Strong as Oak: A Trumpet Made from History
Mossy Oak teams up with a renowned turkey caller and call maker to create a piece of history to benefit worthwhile organizations.
A one-of-a-kind piece of turkey hunting lore was recently auctioned off at the Mossy Oak Properties Fox Hole Shootout charity event Sept. 19 in the Mossy Oak brand’s hometown of West Point, Mississippi.
The trumpet-style turkey call crafted by legendary call maker and NWTF Grand National Calling Championships Hall of Fame member Mark Prudhomme, made from wood from the original “Mossy Oak” tree, sold for $25,000, helping support the event's designated charities.
“This call represents the last known remnants of the Mossy Oak wood, and the Haas family was honored to have a master call maker the caliber of Prudhomme to craft a call deserving of this sacred wood,” said David Hawley, vice president of new business and development for Mossy Oak Properties. “Much like the Mossy Oak brand, the calls’ role in the 2024 Mossy Oak Properties Fox Hole Shootout stands for something meaningful: It is a reminder that the good we do, will live long after we are gone.”
The Mossy Oak tree was a venerable sand post oak at the famed Choctaw Bluff Hunting Club in south Alabama near the banks of the Alabama River, which served as a landmark for the clubs’ members and guests. Cherished memories of turkey hunting those hallowed grounds with his father, Fox, inspired Toxey Haas to create the Mossy Oak brand of camouflage.
After the tree crashed down in the early 2000s, wood was salvaged to ensure it could be used for mementos and keepsakes. The Haas family used some of the wood to make a few calls for family members and finish a barrel of small batch “Mossy Oak Bourbon” by Jefferson’s Reserve, donating many of the bottles of the bourbon for conservation auctions, including the NWTF National Convention and Sport Show Grand National Auction.
Prudhomme, who was the recipient of the NWTF’s 2021 Tom Turpin Award in the trumpet call division as well as a 17-time Grand National Calling Championships winner as a caller, crafted the call with a medical grade polymer mouthpiece and brass ferrule.
Prudhomme spent several hours working on the call in his tobacco barn in Georgetown County, South Carolina. Using several boards from the Mossy Oak tree, he drilled and fine-tuned the 1-inch-thick wood, thin by most callmaking standards.
“It was an honor to be trusted by Mossy Oak with this special collection of wood to build a call that benefits others and carries on the legacy of the iconic Mossy Oak tree,” Prudhomme said.
The $25,000 winning auction bid is unofficially believed to be the highest price paid for a contemporary call in modern times. The funds went to Mossy Oak’s designated charities: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Catch-A-Dream, Sportsmen Organized for Law Enforcement, and Gamekeeper Grants.
