
	Jim James - Owner of Carlson Championship Calls and 1996 World Duck Calling Champion

Reading the Birds - Duck Hunting

by Jim James - Owner of Carlson Championship Calls and 1996 World Duck Calling Champion

“Here they come...put that call away!” “Stop calling...they might come in!” “The first swing is the closest!” “Call ‘em on the wingtips and tailfeathers!” These all are old and very familiar sayings in the waterfowling community. And they all, to some extent or another, refer to that often times overlooked aspect of the sport we term, “Reading The Birds”.

Without question one's ability to "read the birds" is a very important part of the overall calling equation. The other two being a functional and properly designed call and meaningful instruction on how to operate that call.

You can’t skimp on the latter two if you ever expect to become really proficient at the first. All three go hand-in-hand and truly do make up the total calling equation.

Also, without question, the only way to really learn to "read the birds" is to spend time in the field.

BUT...simply spending time in the field isn't necessarily the answer to becoming proficient at "reading the birds".

One can spend many hours afield tootin' on a junk call, making mediocre to poor sounds, all the while keenly watching the birds’ reactions. Logic tells us that this waterfowl hunter's learning curve as to learning to "read the birds" is going to be somewhat skewed by the quality of the sounds he makes. Simply put...birds react totally different to poor calling than good calling. They react totally different to poor sounds than good sounds. Combine that with ill-timed calling and calling that doesn’t match one’s acoustical environment and the learning curve just got steeper.

I'd venture to suggest that the old saying, "Here they come...put the call away" has it's basis in this type of calling scenario. If one blows the call and the ducks flare or become skittish the educational process has just "taught" this waterfowler not to call, not to call at a certain time, or make a certain sound...etc.

On the other hand, if one spends the same hours afield producing quality sounds...duck-like sounds...the learning curve will dramatically change.

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There's a tremendous difference between calling AT ducks and actually calling ducks to the point where you are sometimes telling them what to do and when to do it.

Creating quality sounds is the first step and this can only be accomplished with the proper instrument and related instruction. Once the waterfowler has the operational skills and the necessary and expanded vocabulary, then he can go out into the marsh and really begin his education in the "reading of the birds" aspect of the sport. Telling the birds what they want to hear, when they want to hear it is really what it’s all about.

I’ve often heard and read that it’s just as important to know when NOT to call as it is when TO call. There is some merit to this argument but once again the wisdom of the statement lies in one’s ability to “read the birds”. For instance, ill-timed calling can often produce negative results. When the ducks are right overhead it makes little sense to bark out a loud aggressive hen greeting even though the sound may be one of quality and very “duck-like”. Why give the birds an opportunity to look right down into the blind to discover the source of the sound? It makes much more sense to wait until they pass completely over and then hit them with that greeting in an effort to turn them. The same is true when the ducks are swinging out in front of the blind. Hitting them with that hen greeting too soon may force them to crank around in the “wrong” spot which puts them into the position of having to make yet another pass. The more passes they make the better the opportunity for them to ferret out what’s REALLY happening down below. It’s better to wait until they actually get out a ways before hitting them with the greeting. This can allow them the necessary room they sometime need, and want, for the final approach into the spread. Timing the calling with the wind direction is another factor to keep in mind. Remember, the ducks will want to land into the wind.

The size of the flock will have much to do with the timing and amount of your calling. Often times, a large flock will get broken up as they work the spread. Different hunters in the same blind often end up “reading” and calling different birds. The hunter at the far right side of the blind may be barking out a comeback as part of the flock leaves while the hunter at the opposite end of the blind may be producing subtle quacks and clucks as another part of the flock is on it’s final approach. One hunter is screaming at the ducks while the other is reaching for his gun. Communication becomes important when a large flock is working. Often that communication is unspoken. The savvy waterfowl hunter will be tuned to his partner(s) calling and adjust his accordingly. In effect, he’ll rely on his partner(s) ability to “read the birds” and, sight unseen, adjust his calling for birds he cannot see.

How new the ducks are to an area is another factor that can affect how one “reads the birds”. So-called “new ducks” are the Shangri-La of all duckhunters. New ducks are much more naive and more easily duped, even with mediocre and poor calling. That is until they settle into an area and figure out where the “safe zones” are located. On these blissful “flight days” an abundance of loud and aggressive calling can be heard echoing across the marsh and most waterfowlers will enjoy some degree of success regardless of their calling and “reading” skills.

It’s these seemingly “easy” days that can breed false confidence in one’s calling skills. Later in the week, or the season, when the same ducks become a bit “tougher” to decoy, the waterfowlers, still with the memories of “calling” in all those ducks earlier, rant and complain about the “stale” ducks and how they’ve suddenly become “call shy”. It’s at these times the better callers will usually begin to shine. Their calling skills, including the knowledge of when to call and what to say, begin to pay huge dividends.

In all the years I’ve formally conducted calling seminars and calling classes the aspect of “reading the birds” still remains the hardest of the three aforementioned requirements to convey to those in attendance. To write about this sometimes mystical component is likewise difficult. I, like many, draw upon the years of experience and time spent in pursuit of the wily greenhead as a basis to formulate what works...and what doesn’t work. What I’ve learned, and tried to share with others, is that the extent to which something might work is not always grounded in stone, and more often than not is directly related to some other aspect of the sport. Old notions, wives-tales and sayings are plentiful in this sport and while some may be true others are the basis for going down many a blind alley.

When it comes to “reading the birds” the best advice I can give is to first and foremost get a functional and properly designed call. One that has the needed consistency of design and stability of operational characteristics that will allow the calling student to positively progress and eventually learn how to operate it properly. Next, seek out some form of meaningful instruction that will allow him to maximize not only the call but also his own God-given talent. Lastly, take those finely honed operational skills and newly expanded vocabulary out into the field and, with some of the thoughts I’ve just formulated, go about the careful study of the ducks and their new reactions to your new sounds. I think you’ll find the results much different than before as you hail, greet, call back and work ducks into your spread. And to do so with all the newly developed confidence that only comes with the meaningful study and comprehension of any subject.