When it comes to duck hunting, one thing is clear: the sport has been around for quite some time. And implicit in that is some items that were used during the olden days plying their craft. Vintage duck calls are a good example of that phenomenon. Born out of the need to bag more birds, duck calls were crafted to bring ducks close within gun range. As is the case with many items that are really old, many have been lost and the ones that are available often are not in very good condition. The year of manufacture and condition are usually two ways to ensure that you are getting a quality duck call that is worth the time purchasing.

Now, for these vintage calls we aren't talking about the Rich N Tone Daisy Cutter (although perhaps the prototypes would be worth something).  Let's take a look at what sort of vintage duck calls are out there:

Iverson Vintage Duck Calls

While still in production, Iverson duck calls was started in the 1940's by E.V. Iverson.  Born in the prairie pothole region of North Dakota, Iverson would go on to craft some of the best calls ever made.  Iverson is known for making all of his calls by hand and using the best of treated hard woods such as Rosewood, briar and teak as well as the fairly common cocobolo.

P.S. Olt Vintage Duck Calls

It seems that P.S. Olt calls are some of the most sought after and known of the vintage duck calls out there.  Olt calls are made of hard plastic and certainly don't have the romantic look and feel of other vintage duck calls, but man do they work.  Hunters still pay a premium for an old school Olt call, and for very good reason.  These calls simply sound like a duck.

Herters Vintage Duck Calls

When it comes to old school duck hunting gear one of the most prominent names that jumps out is Herters.  Long known for their superior Herters duck decoys, the company also manufactured many duck calls that are still available today if you know where to look.  Buying vintage duck calls has become easier with the advent of Ebay.

Charles Perdew Vintage Duck Calls

When it comes to vintage duck calls I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Charles Perdew calls.  Born in the river region of Illinois, Perdew hand carved duck calls and decoys and is well known for his attention to detail.

FA Allen Vintage Duck Calls

FA Allen is considered the pioneer of the modern duck call, and given the fact that he passed away at the beginning of the 20th century his calls can be hard to come by.  Credited with inventing the barrel and straight tone board that had a curved reed, Allen is recognized as being one of the first people to ever commercially sell duck calls.

Ken Martin Vintage Duck Calls

Living out of Olive Branch, Illinois, Ken Martin is known as one of the grandfathers of duck calls.  Between those and his goose calls he is extremely well known as a quality artisan.  Martin's calls are well known for their walnut wood as well as his distinctive stamp on the call.

As can be seen, there are a lot of great vintage duck calls to choose from and given what you want you can find a great one to match your collection.