He had some good vids out back years ago. I remember him doing promo spots for Tinks deer scent. Also. Climbing stand promos for Amacker too. I believe.He seamed to be a Good. Guy.
Ben Rogers Lee
Really cool bio I found on him....was really surprised to see that he was born in Starkville!
BenRogers Lee, the man, the myth, the legend.
Ben Rogers Lee was born in Starkville, Miss in 1944 and lived in Coffeeville, Ala. until his tragic death. Ben Rogers Lee was killed in Oct 1991 in a car crash at the exact spot in the road that claimed his daughter two years ago to the day.
Ben was a character who could entertain all with his stories and his calling ability. He was well revered and liked by all, something that is hard to do in what can be a very cut throat industry. Ben is credited with being the first to develop and sell mouth calls, he built his with lead frames, won’t see that today with lead poisoning. He was a big man weighing over 400 pounds but he had gastric bypass before he was killed and was down to 170 pounds.
Ben story about the first calling contest he ever entered "You know the first contest I ever entered, up in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania—had to borrow the money to get there—I did the four required calls. Then for my fifth call I did my favorite, the cackle. Well, I got three zeros. I asked them judges afterward why they give me three zeros. 'Ben,' they said, 'we never heard that call before.' Oh, I educated people that day. Taught 'em a call that would make the turkeys run 'em over."
Ben started making his call full time in 1973. At first he made mouth calls and box calls on a little table in the kitchen of his trailer home, selling them for 50¢ each at hardware stores. Ben Lee Turkey Calls was on its way. Lee used his own products to become world champion in 1969, 70, '73, '74 and '77; Alabama State Champion in '74 and '79; Southeastern Champion in '73, '74 and '80; National Champion in '72 and '73; Southern Open Champion in '76; and Champion of Champions in '72, '73 and '74. But what set him apart from other turkey callers, what really made his reputation, was his ability to wax eloquent in the woods in gizzard-to-gizzard conversation.
Here are some of his stories;
Unlike domesticated turkeys—"Turkeys in barnyards is dumb," says Lee, "they's bad dumb"—the wild turkey is extremely crafty, capable of running 35 mph and flying 55 mph, and possesses remarkable hearing and eyesight. "The hearing of a turkey is 10 times as good as a man's," says Lee, "and the eyesight is as good as an eagle's. I've cut the pupil out of a turkey's eye, laid it on a dime and looked through. It made the dime look like a half-dollar."
The gobbler isn't the only one who's all worked up. "Most people get so excited, they get to shakin'," says Lee. "A doctor will tell you, if you've got heart problems, don't go turkey huntin'. You build up a tremendous amount of tension sittin' there an hour, maybe two. You got a weak heart, you don't wanna be "Callin' up a turkey is like makin' love to a woman; you caress her, you tell her how wonderful she is, and then it's all over. When you shoot that turkey it's one of the greatest releases in the world, just like after a great love affair. I tell people I would blow the breath back into every turkey I ever killed just so I could go through the whole experience again. When you kill one, that affair is over."
His yelps and puts grow more mellow as the darkness gathers. "You know, callin' is just like talkin'," he says suddenly, realizing he's been thinking out loud. "It just comes naturally."
One of Bens favorite tactics was putting a Gobbler to sleep thinking about that special hen;Deep in the woods all the turkeys are roosting up in the trees. There may be one gobbler out there who's having trouble settling down for the night, a gobbler whose red head glows in the darkness. Over and over he hums to himself a particularly bewitching remark he heard that afternoon, not so much a remark as a song; a song so sensitive, so expressive, it could only have come from a turkey hen whose irresistible beauty would be surpassed only by her astonishing passion. He spends the night, eyes open, waiting for daylight.
Some of Bens favorite quotes “you caint call to much to the turkey he likes it real good"
"I love to hunt deer, and I hunt them with all legal weapons, all legal seasons. When they open up a deer rock chuckin season, I will be doing that to."
BenRogers Lee, the man, the myth, the legend.
Ben Rogers Lee was born in Starkville, Miss in 1944 and lived in Coffeeville, Ala. until his tragic death. Ben Rogers Lee was killed in Oct 1991 in a car crash at the exact spot in the road that claimed his daughter two years ago to the day.
Ben was a character who could entertain all with his stories and his calling ability. He was well revered and liked by all, something that is hard to do in what can be a very cut throat industry. Ben is credited with being the first to develop and sell mouth calls, he built his with lead frames, won’t see that today with lead poisoning. He was a big man weighing over 400 pounds but he had gastric bypass before he was killed and was down to 170 pounds.
Ben story about the first calling contest he ever entered "You know the first contest I ever entered, up in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania—had to borrow the money to get there—I did the four required calls. Then for my fifth call I did my favorite, the cackle. Well, I got three zeros. I asked them judges afterward why they give me three zeros. 'Ben,' they said, 'we never heard that call before.' Oh, I educated people that day. Taught 'em a call that would make the turkeys run 'em over."
Ben started making his call full time in 1973. At first he made mouth calls and box calls on a little table in the kitchen of his trailer home, selling them for 50¢ each at hardware stores. Ben Lee Turkey Calls was on its way. Lee used his own products to become world champion in 1969, 70, '73, '74 and '77; Alabama State Champion in '74 and '79; Southeastern Champion in '73, '74 and '80; National Champion in '72 and '73; Southern Open Champion in '76; and Champion of Champions in '72, '73 and '74. But what set him apart from other turkey callers, what really made his reputation, was his ability to wax eloquent in the woods in gizzard-to-gizzard conversation.
Here are some of his stories;
Unlike domesticated turkeys—"Turkeys in barnyards is dumb," says Lee, "they's bad dumb"—the wild turkey is extremely crafty, capable of running 35 mph and flying 55 mph, and possesses remarkable hearing and eyesight. "The hearing of a turkey is 10 times as good as a man's," says Lee, "and the eyesight is as good as an eagle's. I've cut the pupil out of a turkey's eye, laid it on a dime and looked through. It made the dime look like a half-dollar."
The gobbler isn't the only one who's all worked up. "Most people get so excited, they get to shakin'," says Lee. "A doctor will tell you, if you've got heart problems, don't go turkey huntin'. You build up a tremendous amount of tension sittin' there an hour, maybe two. You got a weak heart, you don't wanna be "Callin' up a turkey is like makin' love to a woman; you caress her, you tell her how wonderful she is, and then it's all over. When you shoot that turkey it's one of the greatest releases in the world, just like after a great love affair. I tell people I would blow the breath back into every turkey I ever killed just so I could go through the whole experience again. When you kill one, that affair is over."
His yelps and puts grow more mellow as the darkness gathers. "You know, callin' is just like talkin'," he says suddenly, realizing he's been thinking out loud. "It just comes naturally."
One of Bens favorite tactics was putting a Gobbler to sleep thinking about that special hen;Deep in the woods all the turkeys are roosting up in the trees. There may be one gobbler out there who's having trouble settling down for the night, a gobbler whose red head glows in the darkness. Over and over he hums to himself a particularly bewitching remark he heard that afternoon, not so much a remark as a song; a song so sensitive, so expressive, it could only have come from a turkey hen whose irresistible beauty would be surpassed only by her astonishing passion. He spends the night, eyes open, waiting for daylight.
Some of Bens favorite quotes “you caint call to much to the turkey he likes it real good"
"I love to hunt deer, and I hunt them with all legal weapons, all legal seasons. When they open up a deer rock chuckin season, I will be doing that to."
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
That is cool, I didn't know he was from Starkville either
I go to church with his Brother.
My dad used to talk about his cassette tapes a lot. I found them on Ebay and told his son about my dad talking about those old cassettes and he sent me the cd's as well as the tapes in their original packaging. Pretty standup if you ask me.
Lowell is his Uncle Shane.I go to church with his Brother.
First cassette I ever heard on turkey hunting was a Ben Lee, he was way ahead of his time.
I got to meet BRL a couple times in my younger years. The best advice he ever gave me to a question he asked was that you kill a turkey any way you can. But back then they were a lot harder to kill than now.
He was born in Starkville but Alabama was his home. My mother went to school with him. He was my turkey hunting hero.
Is his son still living in Grove Hill? Where does his brother live?
Is his son still living in Grove Hill? Where does his brother live?
How do you figure turkeys have gotten easier to kill these days? I have been hunting them over 30 years and I cant see that they are any easier. If anything I would say they might be a little harder to kill just because there is more turkey hunters chasing them these days. I have gotten better as a hunter over the years but the turkeys haven't gotten any easier that I can see. I do agree with kill them any way you can as long as it is legal (except for limb shootn).I got to meet BRL a couple times in my younger years. The best advice he ever gave me to a question he asked was that you kill a turkey any way you can. But back then they were a lot harder to kill than now.
That was very interesting bugman, thanks for posting
+1.How do you figure turkeys have gotten easier to kill these days? I have been hunting them over 30 years and I cant see that they are any easier. If anything I would say they might be a little harder to kill just because there is more turkey hunters chasing them these days. I have gotten better as a hunter over the years but the turkeys haven't gotten any easier that I can see. I do agree with kill them any way you can as long as it is legal (except for limb shootn).
My dad is an outdoor freelance writer, and got to go huntin with Ben several times. My dad's house is filled with Ben and Fred Bear memorabilia. I still enjoy hearing the same stories I've heard for years about them chasin turkeys through the Kiamichi Mountains in SE OK. Wish I could have met him myself. If y'all can find it on the internet, Google Phil Difatta/ Ben Rogers Lee. That hopefully will bring up an article my dad wrote as tribute to the Turkey Huntin Legend.
I have a un - opened packaged cassette tape / and one his tube calls still packaged in my call collection . He was quite the woodsman and turkey killer ,, it's ashame his life was cutt short .
My father in law went to school with him in Choctaw Co Alabama. Ben's father was the ag teacher at the their school as well. He remembers well Ben's love for turkey hunting and said that they were good people. His son still lives in either Grove Hill or Jackson. I got the CD's from him a few years ago and still have one that is not opened.
If you have one of his calls there is a good chance my brother and my nephews made it. They made thousands of them back in the seventies or early eighties.
When I started hunting, there were two known turkey calling legends, Ben Lee and Kenny Morgan. Ben went on to become a national legend while Kenny was a reluctant local legend. I never heard Ben call in person, but I listened to his cassette many times and I am still amazed at the realism he produced, particularly on a slate caller. Kenny was highly impressed with Ben's ability and that said enough for me. That was an amusing incident concerning the Pennsylvania calling contest and the cackle. I find the cackle less productive today with the increased hunting pressure but at one time, I killed most of my gobblers with that call.
It's funny how many people around here (golden triangle area) drop his name and claim to have "trained under" and "hunted with" Ben Lee. I've met some sure enough idiots that want so badly to be taken seriously as a turkey hunter that they mention their friendship with Ben Lee every chance they get...I guess that is what happens when you are a legend.
Back in the late 70's I stayed with Ben Lee in a hotel room for the weekend. A few things I can remember about him was how good he could make a gobble on a pill bottle by putting a piece of rubber latex across the top with a rubber band around the bottle holding it across the top sorta like a Morgan caller. It was the most realistic gobble I had heard at the time that didn't come from a wild Turkey. The other things on a more personal note was how much whiskey he could drink without appearing the least bit drunk. The last thing was I never seen a person that could sweat like he did even in air conditioning. He seemed pleasant to be around but someone could set him off very easily by saying something that was not in agreement to his way of thinking. I almost thought that he could be hard to get along with at times. I don't no if it was some sort of stigma he had about being so large of a man at one time or what. He did seem a lot more fun when he was a big man. One thing for sure was that he was a good Turkey caller and knew how to sell himself to the public. A very good business man that passed much to soon.
I watched a youtube video of the mayor of coffeville speaking about how many people Ben's business brought to the little town...I would love to make a road trip there...I know its small but just to say I had been there.
If you have one of his calls there is a good chance my brother and my nephews made it. They made thousands of them back in the seventies or early eighties.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
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