Duck Dynasty fans hear the Robertson family talking about duck calls on television all the time. But do you know how a Duck Call is made?
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It’s Basically a Woodwind Instrument
Duck calls are woodwind instruments. They have mouthpieces which air moves through and over a reed. The air moving from your mouth over the reed created a sound. Like a woodwind, the duck call’s sound can be altered and changed depending on many different factors of the instrument.
Different Materials
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Duck hunters each have unique preferences when it comes to duck calls. You can even get your duck call specially customized to your own liking. The calls are typically made out of acrylic, wood, or polycarbonate. The reed can be either plastic or wooden. The materials chosen to create the call change the quality of sound the call makes.
Five Essential Parts of a Duck Call
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There are five parts to a typical duck call. These parts are the barrel, insert, tone board, reed, and wedge. The barrel is a hollow chamber, similar to the mouthpiece of a clarinet or other woodwind. The insert sits in the barrel tightly. The tone board holds the reed, which is held down by the wedge.
Different Pitches
The pitch of the duck call depends on a few factors; this includes the length and thickness of the reed. A thicker reed also requires more airflow and a greater lung capacity. The thicker reed will produce a louder sound as well. Some duck calls have double reeds. Another factor in the pitch is barrel size. A thicker barrel will produce a lower sound.
Duck Calling is an Art Form
Duck calling is an art form. There are many competitions throughout the country for professional duck callers. At these competitions, contestants perform routines of different types of calls. There are many different styles and techniques to using a duck call.
What makes the Duck Commander Duck Call Unique?
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The Duck Commander duck call is wildly popular. Some may assume this has to do with the reality TV show Duck Dynasty’s success. However, the duck calls are also very well made and are created with Phil Robertson’s famous patent. Phil patented the Duck Commander duck call in the mid-1970’s. It has a unique whistle-like feature. Phil has expressed that he wanted to create a duck call that would make a natural sound. He didn’t want to create a call that would win world championships.
The Duck Call Produces the sound of a Male duck
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According to Starcasm.com, Phil’s patent creates a duck call that makes the sound of a mallard drake. A mallard drake is a male duck. The patent reads, “A principle object of this invention is to provide a duck call device of hotel construction and configurations to produce the sound of the male mallard duck. Another object of this invention is to provide a duck call device which can utilize variations in air flow applied by the user blowing into the device to simulate the sounds of several other species of duck.”
The Duck call is useful to duck hunters nationwide. It has also grown as a souvenir present for Duck Dynasty fans alike.