First Call

How Josh Raggio Turned a Block of Wood Into a Revered American Art form

Josh Raggio in his workshop. All photos in this story are by Hunter Norris.

In a world of automation, mass production, and instant gratification, there’s something soul-stirring about the sound of a handmade duck call echoing through the early morning mist of a Mississippi delta. It’s a call not only to waterfowl, but to something deeper—heritage, craftsmanship, and the enduring American spirit.

At the heart of that call is Josh Raggio, founder of Raggio Custom Calls, a man whose quiet determination and boundless respect for tradition has transformed a childhood passion into one of the most respected handmade call brands in the country. His story is one of grit, grace, and generations. It's a modern American dream with sawdust on the floor, sweat on the brow, and a deep-rooted desire to create something that lasts.

From Ducks to Destiny

The seeds for Raggio Custom Calls were planted long before Josh ever turned on a lathe. They go back to his childhood on a Mississippi cattle ranch, where the rhythm of work didn’t skip for holidays, weather, or fatigue. “Having cattle is a 365-day job,” Josh recalls. “From baling hay to fixing fences, it taught me early on what real work looks like. You adapt, overcome, and do what needs doing.”

Those lessons didn’t just build a work ethic, they built a worldview. The hard-earned understanding that real success doesn’t happen by accident. It’s crafted, honed, and earned. It’s the American dream, not as a slogan, but as a slow-burning reality: “The freedom to take risks, chase a dream, and make something with your hands.”

And for Josh, that something was a duck call.

The idea didn’t come during a hunt or around a business plan. It came in a friend’s garage. “He had made a few duck calls and asked me to come critique the sound,” Josh says. “As I walked into that sawdust-covered space, it hit me—he took a raw block of wood and made something functional, something beautiful.”

It was more than curiosity. It was a spark. A moment of romanticism stayed with him until he decided to give it a try himself. Starting from zero, with no woodworking experience, no tools, and no roadmap.

For months, Josh worked from the carport of his home, spending every evening after his corporate job shaping toneboards. Failing, adjusting, and trying again. “I made about 40 failed toneboards before one finally sounded just the way I liked,” he remembers. “I’d go sit in my truck to blow them so I wouldn’t wake my wife or daughter. It was frustrating, but I was hooked.”

Hooked, but still grounded. Josh didn’t walk away from his job right away. Instead, he built Raggio Custom Calls brick by brick, late nights and weekends. After a few lucky magazine features and a top-five placement at the World Live Duck Calling Contest in Easton, Maryland the risk finally made sense. He was all in. With a young family depending on him, Josh took the leap of faith and became a full-time craftsman.

Craftsmanship That Tells a Story

Josh doesn’t like to think that he just makes duck calls; he makes functional art. Each one begins as a block of wood, often exotic or storied in its own right, and is meticulously shaped, sanded, tuned, and finished into a one-of-a-kind wind instrument. His reputation is built not only on the sound his calls produce in the field, but the aesthetics of the pieces themselves.

“You never know what’s inside until you start turning the wood. There’s a mystery to it—uncovering beauty you didn’t know was there. Every piece is different, and that’s what keeps it interesting.”

Josh works largely by feel, using his hands and eyes rather than templates or measuring tools. “I don’t engrave logos on my calls. They’re perfectly imperfect, and that’s how I want them to stay. I do sign and date each toneboard, though, because that part matters to me.”

The blend of precision and artistry has won Raggio accolades and collectors alike. From collaborations with Pappy Van Winkle, where calls were crafted from aged bourbon barrel staves and auctioned for up to $50,000, to custom pieces made from Major League Baseball bats and family heirlooms, every Raggio call is infused with both history and heart.

Ask Josh about success and you won’t hear about numbers. You’ll hear about relationships, moments, and meaning.

“Sure, your bottom line matters. But success for me is built on lots of small wins—on creating something that provides for my family, that connects with people, that gets passed down through generations. That’s real success.”

His brand, and the Mercantile he later founded, are both extensions of that deeper purpose. Located in Madison, Mississippi, the Raggio Mercantile is what Josh calls “a cool men’s store that doesn’t sell clothes.” It’s a curated haven of American craftsmanship: leather and canvas goods, handmade knives, men’s devotions, soaps, tools, books. 

“Working with your hands is becoming a lost skill,” Josh says. “Through the Mercantile and the calls, I want to keep that spirit alive. Where every product has a story, and every purchase supports something real.” The legacy Josh Raggio is building is quiet, but powerful. It lives in the countless hunts made richer by a call that works as well as it looks. It lives in the notes left with custom commissions for unborn children. It lives in every toneboard signed and dated by a man who sees craftsmanship not as a job, but as a calling.

“I love making duck calls,” he says simply. “I love turning a piece of wood into something that means something. It’s not something I get to do. It’s something I have to do.”

That fire—equal parts faith, work ethic, and artistry—is what fuels Raggio Custom Calls. And Josh stays grounded through it all. “The best advice I ever got for business and life was simple: do the right thing. I try to live by that.”

Staying Inspired, Staying True

Twelve years into the business, Josh still takes time away when he needs to reset. The Mercantile gives him space to shift gears creatively. Visiting other makers recharges him. So does photography: a self-taught skill that’s now a vital part of how the brand tells its story.

His dark, moody imagery set a new standard in the duck call industry, blending lifestyle branding with timeless craftsmanship.

He draws inspiration from master artisans like Jen Bower, Bill Oyster, and Jim Turcotte—people who pour themselves into their craft. And while he’s made calls for governors, NFL players, and country music stars, he always returns to the same principle: this work is for everyone.

“People value different things,” he says. “You can buy a Rolex or a Timex. Both tell time, but they’re worlds apart in terms of craftsmanship and story.”

In the age of artificial intelligence and digital shortcuts, Josh Raggio is a reminder that some of the most powerful innovations come not from code or automation, but from calloused hands, weathered wood, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. His artistry speaks and echoes through the woods, across generations, and into the hands of those who still believe in beauty made slowly and stories told through sound.

For Josh, it’s about more than duck calls. It’s about legacy. It’s about making something that matters. And in that quiet Mississippi shop, surrounded by old tools, aged wood, and a world moving too fast, he’s doing just that—one call at a time.

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