To most people, the Gibson name is synonymous with guitars and rock stars, but to the turkey hunter, that name has a whole different meaning. Henry Gibson, unrelated to the guitar manufacturer, changed the course of turkey hunting with his introduction of the first turkey box call.
Prior to the first box call, hunters relied on wingbone calls. While these calls killed birds, the issue was their inconsistency. Built from the wingbones of a turkey, each call can sound slightly different. These calls also required killing a turkey to make them. This all changed, however, in 1897, when Henry Gibson invented the Gibson Turkey Box. Gibson designed the first box call with a screw allowing the lid to hinge. He was granted patent no. 574,534, and the rest is history.
The figure above lays out the original patent for the Gibson Turkey Box. It’s worth noting that there are no exact dimensions of the call, but it does clearly resemble the design of modern box calls. The original box also has a plug built into the bottom of the call. When removed, this allows hunters to store the chalk needed to condition the call.
The Gibson Turkey Box had a long run, with ads appearing as late as 1921. Throughout its run, it was sold exclusively through Simmons Hardware Co., as found stamped on the box lid. The limited distribution makes these calls a sought after collectors item, as seen by the few that pop up for sale. A quick search online turned up an original model for sale at a whopping $9,500. If you can’t afford that, there are also some replica Primos Gibson Turkey Boxes made in collaboration with NWTF. These are still hard to find but won’t cost you nearly as much as an original.
Today’s turkey hunters can thank Mr. Gibson for pioneering the box call. It’s his invention that has pretty much gone unchanged through generations of turkey hunters. Sure, some improvements have been made, like a spring under the lid, different sizes, and new materials to alter the sound, but at their core, all box calls share heritage with the Gibson Turkey Box.