Georgetown resident completes goal of state calling title slam
Mark Prudhomme is a hunting guide at a local plantation in Georgetown who loves the outdoors and spends just about every day outside. He has competed in the state duck-calling contest held at the Winyah Bay Heritage Festival for four years without ever taking the top spot.
Until yesterday (Jan. 16), when he beat a field of eight competitors to become the state champ, earning the right to represent South Carolina at the World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart, Ark.
Competition began with a hitch when Prudhomme walked out to the calling station, decorated as a duck blind and was seen by one of the judges. Organizer Mark Ackerman had to conduct a re-draw on the order of competition so the judges, sequestered in a tent, would only hear the sound of the duck calling.
Prudhomme waited his turn, and then turned in one heck of a calling display. To view a video from his championship calling click here.
Each contestant is allowed to call for 90-seconds over three different rounds of calling. The caller gets to perform his routine, and the judges score based on their hail call (or long-distance call), feed call (or chatter call), come-back call, mating call (or lonesome duck call) and overall routine.
Prudhomme, who is endorsed by Knight and Hale Game Calls, said he met a personal milestone when he won the competition.
“This win means a lot because it was a goal of mine to complete my collection of South Carolina state calling titles,” Prudhomme said. “I have always wanted to blow in the world duck-calling championships, too.”
Prudhomme is a past state champion in turkey calling, goose calling and owl hooting. He also is the National Wildlife Turkey Federation’s back-to back Champion of Champions Turkey Calling Contest winner from 2009 and 2010.
Second place in the state duck-calling contest went to Daniel Smith of Orangeburg. He competes with a Swamp Thing mallard call, and finished second in 2008 as well.
Third went to Hugh McLaurin of Elloree. McLaurin competes with his own custom calls, the Big Lake Force series, and he finished second last year.
Eligibility rules for the state championship calling contest require callers to be at least 17 years old and state residents.
A junior state championship calling contest allows for out-of-state competitors ages 16 and under.
Six contestants competed in two rounds of calling, and 15-year-old Liam Miller of Wallace won the contest competing with an Allen Blivens call.
“This is my first state championship and I’ve only been calling for two years, so I’m very happy,” Miller said. “The junior callers are all friends because we are kind of neck and neck in all the competitions across the Carolinas.”
Finishing in second place was 14-year-old Blake Hodge of Lancaster, a member of the Wrecking Crew Guide Service. Blowing a Rich-N-Tone competition call, Hodge was the defending champion for the youth competition from 2008 and 2010.
Finishing in third was 15-year-old Jared Beasley from Warsaw, who competed with an Allen Blivens call.
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