3-Time State Duck-Calling Champ Crowned

Clint Shipman won his third—and likely final—Georgia state duck-calling championship by topping a tough field of nine of the state’s elite competition duck callers. The event was held July 27 during GON’s Outdoor Blast at the Gwinnett Center.

After a third state title, there is an unwritten but widely followed rule that duck callers don’t return to a state-championship event. Clint was the Georgia state champion in 2008 and 2010.

With the win, Clint earned another chance to compete at the World’s Duck Calling Championship in Stuttgart, Ark. Callers can only qualify for the World’s through sanctioned events.

Using a Refuge call, Clint had high score in the first two rounds and took a sizable lead heading into the third and final round. His overall winning score was 784. Second place went to 2012 state champ Jacob Fortner, of Lawrenceville, who scored 781. Placing third, just one point out of second, was Chase Camp, of Carrollton.

Also held during the event was the prestigious Georgia State Meat Calling Championship, a title with past winners that include a World’s Champion and callers from five different states. The 2014 Georgia State Meat title went to Gary Orr, of Clarkesville, Tenn. The 2014 Georgia State Two-Man title went to the team of 14-year-old Colton Foskey, of Cochran, and Rodney Hill, of Sneads, Fla.

Ducks Unlimited sponsored the events and provided K2 coolers to top finishers. The event also featured 100 percent payback.