It’s that time of year when leafy suites and turkey vests finally start to get their dust knocked off. Calls finally get untucked from jacket pockets and gear bags as spring peeks its head above the horizon once again. For many, calling constitutes the majority of one’s brain space when turkey season rolls around. And for a select group of individuals, the onset of spring means it’s time to grab their most trusted turkey call and hit the stage at NWTF’s Grand National Calling Championships (GNCC) for a shot at the title.
Dubbed the ‘Super Bowl’ of Turkey calling competitions, the NWTF calling competition has been around since 1977 and first took place during their first National Convention in Hershey, PA. Since then, these calling competitions have expanded to include a variety of calling competitions that include:
- Senior, Junior, Intermediate & Poult Championships
- Friction Call Championship
- Owl Hooting Championship
- Gobbling Championship
- Team Air & Friction Challenge
Calling and competition calling are a driving force in the turkey hunting world, whether that be at expos or in the woods. After all, if you find yourself turkey hunting without a turkey call, you’re really just taking your shotgun for a day trip. As the NWTF convention has grown in popularity over the decades, so too has the prowess of winning the title in one of the many calling championships. This year was an exciting one for the Grand National Calling Championships, with so many incredibly skilled callers competing head-to-head. In the end, however, only one caller can take the top spot. Here are your 2025 GNCC Champions
- Senior Championship: Dave Owens
- Friction Championship: Dustin Jones
- Owl Hooting: Matthew Presley
- Gobbling Championship: Russell Andrews
- Team Air & Friction: Tyler Presley & Matthew Presley
- Poult Championship: Levi Pruitt
- Junior Championship: Bo Bartlebaugh
- Intermediate Championship: Ethan Jones
If you weren’t able to attend this year’s convention, you can catch the full NWTF calling competition championships on the NWTF YouTube page. You might just pick up a trick or two listening to these callers go at it!