For immediate release

August 12, 2022

Alabama’s Byron Womack claims prestigious title in field of 32 top competitors

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS — When the final contest quack faded at the World Cutdown Duck Calling Championship, held in conjunction with the Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters EXPO at the State House Convention Center on July 30, Byron Womack of Scottsboro, Alabama, hoisted the trophy. Womack, 23, topped a slate of 32 callers from across the United States in the championship sponsored by Mack’s Prairie Wings and Drake Waterfowl.

“Winning the world championship is so surreal. I still almost can’t believe it,” Womack said. “It’s just hitting me now that it’s real. I’m just so happy for myself and for Rolling Thunder. Honestly, I give all the credit to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ for blessing me with the ability to get up there and do this. It feels so incredible … I’m still at a loss for words.”

In addition to the trophy, Womack took home a Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 shotgun from Mack’s Prairie Wings, a waterfowl hunting gear package including waders from Drake Waterfowl and $1,000 cash.

Womack entered his first duck calling contest when he was 15 years old — and won it. Since then, he says that he has been all-in on improving his skills, hunting hard and working toward becoming a champion.

“The first contest I entered was put on by Haydel’s Calls at the Huntsville Hunting and Fishing Expo,” Womack said. “I won it, and that really sparked a fire for me. YouTube was a big help for me, especially legendary callers like Antonio Jones and some others. I can hear something and then I’ll practice and practice until I master it.”

He credits Spencer Halford of Rolling Thunder Game Calls with introducing him to cutdowns when they hunted together, and he has been competing with the company’s cutdown calls since 2017. Notably, he took second place in the 2021 World Cutdown Calling Championship at Mack’s Prairie Wings in Stuttgart, Arkansas.

The cutdown is a specially modified duck call long-favored by timber hunters in Arkansas and on the Lower Illinois River. Inspired by this history, renowned callers Jim Ronquest and Heath Vanlandingham created the world championship specifically for the use of this type of call.

Womack said that winning the title in conjunction with the Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters EXPO made it even more special.

“Just with the group of people y’all had there and my buddies from Rolling Thunder, it was like we were all longtime hunting friends,” he said. “It couldn’t have been a better experience. I will definitely be back.”

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.