Ducks calls by a master carver

Ducks calls by a master carver

Outdoors Columnist As we get into autumn and serious hunting time approaches, we realize that duck season is not far away. Maybe it’s time to start checking on decoys and waders, and how about getting that duck boat ready with new camo? I bet it’s been since last duck season that you blew your duck call.

Duck calls are an important part of the hunt.

There are “working” calls that are used every trip and “show off calls” that are too nice to take to the blind. Show off calls are just too valuable to take a chance of something happening to them. I want to talk about these calls today.

Fred Jolly of Proctor, is a Master Carver and duck call maker. There is a Call Makers Association that Fred is a member of. All of his calls are made of woods such as oak, cedar, bodock, hackberry, walnut, and cherry. His favorite combination is a barrel made of walnut and a throat of cherry with a metal reed. These woods are kiln dried and are becoming hard to obtain, and because of the high quality needed, they are expensive. He still uses the lathe and drill press his daddy, John Jolly bought many years ago from Sears. John Jolly started making calls in 1928 and taught Fred how to carve and make calls. There are still some of his calls around.

Jolly starts making a call by hand lathing the barrel and throats and then drilling the hole in the middle. After smoothing the wood, he starts the engraving and checkering on the barrel using old fashioned knives, no electric drills or carvers. He usually makes four scenes using ducks and other hunting relating scenes like duck blinds and cypress trees. He then either paints the carving or leaves it natural. He then fits the throat with its reed and insert into the call, tuning each call individually. Each call is finished with several coats of hand rubbed linseed oil. The finished call is then stamped with a number and name. Fred keeps a book on every call showing what kind of call it is, its number, and when and to whom it was sold.

Jolly has several books full of this information.

Fred had Jolly’s Carpet and Linoleum Company on South 4th Street in West Memphis for many years. He was a serious coon hunter and each Christmas Eve had an open house coon supper and invited everyone.

There was great eating and many hunting stories told. Fred closed the store in 1995 and now just produces one of a kind duck calls. He and his wife, Lavera have been married for 66 years and live in Proctor.

Jolly’s duck calls cost from $350 for a checkered call, to $3,500 for his signature calls with four panels and are engraved with a variety of scenes.

The more ducks and scenes on the call, the higher the price. He makes a 12 inch duck call lamp on a matching base that has pegs to display the regular calls on. These lamps start at $2,000.

Needless to say, these are collector items. Fred and his daddy both have duck calls in the Ducks Unlimited section at the Bass Pro Shop in the Pyramid.

Fred still has a hunting camp at Crockett’s Bluff on the White River that he started in 1957, where he takes friends and grandkids. For several years he called at Beaver Dam hunting club in Mississippi. This is the club that Nash Buckingham made famous in his books.

Some of the carvings are from pictures and memories of Beaver Dam. If you want to get a real collector’s item, call Fred Jolly at 870-735-1576.

You can get more information and pictures at jollyduckcall. com. These calls are made to be enjoyed for their beauty and not taken to the blind. However, they would definitely call a duck!

Marion Ducks Unlimited Sponsor Dinner will be Tuesday October 25, 2016, at The Barn in Crawfordsville. Call Justin Callahan at 870636-1701 or jcallahan364@ gmail.com.

Election time is not far away. As outdoors people, we need to consider if the candidates appreciate Mother Nature. Does the candidate support the 2nd Amendment? This is critical if you want to be able to purchase guns and more important, keep the guns you have now. One of the presidential candidates is definitely not on the side of gun owners.

Muzzle loading deer season has been going on and there have not been any pictures or stories turned in to Papa Duck.

Please keep me up to date with both fishing and hunting information. Take that kid with you and send me the results of the trip. Remember that Lakeside Taxidermy does good work at a reasonable rate.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 870-732-0455 or 901482-3430 jhcriner@hotmail.com

By John Criner