Idaho’s 1st Scheels to open with local Slayer Calls on the shelves

By Andrea Timpano

Since its inception in 2018, Slayer Calls has operated entirely online. Thanks to a new collaboration, the Idaho-based hunting call company is now selling its wares in person at a brand-new Scheels, just down the road from its headquarters in Eagle. 

Scheels, a national sports retailer which on April 6 will open its first-ever Gem State outpost in nearby Meridian, will count an array of Slayer’s locally made elk and waterfowl calls among its many offerings. Slayer Calls’ hunting staples join other top-of-the-line Idaho brands such as Kryptek, Eberlestock and Argali Outdoors in Scheels’ inventory. The company, which operates 33 brick-and-mortars across the country, has also begun carrying Slayer calls in-store in Missoula, Montana. 

“Last year at the Total Archery Challenge, one of our archery experts met [Slayer CEO Bill Ayer] and got to see firsthand the great products that Slayer has to offer. Our sales team was absolutely blown away,” said Russell Hersee, an assistant store leader for Scheels. 

Slayer’s unique set of elk, duck and turkey calls will be on the shelves in the Meridian store.

“We, at Scheels, encourage innovation and forward-thinking, and we love being involved with our community,” Hersee said. “Slayer Calls fits all of those and, with the special place elk hunting has in the hearts of many Montanans and Idahoans, we are excited to begin this journey with Slayer Calls in our Missoula and [Meridian] locations.”

Get your hands on the Enchantress and Clearwater calls to slay elk

These Scheels stores will feature a number of Slayer Calls products, including the Enchantress external call. The hyper-realistic-sounding cow call can be purchased on its own, with a Swagger Bugle Tube, or as part of a collection that adds to the Swagger combo with a paracord strap and a backup reed — a combination hunters have nicknamed the “Elk Slayer” for its high success rate. The highly popular push call, which produces a range of vocalizations, sold out numerous times in 2023 — and for good reason. Customers lucky enough to get their hands on the Enchantress rave about its effectiveness while praising its straightforward design. 

“What I like about the call is the versatility,” said one reviewer. “It is very simple to use; you can change your sounds and pitches just using your thumb.”

In addition to the much-loved Enchantress, Scheels will also cater to budding and veteran elk hunters alike with Slayer’s recently introduced Clearwater line, which features a first-of-its-kind frame for the assortment of reeds. The frame — dreamed up by Slayer CEO Bill Ayer in conjunction with Slayer’s product innovators Cody McCarthy and his father, Joe McCarthy — is specially engineered to fit more comfortably inside a caller’s mouth. The Clearwater line’s seven reed options, each rigorously field-tested and reviewed by seasoned hunters to suit a range of callers, add to its utility.

Swing by the Scheels grand opening to meet the Slayer team

Have questions about the new Clearwater line or Slayer’s other made-in-the-USA merch? Swing by Meridian Scheels’ grand opening on April 6. Located at 700 S. Wayfinder Ave., the sprawling 240,000-square-foot store — which also happens to boast amenities such as a Ferris wheel, a giant saltwater aquarium, and arcade games alongside its 85 specialty shops — will play host to Ayer and other members of the Slayer team. They’ll be onsite for the grand opening to offer product demonstrations and, of course, talk shop with fellow hunters. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to showcase our lineup of game calls in these two Scheels locations out West,” Ayer said.