On August 23, 2025, Mr. Stuart McCullough won his 4th California State Duck Calling title at the 15th Annual California State Championship and Outdoor Exposition held in Colusa, California.
This win qualified him for the World Duck Calling Championship Contest held at the Wings Over the Prairie Festival in Stuttgart, Arkansas November 28 and 29.
McCullough stated, “I am absolutely excited and humbled to be able to represent California once again at the World Championship. This sport has been a big part of who I am for the last three decades, and I cannot wait to step out on that stage in November after all of these years.”
McCullough currently teaches Ag Food Science and coaches Public Speaking. It had been quite some time since he had competed in a World Qualifying Contest as his involvement in the sport has been focused on coaching callers of all ages, judging locally and across the nation, and being the MC of the Contest and Exposition Weekend in Colusa for many years.
Prior to his break from the stage, he had competed in over 130 calling contests across the nation with over 30 titles in various contests ranging from World Qualifiers, Opens, and Two-Man Team events starting back in 1998. He won his first California State title in 2000, then again in 2003 and 2004. At that point there was a win cap in place eliminating him from competing in California after three state titles.
After the win cap was lifted in 2011, he had qualified two other times by winning Regional Contests in other states in 2001 and 2007 with his best finish being 12th in 2007 out of a field of 70 callers. Additionally in 2011, he was selected to Judge the World Championship making him only the third person from California to be invited and in 2013, he was brought back to judge again, making him the only one ever to be invited back.
With his focus now on preparing himself for the Senior World Championship and the World Championship contests, he shared that his return to the stage was motivated by his son. His son had made a comment to a group of people at last year’s event that the best times he remembered at contests were when his father and another caller named Jim Ronquest from Arkansas were competing. That sparked a conversation between them on their ride home that ended up resulting in McCullough’s return to the stage.
