Name: Doug Gerlach
Address: P.O. Box 205; Willisville, IL 62997
Phone: 618-497-2779 Fax: 618-497-8639
E-mail: tiny@tinyscustomcalls.com
Personal Website: www.tinyscustomcalls.com

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 Tiny's Custom Calls

The name Doug Gerlach might be new to those in the circle of call makers, but his credentials in the sport of waterfowl hunting and guiding are known by many in the small town of Willisville Illinois. Willisville is located in Southern Illinois and if you blink your eyes when driving by you might miss its population of 500. Growing up in this small town, Doug was introduced to waterfowl hunting by his father at the early age of 10. In Doug’s words “there was no turning back, I have been hooked ever since.” Over the years his knowledge of waterfowling and his ability to call eventually landed him a job of guiding with a hunting club at Horseshoe Lake in Olive Branch Illinois. It was there a gentleman by the name of Richard Thompson who also guided introduced him to the flute call and taught him the basics. Doug professionally guided for 8 years at Horseshoe Lake, but today he enjoys spending most of his hunting time with close friends.

He started making calls in 2000 with his first design being the fluted goose call. Doug credits much of his success to call making friends like Bob Hayes of Hayes Calls located in Havana IL and Jim Ward of Hullem Game Calls located in Topeka IL. It was good friends such as these that have helped him perfect his call style and sound. Today, Doug makes a variety of calls that include not only his fluted goose call, but also a short reed goose call and double reed duck call available both banded and non-banded. In the near future Doug plans to introduce two new calls, which include a Reelfoot style metal reed duck call, and an Arkansas style single reed duck call.

Doug produces 75-100 calls each year. His calls are field grade hunting calls made for hunters, but many of his friends feel they should be in the class of collector calls. Doug’s calls are available in 40 different woods types both domestic and exotic. Woods include; ash, cedar, cherry, varieties of maple, bocote, bubinga, ebony, padauk, and tulipwood to name a few. Most of his calls are made out Cocobolo, which is his favorite wood. Cocobolo is highly figured, easy to work with and produces an exceptional sound. However, if a customer requests a wood that Doug does not have in stock, he will go out of his way to locate that wood and fill the customers request.

Each of Doug’s calls is hand turned individually by him and goes through a rigorous quality control process. That process is none other than his wife who has become his biggest supporter. If a call is not sanded enough, has a defect or the finish isn’t perfect it never leaves the shop. Doug takes pride in every call he makes and backs it up with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.