There are many game animals that are susceptible to calling.  Hunters take pride in their calling skills that have been fine-tuned over years of practicing and calling to live animals in the field.  However, even the best caller can’t call in his or her quarry while sitting on the couch.  You need to be calling in the correct location, at the correct time, and using the correct call.

The first and most important part about calling, is being in the right location.  Try and position yourself in a high-traffic area.  The flyways with a lot of activity can be identified by preseason, and in-season scouting.  You will simply encounter more ducks in these types of areas.  Once you have setup on a waterway, mudhole, lake, or whatever type of water you are hunting, get out of sight as best as you can.  There will be a lot of eyes flying over.  Loud, aggressive calling is the best option for getting their attention and causing them to circle and investigate. Once they have become interested, switch to chatter, or feed call.

Be careful as they circle and descend.  Ducks have incredible hearing and can pinpoint exactly where the calls are coming from.  Stay well hidden until you pop up for a shot. When you can tell that the ducks are committed, or at least interested, turn down the volume of your calling, or stop altogether.  This will drive their curiosity and keep them from spotting you as they come into land.  Sometimes, being quiet can be more effective than calling.