December 7, 2012
Champion of Champions to Highlight 2013 World Elk Calling Championships
MISSOULA, MT— The World Elk Calling Championships will reach its most elite level ever when the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation celebrates the 25th anniversary of the event at Elk Camp 2013 in Las Vegas. The Champion of Champions competition will bring the top elk callers in the world together on the same stage to determine which contestant is the master at mimicking the wildest sounds in America’s backcountry.
“This promises to be among the most exciting events at Elk Camp,” said Steve Decker, RMEF vice president of marketing. “After we crown the 2013 champion, that participant will immediately join previous years’ winners from the professional division and we’ll see and hear who really is the Champion of Champions.”
Twelve men currently lay claim to the title of professional world elk calling champion including Bryan Langley of McMinnville, Oregon, the 2012 reigning champ. Six of those contestants won multiple world championships. One of them is Joel Turner of Eatonville, Washington, who came out top in 2008, 2010, and finished as runner-up in 2012.
“It’s going to be good to have all those folks who have won before compete head to head. It’ll be good fun.” said Turner. “I didn’t compete in 2007 because of the birth of my son but I’ve been in the top three since 2006 so that’s a pretty good accomplishment. I’m proud of that.”
Sponsored by Leupold, Champion of Champions contestants will compete for a premier archery elk hunt to be filmed for RMEF’s Outdoor Channel television show Team Elk, along with a host of other valuable prizes. They will be judged according to the quality of their cow/calf and bull sounds.
“You don’t know what the judges know or what they think the elk sounds like so when you get in the top three or top five, it’s up for grabs,” added Turner.
When suggested that any ties should be broken by how contestants fared the previous hunting season, Turner chuckled, “Maybe we have to go with who got the biggest bull.”
In addition to Champion of Champions, RMEF’s World Elk Calling Championships will feature competitors in six different divisions: professional, men’s, women’s, voice, youth (11-17 years), and pee wee (10 years and under). Winners receive prizes and cash ranging from $500 to $2,500.
The preliminary rounds of the 2013 World Elk Calling Championships take place on Friday, March 1 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The finals are scheduled for Saturday, March 2, followed by the Champion of Champions. The event is part of RMEF’s annual convention and expo which runs February 28-March 3 at the Mirage and Las Vegas Convention Center. It helps raise awareness of elk, habitat and the conservation initiatives of RMEF.