Name: Eli Haydel
Address: 5018 Hazel Jones Road; Bosier City, LA 71111
Phone: 318-746-3586 Fax: 318-746-3711
E-mail: rhaydel@centurytel.net
Personal Website: www.haydels.com

Return to Duck and Goose Call List

 Haydels Game Calls

Eli Anthony Haydel was born in Raceland on Bayou Lafourche on April 5, 1940. At the age of fourteen he began playing professionally with various groups in the area. The money he earned helped support his passion for hunting and fishing in Louisiana’s beautiful Sportsman’s Paradise.

Joining the Air Force in 1958, he was assigned to Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. While in the service there, he won several Air Force talent shows. He also worked one-nighters with various local groups. After an honorable discharge in 1961, he remained in Bossier City were he worked on the then famous "Bossier Strip". It was here that he met "Louisiana Music Hall of Famer", Jon Smith, one of the leaders of the "Boogie Kings".

In 1964, Eli started his own group called "Eli and the Seven Wonders". This band featured three go-go dancers as well as Alan "Do-Do" Wayne on vocals. The group set a record of longevity at Merle Kemmerly’s very popular "Sak’s Whisk-A-Go-Go". After a thirteen-month stint the job ended and Eli formed a four- piece combo called "Eli and the Expressions". It was also at this time that Eli launched another career as a sales executive to help support his growing family, thus cutting back his music career to doing one-nighters. "Eli and the Expressions" played many of the top gigs in the area including performances at the local country club parties, wedding receptions, debutante parties, etc. His group also provided back-up for such greats as Johnny Desmond and Pete Fountain.

Eli’s passion for hunting and fishing prompted him to enter a duck calling contest in Marshall, Texas where he took third place. Since then he has taken first place at many local, state and regional contest. He and his three sons have won nearly eighty trophies in competitive calling.

In 1981 Eli started his own game call company, manufacturing only three duck and goose calls at the time. His ear, and music background, gave his a definite edge in creating new products. "Haydel’s Game Calls, Inc." celebrated their fifteenth anniversary in 1995 with close to a hundred products in their 1996 catalog. They are recognized worldwide as leaders in the game call industry.

Within the industry Eli Anthony Haydel has co-authored in NRA’s Waterfowl Manual. Many stories and articles have been written on him in top hunting magazines. Eli is a sponsor of "Ducks Unlimited" and a Honorary Trustee in that organization. He and his wife, Linda, travel throughout the country where he is commissioned to do seminars on game calling. Because of their expertise, many know writers join Eli and Linda in the duck blind for their assignments in major sporting magazines regarding waterfowl. On January 13th, Eli was joined by Bert Jones and Grits Gresham for the "Suzuki Great Outdoors Show", which aired on ESPN. Another show aired on January 20th, 1996, this time with Bert Jones and State Senator Tommy Cassanova. Eli is in the "Shreveport Sports Hall of Fame" where he is depicted in an impressive display of achievements.

Eli has traveled extensively hunting and fishing, but as far as he is concerned, there’s no place like Louisiana. When consideration was given to deciding upon a logo for his business trade label, he selected on in the shape of the state of Louisiana. This label is proudly displayed on each of his game call products which inadvertently brings our state a lot of well-deserved attention.