NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1028906
32 NEBRASKAland • OCTOBER 2018 W hat started out as a weekend woodworking project has become a life- long journey for Brent Hoover of North Platte. Hoover has a love of working with his hands and creating different pieces of art. As an outdoorsman, he has made his own arrows, fly rods and many other things that he uses while hunting and fishing. Duck calls seemed like the next new thing to try. About seven years ago, Hoover set out one weekend to make duck calls in his garage for his grandson and a couple hunting buddies. As Hoover turned the pieces of wood on his lathe, he realized this project was going to take much more than a weekend. "I thought I was going to walk in on a Saturday and be done," Hoover said. "It took two months to even get something that sounded like a duck and two years to get a sound that I was satisfied with. There was no Disney ending to this project." Hoover kept a notebook on his setbacks and progress. "It was a long process to figure out call making and solving problems in the process," Hoover said. He found an online forum that gave him access to many other call makers around the United States. The people on this site were quick to help with stumbling blocks, and Hoover felt blessed to find them. "If you had problems with a call, the guys on the site would give you some help and encouragement. They don't come right out and tell you the precise increments they use on their calls, but they let you figure it out little by little so you as the call maker can see how the smallest changes and cuts make a difference in a finished product and in the sounds that are produced," Hoover said. Hoover made and traded calls with other call makers. He began to attend call-maker events across the country, where he has made good friends and learned tricks and techniques to make his calls unique. After experimenting with different shapes and designs, Hoover has now settled in to his own distinct style. In addition to duck calls, he makes calls for goose, deer, turkey, predator and squirrel, too. The shape of his calls all have a hidden pattern outlined in the profile of each call's wood barrel. Duck calls have a hidden duck head, and the goose, turkey and deer calls have a profile in the wood. The calls start with a precisely selected piece or two of wood that will look good together. Hoover has several large bins of wood pieces from local to Story and photos by Julie Geiser Calling Wildlife A Duck Caller's Journey Hoover tests the sound on his deer call.