How to Call a Duck

The use of duck-calling horns and whistles by hunters in North America dates back to the mid–nineteenth century.¹ Hand-turned calls were made of wood or cane, with copper, brass, tin, or cane reeds. In the 1930s, factory-produced calls offered options in plastic and hard rubber. In the following decade, call manufacturers and sporting goods companies sought to increase their customer base by circulating instructional pamphlets and training records. These materials standardized both the sounds of the calls and consumer expectations. In doing so, they were part of a longer tradition of manuals and handbooks that articulated protocols for the self-directed mastery of specialized knowledge, training the body in specific actions that, in the case of calling ducks, would enable humans to...