Crafting for Conservation
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — While the NWTF’s 49th annual Convention and Sport Show saw a record-breaking attendance of 82,193 individuals, other areas of the event were also breaking records. Just a few-minute walk away from the sport show floor, 1,488 custom wild game calls — the most ever submitted — were on display, competing for some of the Grand National Custom Callmaking Competition’s most coveted awards.
“We are thankful for the talented craftsmen and women who continue to push the envelope of artistry and realism through their entries to the Grand National Custom Callmaking Competition,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “Each contestant who submits a call into the competition continues the rich legacy call makers have made on the NWTF.”
Call making has been an integral part of the NWTF since the organization’s founding in 1973. Started over thirty years ago by Charley Burke, an NWTF regional director at the time, the Grand National Callmaking Competition has been a way to showcase the breadth of talent call makers bring to the NWTF. What started as a small carving contest with just a few categories has grown into the largest and most prestigious callmaking competition in the world. This year, the competition saw a record-breaking 1,488 registered calls from over 250 competitors. 93 judges helped rank the calls, and over $33,000 was allocated to winners in prize money.
Calls from this year’s competition grossed $258,845, including over $40,000 in sales from the live auction and over 20,000 online bids.
One of the most coveted awards participants can earn at the contest is the Call Maker of the Year - Earl Mickel Award. Last year’s Earl Mickel Award went to Timmothy Oldham Jr. His call was sold at this year’s live auction for $10,000.
Heather Van Dorn was this year's Earl Mickel winner, and her piece will be sold at the live auction next year at the NWTF’s 50th Convention and Sport Show.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.