Competitions & Call Makers

[culpeper]

Does it matter to you if a call maker has won call making competitions?  You you base your likes or dislikes of calls based on if they win?  Are competitions helpful to the industry?

[ol bob]

Been around a loooong time up until now I've never seen a real turkey judging a competition, and they are the only ones that count.

[GobbleNut]

Does it matter to you if a call maker has won call making competitions?  You you base your likes or dislikes of calls based on if they win?  Are competitions helpful to the industry?

Doesn't matter one bit to me.  I base my call choices primarily on them having the sound I think is most likely to attract turkeys based on my experience.  After that, the next most important factor for me is the price.  I suppose I am just too much of a tightwad,...as well as knowing that there are lots of $25 calls on the market that will call the same gobblers that a $250 call will.  I am personally not inclined to pay out the nose for a call with a certain someone's name on it.  Then again, I have no quarrel with those that enjoy that aspect of our "turkey obsession" and are willing to pay the price to have a really nice call collection. 

Fact is, I couldn't name a single call maker that I am aware has won awards in call-making competitions, but I think it is great for those that are into that sort of thing. .  I also think it is great that they have the initiative to hold gatherings and competitions among themselves,...and for the benefit and entertainment of others that enjoy those events.  That is not my "thang" in the turkey world, but more power to those to which it is.   

[Greg Massey]

 I think it does , and i think it helps the builder with the notoriety of his calls and sells. I base the like or dislike in what i want in the sound of my calls, what i like another person may not like as much. Yes competitions are helpful, I think all call builders are always wanting to improve their craftsmanship and sounds of their calls overall. Why would you build calls if you weren't wanting to improve your overall quality and perfection. IMO .. I also look at the call builders i want to buy from based on craftsmanship. perfection and sound I'm looking for in my calls regardless of price. Style and types of calls plays a part also from short boxes, longboxes, hen boxes, pot calls and push pins and different woods and combo's .. same with strikers .. I think you also get what you pay for in some calls .. I want to hunt with what i feel is the best regardless in calling gobblers.

[Yelper]

Does it matter to you if a call maker has won call making competitions?  You you base your likes or dislikes of calls based on if they win?  Are competitions helpful to the industry?

It doesn't matter to me if they have won a competition or not. I buy most of my calls based on the sound I like. Usually when a call maker wins one of the big competitions the call price goes up and then there becomes the dreaded waiting list  . Call competitions are won by call makers who's calls I would never hunt with sometimes and lost by what I think are some great sounding calls that I wish I could get my hands on. JMO

[culpeper]

Been around a loooong time up until now I've never seen a real turkey judging a competition, and they are the only ones that count.

Bob, I agree, but to the question....I was just wondering.

Does it matter to you if a call maker has won call making competitions?  You you base your likes or dislikes of calls based on if they win?  Are competitions helpful to the industry?

Doesn't matter one bit to me.  I base my call choices primarily on them having the sound I think is most likely to attract turkeys based on my experience.  After that, the next most important factor for me is the price.  I suppose I am just too much of a tightwad,...as well as knowing that there are lots of $25 calls on the market that will call the same gobblers that a $250 call will.  I am personally not inclined to pay out the nose for a call with a certain someone's name on it.  Then again, I have no quarrel with those that enjoy that aspect of our "turkey obsession" and are willing to pay the price to have a really nice call collection. 

Fact is, I couldn't name a single call maker that I am aware has won awards in call-making competitions, but I think it is great for those that are into that sort of thing. .  I also think it is great that they have the initiative to hold gatherings and competitions among themselves,...and for the benefit and entertainment of others that enjoy those events.  That is not my "thang" in the turkey world, but more power to those to which it is.   

I always look forward to your candid and straight up responses, thanks!

[culpeper]

Does it matter to you if a call maker has won call making competitions?  You you base your likes or dislikes of calls based on if they win?  Are competitions helpful to the industry?

It doesn't matter to me if they have won a competition or not. I buy most of my calls based on the sound I like. Usually when a call maker wins one of the big competitions the call price goes up and then there becomes the dreaded waiting list  . Call competitions are won by call makers who's calls I would never hunt with sometimes and lost by what I think are some great sounding calls that I wish I could get my hands on. JMO

Well, as an example I would counter your thoughts and add, I have hunting with a Fiddle Box from Marlin and it's responsible for 7 kills in the past 5 years,  Marlin has also won Grand Nationals in many categories.  Perhaps you don't hunt with any of his calls.  Not right, not wrong, JMO.  I also understand your point too.

[Spitten and drummen]

Not me. I have gotten calls from makers who have won competitions and was not overly impressed with them and I have gotten calls from some not so well known makers that are outstanding. A call maker can build 10 individual calls to the same specs and none sound the same. A maker sends their very best to competition , the ones they pick out of the hundreds they make. Just my opinion but I dont care who makes the call as long as it is well made and sounds a level above just average.

[Mossberg90MN]

I prefer to buy calls from consistent, professional, craftsmen.

I've bought some calls that varied in quality from one to the next. And I don't mean a different sound, I mean ones good, and the next one is kinda junky.

To me it doesn't matter. I think I almost prefer they don't. Because some companies I believe start to lack quality and just start pumping out numbers and riding on the wins. And I'm sure for there competition callers they put there heart and soul into the calls for them.


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[turkeyfool]

I like to try to buy at least one call from every notable maker that I'm aware of. And then if I really liked the call or liked working with them, I keep buying more. Which reminds me Culpeper-I'm still waiting for you to build me one! Lol

[guesswho]

Doesn't matter to me.   I'm a turkey hunter and not a call collector.  So my ears have more say so in what calls I hunt than my eyes do.  I don't care if I get there in a corvette or a chevette as long as I get there.

[Crghss]

Of all the calls I own I don't  know if any of the call makers have won competitions. I'm sure some have but I wouldn't know.

[Greg Massey]

ALL of my calls have won competitions if I've killed gobbler with them.. LOL...

[3bailey3]

Your question was does competitions help or not. I have the SS combo hen box that just won, i have the Clay Townsend osage pot that has won, i have the Kimmy Hanks pot the won and i have several of Marlins boxes and i brought them because they had won competitions. So to me i think they help. All the calls i mentioned are awesome calls that hunt great. Where the work begins is finding a great call that hasn't won, Buster Halford comes to mind!

[Yoder409]

Competition wins is not why I buy a particular maker's call.

Winning in competition most likely DOES mean that if you spend money on that' guy's call, you WILL be getting quality craftsmanship and masterful tuning time after time.

But.............. Because a maker has never won in competition does NOT mean they DON'T put out a great call.  There are a lot of household names who've never won.  But they make a fabulous call.

I know a guy who entered a pot call in a national, "working call"  competition one time, a good many years back.  This guy was a no-name and it was his first time ever entering a call into competition .  But he made a GREAT sounding call.  His fit & finish were not as good as some guys.  But definitely not horrible.   He didn't place, at all.  So, after the competition, he (and I) approached a couple of the judges and asked them to critique his call.  Tear it up.  Tell him what was good.  Tell him what was lacking......so he could improve his game.  The first judge ran the call at length and said "There's nothing wrong with this call at all."   The second judge also ran the call again.  He said "I can't see anything wrong with it other than it's a little heavy".

So there's a guy who makes a call that judges in a national competition setting can't pick apart when asked.  But he's never won any award.   I have run his calls........hunted his calls........killed a lot of birds with his calls.

20...........30...........50 years down the road, the awarded guys' calls will, however, most likely, have a better investment return for your kids or grandkids.