Field Proven Calls
"Follow up with Field"
I had the opportunity to attend Waterfowl Training Day and meet you for the first time. I left amazed and in awe of how good and dominant you are with a call. Honestly, how is it possible to be that good??
HUDNALL
HAHA, I’m not really that good. I just love calling geese and I love operating duck and goose calls. Plus I have devoted the last 11 years of my life to designing, building and tuning, duck and goose calls. I guess when you tune tens of thousands of calls from daylight to dark for 11 years you get a little practice. The thing is anyone can do it. It just takes practice and it is important to remember to start with the basics and then move forward at your own pace. A lot of people try to go too fast to soon, which just forms bad habits. Fast goose calling is just single notes executed back too back, but that single note needs to be mastered before you execute a bunch of them.
FLYWAY
Speaking of Waterfowl Training Day, we battled rain and thunderstorms early but I thought it turned out to be a great day with a great turnout. What were your impressions of the event and do you have plans to do it again next year?
HUDNALL
I would LOVE to do the event again next year. The Avery Pro-Staffers are what really made the event a success. We had a huge full body snow goose spread set up and also an awesome Canada spread. It was so cool too have everyone together at one time. All the Avery Staffers come from different parts of the country and have a wealth of diverse knowledge. Guys were running dog demos answering questions, lots of great one on one instruction.
I have to say what made the event also very enjoyable was the FREE food. Olathea Golf course donated pulled pork sandwiches, beans, coal slaw, and macaroni salad. The food was free to the public, all you can eat. All I know is if you did not leave with any new knowledge you at least left with a full stomach. Man that was a fun event!!!!
FLYWAY
You and Clay both took time out to go one on one with us and help us with our calling or answer any questions we had, I believe that is really a testament to you and the Field Proven Calls staff. You even offered to tune my call for me! I think it is fair to say that Field Proven Calls is all about customer service and satisfaction, fair to say?
HUDNALL
There are a lot of great call companies out there and there are different calls for everyone. Our goal is to build the best products possible and to offer the best customer service possible. My brother and I are from Kentucky and we were raised to be polite and helpful, it does not matter if it is in business or everyday life, you treat others the way you want to be treated. It was not that long ago when I was going to every seminar possible trying to get knowledge about waterfowl hunting and how to operate a goose call. Some of the speakers were very nice and some were not so nice, I remember how I felt when I dealt with both. Nice is the only way I know how to be and the only way I want to be. Great Customer Service is our top priority. My brother and I have had the honor of working with the hunting public for years and we have met some great people and made some great friends. We want to continue that tradition for we believe that it is the only way to do business
FLYWAY
It took me a long time to choose but I ended up buying the "Adrenaline" and it is nothing short of amazing. You designed and made it, tell me what I should expect from it..
HUDNALL
It makes us very proud to hear compliments on our work. Thank you very much. The Adrenaline is my favorite goose call I have ever blown to date. I was very proud of the call when I won the very first contest that I tried it in. It was this year’s Indiana State Goose Calling Championship. It is proven as a great contest call but in the field is where the call really shines. The Adrenaline is a call that is designed to be very loud, super fast response and most of all, very user friendly. Advanced style calls are normally not user friendly but we feel the Adrenaline is the best of both worlds. The reason for this is it has a pretty open end piece but it is not so open that it is uncomfortable in the hand. The mouth piece is back bored so that it has better air control. The medium length of the call allows the call to be fast but still able to execute deeper sounds. The guts system is where the real magic is. We molded a set of guts and then I used the guts throughout the majority of the fall. Once I got the guts to where they had a semi wear line we then replicated the wear line in the tone channel of the gut system. What we came up with was a standard set of guts that represent a years worth of wear. The wear line allows the reed to set deeper in the tone channel which creates a tighter seal. This allows the caller to have more precise control over the call with less air. Contest callers spend years wearing in guts that will win them championships. The Mark II Semi Worn Gut System™ offers a semi wear line that gives callers the jump start to wearing in their own guts properly if they are interested in contest, or just a great sharp loud call that is deadly in the field.
FLYWAY
I am throwing you a party for your birthday this year and inviting 3 of your favorite bands or singers to perform for you, who will I be inviting?
HUDNALL
HAHAHA…sounds great. I will hold you to this!!! Without a doubt I would want Chris Knight and I would want to hear the song “Down the River”. My favorite song hands down!!!! The other singers would include Johnny Cash and John Prine. Or you can just invite the Avery Territory manager Keith Allen, one of the best live acoustic singers I have ever heard.
FLYWAY
I had the chance to interview your brother Clay recently and I asked him how competitive you two are when it comes to calling and hunting, he was fairly complimentary when talking about you and how competitive you guys are as brothers. Your thoughts?
HUDNALL
Its funny but my brother and I are not that competitive with each other. We just work together as a team. My brother Clay is blood and blood is something that cannot ever be separated, I don’t care what anybody says. Clay and I also have friends that are as close as blood and we are all a family. Clay and I are good at different things, and it just so happens that what Clay is good at I am not, and vise a versa. Now don’t get me wrong, when we come up and open fire on a flock of geese or duck, we will both be counting the shot ratio to kill ratio, and the one with the worst ratio, normally does not say too much.
FLYWAY
Rumor has it you were just recently baptized in Kentucky, Congrats! Care to share what that experience was like? A friend of mine recently said to me, "Has it ever occured to you that NOTHING has ever occured to God!". I found that quite interesting, your thoughts?
HUDNALL
Thank you very much on the congrats!!!! Getting Baptized was the best thing I have ever done hands down. I have always had my personal relationship with God but I was always “to busy” to take time for God other than simple prayers. As I reflected back on my life there have been numerous “little miracles” that occurred in my life that I could not deny were beyond my power and influence. So getting Baptized was the first step to me showing God thanks. I do not preach to people or push anything on them, but I am always open to talk with anyone that has any questions.
FLYWAY
Describe a day in the life of Field Hudnall, I know you have alot of extra time on your hands! Kidding!!
HUDNALL
In the fall I hunt and video and in the summer I edit video, not to mention build calls year round. My life is not overly exciting. I am blessed to get to do what I love for a living. I don’t make a lot of money at it but I enjoy what I do, it’s not about the money. Plus I don’t need much to be happy, outside of waterfowl hunting I love to do some cat fishing on the river.
FLYWAY
Your favorite movie of all time is...
HUDNALL
WOW…that is a very broad question. Being a video editor I am kind of a movie guy. Drama, comedy, etc!!!! I will pick the movie I have seen more times than any other. “Lord Of War” is the movie that has it all. Nicolas Cage is one of my favorite actors, which we also share the same birthday. But the movie has guns, great editing, great story, it is just one I can’t ever get tired of. Coming in a close 2nd place would be Jeremiah Johnson with Robert Redford. Jeremiah is the man that can “Skin Grizz”.
FLYWAY
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Have you ever taken the time to really think about that?
HUDNALL
HAHAHAHAH!!!! That is a good question. I would say a lot!!!! There is actually one that keeps getting in my garden that I need to take care of. I don’t think they chuck wood but they certainly chuck cucumbers.
FLYWAY
It was a pleasure meeting you at Waterfowl Training Day in Iowa and I look forward to next year, I learned alot and you run a first class operation. I will be calling you with any questions or advice I may need in my quest to master the Adrenaline!
HUDNALL
Please do call us!!! We don’t just encourage our customers and friends to call us with questions or concerns but we love to hear hunting stories as well!!!! Let us know how your season goes!!! Thanks a lot Dave.
Minnesota Flyway would like to thank Field Hudnall for taking the time again to answer our interview questions. for more information on Field Proven Calls visit fieldprovencalls.com
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