Name: Chick Majors
Address: 59 Rogers Drive; Morrilton, AR 72152
Phone: 501-208-0949 Fax:
E-mail:
Personal Website:

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 Dixie Mallard Calls

The Dixie Mallard is a name in duck calling that has been around a long time. This call had it’s beginnings in the late 1930’s and has been around ever since. As custom calls go there is no other company with the rich history like this. Chick Majors started making calls from a piece of Kentucky walnut he picked up while on a business trip. Chick knew Clyde Hancock of Stuttgart Arkansas and asked him to produce a caller for him from that wood. The piece had enough stock to make two. One was made by Clyde and a matching call was never done. Chick decided with the encouragement of another friend to make his own call from the remaining wood. By hand and with a knife the call was whittled and as they say the rest is history. Chick Majors, like most custom call makers started making calls for friends and then local folks in the early 1940’s.

Sold from a shop in Stuttgart Arkansas the Dixie Mallard saw several location changes, all in Stuttgart, and many equipment developments through the years. A Lathe was first purchased in 1948 and a drill press in the early 1950’s. The paper Dixie Mallard label was first used in 1954 and replaced the wood burned "Dixie" logo that came before it. In 1958 the shop moved to it’s last location where calls were made until Chick’s death in 1974.

The Dixie Mallard business was a family activity. Chick may have carved the first call but the family was very much behind his efforts and involved. Chick’s wife Sophie help as did his children from and early age. Chick’s daughter, Brenda" tells of sweeping the shop floor for twenty-five cents at the age of twelve. The family spent many hours making calls in the shop at their home. School work was often done in the shop as were other activities as well. The call shop was the central hub in the families activities.

The Dixie Mallard call is still made today using Chick's old jig from the early 1940's and has one of the richest histories of any call on the market today. The family tradition is being carried on by Chicks daughter and son-in-law Don and Brenda Cahill. Don and Brenda have now retired but still spend a fair amount of time in the shop. They don't make as many calls as they have in the past but they have started making calls out of exotic woods such as Brazilian Cherry, Paduk, Zebra, Goncola Alves, Purple Heart and African Mahogany.

Competitions over the years have seen their share of the Dixie Mallard and the Majors family as well. All were accomplished calls and have all won their share of championships. Chick won the World title in 1945, Gulf Coast Championship in 1957 and the International title that same year. Sophie majors won the women’s World titles in 1950 and again in 1964. Daughter Pat won the Worlds Junior Championship in 1950 and held the Woman’s World Championship from 1951 through 1955. She also won the Champion of Champions title in 1960. She is the only person to have ever won all the World titles. Brenda, the youngest step daughter, won the junior championships in 1955 and the junior international championships from 1956 to 1958 and the list goes on and on.