GK World Championship Goose Calls

Paul is Married with two children and like his father he is getting his kids involved in to the great outdoors at a very early age fishing,upland birds,deer and his passion for duck and goose hunting. Paul is a serious waterfowler and he is as Hardcore as they come about the tradition of the sport. A few years Paul got involved into the competitive calling in both duck and goose and in 2004 he won the Michigan State Duck Calling Championship and the Midwestern Regional Goose Calling Championship thirty days apart that is some kind of achivement. Paul balances his time between Work, family and his love for the outdoors. We are proud to have him as part of Team GK Calls.

Paul Hinnman

Wade Walling

"My grandfather introduced me to waterfowl hunting when I was in the 6th grade on his private land bordering the historic Illinois River. Ever since my first experience I was hooked. After years of hunting in Illinois, my pursuit of waterfowl has taken me across the entire state; chasing mallards in the northern most section, all the way to the goose capital of the United States in the southern tip. After hunting for a couple of years, my grandpa gave me one of his calls. I was instantly fascinated with the calling aspect of waterfowl hunting and had a great desire to learn to speak the language. I bought myself a cheap call and a tape and started from there. After countless hours of practice I started to become interested in contest calling and entered my first contest at the age of 15. From the beginning I wanted to be a competitive goose caller, but figured that I would have a brighter future in duck contests. After a couple years of competing in duck contests I began advancing in goose contests as well. Once I started having some success in goose contests, I gave up main street duck calling and switched my focus completely to goose calling with Team GK Calls

Craig began hunting at a very young age, learning about the outdoors from his father. He has been hunting and guiding for 25 years and still has sleepless nights before a hunt. His interest in wildlife led him to the College of Natural Resources where he studied Fish and Wildlife. His studies and experience in the outdoors landed him the position of Boat Captain with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources near Kingsville ,Ontario – home of the famous Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary. It is here that Craig began to expand his knowledge of hunting and calling waterfowl. Thanks to a few local waterfowlers, Craig’s calling improved and he soon began winning local competitions. To date, Craig has won the South Western Goose Calling Championship 3 times, the Canadian Classic 4 times and the Canadian World 3 times, as well as numerous regional contests. He has never placed lower then 2nd in any goose calling competition in Canada and has several top 3 finishes in duck calling. After being retired from most Canadian Competitions by 2001, Craig began calling in the US where his success has continued with numerous top 5 finishes as well as a few wins. Craig has appeared in hunting magazines, T.V. shows and waterfowl videos, most recently Black Foot Down which was filmed during his stay with St Lawrence Outfitters. His pursuit of Waterfowl has taken Craig across many parts of North America, guiding and hunting with friends. In the off season he spends his time training his 2 retrievers, fishing, painting decoys or travelling to calling competitions across North America.

Craig McDonald

Chad Eidson

"I am very lucky to have been born and raised in a hunting family in the waterfowl rich Columbia Basin of Washington State. From an early age, waterfowl hunting has always been my main interest. This interest has since spawned into a full time guiding job over the last five years. The pursuit of waterfowl has also allowed me to travel to many western states and also Alberta, Canada in search of ducks and geese. My interest in the calling aspect of waterfowl hunting has also led to me competing in contest calling. I have had many top three finishes in both duck and goose contests throughout the western United States including a top three finish in the Washington State goose contest the last three years, and with the help of Bob Alfieri and Team GK Calls I have enjoyed increased success both on the stage and in the field.

I'm a third generation outdoorsman, growing up in south eastern Michigan, I learned to hunt and fish from my father and started pheasant hunting at age 12, deer and waterfowl hunting at age 16. Waterfowl hunting is an obsession with me, just ask my wife and our two children. I have already started passing on the family tradition in the outdoors with my daughter and son. I've been a police officer in the Metro Detroit area since 1991 and am currently a certified firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor, weapons armorer and K-9 handler. I took my love of training and hunting over dogs to the next level in 1999 when I started my departments first K-9 unit. I know that GK calls have made me more successful in the field and a better caller. I feel very lucky to be a member of Team GK Calls.

Steve Cheston

Josh Edwards

I grew up hunting in the lake plains of western New York. Hunting and fishing was a way of life growing up for me. My father, grandfather, uncles, and cousins were all hunters. For the past twenty years I've chased waterfowl, upland birds, whitetails, and other small game. My love for pursuing waterfowl has taken all of my hunting time the past six seasons. Now, my 11 and 9 year old boys share the blind with me. It's a great experience for me to watch them become sportsmen and hunters. They both are learning the things that were taught to me by my father and family, and have become excellent callers as well. In the fall of 2001 I started competing in calling contests. In March of 2002, a mutual friend introduced me to Bob Alfieri. Bob really kickstarted things for me. Since then, I have won several State, Regional, Open, and Meat duck and goose calling contests. Whether you're hunting for a full limit, or a competition win, GK Calls will get the job done for you.

Rusty hails from LaSalle,Ontario he is married and has two kids and a Third on its way due in September of 2005. Rusty guided ducks hunters for a few years in what is known as club country in Canada and for a outfitter in IL for geese he now guides for St Lawrence Outfitters in Mallory Town, Ontario. When he is not guiding he can be found out on the lake working a jig or buzz bait he loves to fish and competes every year in some bass tournaments around home. His love of hunting waterfowl has taken him down the tournament trail of competition calling circuit in just a few short years he has earned some very distinguished goose calling titles in both Canada and across the pond in the USA both in single and two man events. Rusty says he is looking forward to the day his young son Ben can share the blind with him.

Rusty Heron

Jude St. John

Jude St. John is a happily married husband and father of five. He lives in London, Ontario, Canada with his wife Nicole and his children Ena, Adele, Mara, Judah, and Arwen. Ray, his older brother and constant hunting companion, and he were introduced to hunting at an early age by his father Ray Sr. Several weeks each autumn were spent chasing upland game, waterfowl, and small game in eastern Montana around the town of Sydney. Pheasant was the quarry of choice, but the pursuit of many different game animals was to be expected when the St.Johns were in the field.

Most outdoor time in his teenage years was spent on the waters of southwestern Ontario fishing for any species that would bite. Being surrounded by the Great Lakes, as well as many other smaller bodies of water, allowed Jude to chase his favorite finned species, the smallmouth bass. It wasn't until his twenties that Jude began to pursue ducks and geese with fervor. Jude and his brother were mostly self-taught when it came to hunting waterfowl. Although the process was slow, this helped him appreciate the successful hunts much more. Hunting big Canada geese in fields and ducks over water now takes up most of Jude's time out of doors.

Jude has played football professionally in the Canadian Football League since 1995. Following an undefeated national championship season with the University of Western Ontario, Jude was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. After three years in Canada's "Steeltown", Jude signed with the Toronto Argonauts. Jude has played for North America's oldest sports team since 1998 and hopes to finish his career there. Playing in the "trenches" on the offensive line helps him appreciate the solitude and serenity that can be found in the outdoors. Jude also enjoys playing hockey and occasionally substitute teaching at high schools in London. He also likes to speak publicly at schools, banquets, and churches.

Jude values the many friends and family members he has spent quality time with in the field. He also recognizes the importance of mentoring young hunters into the sport. Jude looks forward to passing on the outdoor legacy to his children as it was passed on to him.

I love to hunt ducks and geese, primarily Canada’s and mallards, I was lucky to be introduced to the sport at a young age and the passion has stuck with me ever since. I have been hunting waterfowl for 14 years now, I live in Ontario and I am a fulltime guide with Grey Bruce Outfitters guiding waterfowl and turkey hunts. I am out in the field guiding anywhere from 60-80 days a year. When you are in the field that much and know your pay check depends on your success you need the best equipment you can get, and it all starts with a great call. Day in and day out I use the GK Little Giant to put more birds on the ground then any other call I have used, It has been so reliable for me whether it’s the hot days of early goose to the late season minus 15 degree hunts, it works every time and has not let me down.

I am currently training a chocolate lab pup and look forward to hunting over him in the fall. During the down time you can find me out on the water fishing for salmon and smallmouths, in the summer months I fight forest fires in Northern Ontario. I have had a lot of success with my GK calls and I am very lucky to member of there prostaff, thanks again Bob.

Luke Scherders

John Traiforos

John hails from Saskatchewan, Canada where he was born and raised. It was John’s father who introduced him to hunting. John’s father preferred to hunt upland birds and John recalls his very first day a field walking windrows in search of grouse, partridge, and pheasant. Although he loved the rush he felt when coveys of partridges flushed beneath him, what he remembers most was his constant focus on the large number of migrating flocks of ducks and geese making their way south high overhead. Something simply captivated him and he knew right then and there he would become hooked!

At the age of 16, with his driver’s license finally in hand, John set out in search of waterfowl. Springtime was spent driving the back roads of Saskatchewan scouting for potholes and simply admiring the ducks themselves as they were returning back north to nest in full plumage. He recalls spending hours at his favourite honey holes. Some of them would contain a vast number of different species – you could find 8, 9, and even 10 different species of ducks in a single pothole. He was so enthralled by the wide variety of duck species and the beauty of their colours, he set out to harvest one drake of each of the 13 species that migrate through Saskatchewan during a single season – a goal that still eludes him to this day.

Today, at 33 years of age, field hunting Canada geese is John’s main focus, but duck hunting over a slough is a close second. The past few seasons has seen John busy back at University working towards his M.B.A. but he confesses he had spent more time in small town Saskatchewan hotels than his own bed in prior seasons as he hunts his home province very extensively. Quality time with friends in the field admiring the birds work to the call is what it is all about for this Canadian waterfowling enthusiast.

John is honoured to represent GK Calls as part of their Pro Staff. Although John has an extensive collection of waterfowl call, you will only find GK calls on his lanyards come hunting season. In his words, they simply fit me well, sound phenomenal, and are backed by the very best customer service in the call business.

Chad Buehler

I was born and raised in NW Ohio near Toledo which is on the SW shores of Lake Erie and its many famous bays and marshes including Sandusky Bay and Magee Marsh just to name a few. I am married with 2 daughters and 1 on the way. I had an interest in hunting at a very early age and began going along with my uncles deer hunting at the age of 13 as a spectator. At the age of 14 I began bowhunting with them. It was also that fall that a neighbor took me waterfowl hunting for the first time. From that moment on and that lone shot I fired to take my first duck, a hen wood duck, a waterfowler was born. During those first few years I began to obsess over geese and how difficult they were for me to hunt and started to dedicate myself to goose hunting. Today that passion for waterfowl still burns inside of me and it seems not a moment goes by that I don’t find myself having “Fowl” thoughts of some kind or another. I am in the field nearly every day of the season even if only for an hour after work. When goose season isn’t in you can find me duck hunting and when neither duck or goose season is in you can find me walleye fishing wishing it was waterfowl season.

Ray St. John was born and raised in Southwestern Ontario. Ray is happily married with 3 children. When Ray isn’t chasing geese and ducks he is a Pediatric Critical Care Nurse at Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario. Hunting and fishing has always played a large part in the St. John family. Goose and duck hunting became more than hobby for Ray and Jude (Ray’s “little” brother) in the early 90’s. It truly started one cold December morning in a field that had no more than 20 geese in it the night before. At the time both Ray and Jude were in University and money was short. Thus, they loaded ALL 9 decoys, burlap and shotguns into the car for the last goose hunt of the season. That morning was the first time the geese had ever locked their wings and put down their landing gear. Jude shot two and Ray shot one. It was their most successful hunt ever! From that point goose hunting became an obsession. There is still nothing like seeing a flock “cupped and committed”. Purchasing gear also became and obsession. With the acquisition of better equipment came the transition from flute calls to short reed calls. The first short reed calls that went on to the St. John’s lanyards were Giant Killers and they are still there today. The fall finds Ray spending as much time as possible hunting fields and marshes with family, friends and dogs. Ray looks forward to the day when he can watch his children set the dekes and call’em in.

Ray St. John

Scott McDonald

Scott hails from a long line of waterfowlers and outdoorsmen. from his grandfather, his father, his brother Craig and now his young nephew Sean Yardley, who at 14 yrs old has the same passion and drive to continue the family outdoor heritage. Scott has been an avid waterfowler and fisherman for over 40 yrs and happily married to his wife Lorraine and resides in Burlington, Ontario. Scott started hunting at an early age with his father, and has never looked back since .he is also active in the competetive calling community and is the current chairman and head judge for the “Canadian championship calling committee”, emceeing and overseeing various calling competitions throughout ontario.he also, on occasion, has been called upon to judge some calling events in the U.S.A. and when requested, has advised other clubs in Canada on how to operate a contest in their local area. scott has also done some guiding and waterfowl seminars, as well as radio spots in his local area and is presently a member of Kent Cartridge and St.Lawrence outfitters pro staff. Scott looks forward to any contributions he can make with Bob Alferi and the GK team. “i first met bob, many years ago at a local contest here in Ontario and was immediatley impressed with his proffesionalism and ‘’have fun attitiude’’, capping that with a great product and superior customer service, I am proud to be affilliated with the GK Team”

Scott Rumble

I still remember my first waterfowl hunt like it was yesterday
but in fact it was 24 years ago with my Uncle on Rondeau Bay. Since that time I have been fortunate to introduce my Son, nephew and cousin to waterfowling and it will soon be time to take my daughter to the blind.

In the Spring of 2003 I attended my first goose calling contest and was intrigued to say the least at what I was hearing. Thanks to Bob and Team Gk for all the help and encouragement to get involved with calling contests. I placed first in the Cabela's waterfowl weekend 2 man contest in the summer of 2005 and look forward to participating in many more.

In my spare time i enjoy training my labs and running hunt tests, coaching minor baseball and sitting on the board of Directors for Rondeau Bay Waterfowlers and anything else related to waterfowl hunting.

I want to thank my wife and family for putting up with all the traveling, noise from practicing and friends staying over to go hunting.

Billy Bales

I was born and still live in Central Kentucky, not exactly a goose hunting mecca until recent years. I have been married to my wonderful wife, Brenda, for 33 years and have a daughter 27, Whitney.

I killed my first duck at 9 and my first goose at age 13 and have been hooked ever since. During the late 70’s and early 80’s, I spent a lot of weekends at the clubs on the west side of Horseshoe Lake and at Ballard County, KY. It was a thrill to watch the thousands of migratory birds coming into those areas back then. I got to hunt with several people who went on to become World Champion Callers and call makers. I tried competition calling and decided long ago to let the geese be my judge, in other words, I wasn’t very good in competition calling.

In the early 80’s, I started putting out nest boxes in our area to help build a resident flock. It’s ironic that now, birds from my area are being moved to Ballard County to establish a resident flock. I guess that is why Central Kentucky is now the goose capital of the Bluegrass and a very well kept secret. I have tried almost all the calls on the market and settled on GK in 2001, they are by far the easiest to operate and can be made to sound any way you want them, my go to call is still an original from 01, it’s been through a lot of reeds and doesn’t look the best in the world, but it still kills geese.

Bob jokingly told me that I have more GK calls than he does, not yet, but I’m working on it. His calls are really becoming popular in our area and I do everything I can to promote them.

I feel both lucky and blessed to be a member of Team GK

Jamie Higgins lives in Stratford Ontario Canada with his wife Suzi and 3 children, Leisha, Josh and Riley. Jamie has been water fowling for over 25 years. Like so many other water fowlers, Jamie started hunting at an early age with his father and grandfather. He is now able to share a blind with his 2 boys.
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Jamie has guided for a number of years and has judged at various goose and duck calling competitions including the Can Am, Canadian Classic and the Canadian World goose calling competitions.

Most recently Jamie has turned his time and energy into working with new hunters. Being able to give back to the sport he loves so much is important to him. His passion for the sport is contagious and all who have the privilege of hunting with him catch it. In the off season Jamie instructs at water fowling seminars, shoots sporting clays and enjoys working with his dogs.

Jamie Higgins

Chad Kerr

Chad was born and raised in Burlington, IA on the banks of the Mississippi River. He is married to a lovely wife Stacey who has the same love for the outdoors as her husband and fully understands the time and effort it takes to be a successful hunter and fisherman in this competitive world.

Chad has been hunting and fishing since the age of 11 when his father introduced him to hunting squirrels and rabbits.Then at age 12 won his first Bass tournament against 70 other adult fisherman.Next at age 13 killed his first buck, and finally at 14 years of age was introduced to waterfowl hunting which is his passion to this day! During the summer Chad can be found chasing Bass on the tournament trail fishing BFL and Anglers Choice tournaments.Chad accomplished the Angler of the Year award for the Mississippi River pool 19 div. in 2007.

This region of the Midwest offers some very tough hunting with highly pressured birds and a lot of competition on the public areas of the Mississippi River and its backwaters.Gk Calls delivers the volume and sound that is needed in this competitive area to be successful. Bob and Gk calls offers the best service and products in the industry.

I have known Bob for many years and bought my first short reed call from him many moons ago. I own a lot of Gk calls and am a firm believer in them. I am proud to be a part of the GK calls pro staff !

Mike Williams

My name is Mike Williams and my very understanding wife Michelle and I live in the small town of Lomira WI which is located a few short miles from the famed Horicon Marsh.

My father got my in to hunting well before I was of the legal age to hunt and it has stuck with me ever since. We were a hunting family that hunted almost everything Wisconsin had to offer. As I grew older I found it hard to dedicate myself to some many different hunting opportunities and slowly began spending all my time in pursuit of waterfowl.

With that said, I try to hunt 5-6 days a week, chasing honkers and ducks around the eastern part of the state learning as much as I can along the way. I don’t think there is a better sight than finishing a flock of geese, watching mallards fall from the heavens or watching in amazement as a flock of cans’ scream through the spread. I think the best part of waterfowl hunting is the preparation that goes into the hunt itself. All the miles scouting, setting a spread you think the birds will “eat up,” quality dog work and most of all, the camaraderie of hunting with friends and family that share the same passion and dedication as myself. To me that’s what it’s all about.

In the so called off season you’ll find me chasing spring snows in Missouri and South Dakota, hunting down monster pike in Canada, working my faithful hunting partner Morgan and doing what I can, to prepare for the upcoming season.

Foster Bartholow

Born and raised in Rapid City, SD, Foster has always had a passion for the outdoors. His father, Buddy, has always been very supportive with anything that foster has wanted to accomplish. Ever since the elementary grades, Foster has been going out hunting with his dad, even early on when it was just following him. His dad taught him to do it right the first time, and always give 100%.

After the first time out waterfowl hunting, and his first time goose hunting on the SD youth goose hunt, he was hooked. Foster says "I have been fortunate to meet great friends on the youth hunt, and a couple of my best friends I met there". After these hunts, waterfowl have been on Fosters mind 24/7, learning valuable info from friends, mentors, and the waterfowl's patterns, he strives for being the best and is always learning about waterfowl. Teaching the youth how to hunt and getting them out hunting is something that foster believes is necessary for the sport to thrive, he is very active in the youth goose hunt in Pierre, SD every year, as well as huntsafe programs.

Other hobbies that foster loves are bowhunting, fishing, videotaping, photography, and trapshooting. You can find Foster hunting a majority of the time during the fall and winter, and trapshooting during the summertime. Foster and his brother, along with other awesome friends (a.k.a the "trapshooting team") have worked together, picking each other up mentally and being focused before and during shooting. This dedication led them to winning the SCTP national championship two years ago. Foster has many individual trophies like the Winchester AAA Singles Event World Title in Sparta, IL this past year along with many other local and state titles. His brother, Matt, has been a strong influence in success, along with his dad's help with staying mentally and physically strong, and the coach's support and mentorship.

If its helping or teaching someone how to hunt or shoot, Foster is always willing to help and glad to share the knowledge that he has gained over the years to help someone be the best they can be.

Shannon Ohlandt

My name is Shannon Ohlandt, I am from Roseneath, P.E.I.. My love for the outdoors started at a very young age. My dad use to take me fishing in the spring and hunting in the fall. I also had cousins and uncles that took me hunting in the fall. These experiences are what developed my love for the outdoors. The waterfowling on P.E.I.

can be excellent, yet has some of the most intense hunting pressure in North America. From Outfitters to local residences, the birds get educated quick during our 60 day season. I usually spend about 35 days every fall hunting waterfowl. I have hunted the early resident goose season in Ontario and New Brunswick, come home to hunt our season opener on P.E.I., and have chased late season Blacks and Mallards in Nova Scotia during their extended season, which is open after ours closes.

In 2004 with the help of a couple hunting buddies, I helped found Winglockers Waterfowl Hunting Club, of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Since the inception of the club, we have been asked to put on waterfowl hunting seminars, and done calling demonstrations at local sportsmen's shows. I am also a volunteer member of the Montague Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. In my spare time I like to work on my call collection, competition calling, and do just about anything waterfowl related. With the help with GK, I have been able to win 5 of our local calling competitions since 2005.
I would like to thank, my girlfriend Dawn for all her support.
The countless nights of honking and quacking downstairs in our home, that she put up with amazed me. THANKS. Also, to my hunting buddy Batch for never taking a day off, to David Roy for getting it all started, and Craig McDonald for all the help, and to Bob for allowing me to be part of such a great team. It truly is a privilege to be a member of Team GK.