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Practice makes Permanent

4K views 42 replies 11 participants last post by  tripleb 
#1 ·
Hey guys so I'm still pretty new to the waterfowl game (2 years under my belt) and have noticed that I am struggling at lot with my goose call (acrylic PC-1 from zink). I had a couple cheaper poly calls and did not have much success with them so I decided to invest in a better call. For all I know this call is super good or extremely bad. I've practiced and practiced and practiced some more, and as many of you guys know practice doesn't make perfect... it makes permanent. I'm a strong believer in that. And now I feel like i have permanently ingrained the wrong practices, sounds, and technique in my head. Anyways enough of the bs... any tips or good videos i could watch? I feel like i have seen almost every video on youtube and have read countless articles. More specifically I am having trouble getting that deep goosey sound and linking clucks (i need a foundation of some sort). I don't know, im frustrated and i dont know what to do.... anything will help. Thanks guys, Pete
 
#2 ·
Hahaha...this is just what I've been waiting for. For all the idiots that say practice practice practice...you'll get better. BS...you still have to know what you are doing right and wrong. Only so many can learn from a book, a video, mother nature when learning. Some require someone right there. I've taught numerous people on here and in real life face to face,...some just don't get it...and never will.
I'm teaching a guy how to both duck and goose call, and if it wasn't for skype...It would have taken a lil longer to teach him. I was racking my brain as to why he couldn't get simple sounds....but watching what he was doing....took just seconds to correct it...and now he sounds great....so...you have to practice with a purpose...but that purpose has to do with what you are doing and doing it right.
 
#4 ·
Here's a set of hunting note sequences put up by Trevor Shannahan on youtube. Practice making a note .... then two notes, then 3 notes, then 4 notes ........ Start out slowly and increase the speed of transitioning between the notes. It's sort of like learning to "drum" your fingers. You have to develop muscle memory to increase your speed ... muscles in your lips, tongue, diaphragm, on hand, off hand, all at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgQY3pXe ... ata_player

Insofar as getting a deep goosey sound, your call may be tuned to make it hard to get that sort of note, if it's tuned to be high pitched. But, I found it easiest to make a sound like "OOOOOMMMMMMMM" as in the chant as I lightly blow into the call to get a moan. Once you can do that comfortably, if you will open your throat, it will be easier to lower the pitch of your call while calling.

If the call breaks over too easily into a cluck from a moan, open your hands. That will make it harder for your call to slide from a moan to a cluck.
 
#6 ·
#8 ·
CT, I'm with ya man. I'm not bad but I'm not great. I feel like you hit a plateau after a few years of calling and it's real hard to get over the next hill to become a great caller. I can call ducks and geese in, but I'm not blowing any of the people around us away, that's for sure. Great post, I hope you get some good advice.
 
#9 ·
goosehunter64 said:
tripleb....no disrespect...but he said he's not learning very much from videos....he needs someone to show him right and wrong and slight adjustments he may need...
the best video won't do that for you...
I understand .... I didn't learn much from most of the videos I watched either. I had blown a goose call for hunting purposes for years, but all I used (pretty much) were clucks, quick spits and moans .... and I had a similar problem that he described ...... I could make a fast series of quick spits ...... a fast series of moans ..... and fast series of clucks. But, I had problems making a fast .... moan, cluck, quick spit, moan, spit, moan ..... etc. Just as he described he was having problems with making note transitions, so did I. It wasn't until I found some relatively simple .... hunting related .... note sequences to practice that i was able to build up my speed at executing them. The earlier, simple .... 4 quick spits, moan, quick spit, moan, quick spit, moan .... and repeat ..... worked so well on geese, I never felt much of an incentive to do it differently.

This is what he said which prompts me to suggest practicing the simple sequences on the videos: "More specifically I am having trouble getting that deep goosey sound and linking clucks (i need a foundation of some sort)" It sounded like part of his problem was the same as I had.

Insofar as actual call manipulation to make the notes .... yes, I agree 100% with your suggestion on the importance of actual "face to face" (or skype) coaching. There's so many simple little things that one can do incorrectly when operating a goose call that you won't know you're doing until someone points them out to you.
 
#11 ·
No DVD, CD, or youtube video will teach you. You need to get with a person in person. It will speed up the learning curve, however make sure they are experienced and you personally like the sound of their calling. The heck with what other people say. It is you and the geese that are the judge.
 
#12 ·
Rick Hall said:
The "Bad Grammer" dvd from Molt Gear goes into the most detail of anything I've seen or listened to.
+1 .... It's not as good as face to face coaching, but it's probably the best instructional DVD on goose call operation currently being marketed. I consider it the best $20 I ever spent on learning how to call Canada geese.
 
#13 ·
jwoodcock said:
No DVD, CD, or youtube video will teach you. You need to get with a person in person. It will speed up the learning curve, however make sure they are experienced and you personally like the sound of their calling. The heck with what other people say. It is you and the geese that are the judge.
That's good advice .... but it can be impractical. For example, I'd have to travel about 50 miles, one way, to find someone who has any significant experience in running a goose call ..... and I don't know them personally, to ask them to take time out of their schedule to tutor me on goose calling.

So, for many people, it's pretty much learn what you can on your own.
 
#15 ·
tripleb said:
jwoodcock said:
No DVD, CD, or youtube video will teach you. You need to get with a person in person. It will speed up the learning curve, however make sure they are experienced and you personally like the sound of their calling. The heck with what other people say. It is you and the geese that are the judge.
That's good advice .... but it can be impractical. For example, I'd have to travel about 50 miles, one way, to find someone who has any significant experience in running a goose call ..... and I don't know them personally, to ask them to take time out of their schedule to tutor me on goose calling.

So, for many people, it's pretty much learn what you can on your own.
If you have Skype tripleb....I can show you or try??. I'm helping a guy out right now..but willing to take on another...let me know.
 
#16 ·
goosehunter64 said:
tripleb said:
jwoodcock said:
No DVD, CD, or youtube video will teach you. You need to get with a person in person. It will speed up the learning curve, however make sure they are experienced and you personally like the sound of their calling. The heck with what other people say. It is you and the geese that are the judge.
That's good advice .... but it can be impractical. For example, I'd have to travel about 50 miles, one way, to find someone who has any significant experience in running a goose call ..... and I don't know them personally, to ask them to take time out of their schedule to tutor me on goose calling.

So, for many people, it's pretty much learn what you can on your own.
If you have Skype tripleb....I can show you or try??. I'm helping a guy out right now..but willing to take on another...let me know.
I appreciate the offer. If I was interested in contest calling, I'd certainly make an effort to take you up on it, too. But, fortunately, my skill level on a call has progressed sufficiently for my purposes, which is calling geese. I do wish I had a decent method of recording my calling, but the two I have available to me ... computer sound recorder and digital camera, just don't accurately reproduce the call sounds. The computer sound recorder doesn't come anywhere close ..... the digital camera works outside with low pitched calls, but not well with high pitched calls .... it fails to record the "buzz" of the call, cuts the notes short, and raises the pitch of the notes. I've heard some good recordings done on Iphones, but I have no other use for one and am not going to pay an extra $720 for 2 years service, just to record a few calling sequences. I have to content myself with echos .... and the reaction of live geese. Fortunately, the echos sound good, as limited as they are, and the local city park pond geese follow me around when I'm running that second sequence demonstrated in Trevor Shannahan's video. :lol3:
 
#17 ·
tripleb said:
goosehunter64 said:
tripleb said:
jwoodcock said:
No DVD, CD, or youtube video will teach you. You need to get with a person in person. It will speed up the learning curve, however make sure they are experienced and you personally like the sound of their calling. The heck with what other people say. It is you and the geese that are the judge.
That's good advice .... but it can be impractical. For example, I'd have to travel about 50 miles, one way, to find someone who has any significant experience in running a goose call ..... and I don't know them personally, to ask them to take time out of their schedule to tutor me on goose calling.

So, for many people, it's pretty much learn what you can on your own.
If you have Skype tripleb....I can show you or try??. I'm helping a guy out right now..but willing to take on another...let me know.
I appreciate the offer. If I was interested in contest calling, I'd certainly make an effort to take you up on it, too. But, fortunately, my skill level on a call has progressed sufficiently for my purposes, which is calling geese. I do wish I had a decent method of recording my calling, but the two I have available to me ... computer sound recorder and digital camera, just don't accurately reproduce the call sounds. The computer sound recorder doesn't come anywhere close ..... the digital camera works outside with low pitched calls, but not well with high pitched calls .... it fails to record the "buzz" of the call, cuts the notes short, and raises the pitch of the notes. I've heard some good recordings done on Iphones, but I have no other use for one and am not going to pay an extra $720 for 2 years service, just to record a few calling sequences. I have to content myself with echos .... and the reaction of live geese. Fortunately, the echos sound good, as limited as they are, and the local city park pond geese follow me around when I'm running that second sequence demonstrated in Trevor Shannahan's video. :lol3:
A contest caller I'm not...well for goose calling. You are doing very well without my help..I just wasn't sure how far you were along...keep up the good work. :thumbsup:
 
#18 ·
goosehunter64 said:
tripleb said:
goosehunter64 said:
tripleb said:
jwoodcock said:
No DVD, CD, or youtube video will teach you. You need to get with a person in person. It will speed up the learning curve, however make sure they are experienced and you personally like the sound of their calling. The heck with what other people say. It is you and the geese that are the judge.
That's good advice .... but it can be impractical. For example, I'd have to travel about 50 miles, one way, to find someone who has any significant experience in running a goose call ..... and I don't know them personally, to ask them to take time out of their schedule to tutor me on goose calling.

So, for many people, it's pretty much learn what you can on your own.
If you have Skype tripleb....I can show you or try??. I'm helping a guy out right now..but willing to take on another...let me know.
I appreciate the offer. If I was interested in contest calling, I'd certainly make an effort to take you up on it, too. But, fortunately, my skill level on a call has progressed sufficiently for my purposes, which is calling geese. I do wish I had a decent method of recording my calling, but the two I have available to me ... computer sound recorder and digital camera, just don't accurately reproduce the call sounds. The computer sound recorder doesn't come anywhere close ..... the digital camera works outside with low pitched calls, but not well with high pitched calls .... it fails to record the "buzz" of the call, cuts the notes short, and raises the pitch of the notes. I've heard some good recordings done on Iphones, but I have no other use for one and am not going to pay an extra $720 for 2 years service, just to record a few calling sequences. I have to content myself with echos .... and the reaction of live geese. Fortunately, the echos sound good, as limited as they are, and the local city park pond geese follow me around when I'm running that second sequence demonstrated in Trevor Shannahan's video. :lol3:
A contest caller I'm not...well for goose calling. You are doing very well without my help..I just wasn't sure how far you were along...keep up the good work. :thumbsup:
Thank you. I really do appreciate your willingness to help. There are too few around the internet who will make the effort, and that makes your offer even more appreciated. :thumbsup:
 
#20 ·
Hey as you can see from my message in the footer. I've done seminars for some of the peole you are talking about that sell DVD's and such. I can tell you that I do not recommend supporting these people at all. Most of them are redone old information form past DVD's or VHS. Don't mind me I am just sour on the business end. I teach as many people as I can and hold calling classes in the back yard.
 
#21 ·
jwoodcock said:
Hey as you can see from my message in the footer. I've done seminars for some of the peole you are talking about that sell DVD's and such. I can tell you that I do not recommend supporting these people at all. Most of them are redone old information form past DVD's or VHS. Don't mind me I am just sour on the business end. I teach as many people as I can and hold calling classes in the back yard.
And, I appreciate your efforts too, though your neighbors might not ...... having a few budding goose callers wailing away on their calls next door. :lol3:

I try to keep my practice mostly indoors and at the local park, where I feel free to push a lot air through the call and hear the echos rebound off the nearby hills and woods. I try to spare the neighbors when it's early in the day, or warm enough that they have their windows open, though I will usually let a few low volume clucks and/or moans free before I climb in the truck on my way to work in the morning ..... just to refresh the muscle memory. :wink:
 
#24 ·
Yeah... I'm kinda new at this waterfowlin thing and at the stage where I wanna know as much as possible and get better at calling geese. I think with the little I know, that i'd be able to put some geese in the hole, but I want to get faster and work on calling on the low end.

tripleb, has sent me some good links to sound files with good strings to practice and they've helped, but like most of you have said, at some point, nothing can beat someone showing you how to do it.

Hookin up on skype might be tough, but send me a request anyway. If it isn't a lesson, picking peoples brains is always good.
 
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