A well-tuned call can be the difference between a plate of goose pastrami and coming home empty-handed. Every goose call has a reed, tone trough, and wedge, and ensuring these components are properly working together is crucial for creating a realistic sound.
First, bend the reed to create a natural U-shape. Be sure you’re not going against the grain—the airflow through the call will cause the reed to flex in one direction. Place the reed on the tone trough, sandwich it with the wedge, and then slide it into the exhaust. Press down with your thumb on the wedge to get the reed into the set point. Be sure the reed is dropping into the tone trough, not clipping or hitting the top of it.
More reed exposure will create a deeper sound for a greater Canada goose call. The opposite holds true for a lesser Canada goose call—less reed exposure will make a higher pitch tone. Test your call. If the pitch is too high, press down on the wedge to expose more of the reed to achieve the optimal pitch.
