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Jesse's Hunting > Hunting Articles > Hunting Articles Archives > Visiting the Duck Doctor
Visiting the Duck Doctor
Xavier Limon - JHO ProStaff
- Southern Cal
October 30, 2005
We’ve all looked for that “magic call”. We have searched every waterfowl catalog that arrives at our mailbox, and every outdoors store from East to West. We’ve asked our friends’ advice. We’ve even asked our enemies’ advice. And then we’ve found it! The best call is acrylic! No, wait, it’s cocobolo. It’s a single reed! No, wait, it’s a double reed. ARGH!!!!!
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a magic call. There is not a call in existence that will bring hordes of ducks and geese streaming in when you pick it up and blow it.
That being said, you can, after hours of practice, pick up the right call, blow into it and have hordes of ducks and geese come streaming in.
I will be honest; calling ducks hasn’t been one of my strengths. I don’t know what it was. Maybe I was just too afraid that I would sound like Daffy Duck. Maybe I was afraid that I would look down and find out that yes, I really was blowing into a kazoo. I tried $5 calls, $100 calls, yet, I still couldn’t do it – I had a mental block.
Enter the Duck Call Doctor, otherwise known as Troy Taylor. Troy Taylor calls (no pun intended) the Pacific Northwest his home, and is a former winner of the Washington State Duck Calling Championship. He has been a guide in the Northwest for the past decade. In addition to this, he builds his own line of duck and goose calls named “Taylor Talkers”.
Duck call anatomy
The class allowed participants like Steve Pitts to experiment with duck call "innards" as part of the learning process. |
Troy holds full-day seminars for both duck and goose calling. I had the pleasure to attend a duck calling seminar not too long ago. One of the finer points of the class is that it is both hands-on and hands-off. What I mean by this is that learning how to call is much more than just blowing words into your duck call.
Up to this point, most of my learning process involved DVDs or audio CD’s. Most of these teaching tools showed you what words to say or what sounds to make into the call. Troy approaches duck calling from a much more comprehensive point of view.
The first thing you will notice about Troy is his scientific approach to duck calling. Did I tell you that Troy Taylor is an engineer by trade?
Lesson number one is Bernoulli's Principle. What, you don’t know what Bernoulli’s Principle is? You remember don’t you? Bernoulli’s Principle states that as the speed of a moving fluid increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases.
Okay, I didn’t know what in the world Troy was talking about, but it sure sounded brilliant to me. Basically, as the velocity of the air coming from your lungs is changed either by your lips or your teeth, it will have a direct effect on the pressure that is applied further down the call. This pressure, along with the shape of the cavity and the reed(s), is what will ultimately create the sound you are trying to achieve.
Take a minute to think about how we as humans speak. First, we need pressure which is created by our lungs. Secondly, we need a medium – air of course! Lastly, sound production requires a vibration. Luckily for us we have an apparatus called vocal chords. All three of these principles apply to using a duck call. The pressure is the same, but can and should be altered using our teeth and tongue. We use the same medium – air. And our vocal chords are replaced by a reed and a soundboard.
As you can see, Troy doesn’t just teach you how, but he also teaches you why.
Another lesson is to not be afraid of the call.
How many times have you heard from other makers that under no circumstance are you to take the reed out; if you have any problems, you should immediately return the call to have it tuned? When it comes to Troy and his calls, if you don’t like the way the call sounds, change it. However, before you start tearing out corks and reeds, you need to know how shortening and shaving will alter the overall sound of the call. Troy will teach you how.
An amazing part of the class was when he instructed us to pull out the reed and cork and cut off 1/8 inch of the reed and then reassemble the call.
“Now, go outside and blow it”
When we returned, he asked us what we heard, what we liked, and what we did not like. He then passed out 12 inch strips of mylar and told us to cut our own reeds. What kind of duck call maker is this? Instructing us to tear apart his call and rebuild it?
After we learned how the call works and what can be changed to produce different sounds, Troy walked us through various sounds and quacks. Every single one of the attendees was given hands on instruction by Troy. He showed each individual what was wrong with our technique and how to improve it.
Only practice will result in better calling, and the way you practice is the way you are going to sound in the blind. Remember, you are never going to learn to play the song if you are not playing the right notes.
I strongly recommend the Troy Taylor calling seminars. I feel that I have improved my calling skills ten-fold from where I started. Not only did I learn valuable calling skills, but I also learned the mechanics of the call itself. Whether you are a veteran caller or a first timer, Troy will kick your calling up to the next level.
You can find more information about future calling seminars in the waterfowl section of the forum.
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