Earl Mickel—one of the country’s leading authorities on turkey calls—took on a challenge that any seasoned turkey hunter would have relished. He traveled to all forty-nine states that are home to wild turkeys and—using a call made in each state—bagged Longbeards (and only Longbeards). Within six years, Earl had not only met the challenge, but also accumulated a wealth of amazing stories and a collection of beautifully crafted turkey calls.

Longbeards, Callmakers and Memories is the story of Mickel’s adventure, the people he encountered on his journey, and the various calls he used. Along with sharing his experiences, Earl includes hundreds of photographs—including a full-color insert of unique turkey calls. He also offers words of wisdom, insightful sayings, and even poems that were written by some of the hunters he met and by Earl himself. Here is one of modern-day turkey hunting’s most incredible adventures. 

Earl Mickel has been a driving force behind the rise of custom turkey callmaking as an important art form. According to the National Wild Turkey Federation, “As the popularity of turkey hunting increased, so did the interest in collecting calls, and Earl was right there, speaking and writing about it so that future generations will know . . . those who contributed.” Mickel also wrote Callmakers Past and Present and Turkey Callmakers Past and Present: The Rest of the Best.