Wayne Carlton was a terrific hunter, game caller, and friend. Once we were elk hunting in Colorado when we came upon a grandfather and his grandson watching a deep ravine. I noticed that the senior had several Carlton calls dangling on his chest and asked if he liked them. “I love them,” was his instant reply. “Well sir, meet Wayne Carlton” and the two shook hands while exchanging looks of genuine excitement. “I’d rather meet you than kill a bull elk,” the gentleman said enthusiastically. We thanked him for his time and moved on.
Caller Extraordinaire
Wayne Carlton is credited with using diaphragm callers to make bugles and cow call sounds. Previously, calling an elk meant bugling with a tube that met with very mixed degrees of success. By using a diaphragm caller as used for mimicking wild turkey sounds, Carlton proved that bulls could be lured into range. He became equally successful with his estrous cow calls, that revolutionized elk calling. Carlton excelled at calling bears, coyotes, and turkeys and Native by Carlton carries on this tradition.
The Box Caller
The first sound I heard from this well-crafted device made turkey music. The box came fully chalked which meant that a human tested it to be sure it made the perfect pitch. A multi-year supply of soft chalk was included, a nice perk because that old-school soft chalk is difficult to find. The box “calls” on each side and will make an excellent gobble sound if you place a rubber band one quarter way down the box.
Tin Lizzy and Hickory Peg
The face of the Tin Lizzy is a black anodized aluminum over a glass soundboard in a 3.25″ walnut pot base. This thing runs light and easy cranking out outstanding turkey sounds. It excels in purrs and clucks with a strong steady yelp with light pressures. I was able to make purrs, yelps, and clucks in the first few attempts.
Diaphragms to Please
My order contained two types of diaphragm callers, one of traditional design and the other with a “palate plate” of sorts. Each was the appropriate size, did not prompt a gag response, and made appropriate sounds on the first try. The Split V was a very high-pitched immature hen, while the palated model mimicked a raspy hen.
Calling is an Art
Make no mistake, Marc Carlton, founder and co-owner sees calling as an ART, with the same passion as the hunter who found it necessary to paint those rock walls 6,000 years ago. It’s the draw, to say something in a wild voice and have that something answer you back. It gives us the one thing that ties us all to calling- hunting. It’s the deeper Connection to the experience. To visit the Native by Carlton click Here