Field Proven Calls
What was the first duck you ever shot, where did you shoot it,and what kind of gun did you shoot it with?
HUDNALL
The first duck I ever shot was a Mallard Drake. I was 8 years old and I used a double barrel 20 gauge. We used to hunt Barren River Reservoir all the time. It used to be really good but it does not get the ducks like it use too. Too much hunting pressure is my guess
FLYWAY
What is your favorite duck to hunt and why?
HUDNALL
I have to say Mallards! I love the way they work the call and there is nothing as pretty as a fat greenhead giving it up at 15 yards in the sunshine.
FLYWAY
What is one duck you haven't shot, but really want to?
HUDNALL
I would like to shoot a Cinnamon Teal. I have never seen one in person and I think they are a very pretty duck!!!
FLYWAY
What is your greatest hunting memory?
HUDNALL
I would have to say it was when my Dad, Brother and I went to a lake in Indiana and the ramp was frozen. So we hot footed it back to the Ohio River and we did not get on the water till about 10am and we were not set up till about 11. We had our limit of ducks arnd geese in less than an hour. It was so neat because you never limit out that quick on the Ohio River It just does not happen. The other cool thing is we shot a Canvasback at 10 yard. It was just a great hunt that we still talk about to this day.
FLYWAY
How and when did you acquire your love and passion for waterfowl hunting?
HUDNALL
My Dad started taking Clay and I when I was about 8 years old. It was fun being out on the water and cooking in the boat. We never really killed much, but still had fun. When Clay got his drivers license is when we got bit by the bug BAD!!! We would drive 2.5 hours one way every morning to get to where the ducks were. During duck season we would be tired and cranky, but we had a blast. Girlfriends always seemed to dump us during waterfowl season, funny how that works. I got so obsessed with waterfowl hunting that 60 day seasons were never enough. So I got into contest calling to extend my season.
FLYWAY
As a key player in the hunting industry, what do you think has been your greatest accomplishment so far?
HUDNALL
I would have to say it was acquiring the ability to teach people how to operate a goose call. That is something that growing up I could not do. I could blow a call but I could not explain it. It was not that long ago when I really thought about how the process is done and the best way to pass it on to others. When I can teach someone to blow a call and I see them improving and then they send me emails about successes. That is the best accomplishment I can imagine.
FLYWAY
Do you believe in strategizing your decoy placement, or do you believe you can just throw them out there and still have success?
HUDNALL
YOU HAVE TO HAVE STRATEGY!!!! You can throw decoys out there and you might get birds to work but they won’t work to the spot you want, and that is what it’s all about. Decoying birds to the exact spot you want them to land is key. When setting decoys I like to use different body postures to communicate to the geese. For example Feeders show where food is, Aggressive Callers are warning off incoming geese…so geese are drawn to that for the aggressive goose is aggressive for a reason…FOOD. Active decoys are showing there is no food which is just as important. Showing were there is no food eliminates the chances of geese landing in that spot. Which is good cause you want them to land where you want them, not 30 yards to the right or left. All this together lets you control the geese much better.
FLYWAY
If you could go on a dream hunt with any 3 people, alive or deceased, who would you go with, where would you go, and what would you be hunting for?
HUDNALL
WOW…that is a tough question. I am going to go with people that are alive just in case you know any of them and can set it up. LOL Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage, and Stephen Spielberg. Tom and Nicolas are my favorite actors and Stephen is my favorite director. As you can see I am a movie guy…which is why I love doing the hunting videos so much. I would take them duck hunting on the Ohio River. Reason, .I would not have to drive far, the hunting would probably be very bad which would make for a long day and that would mean more time to talk. HAHA
FLYWAY
In your opinion, what are the two or three best calls Field Proven Calls has to offer, and how can visitors to this website check out what you have to offer?
HUDNALL
That is a good question. Our goal is not to make a bunch of calls that are the same with some being better than others. We want all of our different styles of calls to have different applications so it would be like comparing apples to oranges. But to answer your question I would have to say the Adrenaline is my favorite goose call by far. It has everything I want in a goose call. It has the length to be fast and responsive, a bore diameter in the end piece that delivers a lot of volume but is not uncomfortable in the hand. The constriction in the mouth piece offers fast response, but is open enough to make the call user friendly. The gut system we designed to be very versatile in sound and it has a semi wear line that normally would take a long time to wear in, but the guts are not worn in to the point of “too much” to where the call is too stiff and will have a short life. It is a great hunting call and I am very proud to say that the call won its very first contest that it was ever used in. The Aftershock is the other goose call we make. It is designed to be very deep and hallow which makes the call VERY easy to learn on. The Aftershock is probably the easiest goose call to learn on I have ever blown. A call that is deep is more forgiving than higher pitched calls. The Aftershock is a call that will be the killer on calm days or when hunting high pressured geese and you just want the deepest most realistic sound possible. People can come to our site and check out images of the calls, info about the calls and if they have any questions they can email me or call. I love talking duck and goose hunting!!! I even blow the calls over the phone on request. We also have clips on U-tube that show the calls in action.
FLYWAY
Have you ever had a dangerous or scary experience while hunting?
HUDNALL
When I was about 9 or 10 I was hunting with my Dad on the Barren River Reservoir. It was very cold and everything was covered in ice. We were making our way to the bank and I had crawled up on the front deck to get ready to jump out and tie the boat off. We were still 100 yards or so from the bank and the front deck had about a half inch of ice on it. As all duck hunters know…rubber wader boots on ice do not go well. Before we were in the shallows I slipped off the front of the boat. I remember hanging on the front of the boat with my arms straight out and my feet being sucked under the boat. It seemed like only a second before my Dad grabbed my back and slung me back up on the front deck. My waders were full of water and it was COLD. I don’t know how he got from the back of the boat to the front in .5 seconds but I guess a Father will find a way when the time comes to save his Son.
FLYWAY
How did you become involved with Habitat Flats and what do you do for them?
HUDNALL
Tony and I have been good friends for a long time. We have worked on projects in the past for Avery Outdoors and worked well together. I do a lot of the video promotion for Habitat Flats. We video a lot throughout the fall to create great instructional pieces showing products in use, hunting techniques, management practices, etc.
FLYWAY
Have you ever visited or hunted in Minnesota?
HUDNALL
I HAVE!!! Last year was my very first time. I hunted in Starbuck Minnesota!!! It was a great time!!! Krugerfarms.com, Woodman’s Grocery and Mountain Dew had me up to hunt with the winner of a contest they had put on. We had a great hunt and Dewy from Kruger Farms put us on all the birds!!!
Minnesota Flyway would like to thank Field Hudnall for taking the time to answer our interview questions. for more information on Field Proven Calls visit fieldprovencalls.com
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