| In the beginning... I did not turkey hunt muchless make calls. I tied flies. Yep...flies for fly fishing. I had my own business and everything. I tied over 12,000 flies per year! But all that changed when I met Keith McKinney, of Hiawassee Ga. My dad, Preston Williams introduced me to Keith one time when we were up in the N. Ga Mountains. dad had met Keith through Grant Quinn of Warren County, Georgia, (dad's neighbor's son.) Anywho...Keith loves to fly fish and had an excellent spot he had taken my dad to once when he had taken Grant up to see Keith. Dad had shown Keith my flies and he liked them. He tried a few that my dad had left with him and wanted more. He also had a few personal favorites he wanted me to tie for him. On this visit Keith took us into his basement and began showing us his turkey calls. He also said I needed to get a booth at the next Georgia Annual Convention of the NWTF. I brushed it off and did not think of it anymore. January came around and I got a call from two different guys ordering flies and was told by both of them that they would pick them up at the show instead of me shipping them..."WHAT?" I called Keith and he told me he had gotten me a booth with power (for my light) and all I had to do is show up. Keith also told me to "trade" my flies for turkey calls if someone offered. I had no use for the calls but decided to do it anyway. My booth was a GREAT SUCCESS!!! I made good money, made some life long friends and came home with two box calls a glass call and the next week a fella from Florida sent me 4 mouth calls he had made. Here in Georgia at the time our license ran from March 31 to March 30 of the next year...which meant that there was a week of turkey season on "last year's" license. I decided to give it a try and see just what all the turkey hunting hype was all about. That Saturday, with no help, and NO idea of what I was doing...I ventured out. I, with no help and NO idea came home empty handed. The next morning I went with a buddy from work and 45 miunutes after we sat in the blind/box I killed my first bird. He as 19 1/2# sported a 10" beard (that was half shot off!) and 1" spurs. Another friend from work took me over to a taxidermist's where he did my fan, leggs and beard. While we were there he showed me a very simple call that was made from 1/8" thick aluminum tubing. I thought it over and decided...If somebody can make a call out of a peice of tubing...then I can make one out of a 2x4., and that is just what I did. |
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Since then I have learned a lot of lessons on call making.... After making my ugly square call I took it out the very next weekend and took my limit!!! In Ga. it is 3 bearded gobblers. I took the first one at my buddy's house, seen the square alum. call, and spent a week making my version of it. The very next week I shot a double! I was hooked on turkey hunting. After I made my ugly square calls for a few months...it was time for the Ga Chapter's Annual Convention again. I got a booth (on my own this time) , tied a bunch of flies and took a few of my "calls". This is the first time I have tried to sell my calls. My booth was right next to Steve Reeves of Supreme Turkey Calls. On the second and final day of the show he came over and started running my calls. He looked them over and then said, "There's turkeys in side here...but you aint gona sell nuthin that UGLY up here." Now most people would have been upset or offinded. Not me. I took that as constructive criticizm. Because of Steve's comment and my determination I started making a better looking, better sounding, and truly custom call. Later that year I met a fella named Benny Briggs. Now I know Benny knew what he was talking about...besides...he was the 2001 World Champion, and later was the 2003 Realtree Grand American Winner. Benny and I became great friends and he tought me so much about sound quality. Sound is number one...looks come later. You can make the best looking call in the world but if it dont sound like a turkey, you aint gona kill turkeys with it. I would watch Benny for hours making calls and playing them. I would listen to the sounds from his calls. He took me under his wing, showed me the ropes, and helped make me into the call maker I am today. Because of the teachings of Benny, I now have a call worth hunting with. Because of the advise and attention to detail of Steve, I now have a call worth looking at. The calls of Williams Custom Calls are what they are because of these two Award Winning call makers. Here it is June 26, 2006 and I have just re-read what I had written when I started this site....I have come to realize that it was not the influence of these two great craftsmen but the PLAN of ONE ALMIGHTY Craftsman...GOD...HE brought me to these two men...HE gave me the ability to turn these calls....HE gave me the ability to listen and tune these calls....GOD knew before the tree was even grown...before the tree was even a seed that "this" part of "this" tree would be turned into a turkey call that would help to spread the knowledge of HIS holy word...It has been in GOD'S plan for you to read this far down...and it is HIS plan to have this seed planted in your heart. If you have any questions about GOD'S Love for you...please contact me.
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