ESPN Hunting

Relive the competition in our photo gallery.

STUTTGART, Ark. — On a night fit only for ducks and duck callers, Jody Niccum of Osawatomie, Kan., came away as the winner of the 2007 World's Championship Duck Calling Contest.

With a light mist and temperatures in the 30s whittling the flock of spectators from thousands to a hundred, Niccum, 19, brought his family to tears when John David Stanley of Greeley, Colo., was announced as the runner-up.

Niccum outcalled a field of 70 competitors from 39 states, sending brother Cory and father Bruce into a red-eyed bent.

"He was crying," Jody said of his brother. "He was right there with me."

"Real emotional," said Cory, also a competitor in the field. "I don't even know what to say."

Bruce fought back the emotion and found appropriate words.

"He's worked hard, he's worked real hard. Both of my boys have," he said. "Since he was 12 years old, when he started doing it. This is one thing he's always wanted. And he's got it. I'm very, very proud of him. Now we can go hunt."

Not so fast, pop. Jody was already inundated with cell phone calls as other family and friends watched the event live on ESPNOutdoors.com and quickly began to ring.

"I was supposed to go hunting this week," he said. "Now I'm probably going to have to cancel."

Maybe not if asked by third runner-up Todd Copley, the 2003 champion and a longtime family friend who lives two hours away in Des Moines, Iowa. He was as emotional as the Niccums.

"I'm their other brother," he said. He pointed to the crowd and added, "These are all his brothers now."

Niccum, who will take home $8,000 and a War Eagle duck boat among his $15,000 prize package, said he appreciates the support and friendship he receives from other callers, especially Copley.

"I love sitting back there with him. He's just a big bear, keeps me going," he said. "He's a stud."

While Niccum said he tries to emulate Copley, he developed his own routine and has finetuned it over the years. Niccum said he practiced an hour each day from October, then picked it up the pace.

"A week before the contest, I was blowing two or three hours a night, breaking everything down, blowing certain textures over and over," he said. "I just try to be myself. I've been blowing the same routine since I was in the intermediates. "I do a routine in my head before I go up on stage and I look above. Both my grandmas are up there, so I watch out for them, and hopefully they're watching out for me."

They did on this cold October night. Niccum's victory has him wondering what the future will bring, though he knows now it will be in duck calling.

"I was just telling my dad, I was going to give it maybe 15, 20 years, and if it wasn't going to come, I was going to pick up a goose call, but now I'm going to stick with this for sure," he said.

"I'm ready for whatever it brings, but this will take a little while to set in."