A solid routine is first created in the imagination with your hunt story unfolding something like this:

You are hunkered down in the duck blind as the sun begins to break over the horizon. A flock of birds lingers on the skyline as you begin to scream for their attention. “Hail” call, “Hail” call, “Hail” call and the flock turns in your direction. As the flock jets in your direction you welcome them with the “Greeting” call. Hello!, Hello!, you shout and follow with the chattering or “Feed” call declaring this pond scum tastes great. Suddenly, without notice the flock averts the landing and begins to peel away. “Comeback,” “Comeback” rings your call and you drop back to your “Feed” call as you bring them in for the landing. You offer a warm “Greeting” and finish them off with the “Lonesome Hen.”

These calls should be completed in this order and wrapped up as close to the 90-second time limit without going over. Judges are waterfowl experts and are placed out-of-sight in order to listen to only the sound and quality of the routine. They identify callers only by number with no knowledge of who the participant actually is. Judges will score the routine based on the richness of the tone, volume and your ability to create the illusion of a real hunt.

Lance Cherry serves as Communications Director for New Era Championship Calls and is on the Pro Staff for Tanglefree. A native of New Mexico, Lance has worked several years in the outdoor industry, with New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the New Mexico State Parks Division.