Turkey Call Making & Auction

by Fred Lutger

What a great business I find myself in. I have owned and operated a successful archery pro shop in Tinley Park, IL named Freddie Bear Sports for 25 years. It is a profession I chose because of my love for archery and bow hunting. One of my duties as shop owner is staying abreast of hunting equipment and hunting trends. I attend several trade and consumer shows each year. The Annual National Wild Turkey Federation Convention and Sport Show is my favorite. This year’s 2004 show in Columbus, OH has set a standard for all shows to be judged by. My hat is off to all people involved in the planning and running of this show. You have raised the bar of excellence. I salute you.

And let’s not forget what this show is about. This show is a promotion tool for furthering the awareness of wild turkey hunting. This show helps fund ongoing and yet to be thought of projects for the growing wild turkey population and the growing population of wild turkey hunters.

I can’t pick a favorite activity at the show. I enjoy the seminars, the call making contest, the calling competitions and browsing the hundreds of booths and displays filled with gadgets and gear that help make us better turkey hunters. 

Decorative Turkey Call Competition
I get drawn back time and again to the decorative turkey call competition. This is folk art at its best. My good friend Donald “Duck” Beckwith took pictures of all the calls this year. Take a look and enjoy. These calls are donated to the Wild Turkey Federation by their maker and are sold at auction at the show. Most of the calls are sold by silent auction but something new was added this year. 2004 introduced the First Annual Premier Grand National Custom Call Live Auction.

Bidders bought a bidding paddle. Three hundred box call paddles were made by Dale Rohm. This paddle in itself has become an instant collectable. Paddle Number 1 was the first auction item along with a matching box call made by Dale. This set went for $950 to the high bidder. This was a bargain price. There will never again be a Number One from the first ever Premier Grand National Custom Call Live Auction. It was almost emotional watching the bidding of the first item at this premier event.

And what an event this turned out to be. Thirty-three thousand dollars was raised. This is quit an impressive figure for the 24 items auctioned off. The highlight of the auction was the level of respect given each call by the attending bidders. I could tell this wasn’t just a room full of turkey hunters looking to buy a call. This was a gathering of the nations top expert call makers and collectors.

Dick Rosenlieb
The second highlight of this event was the auctioneer himself, Dick Rosenlieb. Dick isn’t an auctioneer by profession. If he chose to, he sure could be. Dick is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the National Wild Turkey Federation. 

This auction was the collaboration of Dick and Charles Birk, NWTF Field Supervisor from Wisconsin. Dick wanted to highlight the top calls and put them at a level of respect that these pieces of Americana folk art deserve. That was accomplished. And Dick made the auction fun and respectful.

The seminars were another show highlight. My time was divided among all events so I picked the seminars of most interest to me and planned other events around this time. Leading off the 2004 schedule this year was North America Fish and Game Television Host, Tim Hooey. Tim’s seminar “Bowhunting the Wild Turkey.”  The NWTF chose a man I respect and admire. I have known and hunted with Tim for many years. 

Let’s face it, turkey hunting is a shotgun sport. Turkeys are just too keen an adversary for many to hunt with a bow. Tim took the time in his one hour seminar to cover all aspects of bow hunting this most elusive bird. Tim covered special equipment needs a bow hunter must consider. He also spoke on special tactics a bow hunter must adapt to get a bird close enough to shoot. Hooey backed up his talk with a great slide presentation that put pictures to his words. Tim is very personable and was well received by the crowded room of turkey enthusiasts.

More was happening on the main floor and in the calling contests. That’s where I’m heading next.

Fred Lutger