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Airman perfects bird calling skills in competitions

  • Published
  • By Alicia Helton
  • 5th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (AFPN) --  Every hunter knows the importance of having good equipment -- a trusted rifle, the right piece of accessory equipment and that perfect ammunition load. But the key is being able to lure your prey to the perfect spot.

To one Airman here, it is not enough to lure his prey, but to be the best at it.

Airman 1st Class Dustin Easton, of the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal flight, is a champion bird caller. He has competed in various bird calling competitions nationwide including goose calls and turkey calls. Most recently he competed in the Mid-West Water Festival in Fargo, N.D., where he placed fourth in the goose call.

According to the bird calling champion, who finds most of his contests on the Internet, a caller has to follow a routine. This routine is usually 90 seconds long, and the contestant’s goal is to make the judges believe they are calling a flock of birds.

“It all depends on the birds and how they react to the calls. Usually we start with a hail, which is a couple of long high-pitched calls, and then we go into the greeting call followed by a few clucks,” Airman Easton said. “The idea is to get the birds excited by clucking faster and faster, but as the birds get closer, the clucks become softer and slower and eventually turn into moans. We finally do a feeding call and call the birds closer to the ground.”

Not only are there different kinds of calls, but all different ways to call for birds, he said. The most common are using a bird call or just by using your hands. Some bird calls are hand-made but most are purchased. Airmen Easton calls for turkeys by mouth, but uses bird calls for ducks and geese. He also calls deer and squirrels.

“(Bird calling) takes a lot of practice,” he said. “You have to know the difference in the calls and the difference in the birds.

The southern Illinois native has been bird calling since he was 10 years old. He went with his grandfather hunting to watch him call for birds.

“One of the reasons I started bird calling is because of my grandfather, and he’s a [bird calling] legend back at home,” he said. “I was always a half a step behind learning from him by watching his hand positions and how he (makes) the right sound.”

Another reason the bird caller began his trade is for the love of wild game.

“The main reason I began bird calling is to hunt and get food on the table,” he said. “My strict rule is, if I kill it, I eat it.”

The Airman takes his hunting seriously and loves watching the birds and tricking them but credits his success to his grandfather.

“If it hadn’t been for (my grandfather) I would not have had the luck that I’ve had,” he said. “He took a kid, had patience with him and stuck with him even when he was in the way and making noises.”