Here are some of the best waterfowl calls you can buy for under $50.
When it comes to outdoor gear, not much garners more love in our hearts than our favorite goose or duck call. Single reed and double reed aside, what we really want is value for our money in a high-quality duck picker.
Whether we're using a wood call made from cocobolo, or an acrylic duck call like Haydel's or the Buck Gardner, we want to know that the call sounds great and can make all the different sounds that we expect.
And of course, we don't want to break the bank!
From the Duck Commander Triple Threat to the Buck Gardner Double Nasty we could care less if it has 10 reeds inside of it so long as we don't have to get a loan to pay for it. This is America for goodness sake and we shouldn't have to pay a fortune for a double reed duck call.
Here are a few that will save you some scratch when you go after ducks in Louisiana, Illinois, and beyond.
1. Zink Call of Death Goose Call
This is one goose call that can top them all for versatility. The Amazon retail price is only $39.90.
It has Zink's "worn-in" tone channel that gives it everything you ask for in a call from this venerable company. Zink's best calls range in price from $130 to $150, so even though it's the most expensive call on this list, the Call of Death is still a steal.
2. Haydel's DR-85
This is still one of the best calls I have ever used. The loud and raspy sound of the DR-85 gets the attention of mallards from hundreds of yards away and while it doesn't have quite the beauty of a wood call, its performance will be all you care about.
It can be found on Amazon for less than $20.
3. Triple Threat by Duck Commander
Many will tell you that this is the best all-around call out there. The Triple Threat has everything that a waterfowl hunter wants in a call: it's affordable, easy to learn, and tough as nails in the blind. Old school hunters and beginners alike will take to this call with ease.
Don't let its mellow-yellow look fool you; the best duck calls make duck calling easy and this is one of them. The Triple Threat can be had for $27.80 with a Prime membership.
4. Buck Gardner Double Nasty 2 Canada Hammer
The Canada Hammer's hand-shaved reed and brass band are as pretty as they are functional. It has a bourbon/clear finish that just looks like it should be hanging around the neck of a seasoned goose hunter.
It has good aesthetics and is loud and clear, but helps you tone it down when they get in close. You can score one on Amazon Prime for a price of $19.99.
5. Duck Commander 6-in-1 Duck Whistle System
At a price this low ( $6.99 for Prime members), maybe you should buy two of them. It'll cost less than a ride through the drive-through to get one of these on your lanyard. Besides its must-have peeps and squeaks for pintail and widgeon, one simple "dweek" and it makes drake mallards pay attention.
A new duck call or goose call that doesn't cost a fortune doesn't mean that it is a low end junker that makes a lousy duck sound. Duck hunters everywhere know that the best waterfowl callers have taught themselves with the tools that they have, and they didn't always have $150 to spend on one!
I spent a lot of years leaving one of each on the console of my truck and practicing while I drove from job site to job site. It's the amount of time you spend working on your calling, not the amount of money.
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