Debbie Snapp, ECB Publishing Inc.
Gene Henry (GH) Liford is a young man with many fine talents, including handmaking turkey 'calls', and he's been getting a lot of attention lately by winning competitions across the country.
He won first place and “Best of Class” for his turkey call from the Mountain State Competition, on January 13, 2018; and took another win for first place for his turkey call, from the Great Lakes Open Call Making Competition on March 9, 2018. He enjoys the recognition he receives from these competitions, along with the medallions and cash awards.
He lives locally and is an auditor for the State of Florida. He enjoys his off-time making and creating a variety of these 'calls' to sell and as special gifts and presentations. He is an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing and the like.
Curiosity is what got him involved in his 'call-making' hobby/business; something he's been doing for almost three years now. “It's a lost art,” he says. “It's my 'Wing Bone Calls' that are my favorite, if used correctly, they are some of the best calls to use. They are also some of the oldest known turkey calls to hunters.”
GH is very much involved with the National Wild Turkey Federation and donates a lot of the turkey calls he makes to the organization. He tries to use every part of the turkey when he harvests a bird and encourages others to do the same. For the parts he can not use for his calls, he finds uses elsewhere so the animal is not wasted.
He gathers his materials from local hunters in order to make the variety he sells. The 'calls' are first sanitized and then placed in a whitening solution for about a week. He takes the three major bones and cuts them to fit inside each other. The bones are tuned before they are thread-wrapped, then brushed with clear epoxy to protect the 'call' and the thread. GH works on his 'calls' five to eight hours over a two-week span of time.
For those that want something to remember their hunt by, GH will also make a 'call' using the wing from the turkey that the person harvested. The customer will have to pay the normal price, but it’s special to have a 'call' made from the wing of “their” turkey. Prices for these handmade 'call' products list from: $15 for Diaphragms, $65 and up for Wing Bones, $175 and up for Antler Base Wing Bones, and $50 for Wood Deer Grunts. He's made 45 wing bone 'calls' so far for 2018. They are usually made one at a time.
“I have a great passion for my calls,” GH says, “and it means a lot to me that you all reached out. I don't sell my 'calls' until they are perfect.”
GH is the son of Robin and Darrell Liford of Waukeenah. He's a 2011 graduate of Aucilla Christian Academy and received a scholarship for football from FAMU, where he played for two years. He finished his BS in Accounting at Flagler College in 2015 and is now working towards becoming a CPA. He will marry his sweetheart Mallory Rusinowski later this month.
You can contact Liford about his 'calls' through his various social media pages, like Facebook: Liford Custom Calls, or Instagram: @lifordcustomcalls. GH keeps his social media pages up-to-date with all of his latest custom 'calls' that he has made for customers. If you do not have social media you may also contact him through email at lifordcustomcalls@gmail.com.
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