Question about NWTF Nationals at Nashville

[M Sharpe]

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As stated by Sadler, "I guess what I am saying is, sometimes it might be a little luck in having a judge run your calls and they fit him or not", this is very true!!!

I've got 2 wing bones entered this year (my first time entering) and it will depend on who's judging them as to how I think they will do. Suction calls are not designed to be heard over in the next county, so I hope the ones doing the judging do not play them that way.

One of the things judged, is the ease of play. Lots of times the judge, or the person buying the call, has to do, is learn to play it the way the call maker does. I DO NOT think a person should be allowed to judge if he or she has a call entered in the contest.

But in the NWTF's defense, they are always looking for people to fill these thankless positions. If no one offers, then sometimes you just have to take what's been offered! But, then on the other side of the coin, you have to get there a day early, there is no pay or compensation from what I hear, and you know from the get go that you are going to have folks upset with you. This is an extra day of food and lodging on someone's part that is doing a voluntary service. Like Pappy stated, they send out, with the callmakers package a request for judges. Why don't they include that form in with the scores of other mail that they send out to it's members. That way thousands could be reached instead of just a few.
If anyone is interested in judging, I'm sure they can get on the list by calling Karen Cavender or Charley Burke with the NWTF. I just hope they don't have a fiasco this year like they did last year in the suction call division. That was a JOKE!

Bottom line is, as long as there is a competition, this problem will always exist!

[M Sharpe]

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Here is a contact if anyone is interested in judging:

kcavender@nwtf.net

[drenalinld]

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I will add the very best friction calls are not finicky to playing style and/or striker choice.

Thankless job is correct, Mark. Lots of scrutiny without any upside.

[pappy]

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One thing I have noticed when it comes to the call making comps are the words "user friendly" as it seems the NWTF has deep rooted feelings about this when it comes to "judging" the calls entered. Only thing is ( how in the world can you make a call that everyone can run like a pro? ) that is why the calls we all make are called custom calls, they are designed for the person who is purchasing them and we are the final judge of the call before it leaves our shop. The the ultimate test comes in the field in the hands of the customer, so here it is in the nutshell.....if you make a call and enter it in a competition remember that those who are running the call, can either make or break you by a point or two on their scorecard, for THAT COMPETITION but not for your sales to customers who really know and appreciated your efforts in the shop and for the sport. Personally, I have entered the GN several times always placed well below in the ratings, but with the same call won first and overall best of in other comps, so it has discouraged me from entering the GN, the only call I entered this year is a locator call because of a personal competition between me and Sanitorium hereon the site...for funzies....

[hunter22]

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Thanks for the feedback I have received through PMs. Sounds like some changes are coming. Definitely should level the playing field.

[M Sharpe]

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Thanks for the feedback I have received through PMs. Sounds like some changes are coming. Definitely should level the playing field.

Any of you fellas get in touch with Karen???

[hunter22]

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Denny----I have the video that Joe made but cannot get it to open now. I agreed with Joe on his selections he bought.

Mark----I think Karen was contacted.

[hunter22]

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Denny---I sent you the link to Joe's video.

[hunter22]

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Good luck to the callmakers entering calls in the various categories at Nationals in Nashville. From what I have been told by some reputable people the NWTF recognized some problems have occurred in the past and went out to get non-biased judges who can also run a turkey call. Should be a fair competition with friends not judging friends categories for a change. 

[J Lacey]

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I just enter a short box as a donation, but it's sure fun to run some of the top builders and award winners calls each year..........

[WillowRidgeCalls]

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That's been an issue in call building competitions for years. That's why you'll see a call builder win a competition for a couple years and then fade out of sight, with no one ever hearing anything of them after that. Judges change and that's that. That's why one of the questions that was asked to call builders on how to improve call competitions, the highest point made by almost every call builder was" the judges need to hear the calls and not see them first. They need to be set behind a curtain and have the calls run for them to judge the sound of them, then they could view the calls and run them themselves to finish their judging on them". Just like the judges do in a calling competition, they don't see who is calling, they just hear them.

[Old Gobbler]

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That's been an issue in call building competitions for years. That's why you'll see a call builder win a competition for a couple years and then fade out of sight, with no one ever hearing anything of them after that. Judges change and that's that. That's why one of the questions that was asked to call builders on how to improve call competitions, the highest point made by almost every call builder was" the judges need to hear the calls and not see them first. They need to be set behind a curtain and have the calls run for them to judge the sound of them, then they could view the calls and run them themselves to finish their judging on them". Just like the judges do in a calling competition, they don't see who is calling, they just hear them.

Fully agree , let the turkey calls do all the talking

[M Sharpe]

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I think one of the things they are judged on is ease of play. Whether or not a guy can just pick up the call and get turkey sounds out of it with little effort. Generally speaking, it's hard to beat the call maker playing his or her own game.

[strutnrut]

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If you don't like the way the calls are judged then stop entering calls and when the NWTF profits drop they will fix the problem to get their profit back.

[hunter22]

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Richard,

I guess that is about as simple as you could make it. Several callmakers not pleased with the way the callmaking contests are being done, so stop entering. I can think of at least 8 of the top callmakers in the country that don't compete. But with all the new callmakers coming on there will be a good supply of lambs to the slaughter. Look at the National scoring on the NWTF website. Sure some large point differences in some of the categories. Several people have commented to me that they ran the calls and sure did not see that kind of point difference but I was not there so cannot say I ran them. But I did hear some sound clips. I guess we all like different sounds in a turkey call.