About TRGC

ABOUT TOE RIVER GAME CALLS

Toe River Game Calls was purchased by YouTube hunting sensations “Appalachian Holler Hunters” on January 18, 2025. Owners, Christian and Melania Gardner acquired the business after a multi-year relationship with the company as partners with AHH for several turkey related events including the annual Kids Turkey Hunt.

Founded originally by Chris Vincenz, after being located very close to and named after the “South Toe River” in Burnsville, NC. Although the business has been moved to Roan Mountain, TN, the company still keeps its local ties to the “Toe River” as new owner Christian, grew up along the “North Toe River” in Minneapolis, NC (Dog Town).

“I feel the Toe River connection is still very much relevant, and keeps a close tie to my late Papaw. Aside from swimming, tubing, and playing in the river, I spent more days than I can count fishing miles and miles of the "North Toe” with my Papaw and other friends.” said Gardner. “My cousin and I would spend all summer, getting up early, walking several miles up the road to “Minneapolis Baptist Church” and wading and fishing our way down to “Pleasant Hill Church” where we’d sometimes get lucky and hitch a ride back to our place on 19E.” said Gardner.

TRGC has had a slight face lift, and is sporting some new colors and packaging, but staying true to the turkey call and outdoor basics by producing only what works and is proven to help hunters improve their chances in the hunting woods.

From rivers to ridges, call the wild, own the moment.- Toe River Game Calls

About the Toe River

The North Toe River starts between two mountains, Sugar Mountain and Bald Mountain in Newland, North Carolina. The nearly 75 mile stretch of water rolls through many small towns such as Minneapolis (Dog Town), Spruce Pine, and Green Mountain, before flowing into the infamous Nolichucky river. The water progresses through TN on the French Broad River, eventually to the Mississippi onto the Gulf of America.

The name Toe is taken from its original name “Estatoe”, a native American name associated with the Estatoe trade route leading down from the North Carolina mountains through Brevard, NC. There is a historical plaque in Brevard with information that affirms the route, which continues into Pendleton District (now Pickens County), South Carolina, where a village of the same name was located. Due to difficulty in pronouncing the name it was shortened over the years to Toe.

According to Cherokee Indian legend, the name is derived from an Indian Chief's daughter, named Estatoe, who fell in love with a warrior of a rival tribe. Because their love could never be accepted by either's families, they jumped from a precipice into the depths of a nearby river. In an alternative version, their love caused a bloody war between the tribes and Estatoe crafted a peace pipe with two stems in which both chiefs could smoke at once. The two rival chiefs assembled their respective followers on the bank of the river, and smoked till peace was concluded and Estatoe married her love.