Neil Cost, Greenwood SC: That call sounds good, really good! (Black Scratcher) Neil Cost - May 1999

Widow Maker Calls MAP

Neil Cost, Craig King May 1999

Jeff Weedling

I've wanted to try turkey hunting for the past several years, but made my mind up that I was wanting to go with somebody that knew the ropes first. I'm 52 years old and have never turkey hunted. Deer and hog hunting is my passion, but I've REALLY wanted to bag a turkey to see what this craze was all about.

Well yesterday was the opener here in Indiana, and I had an opportunity from a good friend that I couldn't turn down. Needless to say, I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve. Sloppy and I hit the woods early, way before first light and got set up. After approximately 30 minutes the gobblers started in.

We relocated from our original position when Sloppy spotted 3 big Toms that were strutting their stuff across the ravine. The sneak was on. Sloppy slithered out to set a hen decoy on top of the hill we decided to set up on.

Meanwhile, we lost sight of the Toms we had spotted. About that time, 3 birds came out from the same stretch of timber. Sloppy hit the Widow Maker Scratch Box and they came running after spotting the decoy.

Here was the end result..

My first turkey.. I know it's not a record book bird, but for having just 1 or 2 days available to hunt due to staffing issues at the firehouse, I'm pretty happy.

We cut the fan off to use in Scott's Pretty Boy decoy, hoping to shake things up for Sloppy in the quest for a double, but the birds didn't want to cooperate for the rest of the day. The fan is now pinned and drying in my garage.

Thanks for taking me under your wing, Scott. I know I only learned a smidgeon of what it takes to get on those buzzards, but you taught me more in a days time than I could ever imagine.

I owe ya, buddy.. Jeff

Craig,

I received my 2 calls last Thursday, and put them to work on Saturday morning. I've enclosed a picture of my 10 year old son, Jake's, first turkey. A 9 1/2 " bearded Osceola gobbler he bagged after I called the Tom in off the roost. Very exciting!

Hello from Jim McEathron of Bath. Called in two birds with that little scratch box you made while I visited with you last May. Little box, great sound! Yes, turkeys will gobble and yes, they will come in IF you have the RIGHT CALL. Still hope to ride the Vulcan over the hill and pick up another call. I did order one, didn't I? J

Craig - The wind was blowing so hard that it blew the decoy across the field from were my dad and I were hunting. There were three toms gobbling hard and on the double Widow Maker Double Crystal that you helped me build in your shop this spring. This bird came from out of no where, responding only to the Widow Maker Crystal. It was a great hunt and a hell of a call. Mike Prichard - June 2008

Call makers note: Mike and I built that crystal together this spring as a gift for his dad. We used my pattern, but Mike did the construction. I am happy to hear the turkeys are enjoying it as well. Craig King - Widow Maker Calls

My son Michael and I had a heck of a hunt today. We started out slow on a property that usually holds a bunch of toms. Only two birds were heard and both were far off. We decided to make a late run to another property.

We rolled in at 8:30 am and eased into an area behind a pasture that had two bays hoping to catch a late gobbling bird. Sure enough a few minutes of listening brought some gobbles to us and we started off in that general direction. Five set ups later we had racked up one bird into gun range that made us, 3 close encounters with just out of range birds, and a total of 7-9 toms that gobbled pretty much continuously for 3 hours.

By 11:15 we had finally made our way around to a pine tract in the center of the property heading toward one of the last gobbling birds. This one had originated from a familiar area where we kept encountering a poacher earlier in the season. I knew he was call shy and I also knew he hadn't heard the Widow Maker Butternut Scratcher Craig sent me last week. I used the contour in the pines to approach the bird clucking and doing walking yelps. Plain and simple he believed it and rattled off a double gobble to let us know. I halted our creep and set up Mike in front on the 3.5 12 me 10 yards back with the twenty just in case.

Five minutes went by and I heard the gobbler drumming to our left in the pines behind some brush. I whispered to Mike multiple times ,"he's to your left". He didn't react at first and I thought he wasn't understanding what I was saying. I yelped one time on the diaphragm to stop the bird. He hammered the call. No doubt Mike knew he was there now. In fact he already knew the bird was there but was mid decision of how to get his gun turned left 90 degrees. The bird half strutted ahead and I said no way Skippy, your not walking past us this time. That's far enough. Boom!

I let the twenty rip and came back off recoil on my feet running to the flopping bird. Mike was side by side with me. It wasn't until a few minutes later I heard Mike say, "When I shot I wasn't really expecting him to go down like that and jacked another shell immediately". We both shot the bird at the same time and neither of us knew the other had shot. Bottom line during cleaning we found fives and sixes in the birds neck and he is now double dead.

Thanks to Bang and Tommy of PVHC for another great day in the spring turkey woods. Conservatively we heard 400-500 gobbles this am out of 7-9 toms. World class turkey hunting is an understatement for what we had this morning. I couldn't be happier that my son and I got to share such a great hunt on a great bird.

Thanks to Craig King for the scratcher, it suckered him when nothing else would.

22 lbs 11 1/4 inch beard 1 1/16 spur and the other was 3/4 broken off.
 

Craig,
I got your call the other day and I must tell you it looks and sounds great! I don't have a lot of experience with box calls so I am just hoping I can do it justice. I will keep you posted on this years hunts. Thanks for remembering me, I thought I would have been scratched from your list. Good luck and shoot straight. Joe Intelicato Joe Intelicato - March 2008

I tell you, we had used a vest full of calls that morning and we decided to change locations. Scott decided to give the scratch call a test and BAM......double gobbles and 10 minutes later my Mossberg sent a payload of "Hevi-13's #6 down range.......incredible call Graig, especially when you consider that both Sloppy and I are good callers and nothing else was working in the 86 degree heat.

Read the Limited Edition HOBB story at: Widow Maker Calls Stories
 

I LOVE IT LOVE IT, LOVE IT I showed it to a couple of old timers at church Sunday they even said that it had the best sound they have ever heard. You do make the best box calls on the market TODAY!! I will be ordering your sweet talker next year.

 Mark Eichenaub - Little Rock, AR April  2007

I got my first turkey this year it was with your call. I will have pictures tomorrow for ya I just wanted to ask you Craig how can you be so humble when you make the best box call out there? I just wanted to tell you thanks and I will be buying a sweet talker next year.

 
Again in April 2005

Craig, Man its been a blast so far this year with your boxes. John Coit and I have been double teaming with the Widow Makers this year and lets just say there are already a lot of lonely hens around. I love the Sweet Talker and the Gobbler Starter. John and I have been using them in combination and they are deadly. Thanks for the great calls and I am sure there will be more toms fall to the widow makers.

Craig, Just wanted to say that you make some fine boxes. I love the "Sweet Talker" and I have ordered a "Gobbler Starter" as well. Thanks for a fine call and I'll be doing business with you again.

CRAIG, MY NAME IS MARVIN HENRY I PURCHASED A COUPLE OF CALLS FROM YOU LAST YEAR, THE GOBBLER STARTER AND A RED SCRATCHER. I HAD GREAT RESULTS WITH BOTH CALLS CALLED IN AND KILLED 32 BIRDS IN THE 2003 SPRING SEASON. THAT RED SCRATCHER IS UNBELIEVABLE, IT HAS BECOME MY FAVORITE AND MOST EFFECTIVE CALL. UNFORTUNATELY I HAD A CLIENT OUT YESTERDAY AND THE WINDS WERE HOWLING-GUSTS TO 35 MPH-AS WE WERE PREPARING TO TRY A DIFFERENT LOCATION I WAS GETTING MY VEST OUT OF THE TRUCK WHEN A BIG GUST OF WIND BLEW MY DOOR SHUT AND CAUGHT MY VEST IN IT CRUSHING A COUPLE OF CALLS. ONE BEING THE SCRATCH BOX AND THE OTHER WAS MY CODY GLASS. SO I NEED TO GET A NEW SCRATCH BOX AND WOULD LIKE TO BUY ONE OF  YOUR CRYSTAL CALLS. I NEED THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR IT IS JUST THE START OF OUR SEASON AND I HAVE SEVERAL CLIENTS COMING IN. I FEEL LOST WITHOUT MY SCRATCH BOX. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH I OWE AND WILL SEND YOU MONEY ORDER OVER NIGHT. THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP AND SUCH A GREAT PRODUCT. SINCERELY MARVIN HENRY  ~ ONCE AGAIN THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP!!!!!!!!

Tim Case, Brewerton, New York  ~ March 2004

Hello Craig, I Just received my scratcher, and it didn't take long to start making some excellent sounds. I hope to score with that call it sounds great. I am pretty good with diaphragm calls, but want to go purely friction this year and hope to do it with your calls, might just have to order the crystal!!!!
Thanks Tim

Tim Case ~ New York ~ March 2006
Hi Craig, wanted to touch base with you, last year turned out to be an awesome year for me Hunted strictly with the box and the scratcher got to say they both sound great and used them with confidence, but the scracther was the curtain call. The reason I am contacting you is I am interested in another box call,  can you please let me know the availability of them if its not  to late.

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Callmaker's note: Chris owns several Widow Makers and as you can see puts them to good use in the turkey woods.

Hello again Craig,

I would like one of each please.  You make awesome calls.  The woods again are Ash, Osage, Rosewood and sounds like you recommend the Brazilian Chestnut.  Give me a total on the 4 and I will put a check in the mail in the morning.  

Thanks Sir, Chris

PS: Do you recognize the box call over my first gobblers head?  :)

======= Comment for 2nd Gobbler Starter =======

Craig, I was in awe at the beauty and sound of the box call!  You rock!  I'll let you know how my season goes...which opens in a week.  Take care and thanks again. (Gobbler Starter )

Chris

David A. & Marjie Calhoun Sr. ~ West Monroe, LA - March 2003

Good Evening Craig

Thank you so much for the Scratch Box,  Marjie and I both love it, If the box call's sound any better than this little box we won't be able to stand it. It took me 30 minute's to catch her so I could give it a try I opened it and she grabbed it and ran with it. We went to your web site to make sure we were using it correctly and now we can make the same sound's as in the video.

David Calhoun ~ West Monroe, LA - March 2003

Hey Craig

Just wanted to let you know I received the Gobble Starter today. 

My man this is one of the finest box call's I have ever heard, also one of the prettiest I have seen. I just hope I can do it justice, If I don't call in a bird with it I promise I screwed up my calling, and it won't be because of the call itself. I'm one of those people who believe you get what you pay for, and I received more than I bargained for in this box call, the detailed work that went into the making of the Gobble Starter is evident from the time I opened the shipping box. I'll promise I'll tell everyone about you and your great call's.

Thank You for your patience and detail work.

David

Great Call

Thank You
David A. & Marjie Calhoun Sr

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Call-Makers Note =  Mike owns 5 Widow Makers (2-Scratchers, 1-Gobbler Starter and 2-Double Crystals). Aside from the calls, Mike works hard to understand the turkey, the effects of hunting pressure has on them and how to overcome these pressures by giving the birds something new and unique to respond to. I am happy to have a place in his vest with a few other fine call makers.

Mike Green ~ Bay St. Louis, MS 

Craig, your gobbler starter did it again opening day in 2004 down here in Mississippi. called in 22 pound , 11 inch, 1.3inch tom for my son. It was the biggest tom that I ever had respond to my calling. love that screamer. Mike. Mississippi 17 Apr 2004

Mike Green March 23, 2002 Opening Day MS
19 pounds - 1" Spurs - 10" beard

Jerry Richardson, SC
May 2002

Jerry Richardson SC, 

Hi Craig,

Man, I really like that call. I'll have you some more clients soon. My brother will probably be the first one I send to you. It was really good to meet you too. Hopefully you'll be able to get away next year for a little flat land hunting. I know that John is looking forward to it too.  I'll be getting in touch with you pretty soon about one of those scratch box calls too. Till then.

Jerry Richardson
Old South Outdoors
Florence S.C. May 2002

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John Coit ~ a Widow Maker Believer

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Greg Epperson, Charleston, SC:  Craig, I just received your calls and they sound really good, I can't wait to use them. Greg Epperson - April 21, 2000

Craig, just wanted to send you a picture of the gobbler I killed second to the last day of the season using your call.  I had hunted this gobbler many times during the season with no luck.  I arrived at the blind I had made earlier in the season around 1 PM.  I took the Widow Maker and gave 3 series of short, choppy yelps.  Just trying to simulate a hen walking around minding her own business.  After that I resorted to soft clucks, purrs, and feeding yelps.  The amazing thing is when this gobbler gobbled for the first time he was so far away I didn't realize the faint noise I had heard was a gobble.  Only when he gobbled the second time from about 500 yards away did I realize the previous sound I had heard was his gobble from what must have been 7 or 800 yards.  I know this is hard to believe, but I am telling you this gobbler came a LONG way.  I must have waited on him 45 minutes and he was gobbling the whole way.  With every gobble I could tell he was closer.  Now this bird probably didn't hear those clucks and purrs until he was around 200 yards away...so the one thing that brought that bird close enough to hear them was the 3 series of short, choppy yelps on the Widow Maker box.  Your call is the first pick in my arsenal and I have quite a few custom made boxes.  By far, yours is the best.  I am getting ready to travel to upstate NY to give those birds a try.  Hopefully I can make a couple of widows up there as well.  Thanks again for a great call. Greg Epperson - May 15, 2000

Greg Epperson, Charleston, SC:  Greg Epperson - February 12, 2003

Hey Craig, thanks for getting back to me.  Remember I broke my last call while belly crawling on a hard top road glassing a bird to see if it was a gobbler before I called to it?  Then, you told me to send it to you to fix and I never did find it. Seriously, I know I didn't get rid of it, but I just couldn't find the thing.  Let me tell you, you ever see a grown man cry?  Well, I was close when I saw that call broke.  I told you about the gobbler I killed with that call, and that was a true story, no BS.  Also, I hunted with John a lot last year, and I am telling you, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't witnessed it myself; I personally was present many times when nothing but his Widow Maker would make birds gobble. I would be right beside him playing a pot call, a Tony Reynolds longbox, and giving my best on my mouth call (and I  am well above average with a mouth call), and I am telling you they wouldn't gobble till John hit that Widow Maker.  Then there was the time he and I were on a piece of public land that neither of us had ever been to before. Same damn thing. You could BET that Widow Maker would bring a gobble, if there was a bird in the areas.  John and I are going to Texas this year after the Rio, and I need a longbox.  And if I am going to have a longbox it might as well be the best available.  Let me tell you Craig, if there ever was a best kept secret in the turkey call circuit, you and your longboxes are it.  They are not for the beginner, i will say that, but they are truly amazing. Do you best man, and make me a killer, and I promise, THIS ONE AINT GETTIN BROKE!!!  Good luck this spring, and thumbs up for killing that bird that gave John such a fit ;-)

Greg

          
<~~~ Click on picture for a larger view.~~~>

Dick Lyle with a fine NY Bird

Great Season Dick, Get some rest

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