew how to call as it was our first season. After we had the blind and decoys set up we settled in to call and I discovered that I lost my Knight and Hale short reed call in the corn because it was camo! Meanwhile all kinds of geese are flying overhead and we just couldn't find the damn call.

I finally decided to use the old school cone call that came with my short reed, I'm not sure what the actual name of that type is. I didn't have any practice at all but it did bring in the geese. They say those calls are harder to use but it worked. If you ever see a cone call with a piece of latex over the top, try it out. Worked for me.
 
Only advice is don't buy anymore K&H calls. I have one and it was very difficult to blow. It now sits on display on a shelf at home.

Goozilla is another easy to blow call. Just keep an eye out for the bargain bin at cabelas, they have some decent deals on calls.
 
I'd second the motion to stay away from Knight and Hale. I've had poor success with their calls in general and worse with there goose calls. If your looking for cheaper calls look to primos, they have a good instructional video and good quality easy to blow calls. I also agree Honker Talk is a good video.
 
I found the Primos Honky Talk and even the grand hard to blow. The key is in the internals. Calls like the GK Canuck, RNT Goozilla, BG Canada Hammer Acrylic, and the Grounds Super Mag are easy blowing. SIR has the Acrylic Canada Hammer on sale right now for $49.99 which is great for a call that was originally over $120.
 
I just started to learn how to goose call. I was told by many people it is better to go out and get a good quality call, (Foiles, Tim Grounds etc..) that is harder to learn on. The problem with the K&H calls is that they are very easy to just get a note out of that sounds kind of "goosy", so you go "great I will by this becasue it is easy" Once you have that call, progression into other notes it very hard as compared to good shortreed. Took me a while to even get a honk out of my Foiles. After you do that it becomes alot easier.

Also a buddy of mine lent me "Bad Grammer" This is an AWESOME DVD to learn with! goes through everything from how a goose makes the sound to how to make the sound to even when to use the sound in each field scenario.
I Would highly recommend grabbin or borrowing this before you learn bad habbits.
 
my best call is the paralyzer sr1 made by zink, it sounds good and is very easy to use for a beginer. The best way to learn how to use a call is to find a pond is lake near by and go there in the off season and listen to the REAL thing and try to make the sounds they make.
Practice makes perfect:puke:
 
DVD review of Bad Grammar...so far

Hey if you have a chance, borrow the DVD, don't buy it. I bought it and wish I hadn't.

Some of the tips he offers are "ok", but not sure the 20.00 plus shipping was worth it.

Here are some personal notes / opinions about the DVD. If others don't agree that's fine, like I said its my own review.

- The title "Bad Grammar" is one word too long.
-Within the first five minutes of watching the video with my 6 year old son, my son looked at me and said, " how many times is this guy going to say "alright!". Its really annoying.
-The production value of this video is AWEFUL at best. The Audio is not great and the video is poor. Sure you can see and hear what is going on, but be prepared. Its a shot of a guy standing 15 feet or so from the camera, in front of an advertising wall for the whole video. He is Yelling across the room so that you can hear him on the in camera microphone. When he comes to the camera for the closeups you can tell its the in camera mic being used.
- The "live" footage and editing is terrible, camera shaking all over the place trying to find the goose, then finds the goose, then looses the goose. CRAP! Very amateur, handy cam kinda footage.

- to the comment previously in the thread about youtube footage, I've seen way better instructional videos on youtube.

Save your money, I can't beleive I paid 20.00 plus tax, plus shipping for this DVD

I also bought Honker talk, but have yet to open that DVD, man I hope its better.

my two cents anyway....
Dave
 
I sold my magnum clucker because the reed was way to finicky. Always needed adjusting when I started to really work the call. I then purchased the Primos Honkey Tonk with the instructional DVD, has basic and advanced calling how tos as well as some good hunting footage. You could always go out and buy a Folies strait meat honker does not require back pressure at all and when you add voice to it devastating for honkers.

Just remember back pressure is key to properly breaking your short reed call. For a honk "twooowit", the two part keep your right hand "if your right handed" make a chamber with your bottom three fingers and your left hand cupping the bottom of your right hand. carry this not for a second or two and then move your left hand on the "wit" part. This takes practice almost too much sometimes. Stay commited to it and it willpay off. TRUST ME. I used to get mad when I couldnt get the call to break right. You will know when you do it right just by the sound.

Hope this helps......
 
lildave said:
Hey if you have a chance, borrow the DVD, don't buy it. I bought it and wish I hadn't.

Some of the tips he offers are "ok", but not sure the 20.00 plus shipping was worth it.

Here are some personal notes / opinions about the DVD. If others don't agree that's fine, like I said its my own review.

- The title "Bad Grammar" is one word too long.
-Within the first five minutes of watching the video with my 6 year old son, my son looked at me and said, " how many times is this guy going to say "alright!". Its really annoying.
-The production value of this video is AWEFUL at best. The Audio is not great and the video is poor. Sure you can see and hear what is going on, but be prepared. Its a shot of a guy standing 15 feet or so from the camera, in front of an advertising wall for the whole video. He is Yelling across the room so that you can hear him on the in camera microphone. When he comes to the camera for the closeups you can tell its the in camera mic being used.
- The "live" footage and editing is terrible, camera shaking all over the place trying to find the goose, then finds the goose, then looses the goose. CRAP! Very amateur, handy cam kinda footage.

- to the comment previously in the thread about youtube footage, I've seen way better instructional videos on youtube.

Save your money, I can't beleive I paid 20.00 plus tax, plus shipping for this DVD

I also bought Honker talk, but have yet to open that DVD, man I hope its better.

my two cents anyway....
Dave
Click to expand...


I'm still trying to figure out how he got his hands so white. I'm guessing he got a spray on tan but forgot to take his mitts off first. And yes, he is a little intense.
 
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