To begin with, we must separate out duck calls into single reed and double reed. A single reed call is a very versatile call that can run the gamut of sounds and ranges, but it more difficult to master. Especially for a beginner a single reed call might not be the best choice. The double reed duck call has two reeds and therefore lacks the range of a single reed, but makes up for that in terms of being much easier to blow and master. Double reeds are generally softer than single reeds which is great for calling in close quarters.

Another aspect is what material is the call made out of. The two most common high quality materials is wood and acrylic. You will also find a fair amount of poly calls as well, but in general I have found them to lack the sound you are looking for. The key difference in materials is that acrylic calls can be much louder and carry much further than wood duck calls. This is especially important when considering what type of hunting you will be doing. In an open space you want a loud call and should gravitate towards an acrylic duck call. Another key aspect is that acrylic has less variance in sound over the temperature ranges you would expect to see in a duck blind. Wood expands and contracts to a much greater degree leading to different sounds depending on the air temperature.

Personally, if I were to pick a perfect duck set up it would be two calls. A single reed meant to reach out and grab them, in which case I would choose a Rnt Daisy Cutter duck call. I would couple that with a double reed meant to work the close in birds, and that would be Fred Zink XR-2 Paralyzer duck call. Both would be in acrylic due to the wide array of temperatures I hunt in.

4 Duck Breasts (2 ducks worth of breasts)
4 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves
1 medium sized yellow onion sliced 1/4" thick
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
Tortilla shells

Directions:

Take the duck breasts and cut them into strips 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Soak the strips in salt water for 30 mintues to overnight making sure to drain the water before cooking. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the cloves of garlic (chopped or I normally use a garlic press). Cook until the garlic turns golden brown. Place the yellow onion in the skillet and cook until tender (should take about 2-3 minutes). Add the duck strips, black and red pepper, and mushrooms into the skillet and cook until the duck is fully cooked (usually about 10 minutes).

Take the cooked duck and fixings and place into your tortillas and enjoy!

Roasted Duck:
Ingredients:
1 Large Duck (Mallard or similar)
1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1/2 Tteaspoon Pepper
1 Apple (peel, core and cut into half inch pieces)
1 Onion (halve)
3 Strips Bacon
1/4 Cup Dry Red Wine

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Sprinkle half of the seasoned salt on the inside of the bird.  Sprinkle the remainder of the seasoned salt and the pepper.  Place apple and onion inside the duck.  Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and place bird in the pan.  Place the bacon strips across the top of the duck and then pout the wine over the duck.  Place in oven uncovered and baste occaisonally with the drippings from the duck.  Cooking time depends on your preference, but is between 20 minutes (rare) and 40 minutes (well done).  I normally don't eat the apple or onion on the inside, but some people like the taste.

Give it a try after your next hunt!  If nothing else it is always good to try new duck recipes to see if you like them.