Castleton--Kehoe Conservation Camp in Castleton was alive with the clucks, yelps and purrs of wild turkeys as 28 youths competed in the 18th annual Bart Jacob Memorial Youth Turkey Calling Contest.

The Oxbow Mountain 4-H Club of Pawlet sponsored the April 13 event in collaboration with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. It was open to anyone 18 years old or younger and attracted several participants as young as four-years-old.

Membership in 4-H was not required although several contestants hailed from three Vermont 4-H clubs: Otter Creek 4-H Club, Oxbow Mountain 4-H Club and Pownal Valley Sharp Shooters. Each age group was asked to perform a specific set of calls, using either a handmade or store-bought turkey call.

Ken Jones, Proctor, donated mouth calls to the top three winners in each age group. The first-place winners also received a turkey decoy, courtesy of the Vermont Sportsman Federation, and a custom knife, donated by Marley Mason of Pawlet in memory of the late Keith Mason, also of Pawlet. Mason was a strong supporter of the Oxbow Mountain 4-H Club.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department provided Bone Collector turkey calls for the second-place finishers while third place received shot gun ammunition donated by John Butler, Dorset.

Competitors in the 14- to 18-year-old age group were scored on how well they performed several turkey calls including the cluck, yelp, purr, kee kee run and caller's favorite.

Samuel Luis, Whiting, placed first, followed by Jared Preseau, Wells, second, and Tanner Alexopoulos, Manchester, third. Others participating in this age group were Mason Martelle, Wells, and Cooper and Spencer Sheldon, both from Dorset.

The 11- to 13-year-olds performed the cluck, yelp, purr and a locator call of their own choosing. Top three placements were Brooke Flewelling, Rutland (first); Noah Buck, Pownal (second); and Emeline Barber, Clemons, New York (third). Wyatt Delance, Castleton; Huck Ferenc, Dorset; Tony Perez, Pownal; Beckett Perham, Pawlet; and Zayden Perkins, Manchester; also competed in this division.

Winners for 8- to 10-year-olds were Sawyer Sheldon (first) and Luke Ferenc (second), both from Dorset; and Mack Parsons, Proctor (third). Blake Butler and Sam St. Martin, both from Wells; Gabriel Greene, Poultney; and Dominic Smith, Londonderry; rounded out the competition. Calls for this division included the cluck, yelp and locator call of choice.

Seven youths, ranging in age from four to seven, also demonstrated their turkey-calling skills. Although not scored, each received a turkey-shaped trophy for participating. They were Cole Baptie and Jesse and John Davenport, all from Poultney; Rhett Butler, Wells; Ryker Jenks, Bondville; Oliviah Ross, West Danville; and Knox White, Dorset.

Judges were Howard Coolidge, Dorset; Charlie Hewes, Manchester; Ken Jones, Proctor; Dan Nardi, Rupert; Wally Surething, Mount Holly; and Erwin Tobin, Shushan, New York.

The annual contest honors the late Bart Jacob, a nationally recognized turkey call-maker and avid turkey hunter from Pawlet. Jacob was a staunch supporter of youth hunters as well as a founder of the National Wild Turkey Federation and past president and life member of the Vermont chapter.

To learn more, contact Holly Ferris, University of Vermont Extension 4-H Shooting Sports coordinator, at holly.ferris@uvm.edu.