A Timeless Craft

Dave Constantine needs no introduction. He’s an 11-time NWTF Grand National Call Maker of the Year, Earl Mickel Award winner, four-time NWTF Grand National Champion of Champions, and one of the most likeable guys in the industry. Constantine has nothing to prove, and has cemented his legacy, not only in the turkey world, but through his woodworking in general. Many don’t know Constantine does a lot of fish carvings, and you’d be hard-pressed to differentiate a fiberglass replica from one of his hand-painted wood carvings.

Constantine doesn’t mind sharing his passion with others interested in the craft, hosting three to five workshops a year at his studio in Durand, Wisconsin, teaching carving, wood burning, composition and design. These workshops are mostly attended by locals or folks from neighboring states. With a little push from several influential people, he decided to host the first National Callmaker’s Woodworking Workshop. The event ran from Aug. 26-30, 2022, and was attended by nine call makers from eight different states.

People gathered and carved a hen turkey or a dead-hanging mallard over the course of five days. Everything from the basics to advanced techniques were taught.

This event was all set off by a simple post on Constantine’s personal Facebook page. He posted the idea and went to bed. With over 2,000 followers on the platform, it’s not surprising that, by morning, the event was full. In true Constantine fashion, he felt that the commitment made by the attendees to make it to the event, bring tools, fill their tanks and pay for lodging was enough of a burden, and he offered the master class for free.

In attendance were some heavy hitters in the callmaking scene. Bob Fulcher was one of the first to reply to the Facebook post. Fulcher has taken home over 200 awards for his turkey calls in NWTF competitions, and is an NWTF Grand National Champion of Champions. He drove from Ohio to attend and learn from one of the best.

“This inaugural class had some of the country’s top call makers at the workbenches,” Fulcher said. “The fellowship shared each day spilled over onto Dave and Nancy’s deck until the late evenings. We talked shop, turkey hunting and laughed until bedtime every day.”

Fulcher also said he will be forever grateful for the time spent at the class, and you’ll be able to see Constantine’s influence in his carved calls in the future.

Fulcher wasn’t the only one who felt that Constantine’s class would impact their work. Mic Middleton, who hails from the waterfowl community, just happened to be painting his mallard carving during our interview.

“Dave’s class lit a fire under me, and made me want to carve more,” Middleton said.

Also attending the class was Steve Lumma. Lumma has over 30 NWTF Grand National ribbons under his belt and was the 2013 NWTF Grand National Champion.

“Dave is a truly gifted woodcarver and is an equally gifted teacher,” Lumma said. “His ability to break down the process of woodcarving’s very complex subjects into small, easy-to-understand parts makes the whole project possible for students of every skill level.”

Matt Fulkerson was also there, and he happened to be on the road when I spoke with him. He couldn’t wait to get back home to work on more carving.

Everyone there was skilled, but they wanted to attend to learn from one of the best. They all left with increased knowledge, increased passion and stronger friendships. Two things were repeated over and over by everyone in attendance: They all developed an intense urge to carve more, and Nancy Constantine’s cucumber salad is world class.

When asked about a repeat event, Constantine said this will likely be a yearly gathering, offered in late August. He will again post the details on his Facebook page, and the event will again be free. He said that he’s going to open it up to past attendees first, then publicly. Look for future opportunities on Constantine’s social media page for more information.