Will Primos and the Story of His Stacked Frame Turkey Calls
John E. Phillips 05.13.13
Author’s note: Will Primos of Jackson, Mississippi, the founder of Primos Hunting, is a Mossy Oak Pro.
I was raised in a large extended family. My daddy’s side was in the restaurant business, and my three uncles went hunting for stress relief after working long hours in the restaurants. My dad was raised during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and he never wanted to be in that lack of money situation again. So, he worked all the time. He took me squirrel, duck, and rabbit hunting, but my uncles were passionate about quail hunting.
My uncle Gus had a world-champion quail dog, and I went on hunting trips with him and his friend the late Buck Dearman. Uncle Billy took me deer hunting at the Ten Point Deer Camp in Mississippi. When I was 11 years old, I had a .30-30 lever-action rifle and took my first deer. I learned to love the hunting lifestyle and hunting became my stress reliever too. When I was a little fellow, my job at the restaurant was to stand on top of wooden Coca-Cola cases and make tea for the ladies who served in the restaurant, as well as making salads and working in the restaurant like the rest of my family. I always looked forward to those hunting trips with my dad and my uncles. When I went to college, I majored in business with a minor in biology. Even in college, hunting was a major part of my life.
When I was 11, I had made my own duck call like my Uncle Gus had–a Jake Gartner Duck Call. When the turkey population in Mississippi began to expand, and everyone was getting into turkey calling, I decided to get into it too. Mr. Buck Dearman said, “Will, I really like these stacked frame diaphragm calls, but they fall apart. Also, they’re made from lead and I don’t like that heavy lead in my mouth. Will you see if you can make a better one?”
I figured out how to do it, made a stamp and die and learned about manufacturing turkey calls. In the spring, I’d go to outdoor shows, especially the National Wild Turkey Federation’s (NWTF) banquets, and sell my turkey calls. I thought I might be able to start a turkey calling business, get out of the restaurant business and go hunting all the time. Eleanor Roessler was the lady whose father, Jack Hamm, leased an island from a company. This company bought hardwood that was used to make the sides of station wagons. Miss Eleanor was making a fat triple-reed stacked call back then, and a man named Brasi Dantone, was making stacked frame calls as well. I made a different size frame than these other call makers did, and I bought condoms and sliced them up to make my diaphragm calls. So, Primos wasn’t the first company to promote stacked frame calls, but we were the first to promote them nationally, and that really set our company apart in the early days.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
