03/05/2010
Danville Youth Wins NWTF's Intermediate Turkey Calling Championship
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Dakota Clouser's focus, talent and practice paid off on when he won the Intermediate Division at the National Wild Turkey Federation's Grand National Turkey Calling Championships in Nashville, Tenn.
 After winning the Junior Division four times before age 16, Pennsylvania's Dakota Clouser has won three straight Intermediate Division titles at the NWTF's annual Grand National Turkey Calling Championships. Click image for print quality version |
After winning the Junior Division four times before age 16, Clouser, from Danville, Pa., won the 2010 Mossy Oak Brand Camo and Ol' Tom Intermediate Contest for his third straight victory in the NWTF's division for callers between the ages of 16 and 20.
"This win feels just as good as the first one," said Clouser. "I get nervous every time I call but once I hit the first note in my calling sequence, I calm down."
Every February, callers from all over the nation flock to the NWTF's Convention and Sport Show to compete in the championships. This year's convention, sponsored by MidwayUSA, took place Feb. 18 to Feb. 21, and had more than $25,000 in cash and prizes going to the top callers in nine divisions. Seats filled up with onlookers anxious to see and hear the terrific turkey talkers.
In the Intermediate Division callers are asked to perform a series of calls that imitate a single wild turkey hen. Some of these calls include the yelp, cluck and purr, kee kee run, and tree call. A panel of seven expert judges score each call and the slightest mistake can virtually eliminate a caller from contention.
"The atmosphere in the room during the Grand National Turkey Calling Championships is electric, especially during the youth divisions," said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. The young people who compete here show incredible poise and talent, and could likely out-call many adults. These are future competitors in the senior calling divisions, and it's a joy to watch as they hone their skills."
Each year, thousands of outdoor enthusiasts and NWTF supporters rally at the NWTF National Convention and Sport Show. The event features the Grand National Calling Championships, seminars from hunting pros, more than 550 vendor booths, top entertainers at evening functions and more.
The NWTF 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 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.
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.
