Monticello duck caller takes 2nd World's title

STUTTGART -- Logan Hancock of Monticello was scared spitless, but he was cool enough Saturday to win the World's Championship Duck Calling Contest for the second time in three years.

Hancock, 31, an aerial photographer for EOS GeoTechnologies, said that when he practices his duck-calling routines, his caller usually fills with saliva. The reed and barrel stayed dry Saturday despite Hancock consuming copious amounts of water backstage. It helped produce the same clear, dulcet tones that propelled him to his first World's Championship in 2015.

"My routine hasn't changed very much," Hancock said. "It worked for me that time, and I was fairly confident that it could work again. Thousands of stars have to align to win this thing, and lightning struck twice, I guess."

Winning his second title wasn't much different than the first, Hancock said. The bigger difference was in 2016, when he squawked a note and was cut from the field in the second round.

"In 2016 there was a lot of pressure being the returning champion," Hancock said. "I felt like everybody was watching me, and they were. When you're going all out, it doesn't take much to go a little too far.

"Today I was really relaxed. I didn't feel like there was as much pressure today. I just had fun."

Even so, Hancock said you can make a disqualifying error from just a moment's inattention.

"Some guy out there in the crowd did the 'wave' right as I was doing my warmup," Hancock said. "I had to keep doing my warmup to gather my mental composure."

Next to getting married and having children, Hancock said winning the World's Championship are two of his happiest experiences.

"It helps when you when some prizes," Hancock said. "When I won my first World, my wife said she wanted a ring from Wilkerson's [Fine Jewelers]. When you win, you get this super nice ring from Wilkerson's. I handed it to her."

Hancock said that encouragement from family and friends drives him to strive for excellence as a competitive caller.

"That's what keeps me going," Hancock said. "I had 15 or 16 people tonight, a whole bunch from back around home, tremendous family and friends. If they didn't support me, if they weren't interested in coming and watching me, I might not do this. Making them proud of me is what makes me tick."

Sports on 11/26/2017