A World Class Showing at the World Championships

June 25, 2024 Mitchell Johnston

(Image of winners from left to right: Jon Miller, Wayne Dozier, Mitchell Johnston, Tyler Presley, Matthew Presley)

On Thursday, June 6th, several competitive turkey callers departed for Mobile, Alabama, to participate in the World Turkey Calling Championships. This event is one of the three major turkey calling contests held each year, alongside the National Turkey Calling Championship and the US Open Turkey Calling Championship. Competitions began on June 7th and concluded on June 8th, encompassing the following divisions: Poults, Juniors, Intermediate, Amateur, Gobbling, Owling, Friction, and Open divisions.

Both the Open Division and the Friction Division had preliminary rounds on Friday. Matthew Presley led the preliminary rounds for both divisions. Only twelve competitors advanced to the Championship Day on Saturday, joined by the reigning 2023 World Champion in the Friction division. In the Open division, twelve contestants made the finals, as the reigning World Champion, Craig Wolfe, a Dead End Caller, was not in attendance. In the Friction division, both Presley brothers, Matthew and Tyler, advanced to compete for the Friction World Championship title. All five Dead End Callers—Jon Miller, Matthew Presley, Tyler Presley, Wayne Dozier, and Mitchell Johnston—made it through to Championship Day in the Open Division.

When the dust settled, the Dead End Calling team claimed three World Championship titles. Wayne Dozier won his third World Championship Open Division title. He and team partner, Jared Lowe, won the Two Man Team Championship, marking Wayne's seventh and eighth World Championship titles. Mitchell Johnston secured the World Gobbling Championship, earning his fourth World Championship title.

Here’s how the Dead End Calling team finished in the top 5 of the other divisions:

Open division: