A record number of participants—33 in all, ranging in age from 2 to 18—took part in the 19th annual Bart Jacob Memorial Youth Turkey Calling Contest on April 12.
The annual contest honors the late Bart Jacob, a nationally recognized turkey call-maker and avid turkey hunter from Pawlet. It was held at the Kehoe Conservation Camp in Castleton and was sponsored by the Oxbow Mountain 4-H Club and underwritten by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
The competitors were divided into age groups for the 2025 competition and asked to perform a specific set of calls using either a handmade or purchased turkey call. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department provided a turkey hunting vest for the first-place winners, a set of Bone Collector turkey calls for second place and shotgun ammunition for third. All of the first-place finishers also received a custom engraved knife, donated by the Mason family of Pawlet in memory of the late Keith Mason, a lifelong 4-H leader, former contest judge and hunter safety instructor.
Placing first, second and third, respectively, in the 14- to 18-year-old age group were Jared Preseau, Rutland; Samuel Luis, Whiting; and Dominick McGee, Clarendon. They were evaluated on how well they performed several turkey calls including the cluck, yelp, purr, kee kee run and caller’s favorite.
Other competitors in this age group were Emmeline Barber, Salem, New York; Noah Buck, Rupert; Wyatt Delance, Castleton; Robby Harris, Poultney; and Brady Werbinski, Rutland.
In the 11- to 13-year-old age group, the top three placements were Boston Wilbur, Whiting (first) and Leif Comar (second) and Beckett Perham (third), both from Pawlet. Delilah Buck, Rupert; Zayden Perkins, Manchester; and Liam Quesnel, Whiting, also competed in this division. Competitors performed the cluck, yelp, purr and a locator call of their own choosing.
The 8- to 10-year-olds were asked to demonstrate the cluck, yelp and locator call of choice. Coming in first was Erin Loomis, Whitehall, New York; followed by Gabriel Greene, Poultney, second, and Blake Butler, Wells, third. Rounding out this age group were Cole Baptie and John Davenport, both from Poultney; Hayden Bowdish, Weybridge; Sawyer Guidon, Granville; Brenden Martelle and Brycen Monroe, both from Wells; Kenneth Myers, Pownal; and Tyler Pelton, Rupert.
Although too young to compete for prizes, kids, ages 2 to 7 had an opportunity to show off their turkey-calling skills, earning a turkey-shaped trophy for their efforts. They were Levi Alexander, Middletown; Rhett Butler, Wells; Jesse Davenport, Poultney; Braxton and Ryker Jenks, Bondville; Lennox Petty, St. Johnsbury; Oliviah Ross, West Danville; and Levi Wilson, Hebron, New York.
Joel Flewelling, Oxbow 4-H club leader and fish and wildlife specialist with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife served as emcee for the event. Judges were Charlie Hewes, Manchester; Ken Jones, Proctor; Dan Nardi, Rupert; Wally Surething, Mount Holly; and Erwin Tobin, Shushan, New York.
To learn more, contact Holly Ferris, University of Vermont Extension 4-H Shooting Sports coordinator, at holly.ferris@uvm.edu.