I have been a loyal supporter of Woodhaven for several years now. I recently learned that they are raising their cost 25-30% across the board. Example are their mouth calls that normally run 9.99 are now 12.99 and one new one will be 15.99. Also their new Carbon Crystal is running around 215.00. Their prices were already steep, but this is crazy. I hope they can stay in business like this, but I can't deal with these prices. There are too many other callmakers with more reasonable costs.
I noticed that myself and as much as I like some of their mouthcalls its gettin' out of hand.
I like Woodhaven mouth calls and would hate for them to go up on the price.
Woodhaven don't drink the KoolAid and out price your products out of the average joe's reach!
I don't want to use anyone else's calls......
I'm out. I was a big wood haven fan but that's just crazy for a freaking mouth call. I'll find another one that will get the job done
Give Houndstooth a shout.
I just got my Midwest turkeycall supply book in and noticed the woodhaven prices. Wow, the strike 3 strikers are $25. They were $20. The legend series pots are $90 now.
They need the money for new hats! Their heads are swelling with the attention they been getting. :TooFunny:
That is out of control!! Which I switched from them a few years back to a custom call maker for my mouth calls and haven't looked back.
God Bless
I like Woodhaven calls but I can buy 2 hooks or gooserbat calls for that price and they're just as good
With prices like that, I am sure several people will be looking else where for calls. Check out Champions Choice Game Calls, I am pretty sure Sadler called for Woodhaven for awhile. He should be able to fix you up with something very similar.
I'm in no way shape or form affiliated with David Halloran at all. But I'll go ahead sound like a salesman for a pair for a moment. At Christmas time I bought my son a glass over glass pot call from David Halloran and it sounds fantastic better than any of my Woodhaven Crystal pot calls I've got on here for sale. I also bought a three pack of his diaphragm calls the TKO natural born killer and she devil. The diaphragm call sound terrific all three of them they were $20 I think the glass on glass was only $50. Since Christmas I've ordered two more pot calls from him I'm waiting on them to come in, another glass on glass for myself and a slate. There are several YouTube videos, his box calls sound great also.
I have to agree with big bird on this. Woodhaven seems to be laggin behind with their pot calls. I've had 3 different ones and have sold all of them. They just didn't have the sound to match the price they sold for.
Used to live and breathe Woodhaven, but no more. Too many good custom callmakers that can deliver. I will still have my Cherry classic Crystal and Cherry box call with me in my vest, but Hooks has my mouth call business. If you like the shape and texture of the Woodhaven tape, just call Hooks and they will make them.
Gman
Woodhaven has been going down hill for several years IMO. I've been using Cane Creek Calls for several years and love them plus they're priced right.
I found this very interesting that Woodhaven is using a carbon fiber sound board. Those of you that know me well might remember the glass and crystal calls I made with carbon fiber sound boards. I made these about 7 YEARS AGO. I quit using carbon fiber as a sound board once I discovered how much better cherry wood was. The carbon fiber was a pain in the butt to work with. I even made a few versions that had two discs of carbon fiber that were lightly glued together. My intention was that the two pieces would vibrate together and make the call super raspy. Didn't really pan out.
I don't base 100% of my opinion on calls based on how they place in Nashville, but look at the names you consistently see at the top of the friction call results. Names like: Steve Morganstern, Gary Anderson, Bill Lyman, Lon Trice, Clint Corder, David Halloran, Buddy Stang, Pat Strawser, Austin and Kimmey Hanks. I could go on and on. Mike Pentecost has also placed high in Nashville but not as often as some of the above names.
Again.....I place much more of my opinion on how the calls perform in the woods. I mainly used a Steve Morganstern slate call last year when I wasn't using a trumpet. That call was incredible in the woods interacting with real birds. Most every custom call maker in the elite of the friction call world produces his calls under $75. A pot call for $200 is getting way out of hand.
Dang, guess I am out too. Woodhaven has been my favorite diaphragm maker, but I won't pay $13 for one
AS a call maker I can say overhead does continue to rise, my biggest increase in the past couple of years has been in the cost of insurance and outdoor shows. That's one reason why I don't attend many any more. Consumers want to meet and mingle with the people they do business with but just 5 years ago the average cost of doing a show was $650-$700 now its $850-$900 but no one wants to give that extra $1 for a diaphragm or the $5 more for a pot.
Now I don't get the $12 diaphragm at all but they have their reasons and I'm not here to throw stones. I guess it's just a trickle effect ultimately the guy at the bottom has to pay for the cost of doing business.
Give Rush Calls a try fellas!
Quote from: rushmouthcalls on January 15, 2014, 12:42:12 PM
Give Rush Calls a try fellas!
:agreed: I have several of these, they are very, very good!
Until I get onto turkeys that will not come to anything but a Woodhaven call I'll be using many others.
There are umpteen call makers that have good quality calls and they are much less expensive.
Just go with Hooks. Great calls with great prices made by awesome folks. :icon_thumright:
Plus that River Boss that Morg came up with is one sweet sounding call. :z-winnersmiley:
I love hooks but the frames are to small which makes them not a real good option. Sucks because I really like them
I knew when Wilbur Primos brought out them $12 mouth calls last year that this was going to happen.
Too many good call makers out there to pay that much for a caller........
Those are crazy prices, not when I can get mouth calls from hooks and pot calls from halloran for half that. The turkeys don't seem to mind the affordable stuff
There have been some great mouth call companies mentioned here for those who want to try other alternatives. Another one that I will mention is STRIKEZONE mouth calls. Randy Panek makes every one of these calls by hand with an aluminum frame unlike any other on the market today. My personal favorites are the Dead Zone and the Flock Talker.
Give them a look...
http://wildtalker.com/WildTalker/Strike_Zone_Mouth_Calls.html
Quote from: reynolds243 on January 15, 2014, 07:56:12 PM
I love hooks but the frames are to small which makes them not a real good option. Sucks because I really like them
Is it the frame or the tape?If it is the tape he can use full size tape if ya tell him to.Give him a call.
Quote from: timb on January 16, 2014, 04:33:17 PM
Quote from: reynolds243 on January 15, 2014, 07:56:12 PM
I love hooks but the frames are to small which makes them not a real good option. Sucks because I really like them
Is it the frame or the tape?If it is the tape he can use full size tape if ya tell him to.Give him a call.
Yeah it's the tape. Didn't know you could get them any different.
Prices are CRAZY in ALL of the departments; who would have ever thought we needed a 1500.00 shotgun to go out and kill a turkey? what about the "turkey chokes" for our guns? what about the "turkey loads" in our shotgun shells? the "old timers" who knew how to really hunt, you know the ones that used the ol' winchester single shot guns, the ones who hunted with the Lynch box calls and made them sound like solid gold, and I could go on & on but I think ya'll get my point; we spend (including myself) way too much money on things that half of it is not needed to kill a turkey; we (I) read way too many magazines & the advertisements in those magazines makes us think that we need all of this stuff to be a better turkey hunter; how someone spends their hard earned money is definitely none of my business but complaining about a company going up on their calls but then turn around and spend double that on the newest, greatest camo clothing, or anything else associated with our sport, makes me wonder where we draw the line on this madness.
ill agree in a sense woodhaven has always treated me very very good with good people to deal with. but I heard the carbon call run at the ata show and while it sounds good there is absolutely no way im paying 200 dollars for a pot call. its just not worth it to me. im not paying 12 for a mouth call either. but I don't run mouth calls a ton. I will say woodhaven will continue to get my business. but not near as much as normal. I have found a few random guys in Nashville that i run their calls now. that's why i love the show it lets the little people have a chance and a lot of those people make great calls.
Any company can charge what they want for their product , it's their right to determine what they are willing to ask in order to part with it - With that being said I don't think anyone here will deny that just about very woodhaven calls sounds pretty darn good - I know in the past woodhaven has done very well on the contest scene , those contest callers , booths and such add a bit of overhead into the final product
It was mentioned , and has been many times before the cost of maintaining a booth at a local and national conventions , your looking at $700- $2000 for one booth ...depending on what your willing to itemize ....gas , nearly $4 a gallon gas... , food, hotel , booth(s) big bucks $$$$ and for Nashville a dual county tax permit , internet access ...for charge cards ? More $$$$ and if you have employees , they need food and hotels ,rental vans or trucks if your hauling loads of product , contest entry fees for your calls , contest fees for calling contests for you and or your employees.....call donations , that can ad up too , if you need 2,3 or say 6 booth spots that can add up real fast --plus if you took time off from your regular job you would be kidding yourself if you didn't compensate yourself for your time you lost at that job , or at the least pay yourself for your trouble , how bout keeping the lights on at your house in exchange for months of preparation and fronting the materials in the first place - Running a call company on the circuit is no piece of cake
That's why I switched to Hooks several years ago, very reasonable price and are great sounding calls!!! I just ordered 3 mouth calls from them yesterday at $22.40, that was with shipping!
I'm a big fan of the Woodhaven Red Wasp mouth call. But I'm not gonna pay $12.99 for them. What comparable mouth call do you guys recommend?? Thanks. :OGturkeyhead:
Quote from: SKFOOTER on January 17, 2014, 02:12:23 PM
I'm a big fan of the Woodhaven Red Wasp mouth call. But I'm not gonna pay $12.99 for them. What comparable mouth call do you guys recommend?? Thanks. :OGturkeyhead:
Hooks Executioner and Devastator!
Quote from: SKFOOTER on January 17, 2014, 02:12:23 PM
I'm a big fan of the Woodhaven Red Wasp mouth call. But I'm not gonna pay $12.99 for them. What comparable mouth call do you guys recommend?? Thanks. :OGturkeyhead:
I can duplicate something pretty close, or you might give my Heckler a try.
Try Rut n Strut Game Calls Pots $50-65 plus shipping. Diaphragms $6 each or 4 for $20 plus shipping. I showed Mike P.and.Sadler.McGraw fully functiining Carbon Fiber Calls I made in 2006. I started out with Carbon Tops as a.Water.Proof Turkey. They will.play with water beading on top of the call. I progressed into Crystal over Carbon Fiber and still am making them today! Price $65 in a Wood Pot and $75 in Corian.
I bought a Red Wasp last year, it sounds good, but a bit raspy (I like the flip side too) but honestly I'm just as good carrying my Raspy Old Hen as my mouth call. I don't use a mouth call as my main call anyway. I hear woodhaven makes good calls, but don't plan to drop more money on them anytime soon, especially if they are jacking up prices.
Was loyal to woodhaven until 5 years ago.
Couldn't stand their prices and the inconsistency of the calls I was buying.
Scott Hook is a great guy bulking a great call and a genuine interest in his client's success. I don't see myself running any other mouth call in the future.
Quote from: Old Gobbler on January 16, 2014, 10:10:22 PM
Any company can charge what they want for their product , it's their right to determine what they are willing to ask in order to part with it - With that being said I don't think anyone here will deny that just about very woodhaven calls sounds pretty darn good - I know in the past woodhaven has done very well on the contest scene , those contest callers , booths and such add a bit of overhead into the final product
It was mentioned , and has been many times before the cost of maintaining a booth at a local and national conventions , your looking at $700- $2000 for one booth ...depending on what your willing to itemize ....gas , nearly $4 a gallon gas... , food, hotel , booth(s) big bucks $$$$ and for Nashville a dual county tax permit , internet access ...for charge cards ? More $$$$ and if you have employees , they need food and hotels ,rental vans or trucks if your hauling loads of product , contest entry fees for your calls , contest fees for calling contests for you and or your employees.....call donations , that can ad up too , if you need 2,3 or say 6 booth spots that can add up real fast --plus if you took time off from your regular job you would be kidding yourself if you didn't compensate yourself for your time you lost at that job , or at the least pay yourself for your trouble , how bout keeping the lights on at your house in exchange for months of preparation and fronting the materials in the first place - Running a call company on the circuit is no piece of cake
If everyone else was pricing pot calls at 200 bucks, I'd say their was credence to your explanation, Shannon. Perhaps they should be looking at lean manufacturing processes or other innovative ways of trimming costs but justifying 200 for a semi-custom call is ridiculous.
You're not doing turkey hunters any favors with your partisan support of such price gouging.