I have yet to order a call (duck, goose, or turkey) that the call maker did not want the money up front...
Apparently, I have been lucky, cause I have also never had to wait more than 6 weeks for a call (and I was told up front about the wait time).
I think it is reasonable for the call-maker to request the money up-front, but I also think it is reasonable for the call-maker to give an accurate time-frame as to when the call will be finished and sent out... If he says a year, then it is up to the customer to decide whether or not he wants to order the call.
If I ordered a call, and was told it would take a month or two, and 6 months later I had not received the call, I would want to talk to the call-maker... If I did not get a reply to phone or emails, I would probably be a bit perturbed... I might post my experience on a forum such as this, or I might even make a complaint to the Better Business Bureau if I thought I had been swindled.
I would be curious (as I would guess other readers are) to hear what kind of time frame Mr. Reeves claims on his calls to be finished? If a call takes 6 months or more, I would think a responsible business owner would let his clientele know this up front.
He must be doing something right if he has so many customers that there is such a wait time, and that so many are willing to wait...