Duck/Goose calling classes?

Chris0nllyn · Jul 28, 2015

I've been trying to find some duck/goose calling classes, but everything I found is a few years old.

Does anyone/place offer classes anymore?

94hokie · Jul 28, 2015

Bass Pro Shops usually has some of the call manufacturers doing clinics during their big Waterfowl sale every year and all the call manufacturers are at the Harrisburg Outdoor show in February and are pretty good about taking a few minutes to help people out with a few pointers

Huckleberry · Jul 28, 2015

Sean Mann has some instruction videos for sale and You Tube segments available.

Don't know if he has actual instructor led classes but he is always giving demonstrations at Bass Pro, Cabelas and the Hunting/Outdoor shows. Plus if you hunt with him, he's bound to show you if you simply ask because he is just an all around nice guy that enjoys sharing his love of hunt with others.

http://www.seanmann.com/product-category/gear-accessories/instruction/

Known Sean for over 30 years, he's a good man that stands behind all his products.

Marshmallow · Jul 28, 2015

Just drive to my house? Lol

Chris0nllyn · Jul 28, 2015

Marshmallow said:
Just drive to my house? Lol

I meant lessons by a professional. :innocent0

j/k I just bought a new call, and I'm picking up decoy-making materials tonight.

I'm down whenever you are. I definitely need help with my duck calls.

You said you won't be going out for teal and early goose this year, right? (especially now that you'll be boating

)

Marshmallow · Jul 28, 2015

Lol. The boats for fishing. But yeah we'll go for real and goose again.

PJDiesel · Jul 29, 2015

I recommend the Bad Grammar series. It helped me a lot, getting the basic sounds through the call is the main part of the learning curve. Sitting with a stage pro (or actual live goose calling champion) and having them walk you through some notes is worthwhile.

www.moltgear.com

fabsroman · Jul 29, 2015

For me, the most important thing was practicing. For some reason, I don't sound nearly as good as these world champion callers, but I still get geese to come in. I would leave my parents house in my car and just go park in the middle of nowhere and practice on the call. Hunting a lot also helped.

I did buy a video and a cassette (shows you how long ago this was) of Tim Grounds' calling instructions.

It really is like anything else. You can have Louis Armstrong giving you lessons for the trumpet, but it really takes a ton of practice to be a Louis Armstrong. Having a good teacher is a start though. A captive goose is even better. Audio of geese is great too.

Marshmallow · Jul 30, 2015

Practice on your drive to and from work. I had so many goofy looks from people while sitting in traffic. It was awesome.

PJDiesel · Jul 30, 2015

I'd say the same about equipment, you don't need a $160 dollar short reed. Get something reasonably priced to get started out.

fabsroman · Jul 30, 2015

PJDiesel said:
I'd say the same about equipment, you don't need a $160 dollar short reed. Get something reasonably priced to get started out.

I hvae killed hundreds of geese with my $15 Knight & Hale flute. I only use the $60 Tim Grounds acrylic when the geese are not responding to the call, and sometimes when they get in real close so I can give them a low "relaxed" sound.

I think it is like everything else. You pay a lot of money to gain just a little bit extra as you go up the ladder of quality. However, with calls you can get away with some stuff on the cheaper side of things.

iggy · Aug 2, 2015

There is an app for that.... or several.
I learned to old fashioned way, reading field and stream and then OJT. But these days there are some pretty good apps out that teach you what the various calls sound like. Then you just need to practice and figure out when to use which call.

kstone803 · Aug 3, 2015

Marshmallow said:
Practice on your drive to and from work. I had so many goofy looks from people while sitting in traffic. It was awesome.

Yep. Nothing like sitting in traffic in Arlington with the windows down blowing on a goose call to get some weird looks.

mark71211 · Aug 3, 2015

The past couple of years it seems like the geese are looking for a good set on the decoys vs how well you call. Most of the time we call very little when the geese are not sure of the spread. Then we honk a couple times and that's all it takes for us. Nothing fancy anymore.

pbharvey · Aug 3, 2015

My son is getting ready to buy the Tim Grounds computer program to practice calling. From what I know it records the sound waves and shows you on the screen what you're doing compared to what it should be so you can adjust and practice the "right" way.

itsslow98 · Aug 4, 2015

Huckleberry said:
Sean Mann has some instruction videos for sale and You Tube segments available.

Don't know if he has actual instructor led classes but he is always giving demonstrations at Bass Pro, Cabelas and the Hunting/Outdoor shows. Plus if you hunt with him, he's bound to show you if you simply ask because he is just an all around nice guy that enjoys sharing his love of hunt with others.

http://www.seanmann.com/product-category/gear-accessories/instruction/

Known Sean for over 30 years, he's a good man that stands behind all his products.

I haven't heard many good things about Sean Mann from quite a few guides/hunters in the area.

http://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2013/11/22/nrp-blotter-11/

Chris0nllyn · Aug 6, 2015

Marshmallow said:
Practice on your drive to and from work. I had so many goofy looks from people while sitting in traffic. It was awesome.

I've been doing that for awhile now. :lol2:

PJDiesel said:
I'd say the same about equipment, you don't need a $160 dollar short reed. Get something reasonably priced to get started out.

No doubt. I'm a cheap bastard anyway, and the only reason I got something new is because Tim Grounds had his Super Mag call on sale.

As pointed out, practice is what I need (and time). I've got a few places I can go to practice, which I plan to do. Just seems like I'm running out of time before the season starts.

Huckleberry · Aug 6, 2015

itsslow98 said:
I haven't heard many good things about Sean Mann from quite a few guides/hunters in the area.

http://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2013/11/22/nrp-blotter-11/

Well, I do and I standby my friends. As for your a few unnamed sources, nuff said

As for your DNR post, what's your point? 2 year old post that only says he was cited and nothing else. Like getting a speeding ticket.

DanJo · Aug 6, 2015

itsslow98 said:
I haven't heard many good things about Sean Mann from quite a few guides/hunters in the area.

http://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2013/11/22/nrp-blotter-11/

I can't comment on Sean's DNR citation as I don't know anything about it, but from my experience, Sean seemed like a great guy. He came to our Howard County 4-H Bullseye club a few months ago and gave a talk on goose calling for the kids. He did a great job, the kids loved it, and he gave each kid all five of his goose calling DVD's for free. At the end he stayed long after the meeting was over to answer any questions, etc. :thumbsup:

Archeryrob · Aug 11, 2015

mark71211 said:
The past couple of years it seems like the geese are looking for a good set on the decoys vs how well you call. Most of the time we call very little when the geese are not sure of the spread. Then we honk a couple times and that's all it takes for us. Nothing fancy anymore.

I'd have to agree. Watch some videos and learn to honk, which is a two tone sound. Goose calling competitions have taught guys to over call. Being a good caller isn't worth a crap if you cant read the geese and call to them when and how you should. Over calling can be as bad as bad calling. I have hunted with guys that launch in to a calling routine and the first words out of my mouth is STFU!

Learn to moan and learn to come back call, although IMO the moan is too quite to hear over a distance very far. There was a Sean Mann video out there a while ago that i can't find where they honk and drop the ring finger over the end of the call partly every other honk to muffle it and make it sound like another goose. Two or three guys doing this and is sounds like a flock getting uppity. Also, learn to cup your call on the water to muffle it and leave it wide open in the field. They echo badly on the river out here but if you muffle in a field they just can't hear you.

I pretty much only honk and come back call if they want to leave. My buddy says I need to learn to call better, but I still kill geese when he stays home.

BTW, go out and watch some geese in a field and on the water. The geese on the ground/water tend to not call very much. Most of the honking you hear is the birds in the air. Once the new group is almost on the ground or touch down the already grounded birds will then get vocal then to defend their spot, but hardly make a peep before. My point being, you don't need to call as much as everyone tells you to do. many first timers go out and call like crazy push the birds off and think they have a bad blind.

Duck/Goose calling classes?

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