For over 30 years I have hunted the fields and woods of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Indiana. As an avid outdoorsman and woodworker, I have combined these skills to create Blue Ridge Calls.
The name Blue Ridge Calls comes from my favorite hunting area, the mountains of Virginia in Bath County. The picture on the right is the view from the back porch of our hunting cabin.
Growing up in Virginia, I have enjoyed hunting from a very early age. My father introduced me to hunting when I was old enough to sit still and retrieve the doves he shot. As I grew older I was able to progress through the rites of hunting from carrying my BB gun to finally being able to carry my own shotgun, although I was only able to use one shell at a time. This time that I spent with my father and other hunters in the community has led me to a passion for the outdoors and the time spent in it.
Another passion of mine, somewhat developed out of need, has been woodworking. When I went off to college the choice was simple - Virginia Tech home of the "fighting gobblers". College life was fun, but like most students we didn't have the money for extras so I began making furniture to help furnish our apartment and hunted and fished in the mountains around Blacksburg to help reduce the grocery bill. After college I continued woodworking striving to improve my skills with each additional project.
Making custom turkey calls has been a means of combining my two passions into one product. I make both slate and glass friction calls and box calls in many different types of woods. I look for a lot of character in the wood that I use for my calls so that each one will be unique to the person who owns them. All of the wood that I use is air dried to insure the natural look of the wood. Each call is made to look good but if it doesn't sound good first and foremost it will be discarded. All of my calls are 100% guaranteed to satisfy the owner - no matter what. My calls have been featured at several NWTF banquets as well as Ducks Unlimited and the Ruffed Grouse Society.
My children have also discovered the greatness of the outdoors and my best hunting buddy is my son Brian. Brian took his first turkey at the age of 12 at my grandmother's farm in South Carolina. I try and pass on the ethics and enjoyment of the outdoors to our youth and I really enjoy making a child's first turkey call. If you are interested in obtaining a call that sounds as good as it looks, please visit my personal web page for ordering information. Thanks and remember to help pass on our hunting heritage.
