Duck calling legend passes : RIP Eli Haydel

[Cajun Blake]

Eli Haydel, founder of Bossier City’s Haydel’s Game Calls and a lover of all things outdoors, passed away last night in his sleep, according to his son, Rod Haydel.

Haydel, who suffered a stroke a few years ago, had been ill for the past month. The family will meet on Tuesday to set funeral arrangements, which are expected to be Friday and Saturday.

An inductee into the Ark-La-Tex Museum of Champions, the Louisiana Sportsman’s Hall of Fame and the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame, Haydel was known worldwide for his hunting exploits.

A native of Raceland, La., Haydel loved duck hunting, became a champion caller and formed his duck-calling company in 1981, caressing it into one of the most successful businesses in northwest Louisiana. Sons Rod and Kelly Haydel are now active in the business.

During his hunting career, which took a hiatus only during his stroke-recovery year in 2005, Haydel hammered ducks below Lake Charles with a number of celebrities, including Will Clark, Steve Bedrosian, Bert Jones, Larry Nixon, Tommy Casanova and former Los Angeles Rams All-Pro Jack Youngblood.

He became an accomplished musician playing the saxophone at the Cowboy Church in Greenwood and at the Rose Park Baptist Church on Buncombe Road in Shreveport.

[32drawlength]

RIP... made great calls!

[deer99hunter]

Heck of a man right there, he was loved by many. I had the pleasure of hunting with Mr. Haydel in Gayden in the late 90's, he was a hoot to spend time in the duck blind with.

RIP Eli, you will be sorely missed.....

[gator89]

I saw that on fb earlier. I learned how to blow a duck call on a dr-85. RIP mr. Haydel

[justincorbell]

Sad day for the outdoor world indeed, rip Mr. Haydel.

[Black Ice]

Dang that sucks.

[Txbownut]

Yep, my first call was a Haydel. RIP.

[Mossback]

I just bought a DR-85 today to replace my backup, an old Dr-85 I've had for prb 10 yrs on my lanyard. It's has made a lot of ducks meet their maker from from the Central Valley in CA to all over tx. Def. a classic. RIP Eli, you've caused a lot of ducks to die

[talltexasshoote]

His calls have always been my go to calls when nothing else works. I have one of his goose and one of his duck calls on my hunting lanyard right now.

[law1piv]

R.i.p.

[DUKFVR]

Rest In Peace! God Bless Eli! Prayers for the Family! A lot of ducks died from the DR-85!

[Patton]

Saw on his son Kelly's Facebook.. Sad to hear.

Never met him but hung out with Kelly a few weeks every summer when I was a camp counselor and he was an instructor

[Kurdawg]

Very sad.

[Crews]

RIP, what a great man..

[KNEE DEEP]

Rip Eli. I have a Haydel DG-87 buck grunt call I bought in 1980 that sounds better than most produced today. Along with a bunch of duck and goose calls I own. Quality calls for sure.He'll beissed