Acrylic vs. Wood Duck Calls

EDITOR'S NOTE: Brad Harris, vice president of public relations at Outland Sports, the owners of Lohman and M.A.D. calls, is a hunting expert and a longtime duck hunter. More than 26-million households across the nation watch Outland Sports television show, "Outdoor Traditions with Brad Harris."

Question: Brad, Outland Sports owns Lohman's Calls and also has Big River waterfowl calls. You have a new duck call in the Lohman call line. What is it called?
Answer: We have two new calls in the Lohman line -- the Marsh Master calls. One is the Arkansas-style single reed, acrylic call with a pretty brass band. It's a good high-ringing, long-range call that's great for competition. The other one is built the same way, except it's a double reed. The double-reed call has almost as much versatility as the single reed. You can blow these calls, and if you're a novice, you won't squeal it out. So these calls are good ones for a beginner or someone who really wants to put a lot of air into a call.

Question: Are both calls made out of acrylic?
Answer: Yes, both are made out of acrylic.

Question: What's the advantage of acrylic over wood?
Answer: You'll get some ring out of the acrylic call that you maybe won't get out of the wood because of its density. That's probably the biggest advantage. I like a wood call, and a wood call that's built well is every bit as effective. To me, a wood call is hard to beat as far as looks go. I love a real pretty wood call, but the acrylic is very durable and also adds a little ring to those high-end calls, the Arkansas style and calls like that.

Question: Acrylic is a relatively new material for duck calls. Is that the reason more and more people are using acrylics? Are they easier to make? Why do we see more people going to acrylic calls and away from wood calls?
Answer: Acrylics are easier to make. You just build a mold and mold them, whereas wood calls take quite a bit of machine work. Also, you have to deal with defects in wood such as grainy wood, a knothole or something like that. So your waste factor is probably a little higher with wood. Acrylic is a whole lot easier once you build your mold and get everything built right. Then you just kick out the parts. Wood takes a little more of a hands-on touch. So that's why you see especially the upstart companies using the acrylics. For the old companies like Lohman, Faulk, etc. that have been around since the 1930s and 1940s, wood calls are still their bread and butter in a lot of instances. Big River is another company that has a fine selection of wood calls that are real pretty pieces of work.

Question: Brad, the No. 1 problem most duck hunters have with their calls is the reed sticking. What have you done to solve the problem of the reed sticking or icing up?
Answer: Over the years, we have come up with a no-stick reed system that has been incorporated into our Lohman Model 400 and 401 calls. We undercut the surface of the tone chamber where the reed lies, which allows the saliva and the moisture to drop away from the reed so the reed won't cling to that surface and that has helped tremendously. With traditional duck calls, you're going to have calls to hang up. That's why I always have three or four calls around my neck. When I feel one tightening up, then I just reach for another one, or I'll cup it real hard and hit it hard with a burst of air and clear it. If the weather is really cold and you get a lot of moisture in the call, it may hang up on you. So you need to keep several calls with you to finish out the flight of ducks you're working. Switch to another call. When they leave and you're picking up ducks and having a cup of coffee, you can clean that call and it'll be ready to go for the next flight.

Tomorrow: When to Use Different Types of Duck Calls