Name: Dan Rodgers
Address: 770 N. 1st Street; Carbon Hill, IL 60416
Phone: 815-634-3630 Fax:
E-mail: drccalls@aol.com
Personal Website:

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 DRC Custom Calls

DRC Calls, better known as Dan Rodgers Custom Calls is a name that is well recognized in Carbon Hill, Illinois. In fact, if you drive through this small town you are bound to see a DRC call hanging on the rear view mirror of a hunting truck. Dan has lived and worked in Carbon Hill as a steel fabricator for the past 10 years. Fortunately for Dan, Carbon Hill is only 8 miles from where he grew up in Wilmington IL, something that allows him to return and hunt many of his favorite honey holes.

Dan began hunting with his father when he was just a child. It was a bonding experience that his dad created with him and his two older brothers. He enjoys the thrill of deer, the anticipation of wild turkey but the real passion is duck and goose hunting. To this day he makes it a point to return home and continue this hunting bond with his father.

Wood working second to hunting is yet another interest Dan has always enjoyed dabbling in. Over time he realized if he combined these two favorite hobbies something might just come of it. This folks is how the name DRC Calls came into existence. Turning a small room in the back of his garage into a wood working shop, he began creating what he considers his passions of the sport. Starting with just a drill press, which was quite cumbersome he realized there had to be a more efficient way to build calls. To simplify the process he purchased a lathe at the local wood working shop. Making calls on a lathe took some time getting use to as Dan had never worked with one prior. However, as time progressed he chose a call style that seemed to flow on the lathe and gave him the distinct look and feel he wanted. The first DRC prototypes were considered trail and error, but fortunately for Dan he had a core group of hunting buddies who were eager to try them out in the field and provide the feed back he needed to perfect his calls.

Today he makes Louisiana and Arkansas style duck calls out of a variety of woods such as cocobolo, bocate and walnut, and favorites like maple and Osage orange. Dan also experiments with various other materials to include antlers and corien. Most of his calls are field grade, but on occasion he makes laminated and even checkers some at 18 lines per inch. Dan also makes short reed goose calls and some flute goose calls as well.

Dan’s most recent accomplishment was his blue ribbon award where he won first place in the open division at the 2004 CCAA in St. Charles. He plans on entering additional contests in the future and use this as a platform to continue promoting his calls. Ultimately, he hopes his son will start making calls when he is older and “DRC Calls” will become a family tradition that can be passed down from father to son.