The Best Duck Calls Under $50

I, like most folks, appreciate a bargain. Saving a little bit of that hard-earned folding money. No, I don’t mind cutting financial corners on most things. A used $1 garage sale life jacket? Maybe not. A DIY treestand harness made of zip-ties and binder twine? Yeah, I’m thinking perhaps something a little more substantial.

Cheap works, but not all the time. And so, when my editor asked me to follow up my previous “Best Goose Calls Under $50” with a duck call version, I was just a bit skeptical. I knew they existed, these single and double reeds costing less than a half-yard – Author’s Note: A ‘half-yard’ is Old School for 50 bucks; I refuse to say fiddy—but are they any good, or the waterfowling version of a 1990 Pontiac Grand Am formerly owned by a Mary K Cosmetics representative who drove it like she was running the Brickyard 400? Let’s take a look, shall we?

Primos Wench ($20)

There’s a Primos Wench hanging from my lanyard every day of the season. The cocobolo version, not the current polycarbonate one, which still sounds good, but mine looks better. Why the wooden Wench? Let’s go back to sounding good. And user-friendly. The Wench is a skinny double reed sporting some novel features that take us back to the ‘user-friendly’ part of this equation. There’s the hole in the insert, which allows you in theory to change tone so as to be different ducks or different species of ducks, e.g. mallards versus teal ducks. The tone board has tone ridges and tuning ditches, both designed to prevent the call from sticking. And did I mention it’s $20, so if you lose it, you ain’t heart-broke.

Buck Gardner Finisher Combo ($20)

This I find flat amazing, especially coming from the design table of World Duck Calling Champion (1994) and 1995 Champion of Champions, Buck Gardner. Here’s a two-call combo pack for $20 that truly includes everything a caller needs to be aurally successful in the field. First, there’s Buck’s Mallard Magic double reed, a virtually indestructible polycarbonate unit that, again like the Wench, has a holed insert for sound differentiation. Cajun style one-piece guts make for easy disassembly / assembly, whether at the workbench or in the marsh. Next, Buck’s 6-in-1 whistle, a non-descript little piece of plastic with no moving parts that I’m never, never, ever without afield. Mallard drake, pintail, widgeon, green-wing teal, wood ducks, and, if you’re bored, a red-tail hawk scream; they all come out of the 6-in-1 and right nicely.

Haydel DR-85 ($23)

Rod Haydel’s father, the late Eli Haydel, was a talented musician down Louisiana way, which, I’m assuming, contributed greatly to the fact that he, and now his son, make great sounding duck calls, most of which fall below the $50 threshold. Enter, Haydel’s DR-85. This plastic double reed, another slender one like the Wench, uses what the Haydel designers call a "fully adjustable floating wedge," a fancy way of saying you can tune it yourself. Nicknamed the Deceiver, the DR-85 is the company’s number one selling, and has over the years had a winning presence on the competitive calling stage. User-friendly. Great starter call. Sounds like a mallard duck. Inexpensive. You can’t really ask for more than that, now can you?

Quaker Boy Raspy Quackmaster ($24)

The late Dick Kirby built Quaker Boy’s reputation, I’m going to say, on incredible sounding turkey calls; however, today, as they have for years, Kirby’s son, Chris, who runs the outfit now, offers a complete line of calls, including elk, moose, predator, squirrel, turkey (of course), and waterfowl. Kirby’s Raspy Quackmaster hits the checkout counter at $24, impressive for an acrylic call. No, she’s nothing to look at, but pretty don’t kill ducks. Realistic sound does, and that’s where the Quackmaster shines. This easy-to-blow staggered double reed has twin ‘dimples’ on the top mylar to prevent sticking. She’s a thick call – 1.25” wide on the barrel and 4.75” long – which may add to her tonal depth. Regardless of size and price tag, the Quackmaster has indeed mastered the QUACK.

Bill Saunders Refuge Series Double Reed ($35)

Born in Wisconsin, Bill Saunders has made his home in the Tri-Cities area of eastern Washington for many ‘a year now, walleye fishing, guiding Fall waterfowl hunters, and, perhaps that for which he’s best known, building exceptional duck and goose calls. Myself, I’m a fan of the young man’s ‘Clutch’ single reed; alas, though, she’s just outside our $50 upper limit here. Fortunately, Saunders pours the same skill set into his $35 Refuge Series Double Reed, a poly-call designed to bring out the best in all callers, whether new to the game or a 50-year veteran such as myself. As do most of these less expensive calls, Saunders Refuge Series offers an easy-to-blow call that’s tailormade for the ‘fowler-in-training. But don’t let that sentence fool you; this is a serious duck call for the deadly serious duck hunter.

Duck Commander RDC200 ($42)

There's no denying it. The late Phil “The Duck Commander” Robertson was a legend, not only in the world of waterfowl hunting, but in the universe that is The Great Outdoors. Most, if not all of the duck hunters I know over the age of 50 had, at one time in their ‘fowling careers, a product of The Duck Commander. Mine were The Classic Commander, The Triple Threat, and this one, the likewise classic double reed, the RDC200. The 200’s claim to fame, other than being user-friendly, was a soft subtle sound with little to no echo, making her great for traditional timber or those up-close-and-personal situations. This, all thanks to what Robertson referred to as a built-in suppressor meant to muffle the sound and prevent what I call the ‘sound bounce’ downright frightening to ‘fowl.

Big Lake Outdoor Products’ T-Rex ($50)

Looking for raspy? Then there should be a T-Rex Double Reed Mallard from Big Lake Outdoor Products hanging from your field lanyard. The T-Rex is, writes company founder, Hugh McLaurin, quite possibly the most realistic mallard call you’ll ever blow. The gentleman bases this, and she does sound realistic, on the Rex’ unique combination of two stainless steel reeds, poly insert, and beautiful Bocote and/or Dymond Wood barrel. With great low-end and a virtual tractor beam when it comes to getting a flock’s attention at 500 yards, the T-Rex is an absolute Mallard Monster. I hunt a lot of big water, i.e. Washington state’s Lower Columbia River, and I often need volume both for distance and wind. Here, the T-Rex gives me everything I’m looking for, plus great sound quality.

---