07/08/2024
The Legends of The Outdoors Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony will be held August 17th, 2024 at 9am at the John A & Genny Morris Conservation Center at Bass Pro Shop in Springfield MO.
Founder, Garry Mason is looking forward to the Induction of Murry Crowe from North Louisiana into 2024 class Murry is the inventor of the spinning wing direct drive spinning wing for the duck decoys.
Murry grew up in Northeast Louisiana, which is a part of the Mississippi River Delta known as The Sportsman’s Paradise. Here, hunting and outdoor sports are a way of life. Rich in whitetail deer, waterfowl and small game, the area affords many hunting opportunities, and Murry learned to hunt at a very early age.
Raised in a progressive farm family of “do it yourself” types, Murry was exposed to a range of farm equipment and learned to innovate and repair whatever was in need.
After obtaining his BS in Agri Business from LSU, he returned home to farm with his father and brother. All the while, he was always working to make some mechanical object better. He built race cars, pulling tractors, guns and an ultralight airplane from a kit, which he learned to fly. Basically, whatever piqued his interest at the time.
During the duck season of 1999, the spinning-wing duck decoy concept which had become a phenomenon on the West Coast made its way to the Lower Mississippi Delta. A friend of Murry’s who owned a large local sporting goods store was receiving requests for the product, but no supply was available.
The store owner turned to Murry, knowing he could build almost anything, and showed him one of the West Coast models as a guide. Those models utilized a small, yet high-speed DC motor and a set of pulleys to slow the wings down to acceptable speed.
Murry quickly realized this was not the best way to make the product. Drawing from his agriculture background, Murry proposed larger double shaft motor that when powered by a 6-volt battery caused the motor to turn at the correct speed such that the wings could be connected directly to the motor shafts. Thus, he had developed the “direct drive” concept that later became the industry standard for products in this category.
Murry named the product MOJO Mallard, representing the most common duck species in his region, and subsequently became known for revolutionizing duck hunting worldwide.
In year 2000, along with two partners, Murry formed the company HuntWise, Inc., to manufacture the MOJO Mallard and other cutting-edge outdoor products that totally changed the way people hunt, including the MOJO Dove and the MOJO Critter, which revolutionized predator calling.
Several years later, Murry divested himself of his interest in the company and pursued his passion for metal detecting. He continued developing new inventions such as a vehicle-pulled metal detector, which features a foil mounted on a sled and a wheeled apparatus allowing a 16-foot-wide band to be searched at relatively high speeds.
Murry has become extremely proficient in detecting underground items with a focus on those that have historical significance.
Today, Murry is featured on the nationally aired TV program, “Duck Family Treasure,” along with members of the Robertson Family of “Duck Dynasty” fame.
