Unicoi State Park will host the Unicoi Custom Turkey Call Makers Show Jan. 11-12 in Helen, Georgia, which is known for its Bavarian style buildings, about an hour and a half north of Atlanta.

The show features many of the best turkey call makers in the country today. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and there could be time to meet call makers and fellow turkey hunters and engage in some one-on-one turkey talk during and after the show.

In addition to the custom turkey calls, which are the focus of the show, there will also be crow calls, owl hooters, custom made knives and other hunting related items. Since these talented craftsmen come from all around the country most will stay on site at the hotel facilities, which will give people a chance to meet and greet.

This show absolutely includes some of the best turkey hunters and callers in the world and many are top call makers. They are simply masters of their craft and the best of the best! Nowhere else will you find this many talented call makers gathered under one roof and it happens only at the Unicoi Custom Call Maker’s Show.

Unicoi was host to a custom call maker show for many years, but the show eventually faded away as many of the original call makers like Neil Cost passed on.

Mark Sharpe and Russell Beard, two very talented call makers themselves, joined forces and started a new show about five years ago.

The show has been a big hit and continues to grow to the point that they have to turn call makers away for lack of room. If you’re a diehard turkey caller, hunter or collector you’ll be thrilled to know that 70 turkey call masters builders will be in the show.

“We want to have the best show we possibly can, so we don’t want to get so big that it detracts from the show,” Sharpe said. “We want everybody to have a good time and have a chance to buy and sell calls, too.”

Larry Proffitt and Mark Prudhomme, 5-time owl hooting champion, will conduct seminars at the show. One has killed numerous grand slams and world slams and the other is a 17-time grand national champion. The list of custom call makers and related craftsmen are a veritable Who’s Who of the best in America.

“Lamar Williams and Darin Dawkins will be there, and both are box call makers,” Sharpe said. “Billy Buice makes trumpet and box calls, while Richard Hudson and Dan Harris are box call guys. Kevin Farr makes pot calls while Billy McCallister and Mark Prudhomme make trumpets. My partner in the show Russell Beard makes box calls, too.”

I will be there selling the revised classic turkey book ‘The Old Pro Turkey Hunter’ by Gene Nunnery, along with Doug Morgan, of Brandon, and Mark McPhail, of Collinsville, who will have many of his award-winning turkey calls.

The following people will be at the show, talking turkey and selling their favorite turkey calls and related products.

Al and Josh Shoemaker, Anthony Ellis, Bob Harwell, Brandon Washington, Brian Lawter, Chad Scruggs, Dan Harris, Daryal Gosey and Darrell Gibson, Dean “Red Beard” Mundhenke, Dickie Champion, Doug Morgan, Duncan Dobie (Author/ Lobby) Ed Jenkins, Ed Muller(Pouch maker/Lobby), Fred Cox, Gene Gardner, Glenda Green (Pouch and bag maker/Lobby), Harold and Derick Fowler, Herb McClure (Author/ Lobby) Hoyt Brown, Irving Whitt, Jamey Rex, Jeffrey Erb, Jeff Lacey and Clay Townsend, Jeff McKamey, Jeremy Stafford, Jimmy Schaffer, Jody Harrison and Jackie Lea, John Dangerfield, Kelly Puckett, Kevin Cantrell, Kevin Dorsey, Kevin Kirkpatrick and Doug Herman, Kyle Osborne, Eric Osborne and Robert Glover, Larry Proffitt (Author/ Lobby) Lee Chadwick, Lon Trice, Mark McPhail, Mark Sharpe, Marlin Watkins, Matt Fulkerson, Matt McLain, Matt Van Cise, Mike Lapp and Lee Bowles, Olin Humphries, Paul Durham, Richard Hudson, Ron Watters, Scott Vieting, Steve Brown, Steve Mann, Tim Bullock, Todd Black, Tony Quarino, Wayne Hendrix (knife maker), Wendell Lancaster& Tom Osmer, and Will Dutton (knife maker).

For more information, call Sharpe at 912-531-1845 or email Beard at russell@beardhunter.com.

Call Mike Giles at 601-917-3898 or email mikegiles18@comast.net.