Delta Waterfowl to Host 2023 World Cutdown Duck Calling Championship at Duck Hunters EXPO

An energy-filled contest sponsored by Mack’s Prairie Wings and Drake Waterfowl will crown a world champion cutdown caller on July 29

BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA—The Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters EXPO will host the World Cutdown Duck Calling Championship at 12 p.m. on July 29 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Sponsored by Mack’s Prairie Wings and Drake Waterfowl, the event is produced by renowned champion callers Jim Ronquest and Heath Vanlandingham.

The cutdown call is a specially modified duck call long-favored by timber hunters in Arkansas and on the Lower Illinois River. Inspired by this history, Ronquest and Vanlandingham developed a contest that requires the use of these particular calls.

“On behalf of the World Cutdown Duck Calling Championship, LLC, we look forward to being a part of this year’s Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo,” Ronquest said. “Last year’s event was a rousing success and this year’s will only be better.”

The classic Arkansas style duck call was introduced in 1904 by Philip Olt of Pekin, Illinois. In the 1950s and 1960s, duck hunters started individually modifying the call, which allowed them to customize the volume and pitch. These modified Olt calls—called “cutdowns”—were tremendously successful, and their popularity among hunters eventually led to commercial production by major duck call manufacturers.

An estimated 40 or more callers will take the Delta EXPO stage to compete for a first prize payout of at least $1,000, a shotgun, a Drake Waterfowl gear package, and the prestigious title of World Cutdown Calling Champion. Cash prizes will be paid to the top three finishers, with prizes awarded to the top five places. All entry fee money will be paid out. The entry fee is $50, and competitors can sign up in person from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the EXPO. And of course, EXPO attendees will be treated to the finest hunting-style calling from these avid waterfowl hunters and calling competitors.

Byron Womack, winner of the 2022 World Cutdown Championship, is seen posing with his trophy and two members of the Delta Waterfowl team.

The 2022 contest was held amid the inaugural Duck Hunters EXPO, with Byron Womack of Scottsboro, Alabama, claiming the prestigious title atop a field of 32 skilled competitors.

“Last year’s World Cutdown Duck Calling Championship captivated the crowds strolling the EXPO,” said Brad Heidel, senior director of marketing for Delta Waterfowl. “The competitors are faced with a real-world hunting scenario they have to ‘solve’ with their own calling routine on stage. It’s a stiff competition and an event Delta is proud to host.”

Presented by Federal Premium Ammunition, the Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters EXPO will feature three continuous stages of education, entertainment, and excitement, plus 80,000 square feet of waterfowling exhibits. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit deltawaterfowlexpo.com.

Delta Waterfowl is The Duck Hunters Organization, a leading conservation group working to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.

For more information, contact Brad Heidel at (651) 403-1772 or bheidel@deltawaterfowl.org.