How’s this for retro cool? It’s a 1970s “How to Call Wild Turkeys” record with a bonus Roger Latham “Big Tom” diaphragm call from Penn’s Woods Calls.
My good friend Larry Marafka, formerly of Penn’s Woods Calls, gave it to me at the 2012 National Wild Turkey Federation Convention. Check out some of the big names on the jacket, including Latham and R.Wayne Bailey. Of course, Frank Piper, who owned Penn’s Woods at the time, was the driving force behind it.
“Vinyl records were popular right around the breakthrough in (turkey) restoration,” said Jim Casada, editor at large for Turkey & Turkey Hunting, and a turkey history expert. “I have never seen one that offered a mouth call as part of the package. To me, that attests to Piper’s genius — and he was superb at marketing.”
I’d agree, and I’ll cherish the little piece of turkey hunting history.