VERNONIA, Ore. — Three years after going pro, a Vernonia man is now world champion in elk calling.
Last weekend in Montana, Tony Gilbertson took home the top prize in the professional division in a head-to-head contest. Seven judges, sitting behind a curtain, score competitors on how well they perform, or who sounds most like an elk.
"The pro division is a different level," Gilbertson said. " I was nervous about that in 2022, my first year of competing in the pro division. I took second place ... Last year, I didn’t place. I was bummed about that. But this year, I won first place!"
He first began elk calling in the early 2000s, not long after he started archery hunting. He competed a few times in the men's division in the event held by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. He placed a few times, before taking a break from competition. He returned to the contest in 2021.
"Phelps Game Calls, which is a big name in the elk calling industry, reached out to me to see if I wanted to be a part of their pro team," said Gilbertson. "So, I said, 'Absolutely, sounds like a great opportunity.'"
Even before he went pro, he's been honing his skills.
"The elk communicate all year round but during the rut, the bulls get really excited. They get very possessive, and they start gathering up cows to breed, and in doing so, they will bugle. The cows will mew, and the calves will mew," he explained. "Once they have their cows, they are not as easily pulled away from that herd. But if you're a bull, and they think that you were a threat, they want to fight, so they will come to you and give you an opportunity perhaps for a shot."
Gilbertson said it's hard to fully describe the experience of a huge bull heading your way.
"They are so big, and they are so loud. And the sound itself ... I mean, it just gives you goosebumps, and makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck."
This year, in additional to his first professional title as the 2024 World Elk Calling Champ, he also got $5,000. Gilbertson's already looking ahead to next year's contest.
"I will have some practicing and preparing to do before I go to that one because I have a big target on my back now," he said.