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 Less Calling is More, Dad Lands a Dandy, and Remembering Trey    By Barnie Calef



Tradition…. Beliefs or customs passed on from generation to generation. At my age, I seem to be passing on way more than I am receiving. For the most part, I don’t have any issues with passing the torch so to speak. In exchange for my experience and knowledge the young bucks carry the load. I get to stay in the duck boat while they arrange decoys {per my direction}. I don’t have a problem making coffee and cooking breakfast instead of wading in bag deep, icy water in the dark no les
s, especially when there is heat running.

Now with the eastern sky giving way to daylight, I take every opportunity to pass on my knowledge via the duck call. Most of my hunting buddies are well beyond average call operators but it amazes me how much they call at the wrong time. My philosophy is, “less is more” approach. Blow the call less and make it mean more. How, you say? Limit calling at approaching birds especially inside 200 yards! Go ahead and hit ‘em a lick but for the most part let ‘em approach on their own, watch their body language and they’ll tell you what to do. If they decoy it’s simple; stand and give ’em what for. As they do approach, I keep the call in my hand until it’s go time. There are times where you need to call, and it’s best done timely. If you hesitate, you could lose them or too early you blow them out.

My perfect scenario is to let them approach silently and as they start to swing downwind give ‘em the raunchiest demanding come back call you can. This almost always does the trick. I liken it to duplicating nature. In the wild, you don’t hear live ducks sounding like they’re competing in a meat contest but have a flock swing over ducks on the water and start to head downwind and see what happens. Odds are the scenario I just described will play out to a T. Again, calling less and making it mean more. I’ll get back


 to calling in a bit, but for now let me vent about my fishing season or lack thereof.

I started off good with a few days in March where a warm spell had some bass biting jerk baits and jigs. I was amazed after talking to friends 30 miles north of me who still had some ice on ponds. Since then, it’s been a perfect storm of events that’s kept me off the river. Some health issues have kept me close to home and worse yet, we had the third highest all-time crest on the Mississippi forcing me to move my camper to higher ground. I just recently got the camper reset and the river is finally at fishable levels, so it’s go time!

One bright spot since our last column was, my 87-year-old Dad finally landed a bass over five pounds.  Here’s their portrait, taken seconds after the fight.

We were fishing a pond we historically catch several six pounders a year.  I saw him set the hook and knew it was a good one. I asked, “how big?”   He said,  “it’s, 5, no 6”.   As the battle continued, he said, “I don’t know how big it is.” After a couple pics and a quick weigh-in, Dad had his first 7-pound bass!

Back to calling, or at least call related.  After my Traditions deadline in May, the waterfowl world recently lost a true legend in the sport. Trey Crawford passed away after a brief battle with cancer.  Trey was a three-time World Champion and Champion of Champions caller.

While he and I were still active in the competition circuit, we were fierce competitors to put it mildly! To date, Trey and I are the only two men to win three world titles in three decades. Trey and I eventually teamed up as hosts for Drakes Migration Nation TV shows and became great friends. We filmed some hunts together and whenever the longevity topic came up,  I would joke and say, “That’s nothing, I did it with three different calls!” 

I’ve not hunted with many guys that were as funny and as carefree as Trey, but when it was time to hunt mallards he was all business. Trey and I shared the same philosophy....it ain’t about pulling the trigger, it’s about doing what we do with a duck call. 

I’ve shot all the mallards I want in my life, but I still load the gun every morning. Some days I shoot a couple, somedays I just watch. Trey and I had been planning a hunt together at my place and I regret never getting it done. I’m sure going to miss my friend. Godspeed Treybo!

If interested, go to YouTube, Trey Crawford Memorium for a 12-minute tribute to Trey’s life.As always.... Stick and stay and make ‘em pay!  We gone.

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