Ben Lee box call

[gamestalker]

I bought an orginal Ben Lee call back in the early 1980s which is signed by the master him self. I have used this call every year with 100% success with well over 100 gobblers falling victim to its sweet talking hand crafted signature approved quality. I was curious what it might be worth today. Mr. Ben Lee passed away about a year after I purchased the call. In case anyone is wondering who he was, he was a multiple world record winning turkey caller, hunter, and hunted the wild turkey his entire life. I purchased an audio tape back when I purchased the call in which he describes his life from childhood to those last living years and how his love for this elusive bird filled his dreams and even got him into some ocassional trouble with his parents and school the result of hunting turkey when he was supposed to be doing chores or in school. Quite a turkey hunter and example of how the love for turkey hunting can encompass ones life. His simple words left me with many of his ways to be carried on each spring season.
Gobbuster

[Steve_In]

I will give you $20 if you ship it for that price.[:D]  His son has a bunch of Ben Lee stuff on ebay now. 
Welcome to the forum.

[rsmithpa]

Because its used you may not get much for it.  I have one as well and retired it when Ben passed.  If you go on ebay ones in mint condition will go around 150 or so.
 
Ben was a fine man and great to talk too.  I knew him a little and would meet him at various shows in PA and we talked for hours.  In my mind, he made turkey hunting what it is today.  A lot of call makers owe a lot to him for what he did for the sport of turkey hunting.

[Everyday Hunter]

I found one of these at a garage sale a couple of years ago. 50 cents.


It's signed just like this one: 


It was 50¢. Did I pay too much?
The only problem is that it didn't come with a striker. Maybe I can make one. What woods should I try?

Steve

[Everyday Hunter]

The eBay auction for the Ben Lee trough call closed at $92.



I guess mine was a good buy.

Steve

[rbewilson]

I got one of those call of E-bay last year from his son.I even got him to write me a letter saying it was one his dad made.Ben J.R. was easy to deal with.I think the name of this call is super hen.

[Turkeybuster]

You are correct it is a super hen.
Jon

[Turkeybuster]

Steve mine has a plexiglass striker with it but hickory or purpleheart should work.
Make sure it is pointed as the one in the photo is.
Jon

[Everyday Hunter]

ORIGINAL: Turkeybuster

Steve mine has a plexiglass striker with it but hickory or purpleheart should work.
Make sure it is pointed as the one in the photo is.
Jon

Thanks, Jon. I have some dried corn so I think I'll try making one from one of the cobbs. If it doesn't work, I'll see what Ben's son can do for me.

Do you suppose that's purpleheart on the one in the picture? Where can I get such?

Steve

[rsmithpa]

Ben's son's web page has been down for a long while.  He sold stuff on MidWest Turkey Call Supply. If you want stuff he has left over, you need to go on ebay.