ALBUQUERQUE – Every good duck caller knows the key to calling duck is practice, practice, practice. Every contest caller knows it will take more than just practice to win the 2009 New Mexico State Duck Calling Contest.

It’s going to take a clear tone, steady cadence and a mountain of courage to claim victory against New Mexico’s elite callers.

The annual contest will be held at 10:30 a.m. on September 20, 2009 at Expo New Mexico, NM State Fairgrounds on the lawn in front of the Natural Resources Building. The state’s best callers will compete in four categories:

• New Mexico State Junior Open Duck Calling Championship: Open to all callers under the age of 17. Three rounds, 90 second routines, competition style. $15 entry fee per caller.

• New Mexico State Women Open Duck Calling Championship: Open to all female callers. Three rounds, 90 second routines, competition style. $15 entry fee per caller.

• New Mexico State Duck Calling Championship: The contest is open to all New Mexico residents that will attain the age of seventeen (17) as of the hour of the World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest. All participants must bring proof of residency and agree to represent the State of New Mexico at the World’s Championship in 2009, should they win. Should the winner fail to represent the contest, the 2nd place winner can represent the contest at the “Worlds.”  Three rounds, 90 second routines, competition style. $30 entry fee per caller.

• New Mexico State Open Team Meat Duck Calling Championship: This is a mallard duck calling 2-person contest, Open to All. Contest will be judged on the best team callers working ducks in from medium range, 250 yards or so. Leave the ringing hail calls alone and make the high end loud greeters. There is no limit on the number of teams a caller can call on. Three rounds, 90 second routines, competition style. $30 entry fee per team.

The first place prize for each event in this year’s event will be 25% of Entry Fees from each category and a Buck Gardner Call. The winner must be able to attend the World Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart, Arkansas on November 28th, 2009. The event chairman or a committee member must receive the registration fees payable to Ducks Unlimited no later than 9 am M.S.T. on the day of the event.

The Albuquerque Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, The Duke City Duck Club Albuquerque Chapter of Delta Waterfowl, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and Buck Gardner Calls will sponsor the event this year. State Fair parking and Entry Fees will NOT be waived. For more information contact Carole Shores, by calling (505) 275-0497 or email DuMaDuck@aol.com. To obtain an entry form, copy of the rule or event flyer, visit www.dukecityduckclub.com.