History of turkey calls

[KYTURKEY]

Are there any books out there about the history of turkey calls and call making?

Patrick

[NYgobbler]

Howard Harlan has a book called Turkey Calls : An Enduring American Folk Art. You can find it on Amazon.

[GR8CALLS]

  A good read, that covers the high points!   

Bill

[Shadetree Callers]

 I talked with Howard this weekend about doing a second edition . It is time for a more thoruough version .

[KYTURKEY]

Does this book cover the old time call makers?  I'm wanting to learn about the history of call making and makers. Like all the guys from Eminence, Gibson, Turpin, Neil of course and others. I don't know a lot about any of them, would just like to learn more.

Thanks,
Patrick

[Ferguson]

You could load up and come visit Dan, Jake and Jack before it's to late. Then you could get first hand information from the turn of the 20th century on up till today. Dan is 91 and Jake is close behind. Dans dads caller is dated 1912. Face to face conversations are a little more personal than words on a page.
 

[KYTURKEY]

I totally agree with you on the word of mouth part. I would live to visit with some of the older guys. I need to figure out a way to do it.

Patrick

[GR8CALLS]

Dave, do me a big favor..........take the time to sit them down and put their info down in a video. I have been trying to get the NWTF to do this sort of thing for 10 years.

Bill

[Ferguson]

Bill,
Letha gets on me everytime I go visit and Dan starts in on the old days. She tells me the same thing. She wants me to record what he sez. I just don't feel comfortable recording them. I can't explain it. With a recorder on it's not near as personal and seems I'm using them. Jake come down this past Monday and stayed for 4 hours visiting and telling stories while I was roughing in a couple callers. With a camera on it just wouldn't be the same. Maybe if someone else would record, I could keep the conversation moving? I'll work on this in the near future.

[NYgobbler]

Does this book cover the old time call makers?  I'm wanting to learn about the history of call making and makers. Like all the guys from Eminence, Gibson, Turpin, Neil of course and others. I don't know a lot about any of them, would just like to learn more.

Thanks,
Patrick

I'll tell you a good book then, I just finished it last week. It's a new book by Jim Casada, and its called: Remembering the Greats: Profiles of Turkey Hunting's Old Masters

It's not just about turkey call makers (although many of them were), but it really gets into  just what the title says....The "Old Masters" of turkey hunting. I HIGHLY recommend it!

http://www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com/

[firedup]

There are several books out there with bits and pieces but Harlans book is probably the one with the most info in one place about the history. I agree about recording some of the history before it escapes us even more. And not just callmakers.  There are precious few of the old time turkey hunters left. 

[lonnielou688]

You dont realize it until you start to do research on a call or callmaker, and then hit a dead end. Not only the old timers are gone, their offspring in most cases are gone too, or are getting up there in age. I love history and it goes hand in hand with callmakers and old time hunters, seems it all comes full circle till you're done with a project. you wont believe in some cases what else you'll find out besides callmaking.