John Walls Three-peats as World Goose Champion

On Saturday, November 9, John Walls of Delaware took the stage in the final round of the World Goose Calling Contest in Easton, Maryland. The contest was a stacked field of the best goose callers in the world, all gunning for the title of World Champion.

However, Walls was seeking his third title in as many years, winning his first in 2022 after several years of contest calling. Walls had many close calls with winning the title, and even a few top three finishes. Finally, in ’22, he claimed his first ever Charles Jobes decoy, the $5,000 check, and cemented his name as a World Champ.

The next year, he managed to do the same—a feat only accomplished a handful of times. Three clean rounds of goose music, and Walls was now a two-time World Champion.

However, this year, Walls was trying to do what no contest caller has ever done: win the World Goose Calling Contest three times in a row. During the first two rounds on Friday, Walls blew immaculate routines, but the competition was stout. Callers like Lee Williams, Bobby Heim, Bo Matherly, and Josh Elchynski put together flawless routines that propelled them to the final round.

As the callers wrapped up the last round of the contest and the final event of the World Waterfowl Festival, the callers were brought out on stage.
 
The order of finish was:

5. Josh Elchynsky

4. Bo Matherly

3. Lee Williams

2. Bobby Heim

In a celebration of overwhelming emotion and joy, John Walls was named the World Champion for the third time in a row.

“Winning my third in a row is honestly a little bittersweet. It’s something I’ve dreamed about, and it’s what the best of the best have done. But now I’m done. It hasn’t sunk in yet, that’s for sure,” says Walls.
 
Those who win three times at the World Goose Contest are then forced to retire from the contest and only compete in the Champion of Champions contest held every five years in Easton.
 
“The older I get, the worse my nerves are in the World Goose. I’m certainly looking forward to not having the self-inflicted stress going into the Waterfowl Weekend. I’m looking forward to maybe putting more time and effort into the team and live goose contests, or even volunteering wherever I’m needed. I’m not going to fade away, contest calling has played too big of a role in my life,” Walls says.
 
With the Champion of Champions contest coming up and open contests still available to him, Walls doesn’t need to put the goose call away. He only needs to find more space to hang his plaque and the 3rdiconic Charles Jobes decoy given to the contest winner every year.

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