Wayne Carlton of Montrose, Colorado, evolved his way into the hunting industry by pioneering the first diaphragm elk call. He is well known through his seminars, videos and TV appearances. Wayne has inspired sportsmen everywhere. In 1976 Carlton and his wife, Linda, packed up the kids and dog and left their Florida home for the wide-open spaces of Colorado. It was there that he heard the haunting bugle of the bull elk.

Carlton, who has turkey hunted for over 30 years, decided to try to call elk using a diaphragm call. After much practice he found that he could make all the sounds of the elk using the diaphragm call. An innovation in elk calling was born and Carlton became the first to market the elk diaphragm call in 1983. Carlton and his wife went on to create a successful western call and accessories company, Wayne Carlton's Calls, with 108 products. They sold the company to Hunter's Specialties in 1998. Wayne continues to play an active role in creating products for western hunters and sharing his experience through videos, seminars and features in outdoor magazines.

Wayne Carlton is also an accomplished singer/songwriter. He co-wrote, along with former Oak Ridge Boys band member Dave Watson, the official song of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, "Last Stand in the Rockies." As a life member of both the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the National Wild Turkey Federation, Carlton has served on the Board of Directors of both organizations. He founded the Gainesville, Florida NWTF chapter and the first Colorado state NWTF chapter, located in Montrose, Colorado. Carlton continues to share his love of the outdoors with his fellow hunters through his personal appearances. Read Wayne's hunting tips at our Article Archives.