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Avery® "On The Road" Archive
The National Championship For Field Trialing Bird Dogs
The National Championship was first organized and run near West Point, Mississippi in 1896. Later, the competition was conducted on field trial grounds south of Grand Junction, Tennessee; near Rogers Springs, Tennessee; and finally, the Ames Plantation, north of Grand Junction and LaGrange, Tennessee. The National found a permanent home on the Ames Plantation in 1915 and each running since has been on the "hallowed" field trial grounds set in place by Hobart Ames, long time President and Judge of the National Championship. [FULL STORY AND 2004 DETAILS]
Northern Prairie Waterfowl Calling Championships
The third Annual Northern Prairie Duck and Goose Calling Championships were held Saturday, February 14, 2004 at the Brookings Multiplex, Brookings, SD. With the support of the community and several local and national companies and the hard work of all those behind the scenes the event continues to grow and be a great success. The winner of the open goose calling contest not only took home a hefty check and several prizes, they more importantly gained an automatic birth in the Avery International to be held in January 2005. The results of the contest are as follows:
South Dakota State Duck
1st place Ben Fujan - Sioux Falls, SD
2nd place Murral Stark - Mitchell, SD
3rd place Jack Lower - Sioux Falls, SD
South Dakota State Goose
1st place Tyson Keller - Pierre, SD
2nd place Bryan Hanson - Watertown, SD
3rd place Joshua Folkerts - Watertown, SD
Northern Prairie Open Duck
1st place Craig Guillaume - Council Bluff, IA
2nd place Ben Fujan - Sioux Falls, SD
3rd place Brett Moderow - Omaha, NE
4th place Ted Kourousis - Spencer, IA
5th place Ed May - Omaha, NE
Northern Prairie 2-Man Goose
1st place Tyson Keller and Corey Ganser - SD and MN
2nd place John McDonnell and Scott Threinen - MN and MN
3rd place Phil Kahnke and Scott Threinen – MN and MN
Northern Prairie Open Goose
1st place Scott Threinen - Mantorville, MN
2nd place Corey Ganser - St. Cloud, MN
3rd place Nick Johnson - New Brighton, MN
4th place Cory Connors - Waseca, MN
5th place John McDonnell - Burnsville, MN
Christian Curtis Qualifies for the 2004 World's
Congratulations to Avery® Pro-Staffer Christian Curtis on his win at the Mississippi Valley Caller's Association Regional Duck Calling Championship. This win qualifies Christian for the 2004 World Duck Calling Championship in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Christian held on to win against 41 other callers, including Avery® Pro-Staffer Dan "Always the Bride's Maid" Oberfoell, who finished in second place in both the Regional and the Iowa State Duck Calling Championship. Both Christian and Dan finished in the finals of the 2003 World Championship, and we are proud to have them on our team.
Avery® congratulations go out to all of the other winners, as well as the top finishers.
For more information on the Mississippi Valley Caller's Association.
MVCA Regional Duck Calling Contest
1st - Christian Curtis, Sikeston, MO
2nd - Dan Oberfoell, Dubuque, IA
3rd - Joshua Edwards Lyndonville, NY
4th - Jeff Stetzenbach, Sedalia, MO
5th - Bobby Bird, Gays Mills, WI
Iowa State Duck
1st - Ted Kourousis, Spencer, IA
2nd - Dan Oberfoell, Dubuque, IA
3rd - Craig Guillaume, Council Bluffs, IA
4th - Todd Pruisner, Applington, IA
5th - Rob Bevins, Belle Plaine, IA
MVCA Youth (12 and under)
1st - Brent Calhoun, Des Arc, AR
2nd - Riley Harbaugh, Stanwood, IA
3rd - Jake Diewold, West Burlington, IA
4th - Cole Foiles, Pleasant Hills, IL
5th - Jordan Cuvelier, Collins, IA
13 - 16 years
1st - Mitch Downs, Webster City, IA
2nd - Aaron Hintz, Manito, IL
3rd - Jacob Calvin, Chillicothe, IL
4th - Ethan Wollbrink, Sutter, IL
5th - Cody Hopps, Chandlerville, IL
Mississippi Valley Goose Calling Contest - The first Goose Calling Contest to be sanctioned by The INTERNATIONAL GOOSE CALLING INVITATIONAL (sponsored by Avery)
1st - Hunter Grounds, Johnson City, IL
2nd - Craig McDonald, Kingsville, Ontario Canada
3rd - Mark Carey, Grafton, IL
4th - Derrick Dameron, LaCenter, KY
5th - Rusty Heron, LaSalle, Ontario Canada
2003 Liv's Calling for a Cure
By Bill Cooksey, Associate Avery® Pro-Staffer
In only it's second year, the Cystic Fibrosis Open has become one of the must see events in goose calling/hunting. While the $5,000 purse has something to do with it, as does the fabulous goose hunting Northern Illinois has to offer, the real "hook" to this event is the amazing amount of cash that it generates for Cystic Fibrosis research. [FULL STORY]
68th Annual World's Championship Duck Calling Contest
Congratulations to Todd Copley of Des Moines, Iowa who won the 2003 World's Championship Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart, AR. Todd edged out Stuttgart native John Stephens who was going for his 3rd World's Championship. The contest was filled full of the finest callers in the world and Copley won the event by a point over Stephens. Congratulations to all the callers for making it to the World's Championship in 2003. CLICK HERE to see the final results from all the contests.
Congratulations Hunter Grounds From the Avery® Pro-Staff
Hunter Grounds makes history
and becomes the youngest
person ever to win the World
Goose Calling Championship.
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When the smoke cleared in Easton Maryland, sixteen-year-old Hunter Grounds stood in the top spot. Not only did Hunter earn the 2003 World Goose Calling Championship title, he managed a triple hitter by claiming the top spot in the Junior World Goose Calling Championship and the Junior Mason Dixon Duck Calling Championship!
Hunter made history in several ways. He became the youngest person ever to win the World Goose Calling Championship. In addition, he is the only person to win both the World and Junior World Goose Calling Championships in the same year. The additional win in the Junior Mason Dixon Duck Calling Championship places Hunter in a position that will probably never be matched.
Facing stiff competition from 2001 and 2002 World Goose Calling Champion Kevin Popo, 1998 World Champion John Taylor, Derrick Damron and Matt Hougan, Hunter Grounds used his finesse style to dominate the scoreboard and win by eleven points. With judges scoring on only a ten-point spread, the eleven-point margin demonstrates an acceptance by all of the judges as Hunter being the winner.
As a Corporate Partner of the Waterfowl Festival and World Goose Calling Championship, everyone at Avery Outdoors and our Pro-Staff congratulates Hunter Grounds and wishes all of the callers who made this spectacular event a continued success.
World Goose Calling Championship
1st Place-Hunter Grounds
2nd Place-John Taylor
3rd Place-Kevin Popo
4th Place-Derrick Damron
5th Place-Matt Hougan
Mason Dixon Regional Duck Calling Championship
1st Place-Mike Prince
2nd Place-Jeff Foiles
3rd Place-Al Dagger
4th Place-Tim Grounds
5th Place-S.R. Evans
Junior World Goose Calling Championship
1st Place-Hunter Grounds
2nd Place-Justin Culver
3rd Place-Jacob Stanley
4th Place-Mike Smothers
5th Place-Joey Palumbo
Junior Mason Dixon Duck Calling Championship
1st Place-Hunter Grounds
2nd Place-Joey Palumbo
3rd Place-Jacob Stanley
A Strong Showing for Avery® Pro-Staffers at Bass Pro Shops in Katy, TX
Congratulations to Avery® Pro-Staffer Allan Stanley and Avery® Territory Manager Derek Rambo who recently won a couple of duck calling contests in Katy, Texas. Allan bested the field in the Waterfowl Callers Association Gulf Coast Regional. Derek teamed up with Ward McGee to win the Waterfowl Callers Association Two Man Field Calling Challenge. Both contests were held at the Bass Pro Shops in Katy, TX. Congratulations guys, these wins qualify them for the World Contests in Columbia, Missouri February 2004!!!
Complete results from both contests are:
Waterfowl Callers Association Two Man Field Calling Challenge
1st: Ward McGee/Derek Rambo (pictured right)
2nd: Allan Stanley/Harry Harper
3rd: Patrick Baster/Gary Williams
Waterfowl Callers Association Gulf Coast Regional
1st: Allan Stanley (pictured right)
2nd: Kevin Borowski
3rd: Art Miller
A Busy Weekend for Richie McKnight Winning Two Contests
Avery® Pro-Staffer Richie McKnight won a couple of goose calling events over the weekend. McKnight bested the field at the Great River's Invitational as well as the 2003 Kentucky State. Congratulations Richie, keep up the great work!
2003 U.S. Open Goose Calling Championship
The U.S. Open Goose Calling Championship™ is history, and Kelley Powers is again the undisputed champion. In the first round Kelley drew number one, a situation that usually spells doom to a contest caller, but he pulled through and finished the round trailing Hunter Grounds, Tony Caschera and Sean Hammock. After a perfectly executed routine in the second round, Kelley took the lead and never looked back. This made for Kelley's second U.S. Open win in just three years. [FULL STORY]
Bill Cooksey is on His Way To the World's Championship
In a year when Avery® Pro-Staffers continue to tally up the wins, Bill Cooksey has added his name to the list. Cooksey won the 2003 U.S. Open Duck Calling Championship in Paris, TN, and secured his invitation to the 2003 World's Championship Duck Calling Contest. This was Cooksey's first win in the U.S. Open, and his 4th trip to the World's Championship. Cooksey is proud to have once again earned a ticket to Stuttgart, AR in November.
Avery® Pro-Staffer Chad Belding is headed to Stuttgart
Congratulations to Avery® Pro-Staffer Chad Belding who recently qualified for the 2003 World's Championship Duck Calling Contest which is held in Stuttgart, Arkansas in November. This will be Chad's second trip to the World's Championship. Chad qualified by winning the Nevada State title on Sunday, September 28th.
K&K Waterfowl Challenge Contests
K&K Two Man Duck Calling Contest
Congratulations to Avery® Territory Manager Travis Mueller and Avery® Regional Pro-Staffer Shawn Bloomhuff for teaming up to win the K&K Two Man Duck Calling Championship! They bested some incredible competition for the win. Results are as follows:
1st Place Travis Mueller and Shawn Bloomhuff
2nd Place Ken Versluis and Scott Vanblaricome
3rd Place Mark Pillar and Doug Pillar
4th Place Tim Emery and Daren Hurlbut
5th Place Dan Oberfoell and Duane Kloft
K&K Open Goose Calling Contest
Congratulations to Avery® Pro-Staffer Scott Threinen for his victory in the 2003 K&K Open Goose Calling. Scott also won the Iowa River Regional Open in Wapello, IA earlier that same day! Scott has now won 4 different goose calling contests in 2003. Results are as follows for the K&K Open Contest:
1st Place Scott Threinen - Mantorville, MN
2nd Place Matt Gideon - Wood River, NE
3rd Place Hunter Grounds - Johnston City, IL
4th Place Pat Murillo - Norwalk, IA
Bass Pro/Ultimate Waterfowlers Goose Calling Championship
Congratulations to Avery® Pro-Staffer Sean Hammock for his win at the 2003 Bass Pro/Ultimate Waterfowlers Goose Calling Championship in Gurnee, Illinois! Sean bested some incredible competition for the win. Results are as follows:
1st Place - Sean Hammock
2nd Place - Kelley Powers
3rd Place - John Bolen
4th Place - Tony Caschera
Missouri State Duck Calling Championship
Congratulations to Avery® Pro-Staffer Christian Curtis for his victory in the 2003 Missouri State Duck Calling Championship! While Christian has several regional titles to his credit, he has never claimed the State. This win qualifies him for the 2003 World Duck Calling Championship in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Results are as follows:
1st Place - Christian Curtis
2nd Place - Travis Elliott
3rd Place - Theron Woods
Ducks Unlimited and Avery Outdoors Announce Winners of 2003 Game Calling Contest
Memphis, TN, June 4, 2003
By Bob Benson, Ducks Unlimited Manager of Media Relations
Officials from Ducks Unlimited (DU) and Avery Outdoors announced the winners of the DU Great Outdoors Festival Game Calling Contest completed Saturday, May 31 in Memphis, TN. Participants from as far away as Canada competed in this international event. The contest recognized those individuals and teams who have fine-tuned their waterfowl calling skills and excelled among their peers. The awards are presented in six categories. [FULL STORY]
First Annual CAN-AM Outdoor Expo
Windsor, Ontario, May 2003
By Shawn Stahl, Avery® Pro-Staffer
The first annual Can-Am Outdoor Expo took place April 12th and 13th at the Ciociaro Club Multiplex in Windsor, Ontario. With nearly a year of planning put into the inaugural event, the promoters attracted over 80 vendors from Canada and the Midwest. Vendors ranged from hunting, fishing, RV's, boats, taxidermy and wildlife artists to callmakers and more. [FULL STORY]
Texas Trailrider Wins 2003 National Bird Dog Championship
The historic 2003 National Bird Dog Championship is over, and Texas Trailrider has been crowned the winner. The male pointer is owned by B.L. "Barney" Allen of Tyler, Texas, and was handled by Gary Pinalto. Trailrider ran in the 18th brace on Friday of the second week, recording 12 finds in a strong 3 hour searching race.
If you read our earlier article on the National Bird Dog Championship, entitled "Exciting News for Quail Hunters", you will recall some of the details of the Quail Restoration Project that is ongoing at the Ames Plantation. We are happy to report that the project was an overwhelming success in 2003. In 11 days of competition, 41 dogs recorded 248 finds!
2003 Knight & Hale Pro-Staff Osceola Hunt/School By Tim Herald
(L to R) Rob Snider, Jeff
Noel, Tim Herald, Mike Tussey. |
The second annual Knight & Hale Osceola Hunt/School was conducted March 1-9
2003. There were 10 participants that accounted for 7 nice longbeards, 2
misses and 1 missed opportunity at 7 yards. After the school was completed
Pro-Staffers, Jeff Noel, Anthony Brown, Tim Herald and Mike Tussey, along
with Tony Brown and Rob Snider of The Outdoor Channel's Hunter's Journal
also harvested mature Osceola gobblers for a total of 14 birds in 9 days. 7
hunts and 8 harvests were captured on video.
Outdoor Writer, Tim Herald
with his FL Osceola Turkey! |
Everyone in attendance had a
great time and a lot of useful turkey hunting information was shared. A
special thanks goes out to all the companies that sponsored the event in
2003 with their fine products.
This year's sponsors were Avery Outdoors,
Knight & Hale Game Calls, Remington Arms, Winchester Ammo, Kick's Chokes,
Buckwing, Gerber Knives, BugOut, Hi-Viz, DK Flatwoods, Plano, Bushnell, and
Bolle. The 2004 sessions are already full, and we all look forward to
another great hunt/school next March.
Allan Stanley Off to a Fast Start
Avery Pro-Staffer Allan Stanley is off to a fast start in the 2003 calling season. On March 1st Allan qualified for the World's Championship Duck Calling Contest by winning the Swamp Fox Regional Duck Calling Championship. This is Allan's eighth time to qualify for the World's Championship. Allan won using his own handcrafted Stanley Call. Congratulations Allan, we look forward to seeing you in November!
2003 IWA "Waterfowl Symposium and Calling Classic"
The 2003 IWA "Waterfowl Symposium and Calling Classic" is history, and what a weekend it was. In addition to vendor booths and numerous waterfowl oriented spectacles, this event featured some of the biggest waterfowl calling competitions in North America.
The weekend featured six calling championships, and a total of 160 entries. Along with this huge number of entries, the high caliber of calling talent made for a tough weekend on both the judges and the contest organizers. [FULL STORY]
Exciting News for Quail Hunters
Grand Junction, TN, February 19, 2003
By Bill Cooksey , Director of Press Relations Avery® Outdoors
February 10th, 2002 witnessed an exciting time for anyone who loves the bobwhite quail. This date marked the beginning of the 104th running of the National Bird Dog Championship at the Ames Plantation in Grand Junction, Tennessee. For those who love upland dogs, this event is the ultimate.
In recent years, the Ames Plantation, just as most other parts of the South, has witnessed a dramatic decrease in the number of quail found. This plantation receives perhaps the most ardent grounds preparation for quail in the country, but it seemed that wasn't enough. Many recent Championships have been marked with winners having as few as three finds, and many full days with no points at all. [FULL STORY]
The Avery International from a Caller's Perspective
Mantorville, MN, January 16, 2003
By Scott Threinen, Avery® Pro-Staffer
It was the last day of the Avery International Goose Calling Championship and Hunt when one of my fellow hunters asked what should have been a simple question, "do you view this as the Super Bowl or the Daytona 500 of goose calling events". While pondering his question a flock of geese began to work, and by the time we were through calling another subject had come up. [FULL STORY]
Powers Captures Crown at
7th Annual Avery International
Springfield, IL, January 6, 2003
Kelley Powers of Union City, TN, won the
7th annual Avery International Goose Calling Invitational on Saturday,
Jan. 4, at John A. Logan College.
Powers quickly emerged in Round 1 as the cream of this year's
crop of callers. By the third and final round, he was the clear cut
leader and it was now Kelley's contest to win or lose. He faced a
challenge on this night from only one other caller.
When he blew the final note of his last routine, be blew away
what was left of the rest of the field. Powers, himself, knew it as
well as he clenched his fist in both celebration and relief and allowed
a rare - albeit nervous - smile to sneak upon his face as he stepped
down from the stage. [FULL STORY]
Avery® Pro-Staffer Todd Summerfield Wins Colorado State Goose Calling Title
Although a newcomer to the contest scene, Avery Outdoors Pro-Staffer Todd Summerfield is already a staunch competitor. In only his second attempt, Todd captured the 2002 Colorado State Goose Calling Championship. Humility keeps Todd from taking all the credit. Instead he credits all of the calling legends that have given him input on the way up. For more information on Todd, please see his biography on the Avery Pro-Staff page.
Avery® Pro-Staffers Team Up For a World Championship!
Stuttgart, AR, October 9, 2002
By Shawn Stahl, Avery® Pro-Staffer
My retirement from competitive goose calling was short lived when I was approached by Kelley Powers to become his teammate for the 2002 World Team Calling Championship™ held at Mack's Prairie Wings in Stuttgart, AR. [FULL STORY]
2002 U.S. Open Goose Calling Championship™ Winners
Avery® and Mack's Prairie Wings are proud to announce the winners to the 2002 U.S. Open and World Team Goose Calling Championship™. This World-Class calling event was held on October 6th at Mack's Prairie Wings in Stuttgart, Arkansas in conjunction with the 3rd Annual Mack's Fall Festival.
Contestants qualify for the U.S. Open by winning other major championships, thus ensuring a field of the finest callers in the country. This year, cash and prizes totaled in excess of $20,000, and next year promises to be even bigger and better. [CLICK HERE to see photos, video clips and contest winners!]
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 Links of Interest for Hunters: Weather Sunrise Tables River Stage Levels State DNRs Bird Banding Organizations
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