This weekend was a very busy but fun filled weekend. First up, my Dad, Hans Goettsch, was back in Iowa. (he is retired and living the dream in AZ). He had driven back his truck that I’m buying from him and also he had a few events he was taking part in here in Iowa. Picking up the truck was very much secondary to just getting to hang out and spend an hour or so catching up.
Then Sara and I headed for the Maquoketa Valley Struttin’ Toms NWTF Banquet in Manchester, IA. It is by far the biggest NWTF banquet I have ever enjoyed. We had a blast hanging out with a few of the Mossy Oak Prostaff that attended, and even bought a few things off the auction. Congrats to Perry Peterson for putting on a great banquet, he and his committee members work very hard and it shows.
Next but not least, I got up Sunday morning and drove to Minneapolis, MN to call in the Twin Cities “Head to Head” Turkey Calling Championships at the Northwest Sport show. Not only was I calling but I was going to judge the divisions I wasn’t calling in. That was a great opportunity, I have judged before but not at this contest. I called in the Owl Hooting and in the big show; the “Head to Head” Turkey Calling Championship. So this is a little different than any other calling contest. What happens is you draw numbers and, for lack of a better term, that number is your “seeding” for the bracket.
Yes in fact the Twin Cities Turkey Calling Championships are getting in on the March Madness. How this is different from any other contest? Well l the results are known right away. Two callers go on stage and each performs the asked for calls. After the emcee stands on stage holding each of the caller’s hands he looks to the scorer’s table and they let him know if caller #1 or callers #2 is the winner. The winners arm is raised and they move on in the Champion Bracket. All is not lost for the caller who lost they move into the Consolation Bracket as the winner of the consolation bracket; has a chance to beat the winner of the Champion Bracket but must beat them twice to win the Championship.
I was able to make a great run through my side of the bracket and met Brandon Schaefer to see who would win the Champion Bracket. I came out the winner and it wasn’t until then that my nerves started. I was so close to what would be my biggest win thus far in 8 years of calling but I still needed to beat the winner of the Consolation Bracket. That caller was none other than Tracy Pedretti, a great friend of mine who has helped me a great deal with my calling. In the first round my nerves got the best of me and Tracy flat out beat me. I calmed myself and in the next round called much better.
So there we are two friends waiting to see whose arm will be raised. When they raised my hand I was pumped. Best of all Tracy was happy for me, although he “jokingly” told me no more lessons. Sure he wanted to win, all of us there did. It’s the one sport that here in the upper Mid-West all of the callers know each other and are friends outside of calling. Very cool and it’s the major reason I go to these calling contest’s because it’s fun and I get to compete among friends. I would like to thank my personal calling sponsors for their support, WoodHaven Custom Calls and Mossy Oak Brand Camo.
Big Thank you to Shane Simpson for all of his hard work in getting this contest put together and run well. Great job! Thanks to all of the volunteers who give their time to this sport we love. Thanks to the two sponsors who stepped up Federal Premium Ammunition and Avian X Decoys. And I can’t forget thanks to all of the callers who traveled to call in the contest, without everyone involved we couldn’t do this. Great calling as always, blast seeing my friends in the calling ranks. Now let’s hunt some turkeys!!!
Nothing better than two great friends competing against each other!
Twin Cities Turkey Calling Contest Results
Poults Division
1st Connor Wall 2nd Adraina Rice
Jakes Division
1st Kevin Croteau 2nd Connor Wall 3rd Lucas Mestad
Hunter Division
1st Connor Wall 2nd Kevin Croteau 3rd Don Morshead
Friction Division
1st Scott Wilhelm 2nd Brandon Schaefer 3rd Kevin Erik Croteau
Owl Hooting
1st Scott Wilhelm 2nd Brandon Schaefer 3rd Shane Simpson
Gobbling
1st Scott Wilhelm 2nd Brandon Schaefer 3rd Tracy Lee Pedretti
Head to head
1st Curtis Goettsch 2nd Tracy Pedretti, 3rd Brandon Schaefer
