DR-85 Double Reed

Few pieces of waterfowl gear have spent more continuous seasons in duck blinds than the Haydel's DR-85. First introduced in the mid-1980s, this simple, injection-molded double-reed call made its name by being exceptionally forgiving to blow. The dual-reed internal structure requires less strict air control than an unforgiving single-reed competition call, producing the naturally raspy, feed-chuckle-ready tone of a mallard hen without demanding years of diaphragm practice. It remains a fixture on the lanyards of both first-year hunters and seasoned timber veterans who just want a call that works when birds are working the trees.

Construction is utilitarian and virtually indestructible. Made from clear molded plastic with internal reeds that Haydel's tunes specifically to run even when damp with condensation or spit, the call lacks the heirloom appeal of custom turned acrylic or stabilized wood. In exchange, you get a tool that will not split if stepped on in the bottom of an aluminum jon boat and will not change pitch as temperatures plummet during late-season freezes. It weighs almost nothing and takes up minimal space on a paracord drop.

Where the DR-85 hits its limits is sheer volume and extreme high-end range. It is not built to punch through a 30-knot headwind over open reservoirs, nor can it match the crisp ringing hail calls of open-water acrylic barrels. Instead, it sits firmly in the close-to-mid-range sweet spot: flooded timber, marsh pockets, and tight potholes where a mellow, realistic hen sound finishes birds. For the cost of a couple of boxes of steel shot, it remains one of the best values in duck hunting history.