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Short Reed Goose Calling Help

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I need some help fellas. My duck calling is adequate whether it be single or double reed. I bought a Field Proven Double Shot Poly last year that to me, sounds pretty solid. I also have two Zink calls, a PH-1 and PH-2 that give me another range of sounds. So in regards to ducks, I'm sitting pretty well. However when it comes to geese, I am a flute blower and ashamed of it. I desperately want to learn how to run a short reed before the season comes in. So the questions are as follows...

I have a couple Zink instructional videos that have not been much help. Derek suggested a video from Field Hudnall, what other videos would be worth watching?

I have a couple short reed calls including a RNT cheapy I bought years ago that is nearly impossible to blow and a Zink PC-1 cheapy I got on sale from Cabelas last year. What easy to work short reeds can I look in to for $75 or less?
 

bthompson1004

Member
1,238
100
NWOhio!
I found the following youtube video very helpful...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQU8QCsIt_8

Practice, practice & practice...I carry my lanyard in my car all year, practice on the way to work (scaring some people) and on the way home.

I also record myself so I can hear the sound I am making, to see if it sounds the same as what I'm learning from.
 
No clue on what to tell you to watch
I had to learn .......try this and try that way

But a guy that is good with a flute will call in the geese that have heard and shot at by guys using short reeds


Short Reed calls are like chasing a fine lady
Sometimes if you try to hard you blow it

It is all about air controll
I need a short reed set up to take a lot of air
But many are set up to need a lot less
So I had a friend do a little work on all 3 of my goose calls , to allow for more air


Also the quality of the call ( not the price ) is the big thing


OH if close enough
Stop out to Cardinal Center Campground this coming weekend
As a big duck hunters show is going on July 27 & 28
Take your call
You might get it worked on for free
Or a lot of good tips

John
 

Carpn

*Supporting Member*
2,234
87
Wooster
YouTube offers lots of tutorials on short reed goose calling . As far as specific calls, field proven Aftershock is a great beginning call. I dunno if you can get one under 75 tho . Other than that just practice, practice practice. You'll start out making various squawks, then you'll sound like a sick goose , then a hurt goose , then a flamboyant goose, then a regular goose then a flock . Good luck .
 

Rutin

Senior Member
2,029
0
Ina Duck Blind
http://www.wingsupply.com/closeout-calls-special/tim-grounds-super-mag-goose-call/

This isn't a bad sounding call for not braking the bank, as cheesy as it sounds Knight and Hale make one that's Black over white and with a proper tuning sounds AWESOME and easy to blow. I would suggest finding someone local that knows a thin or two about calls and have them tune the ones your having trouble with. Sometimes its not the tube is which the sound comes from, sometimes the reeds need customized to how you BLOW!!! :smiley_crocodile:
 

Longdraw

Junior Member
496
102
Central,Ohio
I bought a shortreed and had it sounding decent within a few hrs. of having it,,the biggest thing is to tune it to yourself and how you blow the call
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
That PC-1 should be all you need, Jesse. If tuned properly, it will sound plenty good enough to kill geese. Like AMiller said, hand position is critical. Hands too far open, not enough back pressure... Hand closed too much, and the call is muffled. IMO the most important aspect of short reed calling is figuring out how to control your air and make that perfect honk. When you get a good honk down, and you build enough muscle memory in your tongue, neck, and diaphragm, all the other goose vocalizations will follow. The honk is the foundation of your repertoire... Moans, clucks, double-clucks, spit notes... all parts and pieces of the basic honk.

Everyone is different, but the way I run a short reed is by keeping the tip of my tongue pressed against the back of my bottom teeth. The air is pushed up and controlled by my diaphragm, and the bursts of air are cut off by raising the MIDDLE of my tongue to the roof of my mouth. IMO Field Hudnall's youtube videos do the best job of explaining this method. Visit this thread for links... http://www.theohiooutdoors.com/showthread.php?8636-Short-Reed-Goose-Calling-Instructional-Videos

Some may argue differently, but IMO running a short reed goose call is nothing like running a duck call. It takes much more muscle memory and air control. The worst part about it is, no matter how many videos you watch or how many times someone explains it to you, it's VERY difficult to translate that instruction into your diaphragm and tongue. It's just one of those things that you have to practice and practice and practice until it finally "clicks." Repetition is everything. Keep your calls hung up in your truck and practice every time you go somewhere. It will take some time, but eventually you'll get it.

I'm definitely going to check out that Molt Gear DVD. If AMiller says it's good then it must be... Aaron can light up a short reed like a boss.
 

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
Some may argue differently, but IMO running a short reed goose call is nothing like running a duck call. It takes much more muscle memory and air control. The worst part about it is, no matter how many videos you watch or how many times someone explains it to you, it's VERY difficult to translate that instruction into your diaphragm and tongue. It's just one of those things that you have to practice and practice and practice until it finally "clicks." Repetition is everything. Keep your calls hung up in your truck and practice every time you go somewhere. It will take some time, but eventually you'll get it.

No argument here. Perfect description. It truly is one of those things that just takes practice. Some people pick it up quickly & others (like me) take more work. I got a few CDs to listen to while driving around and kept a call on hand. Everybody has a different style or description on how they blow a call, and for me it came just from listening and practicing. Trying to duplicate the sounds that my ears were hearing. Eventually you'll make the call duplicate the sound that you're hoping it will make. Then you repeat it, and suddenly the light bulb in your head lights up because you've started to figure it out.