Explore the world of competition calling
Waterfowl hunting is unique from other types of hunting because the hunter’s skill in the use of a duck or goose call can play a large role in the success of the hunting experience. My early years began with an old Yentzen call that I spent countless hours trying to mimic my father in hopes that a day would come that I would be allowed to blow the call on an actual duck hunt.
Throughout my life I have struggled with becoming a quality caller. I was once blowing a specklebelly goose call in a blind when a close friend and seasoned goose caller unzipped my jacket, placed my lanyard and all my calls inside my jacket, and zipped it closed.
Today, hunters have access through digital media to instructional videos that can dramatically improve their calling ability. Some of these hunters demonstrate a natural ability to do incredible things with a waterfowl call. Make no mistake, the duck or goose call used by hunters is a musical instrument that can produce an incredible wide range of sounds to mimic wild waterfowl. I would encourage those that feel comfortable with their calling ability to reach out and explore the world of waterfowl call competition.
Competition calling
Bill Daniels of Riceland Game Calls is an accomplished competition caller as well as an expert in duck and goose call construction and tuning. I sat with Daniels in his shop in Southwest Louisiana and we talked about all things call related, such as call construction and becoming a competition caller.
Daniels began his competition calling as an adult and started at the Gueydan Duck Festival. He won or placed in the Top 5 for the festival from 2005 to 2012. He currently organizes the Central Gulf Coast Regional Calling competition in Lake Arthur, La. It will take place on July 12, 2025. You can find out more on Facebook at USA Waterfowl Calling World Championships.
Daniels noted that the competition he organizes is a “Main Street” call competition. Calling routines are referred to as Main Street and Live Duck competition calling. The Main Street calling is a routine created by the contestant that includes a hail call, greeting call, feed call and a comeback call to simulate a hunting scenario. It is designed to be like what a hunter would use to attract and decoy waterfowl. In Live Duck competition calling, the contestant creates a routine that includes all variations of calling techniques to create what sounds like a group of wild ducks.
Finding a mentor
Becoming a competition caller requires practice and an understanding of the duck or goose call, including how to tune the call and create different sounds.
“I recommend that a new competition caller find a local call maker to help mentor them and get them started,” Daniels said.
Having a duck call maker as a mentor or having their help in understanding how the call is made is important for competition callers. Building a relationship with a call maker can also benefit the competition caller in having a custom-made call that fits the individual preferences of the caller. Daniels creates calls for several competition callers that compete at the national level. He even created calls for Haiden Richard who won the 2021 World Duck and Specklebelly calling competitions in Stuttgart, Ark.
“A new caller should find the right duck call, create and practice a routine, find a local call maker and go see some competitions,” Daniels said.
Daniels also noted that various social media apps have competition calling groups you can join to find out the latest about locations of competitions and begin to build a strong working base of knowledge of competition calling. The main competition that most people have heard of is in Stuttgart and can be found at www.stuttgartduckfest.com/duck-calling-championship.
Get kids involved
The competition calling world is not just for grownups. Each competition has youth divisions for young people and categories that include both men, women, boys and girls. It is not your grandpa’s calling competition anymore. Everyone is strongly encouraged to experience the world of calling.
For those that do not feel their calling skills are up to competition level, the festivals that host competition calling contests cater to all skill levels and are an experience that any waterfowl hunter would enjoy. So, grab your favorite call, start to practice, get out to your local calling competition and meet some great people.