If you think you have what it takes to be crowned the best elk caller in the world, then mark your calendar for Saturday June 24, because the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is hosting their World Elk Calling Championship at Big Sky – and this is the first time here in Montana.
If you think you got what it takes, the registration deadline is Wednesday June 14th, and you’ll be going up against some of the top elk callers who don’t have hooves. Communication Director with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mark Holyoak, told me that you don’t need to be a guide to sign up, just be ready to have a good time.
“You know they look for authenticity, they look for what sounds right," said Holyoak. "Our judges are those who have been around a lot of elk. We’ve got former world champions, outfitters, long-time hunters, those who’ve been up close, those who have hands on experience hunting elk, experiencing elk and being around them and so it’s really [up to] the callers to try and do their best to figure out, you know, the most authentic elk sound that they can do. And then try and learn and move on to the next round.”
And even if you don’t make it to the next round, Holyoak said that there is plenty of reason to come out.
“If you call elk and what to give it a go then we encourage people to come on out, I mean there is $45,000in prizes at this thing, gear. So it’s a lot of fun when you watch people hold up the big checks," Holyoak told MTN. "Last year our pewee winner for example, he’s age 10 or less, he was definitely less last year, holding this big check. He got a check for a thousand-dollars and then he gets boxes of gear to take home, so that’s kind of fun. The best part for the callers though, and ive seen it first-hand, they get together and their families are there. The families meet families, they form friendships and some of them go out and hang-out socially or hunt together or they talk about different techniques and so that’s really fun."
