Steve Criner with Trophy

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Hunter’s Specialties® Pro Staff Member Steve Criner
Wins World Predator Calling Competition

Hunter’s Specialties Pro Staff member Steve Criner was recently crowned champion at the 2nd annual World Predator Calling Competition, held at the World Predator Expo in Columbus, Ohio March 19-21.

Some of the top callers from across the country came to Columbus with an eye on winning the coveted championship trophy. Callers were required to compete in two divisions; coyote vocalizations and distress sounds. The top five scorers from each division were allowed to compete in the championship round.

Steve was able to take second in coyote vocalization and third in distress sounds, making him the top scoring contestant for the final competition. The callers in the championship round were required to make a number of calls, including a cottontail distress, canine pups, adult canine and a “caller’s favorite” sequence.

After the scores were tallied, Steve came out on top with a total score of 207, winning the championship trophy.

“This is really a dream come true for me”, said Criner. “I started predator hunting as a teenager and killed my first fox when I was sixteen using a Johnny Stewart 512 caller and the Cottontail in Distress tape. Now I get to work directly with Gerald Stewart on sound development for the Johnny Stewart line. I believe that getting to hear those high quality sounds on a regular basis has helped me to develop into a better caller. During the competition I used a variety of Johnny Stewart hand calls and Infinity Latex diaphragm calls, along with the Coyote Hooker call.” Click here to view Steve’s winning performance.

Steve became a full-time member of the Hunter’s Specialties Pro Staff in 2009 after spending 20 years predator hunting in the Midwest, where he has logged over 200 days calling in a single season with as many as 76 coyotes called in. He has filmed a number of predator hunts and written articles for several major magazines. In his current role with Hunter’s Specialties, Steve appears both behind and in front of the camera for the Operation Predator DVD series and also works closely with Gerald Stewart to bring more Johnny Stewart sounds to the market.

For more information about other Hunter’s Specialties products, log onto the Hunter’s Specialties website at www.hunterspec.com, write to 6000 Huntington Court NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402, or call a Consumer Service Specialist at 319-395-0321.

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