Don Laubach
The 1986 newspaper feature follows his Cow Talk development. The 1998 company sheet identifies him as founder and president, inventor, author, and teacher.
Dated newspaper and company records
Read Don Laubach’s Story →OUR STORY / MONTANA ROOTS
A Montana beginning.
A story still calling.
MT E.L.K., INC. makes game calls. Meet the people and explore the records behind our Montana story.
Follow Our HistoryPRESERVED IN PRINT. CARRIED FORWARD IN PRACTICE.
THE COMPANY BEHIND THE CALL
We make game calls.
We share the knowledge behind them.
Explore our history, learn to use your call, or get help from the manufacturer.
01 / WHERE IT BEGAN
Listen to the animal.
Share what you learn.
The company history traces MT E.L.K., INC. to Montana in 1985, with Don Laubach and Cow Talk at the center of its early story.
Mark Henckel’s October 1986 report from Gardiner, Montana, names Laubach and filmmaker Gordon Eastman in the company’s formation.
Read the 1986 Newspaper Record02 / THROUGH THE YEARS
The call. The teaching.
The continuing story.
A timeline from company history and dated records. The indexed sources do not establish an ownership-transition date.
- 1985
Montana beginnings
The company’s archived history places MT E.L.K., INC.’s founding in Montana in 1985. The early business takes shape around Cow Talk and the experience behind it.
SOURCE: PRESERVED COMPANY HISTORY - 1986
Cow Talk enters the newspaper record
Mark Henckel’s October 10 feature in Helena’s Independent Record documents Laubach, Eastman, the call, early production, and the hunters using it.
Read the newspaper feature - 1988
Field knowledge takes the public stage
A March 24 Billings Gazette advertisement schedules Laubach’s elk-calling presentations at the Montana Outdoor Recreation Exposition on March 25–27. Other archived press coverage from the period documents books and instructional video alongside the calls.
See the exposition record - 1998
A calling system—and a teaching tradition
A July 30 company biographical sheet records Laubach’s calls, books with Mark Henckel, and video work with Gordon Eastman. Handwritten notes on the same sheet plan a store seminar and call demonstrations.
Read the company biographical sheet - CONTINUING
STORYCarrying the story forward
The preserved company history identifies T. Phillip Bowers as owner and steward of the MT E.L.K., INC. legacy. The continuing chapter connects that history with education, customer support, and the preservation of the records behind the story.
Explore calling education →
03 / PEOPLE BEHIND THE STORY
Different talents.
A shared body of knowledge.
Gordon Eastman
The 1986 account names Eastman alongside Laubach in the company’s formation. The 1998 company record describes their video collaborations.
Dated newspaper and company records
Read Gordon Eastman’s Story →Mark Henckel
Henckel wrote the October 1986 newspaper feature. The company biographical sheet records his book collaborations with Laubach.
Published byline and company record
Read Mark Henckel’s Story →T. Phillip Bowers
The preserved company history identifies Bowers as the owner carrying forward the company’s relationships, education, and historical preservation.
Company historical account; transition date not established in the indexed dated records
Read T. Phillip Bowers’s Story →04 / THE SURVIVING RECORD
History you can
see for yourself.
Newspaper coverage and company records tell different parts of the story. Open the scans and read them in their original context.
INDEPENDENT REPORTING / OCT. 10, 1986Read the Archive Entry →
The early Cow Talk story
Mark Henckel’s newspaper account places the people, call, and young business in Gardiner, Montana.
Open Source PDFSource context
Independent newspaper reporting on the people, call, and early business.
EVENT ADVERTISEMENT / MAR. 24, 1988Read the Archive Entry →
Teaching beyond the field
A dated exposition advertisement records Laubach’s scheduled elk-calling presentations in Billings.
Open Source PDFSource context
A historical event advertisement and profile, documenting a scheduled public appearance.
COMPANY RECORD / JUL. 30, 1998Read the Archive Entry →
An inventor’s teaching notes
The company’s own record connects calls, books, film collaborations, and plans for a store seminar.
Open Source PDFSource context
A company biographical sheet with handwritten seminar notes; a company account, distinct from independent reporting.
These scans preserve historical material. They may include period prices, addresses, and claims; use the current contact information below for today’s inquiries.
YOUR NEXT STEP
A story to explore.
A resource to return to.
Follow the legacy
Explore the source-backed story and the people who carried it forward.
Care for your call
Match the model to its band or reed replacement lesson.
Keep useful links together
Save resources locally in this browser for your next visit.
Talk with the manufacturer.
For help, include your call model and the lesson or issue you are asking about. For a business inquiry, include your location and the role you want to discuss.
MT E.L.K., INC. / INTERNATIONAL
Montana roots.
A wider horizon.
Preserve the history. Share the knowledge. Develop the relationships that carry the story forward.
Explore the International Direction →COUNTRIES & REGIONS IN THE LEGACY STORY
These are chapters of the legacy story and future direction. They do not imply confirmed dealer coverage. Central Asia is a region.