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THE HISTORY OF MALLARDTONE

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MALLARDTONE WAS ORIGINALLY FOUNDED IN ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS BY OLUF. H "OLE" RASMUSSEN.  IN THE EARLY 1940'S OLE STARTED OUT JUST MAKING A FEW DUCK CALLS FOR HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO HUNT WITH SO THEY COULD PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.  SOON AFTER, OTHER HUNTERS STARTED HEARING ABOUT HIS CALLS AND WERE IMPRESSED ON HOW NATURAL SOUNDING AND HOW EASY THEY WERE TO BLOW. 

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IN 1946, DEMAND FOR OLE'S CALLS STARTED GETTING SO BIG THAT HE FOUNDED MALLARDTONE AND STARTED MAKING GAME CALLS FULL TIME FOR A LIVING.  IN THE EARLY TO MID 1950'S, THE FAMILY BUSINESS GREW SO MUCH THAT THEY NEEDED MORE ROOM TO MAKE ALL THE CALLS, SO OLE AND HIS SON WILLIAM "BILL" RASMUSSEN OPENED UP A STOREFRONT AND MOVED MALLARDTONE TO MOLINE, IL.

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AFTER MOVING TO MOLINE, MALLARDTONE GREW TO BECOME ONE OF THE BIGGEST GAME CALL COMPANIES AROUND, AND THEY WERE SOLD ALL OVER THE WORLD!  MALLARDTONE WAS NOW A BRAND THAT EVERYONE KNEW OF.  

 

IN THE LATE 1950'S HUNTERS EVERYWHERE STARTED USING MALLARDTONE CALLS IN VARIOUS CALLING COMPETITIONS AND WERE WINNING WITH THEM ALL OVER THE WORLD.  OVER THE YEARS, BUSINESS WAS SO STRONG THAT BILL'S SON JOHN RASMUSSEN STARTED MAKING CALLS WITH THEM AND LEARNING THE FAMILY BUSINESS. 

 

IN THE MID 1980'S,  JOHN TOOK OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS BY HIMSELF AND MOVED MALLARDTONE TO TAYLOR RIDGE, IL.   JOHN KEPT THE COMPANY GOING STRONG UNTIL THE ECONOMY TOOK A BIG HIT IN THE EARLY 2000'S AND MANY RETAIL BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES STARTED GOING OUT OF BUSINESS AND NOT PAYING THEIR DEBTS.  MALLARDTONE TOOK A HUGE HIT WITH COUNTLESS STORES GOING OUT OF BUSINESS AND NOT PAYING FOR ALL THE CALLS THAT THEY HAD ORDERED AND RECEIVED. 

 

IN 2006, MALLARDTONE WAS EVENTUALLY SOLD AND RELOCATED IN PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS WHERE THE ECONOMY WAS STILL STRUGGLING AND MORE PEOPLE STARTED BUYING AND SELLING ONLINE RATHER THAN HAVING A PHYSICAL STORE. 

 

IN 2011, MALLARDTONE WAS SOLD AGAIN AND NOW RESIDES IN BEAUTIFUL PORT MATILDA, PA RIGHT NEXT TO PENN STATE UNIVERSITY IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

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MALLARDTONE GAME CALLS HAVE WON COUNTLESS LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL CALLING CHAMPIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, ALONG WITH SEVERAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, MAKING THEM A CALL BRAND EVERYONE STILL WANTS TO HAVE IN THEIR POCKET, WHETHER IT BE FOR DUCKS, GEESE, TURKEY, DEER, CROW, ON STAGE, ETC.

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EACH CALL IS STILL INDIVIDUALLY HAND BUILT AND TUNED TO PERFECTION THE SAME WAY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN BUILT FOR OVER 70 YEARS!

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WE HAVE BEEN EXPANDING OUR CALL LINEUP TO OFFER A VARIETY OF NEW ACRYLIC CALLS, SO CHECK BACK OFTEN TO SEE WHAT IS NEW!

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SEE WHY SO MANY GENERATIONS OF HUNTERS OVER THE YEARS HAVE COUNTED ON MALLARDTONE TO BRING THE GAME TO THEM BY USING THE "WORLD'S FINEST GAME CALLS."

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THANK YOU FOR ALL THE YEARS OF LOYALTY!

 

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