THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 9, 1994 TAG: 9409090558
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BARCO LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
Not so long ago, people could sit along the Currituck Sound and be spellbound by the heavenly incantations of migrating waterfowl.
In recent years, however, the calls of the wild have drawn fewer listeners and sometimes have fallen on deaf ears.
As the duck, goose, swan and loon populations have declined along northeastern North Carolina and elsewhere, so has the art of waterfowl calling.
But thanks to a wet summer up north, the birds are expected to make a comeback this fall. And thanks to the Currituck Wildlife Guild, more folks may also find their calling.
The folk art that once defined this area will be on display at the 13th Annual Currituck Wildlife Festival Saturday and Sunday at the Currituck County High School in Barco.
Last year 1,500 guests paid to watch skilled carvers create life-like decoys from a block of wood, sample wildlife art, paint their own wooden ducks and listen to contestants in various bird-calling competitions.
This year's doors open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and until 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Some visitors come mainly to see the guild's wildlife collectibles or to purchase prize-winning decoys. Others wet their whistle while waiting a turn at the calling contest.
``Currituck people, I think, really cherish their heritage,'' said Fred Smith, a local sheriff's deputy and ardent waterfowl caller. ``And our children - we need to instill in them the importance of carrying on tradition.''
The local customs of decoy carving and duck calling date back to the 1800s, when both were recognized as an art form. The folk art hit its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, when Currituck County became known nationwide for its waterfowl hunting.
Canadian droughts and coastal developments later caused duck and other waterfowl populations to decrease. That, in turn, meant less hunting and fewer callers.
Wildlife Guild members hope that waterfowl fans will be within earshot at 7 p.m. Saturday, when the North Carolina Junior and Senior State Championships get underway.
Contestants draw numbers and then stand behind duck blinds and ``blow'' 90-second routines by mouth or with the aid of an artificial devise.
Saturday's winners will be rewarded with gifts and plaques and a chance at the national title this November in Arkansas.
Brad Privott, a 12-year-old Bell's Island boy who has gained international fame as a world champion junior caller, will be defending his state title.
The eighth-grader at Knapp Junior High has been calling sincehis dad, Bill Privott, stuck a gazoo-like caller in his mouth at age 11 months. That was when Bill took a calling title at the first Currituck Wildlife Festival in 1982.
Since then, young Privott has gone on to appear on late-night talk shows and international talent programs, with more promotional spots in the works.
Both Smith and Privott, also a world champion caller, want this weekend's contests to spark new interest in calling and recruit young talent to carry on a centuries-old tradition.
``Hopefully they can grasp a piece of that heritage and take it to their middle ages and then pass it on to the grandkids,'' Smith said.
Even with Currituck development encroaching on ducks' favorite gathering places, the men remain optimistic about the future of the outdoor sport.
``I think maybe now, with the increase in the duck population, hopefully some of these dads will get into hunting and they'll teach them to call,'' the elder Privott said.
Other festival highlights include a children's painted decoy contest from 10 a.m. to noon. Twenty-five miniature blank decoys carved by a Knotts Island resident will be decorated by kids up to 12 while supplies last.
Artisans' handiwork is put to the test at the working decoy and shorebird contest Saturday. Decoy painting contest winners will be auctioned off on Sunday.
The guild's collection of old decoys, a Blanton Saunders skiff and Joe Hayman boat will be on display, as will Somers Headley's wildlife collection.
Tickets are $3 for anyone older than 6 or $5 for two-day passes. Proceeds benefit the Wildlife Guild's museum fund. ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by DREW C. WILSON/
Bill Privott and his son Brad are both famous for their duck and
goose calling skills. They'll appear at the Currituck Wildlife
Festival this weekend at Currituck County High School in Barco.
by CNB