Just a Few More Months..

      Well, it is only a few more months until the contest season rolls around, and I'm starting to get pumped already. But the fact of the matter is, I have a lot of practicing to do.  It appears that my first contest of 2012 will be the PA State Championship.  Often top callers show up to this contest; Josh Grossenbacher, Matt Van Cise, and Pat Strawser placed last year in this contest, as well as a few others.  Just one week after that I will be competing in Harrisburg, PA at the 37th Annual NWTF PA Calling Contest. I will start breaking out the calls a few days a week for the next few weeks, and then progress to hopefully over an hour of practice every day by the second week of December. It does appear that there will not be a US Open this year in Harrisburg, so that is disappointing.  But why not make the best of it!

    While in the midst of all this practicing, I need to remember several things. First of all, I want to win.  Plain and simple, I want to do my very best and win. But to me it is obvious that I am not going to win many contests, and placing in them is doubtful.  Some of the biggest names in the calling circuit appear at these contests.  Something else that I need to keep in mind is that I need to sound natural, like a hen, not someone calling.  And thirdly, I need to have a blast on stage! One might ask, "How can I accomplish these three things, and become a better caller myself?"  Let me help you out with that.

    First of all, in order to keep a winning spirit, confidence is key. While I doubt that I will win or even place in these contests, I need to go up on stage and give it my all, and not be afraid to lose.  One of a callers biggest problems can be nerves, or a lack of confidence, and that transfers to his air flow and his hands. In order to have this confidence, I need to practice, practice, practice.  Hours of meaningful repetition can be the difference between 1st place and 5th place.  When hunting, a hunter needs to be confident in his calling and woodsman-ship abilities.  Just like hunting, confidence and practice is key to a successful day.

    Secondly, natural hen tone, rhythm, and cadence is very important.  Now I could practice for months and have complete confidence in myself, but sound nothing like a turkey.  The fact of the matter is that no good soldier goes into battle without knowing how to properly operate all of his weapons and gear.  Well, in order for me to be able to do well on stage, I need to sound just like a hen turkey. Sadly, I will need to sound better than a hen turkey.  I recommend buying a good CD with wild turkey recordings on it.  This enables me to practice my calling, while listening to other birds.  Obviously, nothing is better than being in the woods with the birds and observing their mannerisms, but this is excellent, not to mention convenient, practice. 

    Lastly, having fun on stage is possibly one of the most key elements of turkey calling!  The day that I don't enjoy competitive turkey calling, is the day that I need to step back and see why I'm there in the first place. Obviously, to have a good time I'm going to need to have a great attitude and a high level of confidence. Plus, if there is some good food around, that can always help lighten the mood! There is something that I haven't mentioned yet. In Pennsylvania there is a good group of regularly attending callers.  The more contests I attend, the more I develop friendships with these great guys.  Before the contest most of us are looking pretty serious (or maybe I'm just stressing out) but at the end most of us are talking and having a good time.  This can really help one finish off their day with some fun.

    With these three tips, I hope that you can become a better turkey caller on stage, and in the woods.  Feeling good about your calling, sounding like a real hen, and having a good time can definitely improve anyone's overall experience in a competition.  I hope to keep my readers updated on my progress in the months to come!