ATLANTA — Grand National Callmaking judges graded hundreds of game calls on appearance and sound quality before crowning the 2008 champions during the National Wild Turkey Federation's annual Convention and Sport Show, Feb. 22nd to Feb. 24th .

The convention attracted more than 25,000 sportsmen and women who appreciate and use game calls and understand how a call is supposed to look and sound.

"Call makers enter our contest because it's North America's premier call making competition and if they can win this event, they know they're the best there is," said Rob Keck, NWTF CEO.

A panel of experts in the fields of call making, calling and hunting judged the competition.

Judges evaluated calls within four divisions: the Grand National NWTF Hunting Turkey Call Contest; the Grand National Decorative Turkey Call Contest; the Grand National Decorative Duck and Goose Call Contest; and the Grand National Hunting Duck and Goose Call Contest.

Each division was divided into a number of categories based on the various types of calls hunters use. In the Hunting Call Contest alone, call makers have the opportunity to enter their calls in up to 15 categories.

After the contest, the calls were auctioned at the convention, with some calls raising thousands of dollars for conservation.

Top winners of the 2008 Grand National Call Making contest were:

2008 Grand National Champion Decorative Turkey Call Maker of the Year & Earl Mickel Purchase Award Winner:
John Parker, Trenton, Ohio

Earl "Mick" Mickel has been a pioneer in developing and creating interest in turkey callmaking and collecting. He has published three books on call makers and has generously supported both call makers and the NWTF.

Each year, a panel of judges juries the entries in the Decorative Turkey Call Competition and selects a Best of Show call, whose maker is named the Earl Mickel Award winner. The call is then purchased by the NWTF and placed on permanent display in the Wild Turkey Center in Edgefield, S.C.

2008 Grand National Champion Hunting Turkey Call Maker of the Year:
Michael Lapp, Honey Brook, Pa.

Champion of Champions - Neil Cost Award Winner
Scott Basehore, Denver, Pa.

The Champion of Champions - Neil Cost Award attempts to call attention to and recognize those few select individuals who have mastered the art of callmaking. Cost was responsible for developing the long box or "boat paddle" style of call. He also was one of the first call makers to checker his box calls and write special inscriptions on them. Cost made all types of calls, scratch boxes, pot and peg calls, wing-bone yelpers and box calls. His integrity as a call maker is unsurpassed and he never let a call leave his shop that did not meet his high standards.

Gibson Award Winner, Box Calls
Michael Lapp, Honey Brook, Pa.

The Gibson award recognizes the best-sounding box turkey call and box call maker and is named in honor of Henry Gibson, who patented the first box call in 1897.

Jeremiah Stevens Award, Scratch Box Calls
Jacob Longuillo, Trinity, N.C.

The prestigious Jeremiah Stevens award is named in honor of an African American and former slave who was known for his turkey hunting skills and the making of "gun stock" or scratch box callers in Virginia. The award recognizes the best-sounding scratch box call and call maker.

D.D. Adams Award, Best-sounding Friction Call
Pat Strawser, Millersburg, Pa.

The coveted D. D. Adams award recognizes the best sounding friction call and striker combination and is named in honor of D. D. Adams, a pioneer friction call maker.

Tom Turpin Award, Best-sounding Air Operated Call
Ralph Permar, Old Zionsville, Pa.

The Tom Turpin award recognizes the best-sounding turned trumpet call and is named in honor of Tom Turpin, a call maker and innovator known for, among other things, his turned trumpet calls.

Charles Jordan, Best-sounding Wingbone
Robert Smith Jr., Mt. Pleasant, N.C.

The Charles Jordan award recognizes the best-sounding wing bone/cane or other material call. The award is named in honor of outdoor and wildlife conservationist and call maker Charles L. Jordan.

2008 Grand National Champion Decorative Duck & Goose Call Maker of the Year

Best of Show: Ed Glenn, Boardman, Ore. & Jim Dester, Sycamore, Ill.
2nd Best of Show: Jim Dester, Sycamore, Ill.
3rd Best of Show: Pat Walsh, Nashville, Tenn.

2008 Grand National Champion Hunting Duck & Goose Call Maker of the Year

Best of Show: Mike Stelzner, Zumbrota, Minn.
2nd Best of Show: Bob Hayes, Havana, Ill.
3rd Best of Show: Mike Stelzner, Zumbrota, Minn.

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