Zink Calls Pro Staff

Gerry Mazur
My introduction to hunting came later in life than most - I didn't make my first trek into the field until the mid-1990's when a buddy of mine took me duck hunting. I bought my first "real" duck call from Fred Zink not long after that - it was a limited edition brass banded XR-2. Fred took the time to show me how to use the call at an outdoor show; little did I know how valuable that lesson and that call would become. Believe me when I tell you that I have had numerous people offer to buy the call from me - they just laugh when I tell them it's not for sale and that I have no plans of parting with it.

After a couple of years of duck hunting, another friend took me goose hunting - again, I was hooked. The first goose I killed was banded and had a neck-collar...not bad for the new guy. I've been goose hunting in northwest Ohio and southeastern Michigan ever since. Though the weather in our area continues to change (the warmer weather hangs on longer and it takes forever for the cold weather to set-in) scouting and talking to farmers is a number one priority during the off-season; it's key when the time is finally right.

This fall will be my third season in the field with my loyal hunting companion, Stella. Stella, my black lab that has a slight mohawk on the top of her head, was a natural from the beginning. I brought her home when she was just seven-weeks old; she was eager from the start to hone her retrieving and swimming abilities. Every time she enters the field, she acts like a champion. Stella has a great stature and the ability to mark several downed birds at one time. We train nearly everyday in the off-season and look forward to our time in the field hunting birds.

Two years ago I was lucky enough to become a pro-staffer for Avery - working for Avery has given me the opportunity to travel across the region talking with other hunters about their experiences in the field and love of the sport.

I'm a photojournalist for the local CBS affiliate in Toledo, Ohio. Along with being an avid hunter, I also play the drums in two local pipe and drum bands. I also own a vintage fire truck that we drive in area parades. My wife Patty and I have been married for 15 years. Along with Stella, we have a golden retriever named Harley, a cat named Moose and a cockatiel named Ozzie.

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