Faulk's PW-70 Pintail Whistle

The Faulk's PW-70 Pintail Whistle is a walnut whistle call that imitates the distinctive whistle of the drake pintail. It is a small, simple call with no reed: you blow through the whistle and shape the tone with your hand and the airflow. According to Faulk's, it also works on wigeon, which respond to similar whistling sounds – two species often found at the same spots during migration.

Pintail and wigeon often respond poorly to a classic mallard call, because it doesn't sound like their own voice. A whistle call like the PW-70 gives you exactly the soft, whistling tone the drakes use, and can be used on its own or alongside a mallard call when mixed flocks are moving.

What you get with the Faulk's PW-70

The PW-70 is a specialist call for the whistling duck species:

• The pintail whistle: The call imitates the drake's soft whistle, not the hen's quack. That is the sound that reassures migrating pintail and turns them in towards your decoy spread.
• Also works on wigeon: Faulk's states that the call can also be used for wigeon. That makes the PW-70 versatile at spots where both species occur.
• Whistle without reed: There is no reed to stick, freeze or need adjusting. That makes the call robust in cold and wet conditions and easy to learn for new duck hunters.
• Walnut: The call is turned from walnut. Wood gives a softer, more natural tone than many plastic calls, and walnut is hard and durable.
• Small and light: The call takes up almost no space and can hang on a lanyard alongside your mallard call, so you can switch quickly between species.

Maintenance and safety

• Keep the call dry: Wipe the call after use and let it dry at room temperature – not on a radiator or in the car's heater, as wood can crack if it dries too quickly.
• Cleaning: Rinse the call in lukewarm water if dirt or saliva has got inside, and let it dry completely before putting it away.
• Call sparingly: Use short, soft whistles and hold back once the birds have turned towards you – overcalling is a common mistake with pintail and wigeon.
• Open seasons: Always check the current open seasons for pintail and wigeon before you go hunting.