Callers Reign Supreme at the National Wild Turkey Convention 2-26-2010
gengberg February 27th, 2010
For Immediate Release
Callmakers Reign Supreme at NWTF ConventionEDGEFIELD, S.C. - A select group of game call makers reigned supreme at this year’s National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Grand National Callmaking Competition, having crafted calls that beat stiff competition in a field of hundreds of other calls.
Judges graded all entries on appearance and sound quality before crowning the 2010 champions during the NWTF’s 34th annual National Convention and Sport Show, which took place Feb. 18 to Feb. 21 and was sponsored by MidwayUSA.
Outdoors enthusiasts converge upon the NWTF’s convention each year in search of the latest outdoor gear, hunting and game calling techniques, entertainment and fun. This year’s convention took place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. Thousands of sportsmen and women that appreciate and use game calls and understand how a call is supposed to look and sound were in attendance.
“The NWTF’s Grand National Callmaking Competition is the premier call making competition in North America,” said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. “This is the best place for up-and-coming callmakers to contend with seasoned veterans as they strive to outdo their creations from years past and win bragging rights.”
A panel of experts in the fields of callmaking, calling and hunting evaluated calls within four divisions: the Grand National NWTF Hunting Turkey Call Contest; the Grand National Decorative Turkey Call Contest; the Grand National Decorative Duck and Goose Call Contest; and the Grand National Hunting Duck and Goose Call Contest.
Each division of this fierce competition was divided into a number of categories based on the various types of calls hunters use. In the Hunting Call Contest alone, call makers had the opportunity to enter their calls in up to 16 categories.
The NWTF is a national nonprofit conservation organization that was founded in 1973 and has worked with wildlife agencies to restore wild turkey populations from 1.3 million wild turkeys in 1973 to nearly 7 million today. Now, NWTF volunteers raise funds and work daily to improve critical wildlife habitat, increase access to public hunting land and introduce new people to the outdoors and hunting.
After the contest, the calls were auctioned at the convention, with some calls raising thousands of dollars for conservation.
Top winners of the 2010 Grand National Decorative Turkey Call Making Contest were:
2010 Grand National Champion Decorative Turkey Call Maker of the Year & Earl Mickel Purchase Award Winner:
Dave Constantine of Durand, Wis.
Earl “Mick” Mickel was a pioneer in developing and creating interest in turkey callmaking and collecting. He published three books on call makers and generously supported both call makers and the NWTF.
Each year, a panel of judges juries the entries in the Decorative Turkey Call Competition and selects a Best of Show call, whose maker is named the Earl Mickel Award winner. The call is then purchased by the NWTF and placed on permanent display in the Wild Turkey Center in Edgefield, S.C.
Best of Class II: Steve Lumma of Wentzville, Mo.
Best of Class III: Don Bald of Lebanon, Ill.
Best of Class IV: Tony Quarino of Waxhaw, N.C.
Rookie Decorative Turkey Callmaker of the Year:
Jim McNeil of Kalamazoo, Mich.
Youth Decorative Turkey Callmaker of the Year:
Lindsey Vaughn of London, Ky.
Top winners of the 2010 Grand National Hunting Turkey Call Making Contest were:
2010 Grand National Champion Hunting Turkey Callmaker of the Year:
Edward Terefencko of Pottsville, Pa.
2010 Box Call Sets Awards:
Don Chancey Award: Scott Basehore of Denver, Pa.
The Don Chancey Award recognizes call makers who have mastered the craft of making and fine tuning box calls.
Rookie Hunting Turkey Callmaker of the Year:
Christopher Buckner of Wilmington, N.C.
Youth Hunting Turkey Callmaker of the Year:
Josh Shoemaker of Lebanon, Va.
Champion of Champions - Neil Cost Award Winner:
Scott Basehore of Denver, Pa.
The Champion of Champions - Neil Cost Award attempts to call attention to and recognize those few select individuals who have mastered the art of callmaking. Cost was responsible for developing the long box or boat paddle style of call. He also was one of the first call makers to checker his box calls and write special inscriptions on them. Cost made all types of calls, scratch boxes, pot and peg calls, wing-bone yelpers and box calls. His integrity as a call maker is unsurpassed and he never let a call leave his shop that did not meet his high standards.
Gibson Award Winner, Box Calls:
Edward Terefencko of Pottsville, Pa.
The Gibson award recognizes the best-sounding box turkey call and box call maker and is named in honor of Henry Gibson, who patented the first box call in 1897.
Jeremiah Stevens Award, Scratch Box Calls:
David White of Lynchburg, Va.
The prestigious Jeremiah Stevens award is named in honor of an African American and former slave who was known for his turkey hunting skills and the making of gun stock or scratch box calls in Virginia. The award recognizes the best-sounding scratch box call and call maker.
D.D. Adams Award, Best-sounding Friction Call:
David Halloran of Great Valley, N.Y.
The coveted D. D. Adams award recognizes the best sounding friction call and striker combination and is named in honor of D. D. Adams, a pioneer friction call maker.
Tom Turpin Award, Best-sounding Air Operated Call:
Lon Trice of Bronwood, Calif.
The Tom Turpin award recognizes the best-sounding turned trumpet call and is named in honor of Tom Turpin, a call maker and innovator known for, among other things, his turned trumpet calls.
Charles Jordan Award, Best-sounding Wingbone:
Steve Lumma of Wentzville, Mo.
The Charles Jordan Award recognizes the best-sounding wing bone/cane or other material call. The award is named in honor of outdoor and wildlife conservationist and call maker Charles L. Jordan.
Top winners of the 2010 Grand National Decorative Duck & Goose Callmaking Contest were:
2010 Grand National Champion Decorative Duck & Goose Callmaker of the Year:
Best of Show: Mike Houlihan of Portland, Ore.
2nd Best of Show: Mike Stelzner of Zumbrota, Minn.
3rd Best of Show: Todd Hanson of Meridian, Idaho
Rookie Decorative Duck & Goose Callmaker of the Year:
Jason Jenkins of Zanesfield, Ohio
Youth Decorative Duck & Goose Callmaker of the Year:
Jared Kaiser of Bartlett, Tenn.
Top winners of the 2010 Grand National Hunting Duck & Goose Callmaking Contest were:
2010 Grand National Champion Hunting Duck & Goose Callmaker of the Year:
Best of Show: Mike Stelzner of Zumbrota, Minn.
2nd Best of Show: Mike Stelzner of Zumbrota, Minn.
3rd Best of Show: John Koepp of Benton, Mo.
Rookie Hunting Duck & Goose Callmaker of the Year
John Koepp of Benton, Mo.
Youth Hunting Duck & Goose Callmaker of the Year:
Ashton Hanson of Meridian, Idaho
For more information about the NWTF visit www.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF.
2010 Convention Sponsors: Affinity4, ATK/Federal Premium Ammunition, Bank of America, Bass Pro Shops, Benelli, Browning, Call Makers and Collectors Association of America, CamoFX, Chevrolet, Farm Service Agency, Foxy Huntress, Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, HuntVe, Knight Rifles, Leupold & Stevens, Marlin Firearms Company, MeadWestvaco, MidwayUSA, Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, National Band & Tag Co., O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., Mossy Oak and The Pursuit Channel, The Outdoor Connection, Remington Arms Company, Inc., SHE Outdoor Apparel, TriStar Sporting Arms, USDA Forest Service, Weatherby, Inc., Wild Turkey Bourbon, Winchester Division/Olin Corp.
About the NWTF: The National Wild Turkey Federation is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.
Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its more than 350,000 members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $306 million to conserve 14 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.
The Federation works to increase interest in the outdoors by bringing new hunters and conservationists into the fold through outdoor education events and its outreach programs - Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin’ Sportsmen, JAKES and Xtreme JAKES.
The NWTF was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Edgefield, S.C. According to many state and federal agencies, the comeback of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America’s wildlife history.
Visitwww.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF for details.
