Contest Rules

Registration Costs

  • A $100 entry fee is required with registration.

Requirements/Eligibility

  • Contestants of any age may compete in the Gobbling Championship.  
  • Contestants must be current members of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

When 

  • The Gobbling Competition will be held Thursday, February 15, 2024 immediately following the Owl Hooting Competition, which starts at 5 p.m. in the Governor’s Ballroom.   
  • A mandatory preparation meeting and roll call will begin at 4:30 p.m. for all Gobbling contestants in the Governor’s Ballroom at the front of the stage.

Calls

  • Contestants will be judged on their ability to imitate the gobble of the wild turkey.

Time Limit

  • There will be a one-minute time limit for each contestant. The clock will begin on the first note of the first call and stop on the acknowledgment of the caller that they are finished with their call.
  • The NWTF reserves the right to use a clock showing the time remaining. A 3-point penalty will be added to the final score of any contestant going over the time limit.

Scoring

  • Judges will score on a 1-50 scale, with 50 as the highest score possible.
  • Scorers will calculate each judge’s score after each caller finishes.
  • The highest and lowest scores from the seven (7) judges will be discarded.
  • The five (5) remaining scores will be calculated for a final score.

**Prizes

  • Prize money will be 80% of the entry fees collected for the division and distributed to the five (5) highest-scoring contestants. Trophies will be awarded to the top five finishing contestants.