OUR STORY

Like most kids in the South, our founder, Al Chapman, has been hunting since he was a small boy when his Pops would take him into the woods for everything from squirrel and rabbit to turkey and deer with some dove and duck hunting thrown in for good measure.  Although Al enjoys all types of hunting and fishing, turkeys became his passion when he was a teenager. So much so, that he decided to begin making his own calls. 

After years tinkering and testing, in 1995, he began using his handcrafted Signature Pocket Slate.  Al realized that the big gobblers tend to be the most shy and most cautious (how do you think they got to be so big?) but most of the calls available did not produce realistic soft purrs and yelps that drew out the shy gobblers.  Friends and family took note and before long he was making a few calls for them as well.

Being a tool maker and manufacturing engineer by trade, Al made his own jig and began experimenting with mouth calls.  He experimented with different thicknesses and styles of latex and prophylactic, different shapes and sizes of the call, and many different cuts.  Again, friends and family took notice and he was making for more than just himself. 

Based on the feedback and support of friends and family, Al took his handcrafted pocket slate and mouth calls to a local hunting show to see if he could recoup some of the money he had spent all those years developing these calls.  During that show, an older gentleman stopped by with his grandson.  He was introducing his grandson to turkey hunting and was buying him a few calls and supplies during the show.  Al demonstrated a few calls for the gentleman and his grandson and they moved on to see what else was offered in the many other booths.  About an hour later, the two returned and the grandfather took the pocket slate and worked it.  After a few minutes, he looked up, smiled, and said, “Son, that’s A-OK right there.” The grandson received his first call from his granddad and a business was born—A-OK Calls.   

Wanting to always try new things, Al began exploring pot calls and box calls, hoping to improve on what was already available based on the belief that it is an advantage in the woods, especially on pressured or public land, to sound just a little bit different than the rest of the hunters.  He has tried and tested numerous pot and box calls and now has chosen a select few that are produced to A-OK’s high standard and then hand tested, hand tuned and modified one by one to get just the right sound. 

We know you have a lot of choices when buying calls and we know one call style, shape or size does not fit everybody.  However, we think you will enjoy and appreciate the care, attention and craftsmanship of A-OK calls and after your first try, you will be a long time customer.  We REALLY APPRECIATE you spending some time with us.  We’re also always interested in your experiences, thoughts, and ideas, so feel free to contact us by clicking HERE for any comments, questions, or suggestions.