Piedmont Game Calls, a local business owned by a Jones County firefighter, is selling affordable custom game calls for people in the area who like to hunt.
John Peterson Jr. crafts the custom game calls. He said he can be reached about purchasing one of the calls through Facebook or Instagram. The business can also be emailed at piedmontgamecalls@ gmail.com.
Peterson said he was raised in Jones County and has lived in the county most of his life. He said he has always liked living in Jones County and calls it home.
“I’ve been a firefighter in Jones County almost two years now at Station 5. I like the people here in Jones County,” he said. “You have a lot of hunting land in Jones County to take advantage of, so that’s fun.”
Peterson said he’s enjoying running Piedmont Game Calls, and he hopes to gain new customers soon. He said he’s a passionate hunter who enjoys providing a quality product to fellow hunters who live in the area.
“I grew up in a family who made hunting and fishing a lifestyle, so that’s why I wanted to start this call business. One day I was at a church meeting, and a guy there was a master duck call maker. He made high end collector calls, and all of that stuck with me. That got me interested in different calls,” he said.
The firefighter said when he was about 13 years old, he would order fox calls from the back of a hunting magazine. He said he ordered a kit and made them. He said it was frustrating but decided about a year ago to give it another try. He said he’s done it ever since.
“You can go buy a call at Walmart, but most of them are cheap. Making game calls is an old tradition, but it’s not as well known in Georgia as it is in Louisiana, Texas or Mississippi,” the firefighter said. “When you buy a custom call, you’re getting a better product. I’ve tuned all these calls myself.”
The business owner said he hunts in the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, and that’s why he decided to name his business Piedmont Game Calls. He said he makes deer grunt tubes, squirrel calls, predator hunting calls, wood duck calls, and slate calls for turkey hunting. He said some of his custom game calls are being sold at Ace Hardware of Gray, and he also does some custom woodwork such as furniture and decor sometimes.
“I grew up being able to hunt pretty much everything, so I know what these calls are supposed to sound like. When I build a call, I want to build something that can be a family heirloom. I want them to be something customers can pass down to their kids,” he said.
Peterson said his pricing is anywhere from $35 to $50 for his custom game calls. He said he wanted to make his pricing reasonable, so anyone could buy a call from him. He said he makes his game calls from cherry, cedar, oak, poplar, persimmon, and dogwood.
He said he hopes people in the community will give his custom game calls a chance, and he looks forward to doing business with those who enjoy hunting just as much as he does.
“It’s nice to take a piece of wood and turn it into something better than you thought it would ever be,” Peterson said. “I think that’s great. I also enjoy getting feedback from customers saying how successful they were using one of my game calls. I’m glad they are getting out of it what they wanted.”
For more information about Piedmont Game Calls and ordering, visitfacebook.com/ PiedmontGameCalls.
