Let me lend my 2 cents if I may since this post deals with my calls. If for nothing else other than clarifying a few things.
The video in question was shot at this years Midwest Call Makers Competition in Baraboo, WI. It was shot by an amateur that posts hunting/fishing/outdoors related videos on youtube. He has a sort of running show online. The acoustics in that room were not the best. It was basically a 50 by 80 foot box. Not exactly a concert hall with foam walls. The guy that put it on youtube is an outdoor enthusiast who was intrigued by the event after only recently becoming aware that such a thing existed. He brought his camera and shot several segments for his youtube show. He didn't post it on youtube claiming that Scott's calling or my trumpets were the best. I think the negativity towards Scott is a bit unnecessary
Scott is a very close friend of mine. We worked together for many years at Scheel's All Sports in Eau Claire, WI. I eventually moved on to the Eau Claire Fire Dept. where I work as a full-time firefighter/paramedic. Scott won't be posting on here because he's too busy practicing his turkey calls. I think he's an outstanding caller, and his resume speaks for itself. I started making calls after hunting with Scott and being impressed with the custom made stuff he had.
I make calls as a hobby mostly but I do enjoy the friendly competition at the call making events. I've made lots of life-long friends. I do it also as a side business, never hurts to make a little extra money. I enter the contests to maybe build a little notoriety and credibility as an award winning call maker. But I agree with what boxcaller said about the true critics we need to impress. I am much more concerned with killing birds than winning awards. My main focus is to be successful in the woods. I let the judges do their thing at the contests and leave it at that. I'm there to have fun and enjoy the fellowship.
I very much appreciate Yankee Gobbler for all his support and advice through the last several years. He has given me nothing but positive encouragement from day one, (my earliest calls sounded like flu stricken geese. He called me as soon as the winners were posted online to congratulate me. He was only giving his personal opinion at the beginning of this post. I must also thank fellow call makers; Dave Constantine, Dave Tyree, Chuck Wais, Chad Zutter, Mike Richard, and most of all Larry "Shorty" Scheidegger for their advice. They didn't have to help me but they did, and we enjoy many beers together each year at Midwest. My awards are just as much theirs as they are mine. I thought it would be many years before I could win something like the Turpin award.
As for my calls I make them mostly for me to play when it all comes down to it. 95% of what I use in the woods is my own stuff. I'm not a competitive caller at all but I have taken many longbeards with my calls and that's what is most important to me. I welcome any and all criticism, positive or negative about my calls. It will only benefit me either way right? Improve this....leave that the same, etc..
The best video for trumpet calling was with Alan Sentell. It was called "Talking Trumpet" and was made by Southern Backwoods Adventures. Unfortunately it is no longer made, luckily I bought a few copies on ebay before they quit making it. I'm glad I did. I try to play my trumpets like Alan Sentell plays his, and it's greatly improved my calling and success in the woods.
Feel free to critique me playing my calls. Go to
www.wqow.com and click on "Northland Adventures."
http://www.wqow.com/Global/category.asp?C=183584 Scroll down to the "outdoors news & issues" section. There is a video there called "Turkey Calls - 3/4/11" That's the day that it aired on the tv show. The video has Dave Constantine, Scott Wilhelm, and Myself. I'm playing my trumpets in the video and I'm trying to play them the way I learned from Alan Sentell in his DVD. I'm not a pro, just a guy that loves woodworking, hunting, callmaking, enjoying everything related to wild turkey.
