Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting

I jumped on the shortreed band wagon about 2 years after the halfbreed came out, after I learned how to use it "fast talking" was incredibly effective. I've noticed in the last couple years geese don't respond to that as well as they used to. Have geese been conditioned to fast talk like ducks have been to robo ducks? What have you guys seen.

I think it's all about being different. A buddy of mine proved that this year. They brought out the dusty standard, mag, and super mag shells and hid under cornstalks using nothing but big river flutes. And they were pulling birds from other spreads. They usually hunt with full body motion decoys and he is a pro staffer for DRC calls. This was in late November too so the geese were fairly seasoned.

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I don't have a lot of experience to share, but do have a few thoughts. My experience with using a short reed call is very limited.

In a highly hunted area, I do think that the birds become conditioned to the same type of sounds over and over again. If the same sounds causes losses in their family groups/flocks, then they will probably learn to avoid those sounds.

I hunt with guys that blow the old olt a-50 flute calls and they pull in the birds from long range and finish birds all the way in to the X.

It sounds like the horns on a old ford model - A. LOL


I now own one myself now to try out next season.

We still have two in our group that use the Big River flutes...mostly because they never learned how to blow a short reed. But I think the short reed and flute together make for a nice combination and we always do fairly well. When you listen to geese flying you can hear some geese sound more like a flute...some sound more like a short reed.