what is a good easy to use short reed goose call for a beginer.thank you in advance

Try a Big River Goose Flute….. good for Canada geese. Not a short but they work good for a beginner…… you could sneeze into it and it would still sound like a goose. Been using mine for around 15-20 years or so…..

Look up Sean Mann

I started with big river and Shawn Mann flutes lots of years ago and then started learning to use a short reed and practiced a lot while driving an hour each way to work. IMHO there is no comparison, get a good calling instructional cd and watch youtube and practice. You need 2 hands and no gloves to make a short reed sing. If you practice you will learn how to tune one that fits you. Lots of great calls, look up Bill Saunders goose calls. Do a search and listen to some different calls and start learning.

Here are some of mine.

When you get good with the big river you can pull off the end bell and practice using your hands as back pressure. Gives you a way bigger range of sounds. I also had one that opened up the inside on. They have a built in tapper in the tube to automatically create back pressure. If you hollow out the taper, you can create your own variable back pressure.

…….when you get good with the above, I’d get any one of Tim Grounds short reeds and practice with it. Hard for beginners but real good calls.

This will ruffle some feathers...

Don't worry about brand or model. They all work about the same.
You can get a call that will kill geese for $30.
It's more technique than tool. Watch a few YT videos and learn to tune your call...then practice.
Cluck, moan, cluck, moan, double cluck...these will kill geese consistently.
Don't get caught up in hype.
IMO, short reeds are superior to flutes.
I have used and liked Buck Gardner, Primos, Zinks, and even my own hand made calls.
Learn to present breath properly from the diaphragm and keep your tongue against your bottom teeth. Everything else is easy after that

One of the easiest I have ever used....if you can find one...Is the Knight and Hale Pit Boss. I think the flute calls, like the Big River, are easier to quickly master. When you move into the short reeds it will take some getting used to.

One calling tip is when you use a flute goose call you can puff out your cheeks. When You use a short reed it is best to not let your cheeks puff out.

Moosetrot

By taking bell off of a big river and removing the built in back pressure by opening up the tube, you have a cheap starter short Reed. You can always put bell back on. Replacing built in back pressure once removed, not so much.

Like to bring this back up for discussion. I’ve used a Zink Power Clucker for about 5-6 years. I lost the call this past season . I am going to replace the call but I don’t know if I’m going to get the same one, I liked it but not really attached to it. I’m looking at the Field Proven calls, the workhorse hybrid in particular. Is there a big difference between acrylic calls and poly? Other than price lol. I’m looking for a call that’s consistent, that I’m not pulling apart to tune all of the time.

Any other calls recommended to help the OP with his question?

Sean Mann or Black Timber Custom Calls :-)

Zinc power clucker.

Thanks guys. I’ll keep doing research and hopefully pick one up soon. Ride it around in the truck learning how to blow it until next fall arrives

When people ask me about how to effectively call ducks, I always say you have to learn to "read the birds". When you start to learn the nuances the birds exhibit, and learn to match the appropriate calls to them, you will be a successful duck caller no matter what call you are using. I think the same holds true for geese, especially honkers.

Moosetrot

Knight and hail magnum clucker…….. same guts as all the big name brands just a poly carb body. My high end calls still have broken in clucker guys from when I first started.

Agreed, and less is more a ton of times!

I agree Moosetrot. Problem is, I lost my call and there are way too many options on the market lol. My Zink Power Clucker killed a lot of geese, and I’m a fan of keeping it simple. However , if there is a better call out there , now is the time to switch since I’m already replacing it. And there were a couple flaws I didn’t like about my old call compared to others I have blown. Right now I’m leaning towards the Field Proven Workhorse.

For Honkers my son and I team call. He blows a Big River Long Honker...and very well. I did too but decided to switch to a Knight and Hale prototype Short Reed. Not even sure what model it was going to be but I like it and became confident with it. Confidence in yourself with your call is key. You can't be double guessing yourself when they have wings locked but still are not in range. The sound difference between my son's Long Honker and my Short Reed is pretty dramatic and I think it adds to the calling. There is something beautiful about the low tones of the flute calls and when we both blew flutes we brought is huge numbers of geese. He has been blowing a goose call since he was 5 and he an I work quite well together.

I worked part-time as a Pro-staffer for Knight and Hale and still have a ton of their calls, which were very good. The selection of calls these days is enough to boggle the mind. When I first got into calling about 60-65 years ago there were not more than a handful of brands of duck and goose calls to choose from.

My opinion is that if you are confident with a flute call, stick with it. I know there is something about the short reeds that is attractive, but the tonal quality of the flutes will bring in just as many geese as the short reeds. I switched to the short reed to augment our team calling and it really works, but I still really like the flutes.

Moosetrot

Very helpful thank you

Black Dogs-Somehow I overlooked your post about the Magnum Clucker. Fine call and like you said the Mag Clucker guts are in more calls than most people imagine.

Knight and Hale were two good guys who really knew their stuff about calls. Granted, a lot of the innovations had their birth in some of the folks who worked for them, but I think they led the world of game calls for a long, long time. I am proud to have met and worked with them. By what I have seen their calls bringing on eBay, I kind of wish I would not have given so many of them away....but I always enjoyed doing it.

Moosetrot

for the money you cant beat the goose call made by K KALLS look him up on facebook you will be glad you did

Agreed! I still kick myself in the butt for not buying a call from Mr Hess when he was alive and making calls still.

Moosetrot how did you like the Pit Boss compared to the Magnum Clucker?

A retired waterfowler from the upper shore is selling his gear. He has a lot of Olt calls, but in the mix are two knight and Hale calls, the two I mentioned. The pit boss is new, with the instructional DVD. The Mag Clucker is used in good shape. I could pick up the pair for reasonable price. Should probably buy his whole collection, those Olt calls are neat , and I’m sure they have a history as he is in his 80’s.

John

Buy them both if you can get them, then you will settle in on the one you are most confident with. If you can afford it buy the whole pile. The Olt's are brining some good bucks with collectors. Aside from some competition calling, I have never seen the need for some of the really high end calls. Some ducks hunters get caught up in needing to spend more, thinking they will be better callers. I think Aldo Leopold referred to duck hunters as "gadgeteers"...I have to agree with him.

Now...do what you have to to get both of those calls. They are both really good.

Moosetrot

I haven't ran many goose calls but the winglock long neck was easy to learn.

Also, a lot of the bigger names call companies have a poly carb call options too that are way more
Reasonable than acrylic or wood. But, they all have guts modeled after a clucker!