Whitt Receives National Award for Excellence in Call Making
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The National Wild Turkey Federation honored renowned South Carolina call maker Irving Whitt with the Dick Kirby Award for his excellence in turkey call craftsmanship at the NWTF 49th annual Convention and Sport Show, sponsored by Mossy Oak. For more than 20 years, Whitt has been a dedicated member of the NWTF and has always utilized his talents to benefit the organization.
“Dick Kirby was an inspiration to me,” Whitt said. “Dick used to come over and visit a lot; he was a good friend to me. To me, this is like winning the Heisman Award or the Daytona 500 as a call maker. It’s hard to explain the personal feeling about it. If there’s any award given, this is the one I’d want to win. Of course, I’m honored. There’s a lot of people out there that probably deserve it more than I do, and to be picked, I’m just beyond myself.”
Whitt shot his first turkey when he was just 9 years old and has been in love with the American wild turkey ever since. Growing up, Whitt remembers using a wing bone call and a piece of grass between his thumbs. The first time his uncle brought a box call hunting, it sounded like a dog, so Whitt decided to make his own. As a child, he was always taught to respect animals and make sure they’re here for future generations.
“It’s up to us to maintain them, and if we want to keep them, we got to do something about it,” Whitt said. “What I do for the NWTF, well that’s a no-brainer. My part of giving back, so to speak, is to donate to the NWTF because they have the resources to do the things that I can’t do in the pursuit of not only the wild turkey, but all animals. I’ve done everything I could in my power to donate to the NWTF to make sure the turkeys are taken care of for future generations.”
Over the years, his donated, handcrafted calls have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the NWTF. This past year, Whitt hand-crafted nearly 20 calls for his local Neil “Gobbler” Cost Chapter that raised $15,200.
“It’s been my goal to do a $10,000 donation at a single banquet, and I’ve come close several times,” he said.
At last year’s Convention and Sport Show, Whitt was inducted to the NWTF’s Grand National Custom Callmaking Competition Hall of Fame. Whitt has won the Hunting Division’s short box category, second best of show and first place in the decorative division with a carved call in 2004. He is also the winner of the Midwest Callmaking Contest’s Neil Cost Award and Rob Keck Award for working and decorative calls, respectively, in the same year.
“Irving’s talent for custom callmaking is as strong as his passion for the mission of the NWTF,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “While Irving is in an elite class as a call maker, he is just as talented as an all-around craftsman. We are proud to honor Irving’s callmaking mastery and dedication to the wild turkey and our hunting heritage with the Dick Kirby Award. ”
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.