Breaking out mouth calls each year

[Tail Feathers]

I clean them after season and put them in the fridge.  Some don't recover from off season storage, some do.
I had a Woodhaven Red Wasp that was great for five seasons.  Most make it a couple, some just one.

[Cottonmouth]

I run water between the reeds and keep them in the freezer. Never any stuck reeds. I give them a Listerine bath every now and then.

[James gang]

I do the fridge thing but think my wife throws them away lol she gets so sick of me playing with them before season which reminds me about time to break one out

[Big Jeremy]

I buy new ones every year. In the past I would keep some around from one season to the next, but not anymore. When I would keep them from one season to the next, I would rinse with mouthwash, and leave them in the fridge with the reeds separated.

They're just so cheap, though, and I get to support some call makers each year, even if it's just a little, when I buy replacements. I just prefer not to have to worry about taking care of them in the off season.

[Harty]

Used to wash and store in fridge like others. Wife-nurse doing research finally swabbed one between the reeds and grew a culture in a dish. Blossomed into multi bacteria colonies. Pretty gross. I now toss after season and clean with alcohol dilution between hunts.

[Ihuntoldschool]

I actually like having those cultures in my mouth. I think that kind of exposure enhances the immune system, although you might get the occasional throat infection.
As to how long, I've had some of the old ones for probably 20 years, at least 15 plus. The tape is coming apart in places and the wear is quite obvious. I do keep them in the fridge in the off season. I don't think the new ones last as long though, the tape seems to fall apart easier. I suspect the tape they use has softened in the past 20 years or so.