Bob A. why don't you give us a history lesson on e-callers. A while back you mentioned Bert Popowski shot all his crows before e-callers had come out. You also mentioned every hunter feels they were born too late. I think the best crow hunting came with the use of e-callers. The first e-callers were record players, about when did they come out. How long would they run on their batteries which I think were D cells and not good ones. I can't imagine carrying records in and out of the field. When did the first cassette caller come out, I think the first ones also used D cell batteries. I would imagine the J/S 512 was revolutionized e-calling given it's compact nature and rechargeable sealed lead acid battery. When did that hit the market? When did the first decent digital caller come out and who made it?
The Call of the Wild was the first e-caller that ran on 12 D cell batteries and used 45rpm records. It had a metal box to protect the e-caller and storage for all the records inside. They hit the market around 1960 if my memory serves me right.
In 1972 the first cassettes came out, Johnny Stewart came out with the model 600 Deluxe and Burnham Brothers also came out with there cassette model. The model 600 deluxe had a 12 year run before the next generation of e-caller hit the market in 1984.
In 1984 the model 512 by Johnny Stewart hit the market, this was a cassette e-caller where you had to take the tape out when the tape ended and turn it around and stick it back in the machine for it to keep playing. This caller no longer was powered by 12 D cell batteries, this model had one 12 volt battery. It came with a battery charger, you had a choice of ordering a 10 watt or a 25 watt speaker with this unit. This unit had a 17 year run before the next generation of e-callers hit the market in 2001.
In 2001 the Johnny Stewart model 612 came out and it had auto reverse so you did not have to manually remove the cassette it played the other side of the cassette automatically. This unit also came with one 12 volt battery, a charger, a choice for more volume with a Louder amp amplifier that you plugged into the unit. These amps could also be used on the model 512 units by JS. The model 612 had a six year run before more advanced technology caught up with it. Enter the digital age!
Fox Pro was in it's fledgling stage in 2007 and by 2010 I got my first e-caller from them. It was the first unit off the line, it was a Snow Crow Pro unit that held one 12 volt battery. I liked this unit so much I bought the Super Snow Crow Pro unit as soon as it came out a few years later. This new unit held two 12 volt batteries inside the unit.
I have field tested the Krakatoa one and Krakatoa two models for FoxPro, I like the Krakatoa two unit better but they are both good e-callers.
Here are some photos of the "Call of the Wild" Circ. 1960 - 1972
Thanks for the history lesson Bob, I thought you would know. So with the introduction of the J/S 512 in 1984 I would say e-callers have only been in widespread use for a little more than 30 years.
Please take a good look at your (very good shape) e-caller and see if it does not say Whitman Electronics instead of Wright Electronics?
Back in those days they sub contracted a lot of work to different vendors. I tried to find both Whitman and Wright on the internet in regard to old game calls and came up with nothing.
Now it could be that the speakers were made by Whitman Electronics, they did a lot of work for Johnny Stewart back in the 1960's and 70's there speakers were a very rugged metal speaker that were built to last. Your unit might be made by Wright and the speaker by Whitman? This is why I wanted you to see if you can see who made it for sure?
Did you buy that unit new years ago? Is it a metal box with a W/E on the top right corner?
Back in the late 1960's you saw some guys that used them including me. From my friend Boyd's account there was a noticeable jump in use between 1962 to the very late 1960's. Boyd said that from 1960 to 1964 you never ran in to another crow hunter with a Call of the Wild 45 RPM record player. They were expensive and none but the worst of the diehards would shell out the bucks for one. He said they sure worked because all the crows in those days never had that pulled on them before.
I believe you are right Bob, I always call it Wright for some reason. It's on the lid and I think it also says "Call of the Wild". Not certain, but I remember something like that. My Dad bought it back in the late 60s when we started our quest for busting. I'll call my Mom and see if she can send a pic of the lid. I am going to NC next week and I will confirm the name and get more pics.
I'm taking my gear, so I may shout out to some of you NC busters (Skip?) !!
John
-- Edited by ecuchief on Thursday 17th of March 2016 05:18:22 PM
If you young whipper-snappers, and some older scroungers, will slide over a bit, I will try to wiggle myself into play here, and insert a few words that will help straighten out the debate over the previously mentioned Wightman Electronics, Inc. game call. The correct spelling is WIGHTMAN ELECTRONICS, INC. They did sell the "Call of The Wild" game calls, and 45 rpm records of wild game sounds. The record players consisted of a metal box, as mentioned, with the electronic guts inside. They ran on 12 size D batteries, as Bob, or someone mentioned. I never had one, but a friend of mine had one when I lived in Atlanta, Ga. about 45 years ago. It worked very good, but constantly changing the record, or re-starting a record, was a bit of a hassle, especially if crows were literally flying down your throat. Attached, I hope, is a couple of pictures of a Wightman Electronics 45 rpm record, and the address is Easton, Maryland. The record clearly states, "use with Call of The Wild" record player.
On June 29, 1967, I bought my first electronic game call, a Johnny Stewart "Electri-Call Jr." It also had a metal box cabinet, used 12 D batteries, and played 45 rpm records. I still have it today, it works as good as new. I still have the operators instructions, and the tag with the serial No. 6779. I have used it to slaughter a few thousand crows, and I'll bet there is not one electronic-digital game call made today, that will suffer the abuse, and last as long, as this metal miracle. The digital game calls made today are flimsy toys, compared to the old "iron horse" models of yester-year. Oh, how I'd like to go back to the good old days! A couple of pics are attached...again, I hope.
Also attached, let's hope, is a pic of some old shotgun shell boxes. The Alcan brand was mentioned in this discussion. The Alcan Co. Inc. was located in Alton, Ill. as someone stated. The company was famous for high quality products, including shotgun shells, powder, and wads. The Alcan box in the pics is one I bought in Atlanta, 45 years ago, and cost a whopping $1.56 at the K-Mart, so I bought a case of them. It was 12 ga. loaded with 3 dram equiv. one ounce, No. 8 shot.
A trip back into antiquity is good for the soul, especially considering how the world situation is today. Good to reminisce about our adventures in hunting, and l our closely held souvenirs, and memories that we cherish!
Good Hunting
KenCrow
Another box in the pics is of Revelation shotgun shells. They were sold by Western Auto Supply Co. Kansas City, Missouri. Their retail stores were named Western Auto Stores. I do not know who made the shells, but I would bet Federal Cartridge Co. I've had the box about 45 years.
The Mohawk shells were a product of Remington. This box is loaded with 3 3/4 dram equiv. 1 1/4 oz. No. 6 shot. It is also prehistoric, and I've had it about 45 years.
The Upland shell is a product of Winchester-Western Division, East Alton, Ill. The shell case is made like the old Winch. AA shell, as it is a compression-formed Mark 5 process. It is loaded with 3 1/4 dram equiv. 1 1/4 oz. No. 8 shot. I have had it for 35-40 years. As far as I know, none of the aforementioned shells are still made.
Sorry dudes, but the text of my comments about Wightman game calls, and various shotgun shells, got screwed up somehow. The last paragraph of my original text should begin with " A trip back into antiquity...". Just read my comments, and make the best of it.
I very much enjoyed looking at your vintage Johnny Stewart Game caller. It makes me feel good just to look at the equipment I used to use in my youth.
If memory serves me right Alcan also sold primers for reloading shotgun shells?
I used to keep a wooden dowel rod or a screw driver inside the metal box (of the Call of the Wild) and used it to keep the lid open so I had quick access to the 45 RPM record so it would keep playing during battle. You got about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes of play time before you had to move the needle to the start of the 45 RPM record.
NH, I was using a model 23 Winchester in the DVD "Crow Shooting" where I was wearing a green Alpine hat. I had the model 23 (a double) 12 gauge and two 20 gauge model 870's in the blind on that hunt. I was hunting quail that morning and never changed clothes to go on a crow hunt that afternoon.
NH, I was using a model 23 Winchester in the DVD "Crow Shooting" where I was wearing a green Alpine hat. I had the model 23 (a double) 12 gauge and two 20 gauge model 870's in the blind on that hunt. I was hunting quail that morning and never changed clothes to go on a crow hunt that afternoon.
That is the video and I thought I saw you shooting a double at one point. I remember seeing Winchester model 23's for sale in the 1970's, they had a 3" inch version of both 12 and 20 gauge, each was labeled "Heavy Duck" and "Light Duck" respectively.
I just had a flashback looking at the photo you took of where you put the 12 d cell batteries in your Call of the Wild e-caller. In cold weather (20 degrees or below) those d cell batteries would only last 3 to 4 hours before they died. I used to go broke in the old days just buying batteries for that caller!
