ATLANTA- Only one point separated the first and second place finishers in the Wild Turkey Bourbon/National Wild Turkey Federation Grand National Friction Calling Contest, but in the end, Brookville, Pa. native Matt Van Cise’s finesse of friction calls earned him a place in the winner’s circle Thursday.
Van Cise is a two-time Grand National Champion in the Senior Open Division, but a relative newcomer to competitive friction calling.
“I placed second in a local competition in Altoona, Pa., last weekend,” said Van Cise.
“This was only my fifth or sixth friction calling competition and I almost called the NWTF to drop out of the friction division because I haven’t been practicing much.”
Terence Williamson, of Buhl, Ala., placed second in the competition, which took place Thursday during the NWTF’s Convention and Sport Show, held Feb. 21 to Feb. 24 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Callers were judged on their ability to mimic at least four different calls with a box, a paddle, a pot and peg or a scratch box.
“Friction calls are very popular with hunters,” said Rob Keck, NWTF CEO. “Most hunters carry at least one or two friction calls when hunting. This event is a tribute to that popularity.”
All 27 contestants entered in the event were NWTF members, over age 21 and have won first place in an NWTF-sanctioned open, state or friction calling contest during the past year. The top five contestants received trophies and split $3,100 in prize money with the top winner receiving $1,000.
“The Grand National Calling Contest is the premier turkey calling contest,” said Keck. “So, it’s natural that we hold the Friction Division. They’re popular calls that hunters have spent years perfecting.”
For more information about the NWTF’s Friction Division Calling Contest, or any other Convention highlights, call (800) THE-NWTF.
Top Five Contestants
1st: Matt Van Cise, Brookville, Pa.
2nd: Terence Williamson, Buhl, Ala.
3rd: Jeff Murphy, Rayle, Ga.
4th: Matt Morrett, Harrisburg, Pa.
5th: Sadler McGraw, Camden, Ala.
2008 Convention Sponsors
Arkansas Game and Fish, Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bank of America, BASF, Bass Pro Shops, Browning, Call Makers and Collectors Association of America, Cardiac Diagnostic Services of Virginia, Chevrolet, Federal Premium Ammunition, Foxy Huntress, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Pacific, Jeanette Rudy, Kanati Calls Music, Knight Rifles, Leupold & Stevens, The Lodge at Cabin Bluff, Marlin Firearm/H&R 1871 LLC, Mathews Bows, Maurice Hamilburg-Plymouth Rubber Company, MeadWestvaco, Miller Brewing Company, Motorola, National Band and Tag, O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., Outdoor Channel, The Outdoor Connection, Inc., Ray Bell, Realtree, Remington Arms Company, Inc., Southern Company, T.I. Industry Frame Molding/Jim Stemper, USDA Forest Service. U.S. Sportsmen¹s Alliance, Weatherby, Weyerhaeuser, Wild Turkey Bourbon, Winchester Olin
About the NWTF: In 1973, when the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters. Thanks to the work of wildlife agencies and the NWTF’s many volunteers and partners, today there are more than 7 million wild turkeys and nearly 3 million turkey hunters. Since 1985, the NWTF and its cooperators have spent more than $258 million upholding hunting traditions and conserving more than 13.1 million acres of wildlife habitat.
The NWTF is a nonprofit organization with more than 550,000 members in 50 states, Canada, Mexico and 14 other foreign countries. It supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport.
For more information about the NWTF, call (800)-THE-NWTF or visit www.nwtf.org.
