My turn... WildCalls2K1-22

[Ladobe]

I have been enjoying all the pictures of calls being posted by the newer spinners on FNF.   It's great to see what some of them are coming up with, and there have been some very nicely patterned calls crossing this forum.  

So since I am not currently building any new calls, I thought I might as well join the party by posting pictures of a few of the calls I have made over the last 50++ years from time to time as well.

Since many of you probably know him, I'll start with a call that I made for my old friend Varmint Al Harral in 2001.   It was built on one of my signature patterns that most of my calls have utilized for something like the last 3 decades, and from what turned out to be an exceptional piece of very solid Spalted Bigleaf Maple Root Burl that I got direct from a sawyer friend in the PNW.    It has a special cut sound chamber tailored to Al's calling style and habits, and I voiced it per his request with a double stainless reed tuned for a loud and raspy jackrabbit distress.   At Al's request I also sent an extra single reed modified to a high pitch cottontail distress with no rasp since some of the areas he hunts does not support a good population of jackrabbits.    Al quickly scored multiple coyotes and a badger on at least the first 2 hunts using it, and wrote he was most impressed by how easily it produced perfect sounds and how quickly it got a response.   I have the hunt stories and pictures Al sent of his success while testing the call in the field, but that's way too much to post here.

This picture is from my archives and shows 2 sides of the call.   It is hand scribed, signed and dated on a third and has no "plain" side.  



Ladobe

[Todd Rahm]

Larry stop teasing me. 

Nah, thats a beautiful call, and one of the things that have made your calls stand out is the selection of the woods ya use.

Again very nice, and please share more pics.     

[FinsnFur]

Yeah no kidding....the long awaited moment cometh 
You been holdin out on us 

I'm with Todd, that is some awesome looking color configurations...keep em coming

[Bob D]

I've been waiting on Labode to start sharing his calls on here. More,more,more,more,more,more,more,more,more--------------come on Labode----let us see em  !!!!

[Hawks Feather]

Great looking wood in that call and also the one that you posted a ways back.  While we may not be able to appreciate the sound, we can appreciate a good design and quality piece of wood.

Jerry

[Brad H]

Beautiful work! What a nice piece of wood.

Brad

[Ladobe]

Thanks for all the nice comments guys.   They are appreciated and I hope you enjoy the pictures.   

In the early years I made my calls from antler and horn and whatever woods I could harvest on the ranch, on hunting trips or family vacation's and most were really "Plain Jane" (except for the scrimshawed calls).    These were true working calls constantly improved just for the sound quality and for patterns easy to use in the field.   Then in the mid 60's I started buying hardwoods from local sources and made calls much like what Bob (Rare Earth) made his calls from some 2-3 decades later.   But by the late 60's I had started developing my own finishes and was meeting/making friends with sawyers on my business/pleasure trips around the world.   So I started getting my woods direct from them because they culled the very best for me and it was left mostly untreated.   I think it takes almost as much time and effort to make a call from plain wood, and many species in higher grades produce better sounds to boot... so I figured why bother with the plain stuff anymore?   My calls have became known as much for the quality of the materials I use and my finish as for the sounds they produce.   Nothing wrong with that but they are still working calls first.

I'm guessing the call picture you refer to Jerry is from one of my species of root burls (probably this set below).   They take much more time and care to spin and finish.   But I made a lot of calls from them just because each call is truly unique and it's an adventure to open the wood up and see what the beauty and problems are Mother Nature has tucked away inside.   So I've always kept a lot of root and aerial burl on the stock shelves from several species of wood.    Still have a bunch I hope to get back to some day.

[Arkyyoter]

Outstanding!!

[THO Game Calls]

Sheesh - you're doing it to me again LOL.   Everytime I see your calls, the woods you use, the finsih, it just shows me what can be done.  Gives a guy something to shoot for.   I used to love seeing them over on the Posse, and I sure an glad you are posting them here.   Those are beautiful.

Thank You,


Al
THO Game Calls
www.thogamecalls.com

[bearmanric]

i have the one call it is a little one. killer work on it. ihave a ton of big leaf maple non like that. alot of burl wont no till i get in it. Ladobe i'm thinking of taking a trip this summer down washington coast all the way through oregon. getting the fever now. i have a new way i'll be doing my bear call's there going to be that  big leaf maple burl. soak for month in a half.doing this week when i get the new mandrel's. doing them the old way. going to be kill. did one already i like. Ladobe keep posting. Rick

[Ladobe]

Joe, Al, Rick... thanks for the kind words gents.   I've been watching, and all three of you have come a long ways and turn out some great calls too.