Jack Dudley was a big man, larger than life, who never met a stranger. Dudley, from Dekalb, was a man of many talents and he rose to the top of the turkey hunting world after winning the Mississippi State Turkey Calling Championship in 1968 and 1969.

After those victories he won the National Turkey Calling Championship and was crowned National Champion in 1969 at Yellville, Arkansas beating top turkey callers from around the country. Astonishingly Dudley beat the best callers in the world by using only his natural voice.

Dudley eventually retired from competition after winning the King of Kings calling contest, which pitted the champion turkey callers against each other. Jack never backed down from a challenge and he spent the remainder of his life beating the ultimate judges, the battle worn eastern wild turkey gobblers and calling for many people.

Dudley was not only a great turkey caller and champion, but he was “The Man” when it came to calling up battle weary call shy gobblers. If you had a bad bird all you had to do was call Jack and he would gladly call the bad bird up for you.

Dudley was always quick to lend a hand and he was an unofficial Ambassador for the State of Mississippi hosting notable coaches and other celebrities from around the country in his Gypsy Village hunting club in Kemper County.

On more than one occasion Dudley was known to put on impromptu calling exhibition for tourists and visitors to the state. Jack loved to perform and his gobbling ability was second to none. If he sat behind you and gobbled in the woods you just couldn’t tell the difference between him and a real gobbler.

During a hunt with Jack he sat down about 30 yards behind me as I took a position to shoot a gobbler. It didn’t take long for the “Old Master” to start clucking, purring and follow up with a wide assortment of calls from his extensive repertoire and all with his natural voice.

‘Gobble. . . obble. . . obble’ thundered an old tom in response not 40 yards behind me. I was stunned and afraid to move. A few minutes later the gobbler belted out another thunderous gobble but this time I cut my eyes around in time to see Jack Dudley as he belted out one of the best gobbles I’ve ever heard. It was in fact Jack that had gobbled the first time and fooled me completely.

A couple hours later we were sitting inside the Back Porch Café in Porterville waiting on breakfast to be served when a group of tourists came in. We sat back and admired Dudley’s skill and talent as he proceeded to put on a calling show that would have blown away even the most hardened judge. He topped off his impromptu performance with a thunderous gobble and brought the house down!

Jack was always proud of his son Michael and grandsons and left a legacy in the turkey world unrivaled by any. Perhaps even more important than his myriad of accomplishments was the fact that he trained and encouraged many young hunters and taught them how to call turkeys, even a few with his natural voice. Though his son doesn’t call competitively rest assured he’s an excellent turkey caller and hunter in his own right.

But perhaps the most famous of his proteges is Preston Pittman, a five-time world champion caller who also got his start by calling with his natural voice. Preston won the Mississippi State calling contest with his natural voice and rose through the ranks from there. Pittman made a career out of calling turkeys and making turkey calls and is still going strong making calls today.

During a speaking event at the EMEPA building back in the old days, Jack told everybody there how to learn to talk turkey.

“Get a gobbler and a couple of hens and listen to them every day,” Dudley said. “Hens are like women as they say the same things, but they all sound a little different. Practice mimicking their calls and you’ll be able to call a turkey by yourself.”

For Christmas that year I was astonished when I received a gobbler and two hens from my young bride, Kathy. That was the start of my natural voice calling and I quickly followed Dudley’s advice and harvested my first gobbler near State Line just south of Waynesboro back in 1982.

While I preferred competing with real gobblers, I did win a couple of calling contests with my natural voice and placed in a couple more. Since that time I’ve beaten countless gobblers myself and called many for others as a result of my natural voice calling and gobbling. As a result of Jack Dudley’s tutelage and advice I’ve also spoken at many venues while yelping, clucking, owl hooting and gobbling! I couldn’t have done it without Jack’s mentorship!

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