World Elk Calling contest

[Lefty]

Who else is here?

[WapitiTalk1]

Sweet! Say hi to Travis O'Shea from Wapiti River Outdoors if you get a chance.

[Lefty]

Sorry for the delay

[Lefty]

I tried to post more info. I haven't developed the texting skills of a typical high schooler.
Watching the Pee-wees and youth, I was quite impressed, and same with the ladies.
We made a few good purchases. There was one rifle scope I was tempted.
I wasn't able to locate Travis

[WapitiTalk1]

Thanks for the update Lefty. Congrats to Bryan Langley! Doesn't look like Trav made the finals this year He's one heck of a caller and placed top three last year. I'm gonna send him a note.

[ElkNut1]

Good deal, thanks! I see Shane here on W/T placed 5th, very cool!

ElkNut1

[N2mywake]

I watched the live feed. Good stuff!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[msd1228]

There was an absolutely insane turn out this year with 71 callers - phenomenal. That being said, I've gotta say I wasn't a fan of a 1 day event with that many callers. We started at 8:30am and we finished around 4pm or so. By the time we were ready to have the Pro finals the judges had already listened to something like 90 routines if you combine the prelims and the finals. I know I was burnt out, so I can just imagine how worn out those guys were haha. That being said, having so many callers that the day goes long is a great problem to have! I know the RMEF was thrilled with the turnout. The acoustics weren't quite as good as the Vegas location, but it was still pretty good.

The calling was fast and furious and people were generally a bit shakey during the prelims, the pros included. I made 1 big error on my bugling routine, but was able to mask it for the most part. The guys on here would likely be able to pinpoint the error because they know what they are listening for, but I don't think the untrained ear would have caught it. After round 1 Corey and I were tied for first place, Brian was third. The finals was a different ballgame - everyone found their A-game, it just became a matter of what the judges wanted to hear. Everybody absolutely crushed their finals routine for the most part. The results left the crowd in a little bit of disbelief (and the internet feed too, from what I've been told), but that's the nature of subjective competition. As both and observer and a participant, I would have given Corey the nod, but that's easy to say when I'm watching it first hand and not sitting behind the curtain; that can certainly change one's perspective. The final score disclosure sheet was all over the place - one guy had Corey in dead last, one guy had Brian last, one guy had me last, a couple guys had me in 2nd, couple had Corey in first, one had Audrey in first - there was practically no consensus on anything, so it's not really feasible to use the scores to identify general points of weakness. From watching the competition back over again several times, I know that I want to work on increasing my volume first and foremost, as the judges generally leaned towards guys who could blow the doors off. I also want to clean up the back end of my bugles. Wasn't thrilled with my placing, but that just means we gotta do better next time.

As an aside, I've always said that there is no human that can match an elk for volume. I was wrong. The fella who won the men's division could have shattered 2" thick bullet proof glass with his bugles. My head literally pounded when he bugled, it was unreal haha.

[WapitiTalk1]

Congrats on placing in the World Elk Calling finals Shane; no small feat by any measure! I've been told by more than a few that the judging can be a fickle thing and it all depends on the selected panel, and, what they want to hear that particular day. Again, congrats on placing (and placing highly) in the grand stage for competition elk calling. Our hat is off to you sir! RJ

[BrentLaBere]

Congratulations Shane, nice job again this year. Thanks for the recap

[Wapiti]

Sorry you missed me Lefty ! I have been sitting here wondering how you could miss this big chubby guy but came up with an idea...........I was the one wearing camo !!! LOL Man that Sitka is good stuff !!

So as Shane pointed out we had an all time record breaking year for caller attendance this year ! Let me first off saying that half of the callers there could win at any given time.......the callers are all that good and so close. I can agree with Shane in the fact that a one day format for that many callers was a gong show. Going forward I believe they are taking about putting callers into groups of 8-10. Whether that happens or not is up in the air.

As some of you noticed I did not make the finals this year. I called great and actually scored higher then Shane in the bull sounds during qualifying. Shane scored higher in cow sounds then me. As Shane said earlier it's all in what the judges want to hear and us as callers do not have any idea as to what they want ! I am putting in a recommendation to the RMEF for years going forward though and here it is. As they introduce the judges onto the stage it would be nice if they (each judge) could tell us all in the crowd what they are listening for in the cow and bull sound. Each Judge comes up onto the stage one at a time so this would be easy to incorporate.

You guys are going to see Shane and myself going back and forth in the years to come and you'll for sure be seeing us together in the top 3 as well with one of us winning it sooner or later !! With my top 3 finish last year and Shane with a top 5 this year it's going to make for a very fun competition going forward !! I still hold the best finish between the two of us though and I'm proud of that as Shane is a great caller. Shane I'm coming for you next year bud and I hope we get to fight over the world title against each other !!

So we still had many guys not attend this year. Guys like Jason Phelps and Joel Turner. Joel who in my mind and I'm sure Shane will attest to this is the best caller in the world ! We need these guys and other guys that are hidden away in some dark area of the shadows to come out and join in on the competition !! We want to call against the best of the best !! I talked to Jason and he was distraught with the venue itself for some reason unknown to me. Yes the venue was loud but it's loud for every caller up there so it evens out in the end.

All in all it's a judged event and things are scored funny. Judge #3 had so many callers........myself included scratching our heads !! For instance in my cow sounds in a pro event he scored me 9 out of 20. Another great callers that has beat me before was scored 8 out of 20 by the same guy !!!! I'm pretty sure if your a PRO caller your better then a 8 or 9 for a final score. I'd like to see the crowd have some input on the scoring as this could lead to some interesting situations.

I've heard a few guys say " man I missed 1or 2 of my bugles " More then a few times already and yet they made the finals last year and again this year. I for one hit my routine the best I could have and still was short on making the finals. All you can do is try your best and sometimes you'll get in and other times you won't !! I was talking to Bryan after the qualifier and even his reed cracked on the top end and he didn't think he'd make the finals and as it turned out and great for him I might add he ended up winning the whole thing !! Congratulations Bryan Langley !! I am proud to call Bryan my friend !

In closing moving forward to the next years of the championships I'll be caring less if I win but on making the finals each time I step onto that stage. Being a world champion caller is more then just winning. This year I had so many young guys coming up to me asking for advice and tips and tricks that they could use on stage ! I look more into helping these guys then actually winning it myself. If I win then great but if I can help these young guys move forward that's even better !! Let's face it some guys are better loser's then other's and Part of winning is losing !!

Thank again

Trav

[Lefty]

Travis I was looking for you early on,.. I wasnt there for all of the caling, but part of the reason I made the thread. Next year

And I was wearing a George Straight western cut RMEF shirt
Im not sure how far I want to get into this.

Im coming from water fowling competition calling background, which has been defined for a long time. My opinion, elk calling judges and competitors should be looking for the same type of routine.
In waterfowl calling there is a “story”; competitors are judged on following that story line and their ability to make the required vocals sounds a variety of items, generally judges are “calibrated” buy knowing the flow of the story.

Visualize a story in the elk woods. : An elk tosses out a nervous grunt, at a lost calf, the calf whines, a cow responds, a bull in the distance tosses back a locate bugle, a satellite bull bugles back to the first bull, An estrus cow states talking, a handful of cows and calves mewing and squealing. The distance bulls bugle back. An estrus cow starts talking , a young bull with the cow starts glunking, the herd bulls opens up challenging all the other bulls, a satellite bull challenges, chuckles, grunts screams, two bulls coming at each other, and the winner sending a bull somewhere else.

I think there needs to be a real “deciding” factor on what makes a pro. Maybe like racing or rodeo so many points, dollars or entries per year to be considered a pro.

One thing, my own opinion: the youth or at least the PeeWee’s . should be judged from a scale of 10-20 not 1-20 some sort of calibration of the judges,And nothing wrong with having youth and pee-wee judged higher than the other contestant adult contestants

Judges should be judging on the same things, at the same time. Judges may have different ears, But the spread of some points should never be as far apart as some of the score sheets on the same caller Or it could be too easy to identify individual callers.
Most judges shouldn't be able to identify a calling style/routine. Judging should always be close. All judges should be ranking callers close .
Ex
Judge AC scores ranked caller
# 1, 2nd place
# 2, 6th place
# 3, 1st
#4 , 3rd


Judge two
# 1, 1nd place
# 2, 4th place
# 3, 2st
#4 , 3rd

One judge should never be ranking( score wise) one caller as the best, another judge ranking that same caller at the bottom, maybe a place or two apart but not a large bridge.

Im don’t plan on sending a bunch of youth next year. (the story from the MC) but I think to qualify all callers need to blow or compete at any other event first maybe even just at a banquets, or other sanctioned activity to move on to World.


I have more, but Its just my opinion.

[Wapiti]

Hey Lefty !! Ya sorry I missed as stated earlier. I always sit in the second row beside the isle. This year we were right behind the camera filming the live event for Elk101. I wish I could have met up with you and chatted but as you know it's a very busy day. Next year please come find me. We can chat then for sure.

You have some great ideas and the RMEF wants to hear them. They really want to try to do better in the future and it can only get better if we all send in our opinions.

The opinion of the RMEF on a "PRO" is very hard for some. If you are a guide or work for/or sell game calls ect you are a pro are pretty unfair. I personally am friends with many guides and they either do not call at all or are not great at calling. Basically if you make money in the industry you are a "PRO" is what they believe.

Also please share all your opinions with us as your opinions and everyone else's matter !! Don't feel for one second that they don't. Without yours and everyone's ideas nothing will change and change is needed !!

Thank you very much bud !!

Trav

[Lefty]

Most often I was very front and left side or pacing in the back, You guys brought in a camera and I moved over.
Next year Ill call you before the Expo
Next year at SLC there will be duck and goose , Maybe "best in the West "?
I believe the elk callers need to sit in on an informal discussion with the duck callers,.. Then decide as a bunch of elk callers and as an organization what is the best fit. Currently we are miles from the rigors of waterfowl calling comps.

I really enjoyed the Emce, he was great and did a fantastic job!!
The young guys from Oregon who do the turkey calling,.. not sure how turkey is done as a competition but he might be a good resource, His group was blowing duck calls outside,.. I thiought I had their names

I thinking of becoming a bit more active in our local RMEF chapter. Maybe offer up to run a kids competition. Damian Pagano "blow the doors off the room" said he would like to come down to our banquet ,.. and maybe if I can get him over stage fright give the banquet his earth shattering bull sounds.

[Wapiti]

Lefty I was sitting with my wife and we were just right of the guys with the video camera. So close as I remember you moving over. Unfortunately I didn't know you at that point.

I wish all the guys in the elk calling could sit in on the waterfowl calling meeting. Unfortunately us callers do not have any say in the way the RMEF wants to hold there calling championship. Years in the past they use to have the announcer ask for specific cow sounds and bugles from each competitor. For some reason they took that away. I wish they would bring it back at least for the pro's as it separated the guys with control on there tones and sounds from the guys that just bugle the same bugle over and over !! There truly are only a handful of guys that have the control to replicate the actual real technical bugles that bulls can make.

For instance if you took a pro diving competition and had one guy do the same 1 or 2 dives over and over and have another guy do 6 totally different dives. Both guys hit there dives perfect. How do you score each diver ? It's very tough to judge the best isn't it as both did different dives. Now make both divers do the same 6 dives. Now you could score them fairly.

That's exactly what happen at the world elk calling............they took away the predetermined sounds that were mandatory from each caller. Thus making nearly impossible to judge who has the best control over there reed or chosen call.

The world turkey championship are run with three judges out front in plain view and are judging each caller on the same calls. In my opinion the way the turkey competition is run is hands down far superior then the way the RMEF is doing the elk comp. For one have the judges out front listening and scoring in front of everyone as they do for the turkey comp, the judges then give each competitor feedback right then and there while the caller is still on the stage.

Here's what I would like to see. The mandatory sounds brought back which must be completed by each competitor. Then score the mandatory sounds. Then I'd like to see the free style calling from each competitor after they complete there mandatory calls. I would like the free style to be an open time limit of 2 minutes. Give the competitors time to perform there best calls in a relaxed manor. Then score those sounds from the freestyle and add them to the mandatory scores. Total both scores for a grand total !!

Now I know what some folks are thinking out there. 2 minutes is a long time to call. You would see some guys do 5-6 technical bugles and other guys would do the same bugle 3-4 times which would make it pretty easy to score the best callers. I don't know about you guys but when I hear the same bugle over and over it gets boring really fast ! Also keep in mind the 2 minutes is the max time limit but you don't have to use the whole 2 minutes. If you only want to do 3 bugles and then your done you just give a nod and walk off.

If any of you guys viewing this post and want to chime in, please do so. I'd love to hear any and all of your personal ideas on this and what you guys would like to see. How would each of you like to see it ran and what changes would you make

Trav