EDGEFIELD, S.C. — To keep from getting nervous during turkey calling competitions, Benjamin Pentecost, 10, of Heflin, Ala., imagines no one is in the audience.

Benjamin Pentecost, 10, of Heflin, Ala., won first place in the Poults Division of the Mossy Oak Brand Camo and Ol' Tom/NWTF Grand National Calling Championships during the National Wild Turkey Federation's National Convention and Sport Show in Nashville.
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"Stepping on the stage to compete is exhilarating, but I was nervous," said Pentecost. "I try to keep my cool because I know if I can, I'll probably finish in the top five."

Every February, callers from all over the nation flock to the NWTF's National Convention and Sport Show to compete in the championships. At this year's convention, sponsored by MidwayUSA , the calling championships had more than $25,000 in cash and prizes going to the top callers in nine divisions. Seats filled up quickly with onlookers wanting to hear the terrific turkey talk.

In the Poults Division callers are asked to perform a series of calls that imitate a single hen. Some of these calls include the yelp, cluck and purr, kee kee run and tree call. A panel of seven expert judges score each call and the slightest mistake can virtually eliminate a caller from contention.

Pentecost used Woodhaven Custom Calls to emerge from a field of 10 callers and be crowned champion. Younger sister Micah took home third place in the same division.

"The atmosphere in the room during the Grand National Turkey Calling Championships is electric -- especially during the youth divisions," said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. "The young people who compete here show incredible poise and talent, and could likely out-call many adults. These are future competitors in the senior calling divisions, and it's a joy to watch as they hone their skills."

The NWTF is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.

Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $306 million to conserve 14 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.

For more information about the NWTF visit www.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF.

2010 Convention Sponsors:

Affinity4, ATK/Federal Premium Ammunition, Bank of America, Bass Pro Shops, Benelli, Browning, Call Makers and Collectors Association of America, CamoFX, Chevrolet, Farm Service Agency, Foxy Huntress, Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, HuntVe, Knight Rifles, Leupold & Stevens, Marlin Firearms Company, MeadWestvaco, MidwayUSA, Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, National Band & Tag Co., O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., Mossy Oak and The Pursuit Channel, The Outdoor Connection, Remington Arms Company, Inc., SHE Outdoor Apparel, TriStar Sporting Arms, USDA Forest Service, Weatherby, Inc., Wild Turkey Bourbon, Winchester Division/Olin Corp.

About the NWTF: The National Wild Turkey Federation is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.

Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its more than 350,000 members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $306 million to conserve 14 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.

The Federation works to increase interest in the outdoors by bringing new hunters and conservationists into the fold through outdoor education events and its outreach programs – Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin’ Sportsmen, JAKES and Xtreme JAKES.

The NWTF was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Edgefield, S.C. According to many state and federal agencies, the comeback of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America’s wildlife history.

Visit www.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF for details.