Turkey Calling Competitions

By: Scott Ellis

The lure of a turkey gobbling in the spring can be quite infectious. There are millions of hunters taking to the woods each year in pursuit of a wily long beard. A few are great callers, some are decent callers but the majority is well below average. We all know it doesn�t take great calling to harvest a turkey. The question is will better calling increase your odds of bagging a tom? The answer is yes. Learning to sound like a turkey and not a turkey call will give an added advantage over other hunters in the woods. Combining good calling and good woodsmanship will put turkeys in your vest year in and year out.

Now lets take this a step further. How many of you have entered a turkey calling competition? I would be willing to bet most of you would answer no. How many of you would like to give it a try? Turkey calling contests are a great way to hone your skills in the off-season. As well, it�s a great way to meet great people that share common interests. Hunting turkeys and attempting to sound like real turkeys.

It�s very simple to get involved in this great sport. Using the intranet log on to www.nwtf.org. Then click on NWTF events and then on local calling events. A map of the United States will appear. Simply click on your state and it will list the events and a point of contact. If you have never called in a contest you may want to attend one just to observe its proceedings. If you feel you have what it takes bring your calls, pay your entry fee and let the games begin! If your wondering what type of calls to put into competition use, give Woodhaven Custom Calls a try. The tones are unmatched in the industry and they will prove to increase your chances of winning in any contest.

A panel of experienced turkey hunters normally judges calling contests. Sometimes even past calling champions or callers themselves will judge. You are asked to give your rendition of 3-5 calls made by the wild hen turkey. The calls are picked randomly from the listed calls on the NWTF scorecards. They are as follows, putt, tree yelp, plain yelp of the hen, excited hen yelp, assembly yelp, cutting of an excited hen, cluck, purr, purr and cluck, kee kee run and fly down cackle. Regardless of how many judges are scoring your calling, your high scorecard and low scorecard will be discarded. This will give you your average across the board.

If you indeed begin to competition call you will find a higher level of confidence when you enter the turkey woods. Broadening your turkey vocabulary and your ability to consistently reproduce these sounds will add depth to your repertoire. It will definitely pay dividends down the road. Take your calls out and give it try you may find it is another facet of turkey calling you fall in love with.

Scott Ellis
Woodhaven Custom Calls Pro Staff
Tru Glo Fiber Optics
Thermacell Pro Staff
3 time Florida State Turkey Calling Champion
3 time Florida State Gobbling Division Champion
2006 Southern Open Turkey Calling Champion
2009 North Carolina Tarheel Open Champion
Member: Florida Outdoor Writer’s Association

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Thermacell Insect Repellent

Amazingly enough, as I travel from state to state in pursuit of the willd turkey, I come in contact with people who have never heard of a Thermcell. These little units are worth their weight in gold during the months of hunting that insect repellent is a prerequisite on your list of hunting gear. Whether hunting the early archery seasons or spring gobbler it will make each and every hunt more enjoyable.

The appliance is powered by butane so batteries are not needed. It’s very simple. The key to it’s succes is Allethrin, a synthetic version of an insect repelling chemical that occurs naturally in the chrysanthemum plant. A mat permeated with this agent is placed on the heating grill of the unit. When heated it releases a vapor into the air. This vapor will repel mosquitos and most any biting insects. It covers a 225 sq ft area from where the unit is positioned. The appliance is 98% effective and you�ll never have a hunt spoiled when these insects are prevalent. For more information goto www.thermacell.com