The top turkey callers in the business gathered July 21-23 for the 63rd World Championship Turkey Calling Contest held during the World Deer & Turkey Expo in Birmingham, Ala. There they competed for more than $15,000 in cash and prizes.

Matt Van Cise, (pictured) a caller who competes for Woodhaven Custom Calls and took the NWTF/Wild Turkey Bourbon Grand National Calling Championships in Nashville earlier this year, again won big by taking top honors in the event’s top turkey calling competition. For the victory the Pennsylvania caller brought home $5,000. It was his third World title.

Following are the results and scores for the competition:

1st- Matt VanCise- Grand Valley, PA. (563)

2nd- Jim Pollard- Little Rock, AR.       (560)

3rd- Billy Yargus- Ewing, MO.            (554)

4th- Chris Parrish- Centralia, MO.        (552)tie

5th- Sadler McGraw- Leeds, AL.          (552)tie

6th- Steve Stoltz- St. Louis, MO.          (549)

7th- Mark Prudohmme- Columbia, SC. (545)

8th- Brett Berry-  Bristolville, OH.        (536)

In the World Two Man Championship, a pair of Missourians—Chris Parrish and Steve Stoltz—captured the title besting a field of seven other teams. They won $1,200 for first place.

Mark Prudohmme of South Carolina won the Owl Hooting Competition earning an $800 purse, while Georgia caller and defending champion Doug Benefield brought home top honors in the Gobbling Contest. He also earned $800 for the strong finish.

Congrats to all the winners of what has got to be among the biggest, yet least reported on, turkey calling competition in the World, and thanks to Steve Stolz, an old friend who I’ve somehow missed the chance to hunt with for two consecutive springs now (I don’t plan on missing a third!), for sending me the results. I couldn’t find them anywhere on the Web and found no news reports published on the Internet as well.