Contact:
Phone: (318) 992-4763
How long making calls:
Since 1994
Influenced by:
James Yule, Sonny Bignar & Doyle Breland
Working or Decorative calls:
Both
Trade Name:
None
Phone: (318) 992-4763
How long making calls:
Since 1994
Influenced by:
James Yule, Sonny Bignar & Doyle Breland
Working or Decorative calls:
Both
Trade Name:
None
David Mills
Biography:
I am a retired Louisiana Department of Highways Superintendent. I have always been interested in working with wood. While I was working with the highway department, I got started making decorative jewelry and trinket boxes from wood. Most had carved flowers on top or other carved features I might dream up. As Mr. James Yule was looking at my crafts one day, he told me I needed to try making duck calls. The idea appealed to me. With his guidance I made my first duck call in about 1994. Not long after I got started, I began to get some good tips from other very talented call makers in this area. Two of them are Doyle (Sonny) Bignar and Doyle Breland.
Later on while on a hunting trip in Mississippi, I met a very fine man by the name of Howard Broussard, from Youngsville, Louisiana. While at this hunting camp, Howard became interested in callmaking when he saw me carving on a duck call. I invited him to my house in the Little Creek community and I taught him what I knew. This began a very cherished relationship and reached out to other callmakers and collectors in his area (south Louisiana) and my area (north Louisiana).
My wife, Katie, loves to draw and paint so naturally she became interested in carving and burning on some of the calls. More about her on her own web page.
We do not have a trade name but we do have a logo or brand which is an M with wings - we call it the “flying M”.
I can’t say how many calls I make each year, since I’ve never kept count. I make quite a few hunting calls (mallard, wood duck, deer grunt and squirrel), since we have more hunters than collectors in our part of the country. My health doesn’t allow me to stay in the shop as much as I would like. I probably average 1 or 2 collector calls a month when I’m able to work. I specialize in brass banded calls.
I am a retired Louisiana Department of Highways Superintendent. I have always been interested in working with wood. While I was working with the highway department, I got started making decorative jewelry and trinket boxes from wood. Most had carved flowers on top or other carved features I might dream up. As Mr. James Yule was looking at my crafts one day, he told me I needed to try making duck calls. The idea appealed to me. With his guidance I made my first duck call in about 1994. Not long after I got started, I began to get some good tips from other very talented call makers in this area. Two of them are Doyle (Sonny) Bignar and Doyle Breland.
Later on while on a hunting trip in Mississippi, I met a very fine man by the name of Howard Broussard, from Youngsville, Louisiana. While at this hunting camp, Howard became interested in callmaking when he saw me carving on a duck call. I invited him to my house in the Little Creek community and I taught him what I knew. This began a very cherished relationship and reached out to other callmakers and collectors in his area (south Louisiana) and my area (north Louisiana).
My wife, Katie, loves to draw and paint so naturally she became interested in carving and burning on some of the calls. More about her on her own web page.
We do not have a trade name but we do have a logo or brand which is an M with wings - we call it the “flying M”.
I can’t say how many calls I make each year, since I’ve never kept count. I make quite a few hunting calls (mallard, wood duck, deer grunt and squirrel), since we have more hunters than collectors in our part of the country. My health doesn’t allow me to stay in the shop as much as I would like. I probably average 1 or 2 collector calls a month when I’m able to work. I specialize in brass banded calls.
