At the same time two local Olympians were making Lancaster County proud, Ernie Wilson of Conestoga did the same by howling like there was no tomorrow.
At the World Predator Calling Competition recently in Kansas City, Mo., Wilson finished third in both the All Around Champion and Distress Calling divisions.
Wilson 55, used seven different calls he made himself to imitate various coyote calls and distress sounds made by a fawn deer, a chicken and a bird.
In this obscure but growing sport, hunters imitate the sounds of injured or scared prey animals to call in furbearing animals such as coyotes and foxes.
Wilson is one of the best and the handsome wooden calls he makes are a bestseller.
Calling from behind a curtain and with judges on the other side, the electrician wowed the audience with a repertoire of vocalizations from coyotes, similar to the ones he's heard outside his home near Safe Harbor.
He was called on to produce the various calls and howls instantaneously.
Oh, the pressure.
Back home, his fans awaited word of the contest on hunting and trapping Web sites.
Wilson earned a shot at the title by winning the Pennsylvania predator-calling championship earlier this summer. He already has a sponsor, Foxpro calls.
Wilson is co-founder of the Pennsylvania Predator Hunters Association, dedicated to introducing young people to the sport and helping fellow callers.
"I met all my heroes in the calling world," Wilson said of the experience.
RELATED VIDEO: Howling like a coyote
Staff writer Ad Crable can be reached at acrable@LNPnews.com or 481-6029.
(36)
