Just an FYI, to those who entered the Nationals....

[amims5]

Spoke with a lady this morning making sure registration went through okay. She said that there are 546 entries into the hunting division alone this year. There is a total of 870 entries. Said the number had grown significantly from last year. That's a lot of call makers! Good luck to everyone here who entered. I know a lot of ole timers don't like new call makers, but I think it's great for the sport! 

[Old Geezer]

I encourage every callmaker to enter calls in the Nationals.  Its the competition from you new guys that keep us old guys young.

The Old Geezer

[SS Custom Calls]

I encourage every callmaker to enter calls in the Nationals.  Its the competition from you new guys that keep us old guys young.

The Old Geezer

 Now I know you're not callin' yourself old Ralph!! 

[amims5]

I encourage every callmaker to enter calls in the Nationals.  Its the competition from you new guys that keep us old guys young.

The Old Geezer

I didn't mean anything by it and hope you didn't take offense to it. There are just some others I have seen on other boards who seem to have diarehea(sp?) of the mouth when it comes to new call makers. I'm not one for pumping sunshine but I certainly don't understand being territorial about call making. Obviuosly if there is a copy cat hack then there is no place for that. I'm still amazed at what most of you guys can do with a block of wood. I'm like you, I love competition and I'm entering it more for the feedback than anything. At any rate, good luck I look forward to seeing a lot of you there.

[Bulldogmikey]

I think everyone on here understood no harm was meant. That why this board was started.

Dad

[B-Ready]

Good Luck To all that enters!!!! 

[SS floSSy]

Good luck everyone! Hope everyone does well. 

[Trophy_Taker]

Didn't get a chance to enter any this year but GOD willing I will next year.  Good luck to all my friends, and take lots of pics.

Matt...

[wiltznucs]

Spoke with a lady this morning making sure registration went through okay. She said that there are 546 entries into the hunting division alone this year. There is a total of 870 entries. Said the number had grown significantly from last year. That's a lot of call makers! Good luck to everyone here who entered. I know a lot of ole timers don't like new call makers, but I think it's great for the sport! 

I hear what your saying about some seasoned makers bashing the new makers.  This stems from a couple of things, first there is a perception among makers who were at it a decade ago that they made calls because it was a passion; not because it meant extra income as is the case with so many of the new makers.  Secondly, there has been a tremendous amount of copying.  Flagrant and unabashed copying.

 

[trumpetturner]

I'm agree with Ralph.

I certainly wouldn't be called one of the old callmakers from the stand point of how long I've been making calls.  But I do fit in that senior category from an age stand point, an early entry into that category, but competition keeps the juices flowing, the creative juices.  It helps me to keep looking for new creative ideas and methods.

Best of luck to all who enter.

Danny

[GR8CALLS]

 Competition is great for developing new and better techniques for making calls. I suspect, that the biggest draw back (if there is one) is, that the new guys on the block have a preconcieved idea that the better known callmakers have a leg up in the competitions. From what I have seen, this idea is false. There are those on this forum who have produced winning calls in only a few short years of competing w/ the well established callmakers.

Bill

[Porter]

Competition is the key to all good things   I cannot wait to see the masterpieces at Nashville and I wish everyone the best of luck.  Young, old, crazy (that would be my category), or anything else ... it's always a pleasure to see how you stack up against the others!

Man it cannot get here quick enough!

[wiltznucs]

Competition is great for developing new and better techniques for making calls. I suspect, that the biggest draw back (if there is one) is, that the new guys on the block have a preconcieved idea that the better known callmakers have a leg up in the competitions. From what I have seen, this idea is false. There are those on this forum who have produced winning calls in only a few short years of competing w/ the well established callmakers.

Bill

I agree with you entirely, however, there are a lot of outstanding call makers who dont enter the Nats.  To me this is a real shame.  I'm a believer that in order to be the best, you must beat the best.  I'm not sure that the Nats can continue to accomplish crowning a champion as more former Champions hang up competing and other notable call makers dont compete at all.  Its a real challenge moving forward as I see it, as at some point you go from finding "the best of the best" to finding "the best of the rest"...

[ronmexico]

Competition is great for developing new and better techniques for making calls. I suspect, that the biggest draw back (if there is one) is, that the new guys on the block have a preconcieved idea that the better known callmakers have a leg up in the competitions. From what I have seen, this idea is false. There are those on this forum who have produced winning calls in only a few short years of competing w/ the well established callmakers.

Bill

 I'm a believer that in order to be the best, you must beat the best.  

sounds like ric flair, wooooo-


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[GR8CALLS]

 Chad makes a great point..........there are many outstanding callmakers who do not compete.  The reasons vary..........for some, there is nothing to prove and for others, doing poorly may impact their reputations......truly a catch 22. With all the variables, the call competitions continue to grow.....and that is a good thing!  


 The fact that some of the past champions have chosen to retire from competition is proof that they too, see a need to pass the torch to todays class of callmakers and for them to continue the tradition of a unique American folk art!
  


Bill