TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Many experienced hunters agree that you never know what type of sound a wild turkey will respond to. Sometimes they like the high-pitched yelps of an aluminum friction call or they might prefer the sound of a wingbone.
Whatever call a turkey is listening out for, Terence Williamson, a senior majoring in civil engineering at The University of Alabama, knows what to do. Since he was 4 years old, Williamson has been an avid deer, turkey and waterfowl hunter with a talent for turkey calling.
“I was very young when my father introduced me to deer and turkey hunting,” said Williamson. “My father and Eddie Salter Calls, recognized as one of the country’s leading authorities on turkey and deer hunting, taught me how to call, and I have participated in the sport ever since.”
After calling in his first turkey in 1996, Williamson traveled to numerous calling competitions throughout the Southeast. In 1997, he placed second in the junior division of his first contest, the Buck Burns Memorial Turkey Calling Contest. Since then, he has placed in more than 66 competitions.
“Turkey calling is a very competitive sport, but over time, you begin to see the competitors as family,” said Williamson. “I have essentially grown up with many of my competitors, and it is great to be able to share such a similar interest with all of them.”
Williamson recently placed second in the U.S. Open Qualifier and the Arkansas Sportshow Regional Turkey Calling Championship. He was the first runner-up in the friction division of the 2008 Wild Turkey Bourbon Grand National Calling Championship. In addition, Williamson placed second in friction and third in owl hooting at the 2008 Sportsman’s Warehouse Woods and Water Weekend Turkey Calling Contest.
“As a turkey caller, I have been given many opportunities to meet new people, including celebrities, while at hunting expos and events,” said Williamson. “Not many hobbies will allow people to experience all that I have as a caller, which is why I am so appreciative for this opportunity.”
Aside from his turkey calling accomplishments, Williamson has judged several calling contests, including the 2006 and 2007 Alabama State Turkey Calling Contests, and the 2007 National Wild Turkey Calling Contest. He also works as a member of the Woodhaven Custom Calls Pro Staff where he leads turkey calling demonstrations and seminars.
Originally from Gordo, Williamson’s love for the outdoors was not only responsible for instilling in him an interest in hunting and calling, but it also influenced him to pursue a future in engineering. After surveying with his father during the summer, Williamson realized that civil engineering was a field that combined the outdoors with practical applications.
“I knew that I wanted to be able to work outside,” said Williamson. “I did some work with my dad, who serves as the district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and that was all it took for me realize that engineering was something I was incredibly interested in.”
Despite his dedication to both turkey calling and engineering academics, Williamson admitted that it is sometimes hard to maintain a balance between the two.
“It is not always easy to work on CE401 homework while I am traveling to competitions or doing promotions for my sponsors,” explained Williamson. “However, it has been a great experience that I would not trade for anything.”
Soon, Williamson will graduate from the Capstone with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and will begin working with the Alabama Department of Transportation in the fifth division construction section in Tuscaloosa. He is looking forward to being able to dedicate more time to both engineering and calling.
“Even though I am excited about being able to pursue a career as a civil engineer, I have a love for competing,” said Williamson. “I have a lot of goals to achieve as a caller, and I hope to win all four major friction championships before I am finished with the sport.”
In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has more than 2,300 students and more than 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.
Note: A turkey calling demonstration will be Thursday, May 1, at 2 p.m. at Denny Chimes on the Quad. For more information, contact Mary Wymer at 205/348-6444 or mwymer@eng.ua.edu.
Contact
Allison Bridges, Engineering Student Writer, 205/348-3051, bridg028@bama.ua.edu
Mary Wymer, mwymer@eng.ua.edu