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James "Winky" Hicks
Clarke County
Custom
Instruments & Turkey Yelpers
James “Winky” Hicks grew up hunting turkeys and listening to his
father play guitar. Naturally, he became a musician himself, learning very
early to play the banjo. Using his “gift of the ear,” Winky first made
turkey yelpers of old cedar and hard rock maple. He saw a direct correlation
between musical instruments and turkey yelpers and a few years ago he decided
to learn to make what he played and his first mandolin was created.
Winky begins his instruments with salvaged wood from the depth of
the Great Lakes. Long exposure to the cold water causes the cell structure of
the wood to expand, which allows sound to travel more evenly. Winky taps on the
wood before using it to test the vibration; better vibration means a higher
quality of tone. Other woods, such as curly maple, are used for the back,
sides, and neck. A Peterson 12-wheel stroke tuner is also used in the tuning
process, but Winky knows that it is his ear that does the most important work.
Winky’s instruments
can also be seen on the musical stages of Nashville and in the hands of
world-renowned musicians.
Products 1-3 of 3
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Spotlight!
Turkey Caller Combo
Price: $64.50
Availability: In Stock
Item #: 46 -
This turkey caller comes in a package and each caller is numbered and signed by Winky Hicks. Hicks, an accomplished musician and musical instrument maker, had recognized the correlation between the sound of a turkey gobble and music with his keen ear. So in 1995, Hicks combined his passion for hunting and outdoors with his ear for music, and began making turkey yelpers.Winky explains that "Turkeys have a musical voice and being a musician I can recognize that. I feel like that gives me an...
The Wild Gobbling Box
Price: $107.25
Availability: In Stock
Item #: 12998 -
For turkey hunters, the gobbling caller is the primo of all turkey calls. All the turkeys will come running the second they hear this call. It is designed by a seasoned turkey hunter, "Winky" Hicks. Make sure to purchase this if you want to snag a nice turkey. There is a limited supply of this special edition "Gobbler Box". James "Winky" Hicks: The Wild Gobbling Box
Sweet Wild Hen- Pure Turkey Caller
Price: $42.95
Availability: In Stock
Item #: 11992 -
This turkey call will be sure to get you a good one. All you have to do to get a turkey come running is rub. There is velcro to make the calling easy. As "Winky" Hicks says, "I'll tell you what, if a gobbler don't come to that, you just get up and go on back to the house." James "Winky" Hicks: Sweet Wild Hen- Pure Turkey Caller